What's the Deal, TVNZ? Terry Teo Could be a Hit

Above: Kahn West as Terry Teo.

In today's NZ Herald, entertainment columnist Karl Puschmann reviews the new Terry Teo TV series - streaming now on TVNZ Ondemand - and found a lot to like, "Terry Teo is an effortless reboot that's perfectly pitched for its modern audience and the old-school fans. It pulls off the neat trick of managing to be both familiar and new. It's a winner."

He continues, "Terry Teo is snappy, lively and filled with good-natured humour and zing that only occasionally rubs up awkwardly against the seriousness of its premise. The script's great, it's superbly cast and, best of all, it has proper car chases. Despite its modernity it retains that real 80s kidult action feel."

But he also poses the question, if the show's this good, why isn't TVNZ airing it? "...if I had a locally produced show of this calibre, with a positive and charismatic young Polynesian hero in the lead and a great multi-ethnic cast, I'd change whatever plans I had and get this thing on air sharpish." 

TVNZ has publicly stated that they plan to air the TV series at a later date, at an appropriate time slot to better accommodate the PG rating of some of the episodes.

You can check out the full review HERE.

- AK!

Terry Teo screening now at TVNZ Ondemand!

The new Terry Teo is here! Catch the first two episodes: Terry and the Gunrunners Parts 1 & 2 available to stream now on TVNZ Ondemand HERE.

And check back here later in the week as we break down the episodes for a full review!

- AK!

12 Questions with Terry Teo Co-Creator Bob Kerr

Above: Terry Teo Artist and Co-Creator, Bob Kerr. Photo by Nick Reed.

In today's NZ Herald, Terry Teo Artist and Co-Creator Bob Kerr answers 12 questions on the creation of the original Terry Teo graphic novel, his paintings, and more. Discussing his early career as an author/illustrator, he told the NZ Herald, "We live in a culturally rich country. I was part of a new wave of people who wanted to produce New Zealand books. Most of us came through Writers in Schools. Joy Cowley organised a very lively meeting at her place in the Sounds in the late 80s. We all got together - Lynley Dodd, Gavin Bishop, Tessa Duder - and had a rip-roaring weekend. It was an exciting time. Kids now are growing up with a Disney-fied universal culture driven by mass market economics. I want our kids to know about where they live."

As for being approached to turn Terry Teo into a TV series in the mid-1980s, Bob recalls, "there was a knock on the door and a film producer wearing a safari suit said, "Hello, I'm Logan Brewer. I'd like to make a TV series." Steve and I thought this must be what happens. We were just naive goofs along for the ride. Steve wrote nine episodes of TV script but only six were made because skateboarding went out of fashion, according to the funders".

You can read the full interview HERE.

- AK!

Meet the New Terry Teo: Kahn West

Above: Kahn West as Terry Teo.

Ahead of tomorrow's premiere of the brand new Terry Teo TV series on TVNZ Ondemand, learn more about the actor who's picking up the trademark skateboard to become the new Terry: Kahn West. 

After a minor role in the 2012 horror film Fresh Meat, playing Terry Teo is his first major role as a lead actor. While he wasn't aware of the original character's cult status, his family certainly was. As West told the NZ Herald Weekend Magazine, "I came home and told my family I'd auditioned for it and they started jumping up and down. They knew who Terry Teo was. They even started singing the theme tune. I was like, 'What the hell?". You can read the full interview with Kahn West HERE.

Above: Josh Thomson as Detective McMurray.

Josh Thompson plays Detective McMurray, who reluctantly teams up with the young sleuth over the coarse of his adventures. Thompson recalled the original show and graphic novel series from his childhood. He told The Waikato Times, "I remember seeing it a couple of times when I was little, I remember being quite a fan of the comics. I do remember them having massive shoes and quite sort of cartoony clothes." You can read the full interview with Thompson HERE.

Terry Teo premieres July 12th on TVNZ Ondemand.

- AK!

The Terry Teo Trailer is Here!

Here's your first look at the brand new television adaptation of Terry Teo, due to air on TVNZ OnDemand from July 12th!

Written and directed by Gerard Johnstone and produced by Luke Sharpe, the team behind the acclaimed film, Housebound (2014), this new take on this classic kiwi character is updating Terry's adventure for a modern audience.

When it was recent announced that episodes of this new series would be rated PG instead of the expected family friendly G, producer Luke Sharpe was quick to defend their new take on Terry's adventures in a quote to the NZ Herald: "Yes, some head-butting went on with TVNZ when we delivered the show, but you have to fight for something you believe is great. It is a super-fun action romp and you can't cut the action from an action series. In the end, TVNZ could see it for what it is and we hope New Zealand is really going to dig it."

From our exclusive interview with Gerard Johnstone and Sharpe published in the new edition of Terry Teo and the Gunrunners, Johnstone discussed their approach to the material, and maintaining the balance of adventure and humour that made the original show so appealing. "Between now and [the previous] Terry Teo, I can't think of the last kids' show that had this much action - we've got shootouts, car chases, kung-fu fights, it's very full on", Johnstone explained.

