Whitebait-TV is a local independent New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 production company

Production company

A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...

 producing children's programmes

Children's television series

Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...

. It was founded by Janine Morrell-Gunn in 1998.

History

Morrell-Gunn worked as an executive producer for TVNZ's Children's Unit while it was based in Christchurch

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

, New Zealand. When the Unit moved to Wellington

Wellington

Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...

's Avalon studios, in 1998, Morrell-Gunn remained in Christchurch to start her own company, Whitebait Productions.

Whitebait's first commission was Bumble

Bumble (TV Series)

Bumble was a New Zealand children's television series for children ages 2–7 featuring a magical bee. The title character was played by Jason Gunn. The series was produced for TVNZ by the Gunn's wife, Janine Morrell-Gunn....

, a preschool series about a bee and his friends. The first actor to wear the Bumble suit was her husband, Jason Gunn

Jason Gunn

Jason Gunn is a New Zealand television personality. He is now best known as the main host of the hit New Zealand entertainment television show, Dancing with the Stars, Wheel of Fortune, and The Rich List.- Early career :...

. Whitebait Productions has also produced the Jessie.com series for What Now TV (which sold to Disney Australia, and English programmes for Japan), the interactive pop talent quest Wannabes

Wannabes

Wannabes is an online interactive soap and game created for the BBC by Illumna Digital. Wannabes follows on from Jamie Kane, the BBC's previous foray into online interactive drama. The show/game consists of 14 10 minute episodes released twice a week. During the episodes, viewers are prompted to...

for TV3

TV3 (New Zealand)

TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...

, and the series Tuhono, a youth hip-hop show, for Maori Television

Maori Television

Māori Television is a New Zealand TV station broadcasting programmes that make a significant contribution to the revitalisation of the Māori language and culture . Funded by the New Zealand Government, the station started broadcasting on 28 March 2004 from a base in Newmarket.Te Reo is the...

. The show Animal Academy was produced by Whitebait also for TVNZ and is screened regularly on TV2

Whitebait Productions has produced What Now? since the shows relaunch.

In April 2009, Whitebait's newest show "The Erin Simpson Show" came on air. The show is currently on its third season.

Shows

The list below is all of the productions and shows created by Whitbait TV Productions:

• Jessie.com
• Wannabes
• Bumble
  Bumble (TV Series)
  Bumble was a New Zealand children's television series for children ages 2–7 featuring a magical bee. The title character was played by Jason Gunn. The series was produced for TVNZ by the Gunn's wife, Janine Morrell-Gunn....
  
  
• What Now?
• Tuhono
• The Erin Simpson Show
• Animal Academy

External links

• NZ On Screen, Janine Morrell-Gunn biography

http://www.whitebait-tv.com/