Police Ten 7
| Police Ten 7 | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Observational Documentary Television Series |
| Directed by | Rita Kershaw |
| Presented by | Detective Inspector (ret) Graham Bell |
| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 18 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Philly de Lacey |
| Producer | Sarah-Luise Hornblow |
| Running time | 22 minutes (approximate) |
| Original release | |
| Network | TV2 |
| Release | 2002 – present |
Police Ten 7 is a New Zealand reality television show, produced by Screentime with the assistance of the New Zealand Police for Television New Zealand's TV2. The show profiles wanted criminals and asks the public to help the police in their search for them. In addition, the programme follows the work of police officers in their patrols and other police activities. The show is hosted and narrated by Detective Inspector (ret) Graham Bell. It also airs in Australia on Fox8.
Police Ten 7 takes its name from the New Zealand Police ten-code 10-7, which means "Unit has arrived at job".
Format
Crimes and wanted criminals
The crimes and wanted criminals section of the show usually features up to five crimes or criminals wanted for various offences, including burglary, assault, and drug offences.
"Case 1" is the main case to feature in an episode, and involves the host visiting the scene of the crime. A local detective takes the host and the audience through the events preceding, during, and following the offence. The criminal or criminals wanted are described, often with security camera footage or IdentiKit images. Cases 2 through 5 are described in smaller detail, and are either crimes with unknown criminals, or known criminals with warrants for their arrest.
Viewers are instructed to come forward with any information by telephoning the Police Ten 7 hotline on 0800-10-7-INFO (0800-10-7-4636). Information provided through the Police Ten 7 hotline has resulted in over 450 arrests since the show began, and some recent episodes have resulted in some fast arrests - one show in July 2009 resulted in all five wanted faces being arrested within 48 hours.[1]
Police duties
Each episode usually follows two or three call-outs by police in various cities around New Zealand, for various offences including alcoholism, drugs, violence, vandalism, theft, and general disorder. Sometimes the stories are light-hearted to break with the serious tone of the show. Events included in the 2010 season included the policing of University of Otago's Orientation Week and the Wellington Sevens. The then-coach of the Sevens was questioned over a parking violation, but was released when it was established he had been parked there for "at least thirty seconds".[2]
In popular culture
- In October 2009, one of the police duties segments became an internet hit. Auckland police officer Sergeant Guy Baldwin was investigating a potential car thief claiming he was going to a local BP service station at 3am to buy a pie, when he told the thief he must "always blow on the pie", before adding the New Zealand Police motto "Safer communities together".[3]
- New Zealand contemporary hit radio station ZM's weekly NZ30 countdown starts with a parody of a Police Ten-7 wanted criminal case. In the parody, Graham Bell describes the hosts of the countdown, Jay and Flynny, as wanted criminals in an arguably humorous context [citation needed].
- The program was often referred to on the Australian radio show Get This.
Awards
- TV Guide Best on the Box Awards 2010 - Best Reality Series[4]
- TV Guide Best on the Box Awards 2011 - Best Reality Series[5]
See also
References
- ^ http://www.screentime.co.nz/index.php/page/show/pi_showid/8
- ^ "About the show - Police Ten 7 - Television New Zealand". Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Blow on the pie cop is an internet hit - National News - Television New Zealand". 2009-10-23. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Favourite presenters, actors named in annual TV awards". The New Zealand Herald. 2010-03-18. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Paul Henry on top in Best on Box awards". Television New Zealand. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2011.