NZ On Screen – television, film and music video available to watch online for free
NZ On Screen Content Director Irene Gardiner gives us an overview of what’s on offer in this treasure trove of New Zealand television, film and music video.
If you want to find out about New Zealand’s screen history, watch National Film Unit newsreels from through the years, or just take a trip down memory lane with classic TV shows like Pukemanu, Close to Home, or C’mon, then NZ On Screen is the place for you.
These titles are among the 3,000 or so titles on the website all available to view free of charge.
To access the site go to www.nzonscreen.com.
There is a search box on the top right hand side of the home page if you are wanting to look for a particular title. Or click through to the Explore section if you want to have a general look around.
As well as all of the individual TV shows, films and music videos on the site, there are also curated collections of titles around one theme or event, for example our Anzac Day collection of war-related documentaries, dramas and newsreels; our Matariki collection of classic Māori screen works; and our National Film Unit collection.
In the seven years that NZ On Screen has been in existence, it has been really gratifying to see the incredible fondness and nostalgia for retro New Zealand television that exists both here and with NZ expats. If you have a particular interest in classic TV shows, the Top 40 NZ TV Classics collection would be a good starting point for you on the site.
If you are interested in what titles on the website have been most viewed by other site users, check out our All-Time Top 20 Greatest Hits collection.
Obviously you will need access to a computer, tablet or mobile phone to watch NZ On Screen, and you will need a functioning broadband connection. If your broadband is not strong, there is a lo-res option to switch to at the bottom right of the video player. This should help you if you are having trouble getting a video to play.
NZ On Screen is funded by NZ On Air, which is why we are able to supply all of our content free of charge, with the kind permission of the producers and performers who originally made it.
Enjoy browsing around the site.
Want to know what our most watched title of all time is? Not an old classic, but a surprising early morning scene from a reality police television show.