GLORIAVALE

In 2014, TVNZ opened the unsuspecting eyes of New Zealanders to a South Island community many had no idea existed, with the continuing series of documentaries mustwatch viewing ever since.

The annual visit inside the controversial Christian community has become something of a bizarre New Zealand TV tradition. This year’s instalment, Gloriavale: A Woman’s Place, enthralled audiences to the point that it topped Nielsen’s of most-watched list for 25- to 54-year-olds. The episode gave a special insight into what life is like for the women of Gloriavale, and focused on a young woman named Dove Love and her quest for marriage and motherhood in the secluded community.

Off air, the series continues to be watched online, with bonus content including a sing-a-long to Dove Love’s wedding song (#soblessed), which alone generated 345,000 views on TVNZ 2’s Facebook page. There are also online tools available for fans of the show to generate their own Gloriavale-inspired name.

On a different note, Mind Over Money with Nigel Latta deserves a special mention for making the topic of money appealing to audiences during primetime while taking the unusual route of being entirely sponsored by Kiwibank.