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Country Calendar
Narrated byFrank Torley (until 2015)
Dan Henry (2016–present)
Opening theme"Hillbilly Child" by the Alan Moorhouse Band
Country of originNew Zealand
No. of episodes1,500+
Production
ProducersDan Henry
Katherine Edmond
Camera setupWidescreen
Running timeApproximately 22 minutes (without commercials)[1]
30 minutes (including commercials)
Original release
NetworkTVNZ 1 (1966–present)
Release6 March 1966 (6 March 1966) –
present

Country Calendar is a New Zealand documentary television series focusing on rural life in New Zealand. It has been aired on TVNZ 1 since March 1966, making it New Zealand's longest-running television series.[2] Since 2013 the show aired for a season of 30 weeks per year, however as of 2016 it is being broadcast for 40 weeks a year. Episodes from the 2013 season to present are available to watch online, through TVNZ+.

Country Calendar is currently produced by Dan Henry, with associate producer Katherine Edmond. Frank Torley was well known as the narrator of the show, and also produced the show for 23 years. Torley died in March 2016 following a short battle with cancer.[3]

The Country Calendar theme song is from the song "Hillbilly Child" by the Alan Moorhouse Band. Hyundai New Zealand is the show's naming rights sponsor, with previous sponsors including The National Bank, financial services company AMP, and Tux dog biscuits.

History

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Country Calendar was first broadcast on 6 March 1966, primarily as a news show for farmers. It was presented by Fred Barnes, and was approximately 14 minutes in length. The show was primarily shot in a studio, with around 5 minutes shot in the field usually, due to budget constraints.[4] The first field report focussed on a Central Otago apricot orchard.

The show was originally developed to be strictly for farmers, however when Tony Trotter became producer of the show in 1974 he decided to market the show towards a more general audience.[5][6] Trotter also chose the Country Calendar theme music, Hillbilly Child by British musician Alan Moorhouse, which is still used by the show today.

Frank Torley began contributing to the show as a reporter in its first few years, and 10 years later moved to the show full-time, becoming producer in 1980. He was well known as the "gravelly Mr Country Calendar voice", and became the show's full-time narrator from the start of 2014.[7] Torley retired from the show in October 2015, after developing vocal nodules. He died in March 2016 after a short battle with cancer.[8]

In the 1990s Country Calendar moved to Saturday nights, after 23 years being broadcast on Sunday. The 1990s was also the first time a sponsor was added to the show's title.[9]

Country Calendar has received NZ on Air funding since 1991, and is the longest running programme the agency has funded.[10]

In 2005 a special 40 Years of Country Calendar episode was broadcast, comprising some of the show's highlights and detailing the show's history.[6]

In 2011 Hyundai New Zealand became the show's naming rights sponsor, taking over from The National Bank. 2011 also marked the first year the show was broadcast in high definition.[11]

Similar to during the show's 40th anniversary in 2005, in 2016 a special episode titled Country Calendar: 50 Golden Years was broadcast to celebrate Country Calendar being on air for 50 years. The special was hosted by broadcaster Jim Hickey, who had previously hosted the show for 5 years from 1998.[4][12]

A Country Calendar exhibition opened at Waikato museum on 11 June 2016, to celebrate 50 years of the show.[13]

In 2017, "Country Calendar" was returned to Sundays at 7.00pm. [citation needed]

Production

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Country Calendar is one of the longest-running television series in New Zealand (by number of years on air), after Coronation Street.[2] There have been at least 1000 episodes broadcast, although the show's producer suggests between 1200 and 1250 is more likely.[14]

Country Calendar is currently produced by Dan Henry who took over from Julian O’Brien in 2023. Julian O'Brien first became involved in the show in 1985 before taking a break and then returning as producer in 2005.[14] The show's associate producer is Katherine Edmond. Dan Henry is also the narrator, taking over from former narrator Frank Torley after his retirement in October 2015. O’Brien, Henry and Edmond also direct the show, along with directors Kerryanne Evans, Richard Langston, Celia Jaspers, Roz Mason, Howard Taylor, Robyn Janes, Vicki Wilkinson-Baker and Kirsty Babington.[15] The show's researcher is Vivienne Jeffs, who has held the role since 2007.

From 2013 the show has had 30 episodes per season, although this was increased to 40 episodes in 2016. According to Country Calendar's production blog, the show will have crew on the road for close to 250 days, in order to produce the 40 episodes.[16] Country Calendar usually focuses on one story per episode.

In 2016 Country Calendar received $566,720 of NZ on Air funding, from the Documentary and Factual programme fund. This was increased from $425,036 in 2015, the same amount as in 2014 and 2013, due to the 10 extra episodes as of 2016.[17] NZ On Air say that Country Calendar is "consistently the highest-rating NZ On Air funded programme, with more than half a million people tuning in every week".[18] 583,500 people aged 5 or over watched the 2015 series on average.

