Ahikāroa - First Episode (Money, Money, Money)

...being Māori is a superpower.

– Nepia Takuira-Mita (Te Arawa, Hāmoa) who plays Hemi in Ahikāroa, The Spinoff, 6 April 2023

The longevity of the series is also a testament to the authenticity of Ahikāroa’s telling of the Māori experience — tangata whenua quickly call each other out when something isn’t tika.

– TV reviewer Tommy Da Silva, The Spinoff, 6 April 2023

I don’t have to put my Pākehā voice on at work anymore.

– Scriptwriter Annette Morehu (Tūhoe, Te Arawa, Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa), The Spinoff, 6 April 2023

The number of directors, writers, and production staff who we’ve been able to help develop and support, or who’ve just been given an opportunity to practise their gifts in a robust operational environment, is staggering. And I have no doubt that the wider sector has benefited from that.

– Series creator Quinton Hita on the flow on effects of series Ahikāroa, E-Tangata, 8 August 2021

Those stories and experience include everything from sexual abuse, abusive relationships, takatāpui stigma and political issues like Ihumātao. “I have had so many people come to me and tell me how much it has helped them to see those stories being told,” says Morehu, noting that it has allowed viewers to work towards overcoming their trauma.

– Ahikāroa scriptwriter Annette Morehu, The Spinoff, 6 April 2023

It's not surprising that our kids aren't attracted to the Māori language stuff we've made traditionally. Ahikāroa, in part, is about trying to capture that audience and break down that barrier. So there's sex in this drama. And that sounds so passe in 2017. Actually, in Māori broadcasting, it's revolutionary. Ten or 20 years ago, there was a real protectionist mindset around the language. Māori wanted to hold on to traditional values and there was a lot of angst around how the language was changing. Because I spent all that time with my old people in my younger days, I took that on board.

– Producer Quinton Hita on attracting a younger Māori audience, The NZ Herald, 3 February 2018

Why are you still texting that scum from that party?

– Smooch (Te Ahorangi Winitana) challenges mate Geo (Turia Schmidt-Peke)

I met him by the motorway. He's pretty cool, and smart as too.

– Hemi (Nepia Takuira-Mita) introduces a goat to his flatmates

See! It's a Māori goat!

– Hemi (Nepia Takuira-Mita) is excited that his new mate speaks te reo

Hey sis I'm going on a mish. You all good?

– Hemi (Nepia Takuira Mita) checks up on his sister Geo (Turia Schmidt-Peke)

It felt like every day was an adventure and with that came a lot of moments where I really had to push myself mentally to overcome my own personal restrictions and thoughts. It was very challenging, but in the best way possible.

– Te Ahorangi Winitana (Smooch) on her experience filming Ahikāroa, Stuff 16 March 2018

What I like about Ahikāroa, is it’s one of the few shows in te reo that isn’t obviously trying to teach you. There’s a lot of shows on Māori Television that explicitly teach you new sentences, on Ahikāroa we try to normalise te reo in the drama.

– Actor Turia Schmidt-Peke in an interview with Stuff, 30 July 2021

Throughout our TV and movie history, Māori have occupied only one of two roles — the angry addict or the model minority. We are either Jake “The Muss” Heke from Once Were Warriors or TK Samuels from Shortland Street, with no room for anyone in between. Recently, however, some productions have broken away from that mould by championing rich and nuanced Māori characters written by Māori, for Māori...

– TV writer Tommy Da Silva praises series Ahikāroa, the Spinoff, 6 April 2023