The Detail

Brokenwood's Tim Balme talks to Amanda Gillies about the New Zealand drama series watched worldwide It's been a brutal year for New Zealand television, with the demise of Three's Newshub news operation, along with 300-odd jobs; and the canning of TVNZ's highly rated Fair Go, Sunday and Late News programmes.It's also been announced that the long-running soap Shortland Street will be cut to three nights a week, down from five, from next year.But in amongst the industry's slow crumble, is a beacon of hope - The Brokenwood Mysteries, which premiered on Prime TV 10 years ago before moving to TV1, and is now screened in 150 countries. Filming for season 11 is now underway.Today The Detail speaks to the show's writer and producer Tim Balme about its phenomenal success - and why it's bucking industry trends by not only surviving but thriving."When we first put this show to air, I thought it would be one and done," Balme says. "I didn't have any expectation that it would become a decade-long crusade."It's been successful because it's sold overseas in ways that no other New Zealand drama ever has. It's like a self-saucing pudding. We make it, it sells, so we get to make more. It's a self-funding exercise. It's unique."And I think the reason it started selling is murder mysteries were either from the UK or America, they had their own distinct style, so when we brought this show out, it was unique because it was from a New Zealand filter and overseas audiences took a shine to it. They loved the accents and the places - it was the right thing at the right time."Balme says he won't change the authentic Kiwi experience to cater for the international audience.He says New Zealanders love the show just as much."This is the nuts thing, the crazy thing - season 10 has just aired here and the numbers were through the roof, numbers like we have never seen before," he said before joking "I sound like Trump"."Right now, we are in a climate where we are all worried that linear tv is a thing of the past - and to an extent, it is, it's changing and it's changing fast."But little old Brokenwood seems to be pushing against the trend. And more watched it on linear tv than ever before. We were delighted with that."Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A new report from the SIS aims to help New Zealanders recognise the risks to our security In 2024, spying has gone high tech - but it's not all cybercrime and internet hacking and old school espionage is still taking placeRead more hereGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Child support arrears and penalties sit at nearly a billion dollars. That's comparatively good news, according to the tax department…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Political pet projects that get overturned by incoming governments could be a thing of the past if a new infrastructure body achieves its aims …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Te Araroa's popularity has skyrocketed since opening over a decade ago, but a recent coroner's report into the death of a tramper highlights some dangerous trends. Read more hereGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

On Auckland's skyline, the country's largest residential tower sits unfinished and exposed to the elements…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The cost of living and a tight job market have forced New Zealanders to look outside of the UK for their OE…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

How top athletes like Lydia Ko can pull themselves out of their performance slumps to rise againShe calls it her "Cinderella moment" and her "fairytale fortnight" but to win Olympic gold and the British Open golf title, Lydia Ko had to deal with and overcome her "worst ever" golf season.And the 27-year-old admits it was hard to come back from that 2023 low.Today on The Detail we look at how sporting stars ride the lulls, the performance dips, the emotional lows, to get back on top.It's taken Ko eight long years to win another title, but the $2 million prize money won't be her only motivation.Dr Kylie Wilson, a performance mind set coach at High Performance Sports NZ, was at the Olympics in Paris. She was impressed with Ko's mental and physical performance, on the green and in front of cameras."She's been on the circuit for a long time, it's a really good grounding exercise for how you show up to media versus how you show up to yourself or your tight support team," she says. "She seems to be enjoying her golf and is showing a lot of emotion and passion for the game she has crafted over a long time, it's been awesome to watch."On the podcast Wilson talks about what top athletes have in common that drives them to succeed.Former Black Cap star Mark Richardson, a golf convert with a handicap of five and long-time Lydia Ko fan, tells The Detail that overcoming slumps and sporting lulls is tough."The worst thing that can creep in is self-doubt," he says. "I'm sure Lydia has had some self-doubt and questioning how long she's going to play the game for."But I think what gets anyone through this is the love for the game and still wanting the win when you have your day. And you look forward to that day."Once you believe you can't do it, don't want to do the work, or it becomes a grind, you won't come back from that slump. That's what happened to me at the end of the day."Ko says her recent post-slump wins haven't changed her thoughts on retirement."I know for a fact I'm probably never playing past 30," she told RNZ's First Up. "And you know what has happened in the last few weeks doesn't change the timeline of things."Ko still has several months of golf left to see out this season, then she hopes to return to New Zealand for a visit.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

US astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore won't be returning to Earth until February, after NASA decided it couldn't risk bringing them back on a potentially-faulty Boeing Starliner…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Holiday homes sit empty while local families live in cars and on deteriorating boats. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details