Country Calendar is known to sometimes feature spoofs, where the series will occasionally break format and air an unannounced satirical episode.[19] In 1974, a spoof episode aired focusing on the fictional character Fred Dagg (portrayed by satirist John Clarke). A spoof was first aired in 1977 with a farmer playing a fence as a musical instrument, and since then have included sheep dogs controlled by radio and a high fashion range of rural clothing, among others.[20] While the spoofs were generally well-received, the radio-controlled dog episode resulted in numerous calls of it being inhumane. A Country Calendar – Spoofs Special highlighting the spoof episodes of the show was broadcast in 1999.[20] The last part of the 2016 program marking the show's 50th anniversary was a spoof featuring an app designed to let farmers talk to their working dogs.

There are 10 Country Calendar DVDs on sale, including ‘Best of’ DVDs for each season from 2014 to 2017, as well as DVDs comprising episodes on different topics. These include Country Calendar Goes Fishing, Country Calendar on Horseback and Country Calendar Goes Green. The 50th anniversary special is also available on DVD.[21] The NZ On Screen website also features some archived special episodes of the show which can be viewed online.

Awards

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Country Calendar has won numerous awards during its time on air.[22]

Year Awards Name Category Nominee Result
1975 Feltex Television Awards First Series Award Country Calendar Won
1977 Feltex Television Awards Best Specialty Programme Country Calendar Won
1980 Feltex Television Awards Best Information Programme Country Calendar Won
1981 Feltex Television Awards Best Information Programme Country Calendar Won
1982 Feltex Television Awards Best Information Programme Country Calendar Won
1983 Feltex Television Awards Best Information Programme Country Calendar Won
1993 New Zealand Film and Television Awards Best Factual Series Country Calendar Won
2000 TV Guide Television Awards Best Camera Peter Young (for episode Yankee Harvest) Won
2002 TV Guide Television Awards Best Factual Series Country Calendar Won
2002 TV Guide Television Awards Best Camera, Non-Drama Peter Young Won
2005 New Zealand Screen Awards Best Director (Factual Programming/Entertainment) Jerome Cvitanovich (for episode Oamuru Stone) Nominated
2005 Qantas Television Awards Best Camera, Factual Peter Young Won
2006 TV Guide Best on the Box Awards* Best Lifestyle Show Country Calendar Won
2007 Air New Zealand Screen Awards Achievement in Camerawork, Documentary Peter Young (for episode Cray Coast) Won
2007 Qantas Television Awards Best Camera, Factual Country Calendar (for episode Autumn Muster) Nominated
2007 TV Guide Best on the Box Awards* Best Lifestyle Show Country Calendar Won
2015 TV Guide Best on the Box Awards* Best Lifestyle/Advice Show Country Calendar Won
2018 Huawei Mate20 NZ Television Awards Best Camerawork - Documentary/Factual Peter Young Nominated
2020 NZ Television Awards Best Factual Series Country Calendar Won

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Hyundai Country Calendar". TVNZ OnDemand. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b "1966 – key events – The 1960s – NZHistory". www.nzhistory.net.nz. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  3. ^ "Country Calendar's Frank Torley dies". Radio New Zealand. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Fifty years of capturing Kiwi farming". Stuff. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  5. ^ "Tony Trotter – NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  6. ^ a b "40 Years of Country Calendar – Television – NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Frank Torley – NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  8. ^ "Country Calendar's Frank Torley dies aged 75". New Zealand Herald. 29 March 2016. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Background – 40 Years of Country Calendar – Television – NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  10. ^ "Country Calendar". www.nzonair.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  11. ^ "Country Calendar shacks up with Hyundai, adding fuel to glue factory rumours for National Bank stallion". stoppress.co.nz. 13 March 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  12. ^ "Jim Hickey – NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  13. ^ "Hyundai Country Calendar to celebrate 50 years on air at Waikato Museum – Waikato Museum". waikatomuseum.co.nz. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  14. ^ a b "On TV, 5–11 March: including Country Calendar and Kolkata with Sue Perkins – New Zealand Listener". New Zealand Listener. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  15. ^ Country Calendar Team, retrieved 1 April 2016
  16. ^ "Producer's Diary – autumn 2016". TVNZ Ondemand. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  17. ^ "National TV". Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  18. ^ "Country Calendar". www.nzonair.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  19. ^ "Weekend Rewind: Country Calendar turns 50". New Zealand Herald. 5 March 2016. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  20. ^ a b "Background – Country Calendar – Spoofs Special – Television – NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  21. ^ "Hyundai Country Calendar on DVD". TVNZ Ondemand. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  22. ^ "NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
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