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| Network: | Prime |
The first series of New Zealand's Got Talent began airing on Prime on 8 September 2008 and ran to 28 October 2008. It consisted of 13 episodes.
In March 2008, Prime announced it was producing a version of New Zealand's Got Talent, in conjunction with South Pacific Pictures and FremantleMedia, with a grand prize of NZ$100,000.
In June, actress Miriama Smith was announced as the first of the show's three judges, and television presenter Andrew Mulligan and radio host Jason Reeves were announced as the show's two presenters. In July, the final two judges were announced - former NZ Idol judge Paul Ellis and former Radio With Pictures presenter and television producer Richard Driver.[1]
It was the first and only series of New Zealand's Got Talent produced by Prime. The series had not delivered expected advertising revenue and in 2009, the network confirmed that they would not produce any further series.[2] Subsequent to the series lackluster performance, the franchise rights were acquired by TVNZ for a more successful second series run in 2012.
The audition process started in May 2008 with an initial registration period for applicants. The top applicants were then invited to the judges auditions rounds in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in August. The series started with highlights from the judges shows, one episode per location, starting on Monday 8 September. From this round, the judges chose 32 contestants to go through to the semi-finals.
There were four semi-finals with eight contestants in each show. Starting 29 September, the pre-recorded performance show screened on Mondays nights, followed by the live results show on Tuesday nights.[3] [4]
| Key | Judges' choice |
|---|
| Order | Contestant | Act | Judges' choices | Finished | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Smith | Ellis | ||||
| 1 | The Mini Me’s | Dance Group | Lost Judges Vote | |||
| 2 | Olaf John | Singer | Eliminated | |||
| 3 | Jeremy Ainsley | Juggler | Eliminated | |||
| 4 | Edward Owen | Singer | Eliminated | |||
| 5 | Americus Wilson | Hula Hoop Act | Won Judges Vote | |||
| 6 | Fiddlelore | Band | Eliminated | |||
| 7 | Diflair | Flair Bartenders | Eliminated | |||
| 8 | Chaz Cummings | Dancer | Won Public Vote | |||
| Order | Contestant | Act | Judges' choices | Finished | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Smith | Ellis | ||||
| 1 | All Star Cheerleaders | Cheerleading Group | Eliminated | |||
| 2 | Caleb Jago-Ward | Singer | Eliminated | |||
| 3 | Chelsea and Quest | Dog Act | Won Judges Vote | |||
| 4 | Strungout | Musicians | Eliminated | |||
| 5 | Ruth Pearce | Dancer | Lost Judges Vote | |||
| 6 | Kent Isomura | Pianist | Eliminated | |||
| 7 | Gaylene Stewart | Singer | Won Public Vote | |||
| 8 | Andre Vegas | Magician | Eliminated | |||
| Order | Contestant | Act | Judges' choices | Finished | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Smith | Ellis | ||||
| 1 | Melissa Nordhaus | Singer | Eliminated | |||
| 2 | Ease | Singing Group | Won Judges Vote | |||
| 3 | TMC (That Mean Crew) | Dance Group | Won Public Vote | |||
| 4 | Foolish Honey | Acrobat | Eliminated | |||
| 5 | Caitlin Turner | Singer | Eliminated | |||
| 6 | Legacy | Dance Group | Lost Judges Vote | |||
| 7 | Seamus | Sword Swallower | Eliminated | |||
| 8 | Leo Barnett | Singer | Eliminated | |||
| Order | Contestant | Act | Judges' choices | Finished | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Smith | Ellis | ||||
| 1 | Jai n Mel | Acrobat Duo | Eliminated | |||
| 2 | Joshy | Beatboxer | Won Public Vote | |||
| 3 | HymnChiDivah | Singing Group | Eliminated | |||
| 4 | Coral Pitcher | Singer | Lost Public Vote | |||
| 5 | Tim Pekamu | Harmonica Player | Won Judges Vote | |||
| 6 | Penelope Muir | Singer | Eliminated | |||
| 7 | Gabru Ground Shakers | Dance Group | Eliminated | |||
| 8 | Sticks | Percussion Group | Eliminated | |||
The finals performances took place on Monday 27 October with the results revealed on Tuesday 28 October. As well as the performances from each of the finalists, each judge invited back a previously eliminated contestant. They were singer Paton Jacinto, pianist Kent Isomura and singer Melissa Nordhouse.[5]
| Order | Contestant | Act | Finished |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TMC (That Mean Crew) | Dance Group | 2 |
| 2 | Ease | Singing Group | 7 |
| 3 | Chelsea and Quest | Dog Act | 8 |
| 4 | Americus Wilson | Hula Hoop Act | 5 |
| 5 | Joshy | Beatboxer | 4 |
| 6 | Chaz Cummings | Dancer | 1 |
| 7 | Tim Pekamu | Harmonica Player | 6 |
| 8 | Gaylene Stewart | Singer | 3 |