Kiwi kids on screen

TVNZ’s new streaming service has one key aim: to increase the amount of Kiwi content available to kids. Chris Schulz investigates.

ASK AMIE Mills why Kiwi kids need to see themselves on TV, and she’ll pause, apologise for pausing, then say this: “I lose words when I think about how important it is.”

Mills, the children’s commissioner for TVNZ, explains her loss of words with a shocking piece of research: “We’ve had some fascinating conversations with teachers. They’re astounded by how many children are turning up to school aged 5 with American accents.”

Kiwi kids starting school with American accents? What gives? How does this happen? By watching too many American TV shows via American streaming services, that’s how.

Heihei hopes to change all that. The NZ On Air-funded online streaming service launches next week with the express aim of increasing the amount of New Zealand-orientated content available to kids.

It’s ad-free, features shows that use New Zealand people, place names and te reo, and uses Kiwi kids or characters wherever possible.

Mills believes that’s an important mandate to follow. “I can’t think of anything more important as a child growing up to see and hear yourself (on screen),” she says.

“My hope is that we’ve got kids reconnecting with New Zealand stories, places, sounds, and we build up that love of local content.”

Heihei lives up to that statement by launching with 50 shows, 38 of which are made locally.

They range from live action shows like Fanimals and The Moe Show, to animated cartoons Barefoot Bandits and Darwin and Newts.

Mills says Kiwi content has always been created here, but often gets lost across various streaming platforms. Heihei, she says, is the first to bring it all together.

Aimed at 5 to 9-year-olds, it’s not just a television streaming service, offering games and stories that are often related to other shows on the platform.

“It’s a gateway for parents so they can find other things that are great for kids,” she explains.

Though some international shows are in the mix, like Peppa Pig, Mills says they’ll be watching their performance closely to see if they resonate as much as local ones.

“Do kids feed off those? Do they need to be part of the mix? We spent a lot of time finding content that wasn’t just straight American content. We just want it to feel a bit more high-quality,” she says.

So far, the feedback for Heihei has been positive, and a presentation to 90 content creators last week went well.

“Producers were saying, ‘It feels like we’ve been given a new lease of life here to make content for kids in the digital age that we haven’t been able to do with the constraints of linear TV’,” she says.

But Mills believes the best is yet to come, with new shows broadening Heihei’s offerings commissioned throughout the rest of the year.

“We don’t have a kids news show, what does that look like?” she asks.

“I can’t wait for it to be out there so we can look at the stats and get involved with schools and teachers. There’s a vision we can work towards. It feels like this platform gives longevity to kids content now.”

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