"And you don't want to talk down to kids. My favourite shows from when I was a kid were The A-Team and MacGyver, which weren't made for children. So the idea was to do something that had that same kind of broad appeal. I really don't think of this as a kids' show - it should have something for everyone".

From what we've seen so far, it looks like it's going to be a blast! You can add it to your viewing list at TVNZ OnDemand right now HERE. The new edition of Terry Teo and the Gunrunners is in bookstores now, or can be purchased from our online bookstore HERE.

- AK!

Terry Teo and the Gunrunners TV Tie-in edition

Bob Kerr & Stephen Ballantyne
Paperback, 56 pages, full-colour
ISBN: 9780473330675
Suitable for All Ages
RRP: $24.99

Synopsis:

Terry Teo is not your average schoolboy - he's a skateboarding super-sleuth about to embark on his very first adventure!

When he stumbles headfirst into the criminal schemes of the villainous Ray Vegas, Terry finds himself embroiled in a dastardly gun smuggling operation. Along with his karate-chopping sister, Polly, and older brother Ted, Terry must use all his street smarts to avoid Vegas' henchmen, defeat the smugglers, and save the day!

Reviews:

"Great adventures. No iPhones, no internet. I think I even saw a red telephone box in there. Lots of car chases, bad accents, worse jokes...It's going to be popular with young boys."

- John McIntyre, Children's Book Reviewer - Nine to Noon, National Radio

"It’s all jolly good nostalgic fun, with a distinctly kiwi flavour to the illustrations – including the charmingly-named small town Kaupati (say it aloud) with its tiny police station and A&P show. This is truly like travelling back into a time before cellphones, before the internet, into a world where kids get to have the adventures – because the adults are too oblivious or silly to solve the problems themselves. With its fast pace and humour, this graphic novel can now be enjoyed by a new generation, and may especially be embraced by the more reluctant reader."

- Angela Oliver, Booksellers New Zealand Blog

"Bob Kerr’s cartoons are terrific as always and there are lots of little in-house jokes and Kiwi things going on that are smilers when you see one. Stephen Ballantyne’s written text is to the point and captures the whole Kiwi attitude. This book has high appeal for reluctant readers and is certain to win fans at primary and intermediate schools all over again."

- Bob Doherty, Bobs Book Blog

Press Talk: Reviews and Interviews

It's been just over a month since the release of our new edition of Terry Teo and the Gunrunners, and the reviews are starting to roll in! There was a fine review from Angela Oliver over at The NZ Booksellers Blog, describing Terry Teo as, "jolly good nostalgic fun, with a distinctly kiwi flavour". You can read the full review HERE.

Children's and Young Adult book reviewer Bob Docherty also recommended the new edition on his blog, Bob's Books, siting that it has "appeal for reluctant readers and is certain to win fans at primary and intermediate schools all over again". You can read the review HERE.

On National Radio, Terry Teo artist Bob Kerr talked to Wallace Chapman about the return of Terry Teo in print and to the small screen HERE, and John McIntyre from The Children's Bookshop in Wellington also discussed it on his Book Review show HERE.

Ant Sang has also been on the promotion trail of late, to celebrate the release of the US/UK edition of The Dharma Punks. You can listen to Ant discussing his career and the creation of The Dharma Punks on the great indie comics podcast, Inkstuds HERE.

There's also been a bunch on new reviews from: The Peak, Vermicious, and the Comics Alternative podcast reviews it HERE.

But don't take their word for it, head out to your local bookstore (or our online shop) and pick up a copy of these books for yourself and discover what all the fuss is about!

- AK!

Photorama: Earth's End and Terry Teo at Auckland Armageddon Expo 2015!

Above: The Earth's End Publishing team and cartoonist Mat Tait: (from left) Adrian Kinnaird, Damon Keen, Mat Tait and Kelly Sheehan. Photo by Ant Sang.

We launched our new edition of Terry Teo and the Gunrunners at Auckland Armageddon Expo over Labour Weekend to a great public response! We had our authors - Terry Teo co-creator Stephen Ballantyne and The Dharma Punks' Ant Sang signing books, as well as our good friend Mat Tait, promoting his new graphic novel, The Heading Dog Who Split in Half. In addition to the book, we also screened the first trailer of the new Terry Teo TV series, written and directed by Gerard Johnstone (Housebound), from the footage it looks to capture the humour and adventure of the original, while giving the material a contemporary update.

Here's some photos from the event (click on the photos for larger viewing):

Above: The Earth's End Publishing booth at Auckland Armageddon Expo, just prior to opening.

Above: Terry Teo co-creator Stephen Ballantyne.

Above: Adrian Kinnaird with Kelly Sheehan and Terry Teo co-creator Stephen Ballantyne.

Above: Mat Tait (The Heading Dog Who Split in Half) and Ant Sang (The Dharma Punks).

Above: Mat Tait signing copies of The Heading Dog Who Split in Half for punters. Photo by Ant Sang.

Above: Damon Keen signing a copy of High Water. Photo by Ant Sang.

Above: Mat Tait and Faction's Damon Keen. Photo by Ant Sang.

If you missed us at the Armageddon Expo, copies of Terry Teo and the Gunrunners are available now from all good booksellers for $24.99, or you can purchase it online from our website store HERE.

- AK!