Share to: share facebook share twitter share wa share telegram print page

Warren's Vortex

Warren's Vortex
Genre
Created byNick Ward
Paul Yates
Written byRosie Howells
Dana Leaming
Jamie McCaskill
Tom Sainsbury
Nick Ward
Paul Yates
Directed byTim Van Dammen
Jason Stutter
StarringMaaka Pohatu
Milo Cawthorne
Louise Jiang
Millen Baird
Theme music composerMONIKER
Country of originNew Zealand
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
ProducersPaul Yates
Michelle Turner
Production locationsLower Hutt, Wellington, NZ
CinematographySimon Tutty
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time6 x 23 minutes
Production companyKitchen Table Productions (WV) Limited
Original release
NetworkTVNZ 2
Release24 August 2025 (2025-08-24)
Related
Wellington Paranormal
What We Do in the Shadows

Warren's Vortex is a New Zealand science fiction comedy television series which is due to begin screening on 24 August 2025 on TVNZ 2. The series is in the same vein as the 2018 television series Wellington Paranormal, which itself is a spin-off of the 2014 film What We Do in the Shadows. Unlike either of those productions, this series is a single camera narrative comedy.

The actor Maaka Pohatu, who has the title role of Warren, previously appeared as Police Sergeant Ruawai Maaka in Wellington Paranormal.

Premise

Warren Harrison is a husband and father, living in suburban Lower Hutt, New Zealand, who happens to have an interdimensional vortex in his shed. For the past twenty years, Warren has used it mainly to get rid of his garden rubbish.[1]

Lucy, his 18-year-old daughter, is sucked into the vortex and Warren follows her. The pair travel to a series of different future realities.[1] Several of the supporting cast play variations of their same character in different timelines.[2]

Production history

The series was created by Nick Ward and Paul Yates, both of whom were involved with Wellington Paranormal as directors and writers.[2] In July 2024, NZ On Air was announced that the production would receive $1,227,000 of funding, though the New Zealand Listener later gave the amount as $1,465.000.[2][3] Filming took place over the 2024-25 Christmas and New Year period across Lower Hutt. The main characters' house was filmed on location in Fairfield, with other locations including Kelson, Naenae, Taitā, and the Avalon studios.[2][4]

Cast

Main

  • Maaka Pohatu as Warren Harrison
  • Louise Jiang as Lucy Harrison (Warren's daughter)
  • Kali Kopae as Hine Harrison (Warren's wife)
  • Ginette McDonald as Mrs Schrodinger (the Harrisons' neighbour)
  • Sophie Hambleton as Laurel, a family friend
  • Cohen Holloway as Muzz, Laurel's estranged husband
  • Tinorawe Hawkins as Bo, Laurel and Muzz's teenage son
  • Millen Baird as Inspector Phil
  • Milo Cawthorne as Darren
  • Mayen Mehta as Ian
  • John Bach as the Narrator

Guest

Episodes

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"Desolation of Smugg"Tim van DammenPaul Yates24 August 2025 (2025-08-24)
Everyman Warren and his daughter Lucy are hurled through time to a world where intelligent refrigerators have taken over.
22"Detached from Reality"Jason StutterTBA31 August 2025 (2025-08-31)
Warren and Lucy land in a world where every Kiwi backyard has been turned into a reality TV competition and the stakes are high: you lose, you die!
33"Unreal Estate"TBATBA7 September 2025 (2025-09-07)
Warren and Lucy arrive in a world where all the houses are unaffordable and empty, and the real estate agents are laser-eyed robots with familiar faces.
44"Mombified"Jason StutterJamie McCaskill14 September 2025 (2025-09-14)
Warren and Lucy return to their street to find everyone zombified by a mobile game. With the help of Darren and a guitar, they fight to snap everyone out of it.
55"Mystery at Schrodinger Hall"TBATBA21 September 2025 (2025-09-21)
66"Lost Forward"Jason StutterTBA28 September 2025 (2025-09-28)

Broadcast

The series began broadcasting on TVNZ 2 on 24 August 2025, with catch-up availability on TVNZ's streaming service TVNZ+.[5]

See also

  • Sliders - TV series featuring a similar plot device
  • Time Bandits - a film also featuring time travel

References

  1. ^ a b Croot, James (19 August 2025). "Wellington Paranormal's writers have another hit on their hands". Manawatu Standard. Palmerston North, NZ: Stuff Limited. p. 16. ISSN 1176-3558.
  2. ^ a b c d Baillie, Russell (23 August 2025). "Shed a new twilight". New Zealand Listener. Auckland, NZ: Are Media Ltd: 49–50. ISSN 2381-9553.
  3. ^ "Warren's Vortex". NZ on Air. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  4. ^ Chumko, André (26 August 2025). "New comedy series spins New Zealand into parallel chaos". [[The Post (New Zealand)|]]. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  5. ^ "Watch Warren's Vortex". TVNZ OnDemand. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
Kembali kehalaman sebelumnya