Aftershock

This award-winning telefilm imagines the effects of a major earthquake on New Zealand’s capital city, and how its citizens react to chaos, isolation and tsunami. It was completed in 2008 — before Christchurch took Wellington’s mantle as New Zealand's shakiest city, and made Aftershock's imagined scenes a reality. Aftershock was produced for TV3 by Wellington production company The Gibson Group, and written by veteran scriptwriter Graeme Tetley (Out of the Blue, Vigil). The following week saw the debut of Aftershock - Would You Survive?, which put a real-life family through a three-day survival test. 

In my [New Zealand] community, if the water is out for an hour there are massive complaints. When we have power out, the same. We expect it in Wellington. It's the kind of society we're in and what we have to get over ... The initial thing we'd be getting over is these luxuries and also the expectation that someone will come and fix things.

– Dave Neru, Aftershock's originator and executive producer

Key Cast & Crew

Matthew J Saville

As: Ward

Hamish Brown

As: Dizzie

Brendan Donovan

Drama Director

Sarah Peirse

As: Angela Flight

Thomas Robins

News Director

Graeme Tetley

Writer