Promo trailers of new season’s headliners Queens of Panguru (Pātangaroa Entertainment Ltd) and kapa haka comedy The Ring Inz (Enter the Dragon) provided some light relief from the intensity of the Te Matatini broadcast in February this year. Now the real thing is here – what are they like?

Queens of Panguru follows three queens, Maihi Makiha, Jay Te Wake and Ramon Te Wake (playing themselves) who take a trip back to the homeland in the Hokianga. Bold, brash and beautiful it’s safe to say that the main actors aren’t short of talent and will no doubt deliver enough dazzle and drama to keep us hooked over the 5 episodes.

The Wednesday 9.30pm timeslot might be an indicator of some risqué content – but if you’d rather be tucked up by then yourself Queens of Panguru is also available for your anytime viewing pleasure On Demand or on the Māori Television bilingual mobile app Māori Television Connect.

Kura kaupapa graduates continue to show us that they can do anything they put their hand to with a new comedy show based on a ‘wanna be’ kapa haka crew who fluke it in to the nationals. The show is called The Ring Inz and features a cast of larger than life characters that might be found amongst any kapa ensemble today – Teepz (Hori Ahipene) the unfulfilled kapa haka tutor chasing the dream of a win, Nanny Fanny (Katie Wolfe) keeping the women up to scratch with tikanga and wahinetanga and Koakoa (Roimata Fox) the kapa princess who has to learn to choose between fun and the front row.

The Ring Inz is directed by Hoani Waititi graduate Mahanga Pihama of Enter the Dragon Productions with a cast that bears more than a slight resemblance to his peers from Hoani Waititi and Ngā Tūmanako kapa haka. Veteran actor Hōri Ahipene (looking great though bro) adeptly plays two very different characters reminding us of the whakapapa of Māori sitcom as one of the mōrehu of ‘Radio Whā-waho’ from the 90s.

Packed with familiar faces from Māori Television, rangatahi (in body and spirit) prance and pūkana across the screen learning about life and love and giving us a few lessons of their own about how to celebrate all the different ways there are to be Māori while having a bit of a laugh. Episode 1 of 7 aired on Thursday 23 March at 9pm and is also available On Demand and the MTS Connect app.

The Māori Television Service continues to proudly hold their position as the King of local content with 82% of their prime time programming being Kiwi made (TV1 and 3 are at 51% and 50% respectively). As always, their menu has something for all the whānau with documentaries, movies, waiata shows, kai series and more – worth checking out even if you’re not a kōura mara fan.