Des Monaghan: Pioneering TV journalism, ending the Post Office strike and waiting for David Frost...

Des Monaghan has made an enormous contribution to the television industry as a TV producer and network executive in both New Zealand and Australia. Starting as a trainee producer with the NZBC, Monaghan produced a range of pioneering current affairs shows such as Town and Around, Gallery and Compass. In more recent years, Monaghan set up Australasian production company Screentime, whose slate includes popular shows Popstars, Underbelly, Police Ten 7 and Beyond the Darklands. 

In this ScreenTalk, Monaghan talks about:

• Working with a blind cameraman and deaf sound recordist in his early TV days
• Having almost no content to broadcast when he began producing Town and Around
• Playing an awful lot of pool with Brian Edwards, while producing Compass
• Failing to realise the power he had on current affairs show Gallery
• How the show famously helped to settle the Post Office strike 
• The laziness of the print media in New Zealand in the 1970s
• Being kept waiting by David Frost while making Frost Over New Zealand
• How legendary fighter pilot Sir Keith Park created a poignant moment on the show
• Raising the ire of rugby league fans after taking over sports coverage on TV
• New Zealand needing true public service television
• Being grateful for the varied opportunities his career has offered

This video was first uploaded on 4 May 2015, and is available under this Creative Commons licence. This licence is limited to use of ScreenTalk interview footage only and does not apply to any video content and photographs from films, television, music videos, web series and commercials used in the interview.

Interview, Camera and Editing – Andrew Whiteside