With husband Jason Gunn, Janine Morrell-Gunn set up Whitebait TV and has subsequently produced a myriad of children’s TV shows such as Bumble, Wannabes, and the re-launched What Now?.

Eager to join the television industry, Janine Morrell-Gunn started off as an intern with TVNZ in 1985. She began by directing news and current affairs stories, before taking on various production roles on shows such as McPhail and Gadsby, Fast Forward, Spot On, and Beauty and the Beast.

Morrell-Gunn was appointed Executive Producer of TVNZ’s Children’s Unit, but when this was moved to Wellington in the late 90s she opted to stay in Christchurch and set up Whitebait TV.

In this ScreenTalk interview, Morrell-Gunn discusses:

• Being disappointed with how news was made in the mid 80s

• Working with uncontrollable sheep on a story about artificial insemination

• Missing a crucial shot while shooting a story for Spot On

• Being intimidated by the panelists on Beauty and the Beast

• Re-launching the iconic kids TV show What Now?

• The challenges of producing The Erin Simpson Show

• Working with her famous husband Jason Gunn

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence.

NZ On Screen:  Interview, Camera & Editing – Andrew Whiteside