NOW ENTERTAINMENT Dec. 14 Month 00- -20, 00,2025 2023
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New Zealand’s first musical sitcom, “Happiness,” premieres on PBS with two episodes Sunday, Dec. 14. Harry McNaughton (“Madam”) stars. Harry McNaughton and Rebecca Gibney star in “Happiness”
Cover Story Off off-Broadway: NYC playwright returns home in first NZ musical sitcom By Dana Simpson If you have ever seen a Broadway musical and wondered what the cast and crew do when they aren’t selected for the show, “Happiness” is just the series for you. Premiering Sunday, Dec. 14, with back-to-back episodes, the musical comedy taps into the rejection and upset felt when dreams don’t work out as you have planned and life sends you right back where you began. As it happens for “Happiness” lead Charlie Summers (Harry McNaughton, “Madam”), “back where he began” is more than 8,500 miles away. Set in Tauranga, New Zealand, “Happiness” follows Kiwi theater director Charlie Summers, who, after working on Broadway in New York City, is forced to return to his hometown to renew his working visa when its initial renewal is denied mid-career. Although the news is understandably devastating for Charlie, his
mother, Gaye (Rebecca Gibney, “Packed to the Rafters”), is more than happy to welcome him home, regardless of the reason. In fact, given her son’s clear flair for high-end dramatic arts, Gaye is convinced she has just the thing to keep him occupied while he is back in town — not that he needs to be kept any busier than hosting rehearsals for a Broadway revival of “Cats” with two-time Oscar winner Sally Field (“Forrest Gump,” 1994) as star. And despite the clear downer at the crux of the plot, “Happiness” has a good heart. Chock-a-block with themes related to family obligation, societal politeness and one’s ability to support various ludicrous misunderstandings to avoid mounting embarrassment, the series, directed by Robyn Grace (“Sweet Tooth”), has already been nominated for the C21 International Drama Awards, a U.K.-based awards program that aims to “recog-
nize the best in global scripted creativity” (per C21media.net). Additionally, the series has already been awarded National Winner at this year’s Asian Academy Creative Awards. “I like to describe it as kind of ‘Schitt’s Creek’ meets ‘Glee’,” Gibney told the Today Show Australia in early November. “My son comes home from New York and he has to help out. He doesn’t tell her [Gaye] the truth about why he’s back, so it’s joyous, it’s uplifting, it’s light-filled, it’s fun.” The light, quirky vibe of the series is also backed up by its breezy brevity. At just 20 minutes per episode, the six-episode season is a quick weekly palate-cleanser for the comedically inclined viewer. And although Gibney may be the only familiar face — if any — for PBS viewers, “Happiness’s” cast is bursting with talent, as is its show-withina-show “Trojan Horse: The Musical.”
Marshayla Christie (“Whina,” 2022) stars as Gloria, the high school music teacher behind the creation of “Trojan Horse: The Musical,” while Jessie Lawrence’s (“Elliott from Earth”) Jacqui heads up the production alongside her co-stars Connor (Henry Auva’a, “First Place,” 2025), Mia (Melody Lui-Webster, “Custard’s World”), Adrian (Peter Hambleton, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” 2012), Nicky (Bronwyn Bradley, “Heart Eyes,” 2025) and Adam (Joel Granger, “Please Like Me”), to name a few. On top of awards talk for the series’ premiere season, “Happiness” has also been confirmed for a second season on New Zealand home network Three and its streamer ThreeNow, meaning PBS is also likely to have another season coming its way if all goes well during the Season 1 release. Season 2 filming is scheduled to begin in February or March 2026.
In Focus
In Focus “Goodbye June” (Netflix — Dec. 24, Movie Premiere) Taking place just before Christmas, Kate Winslet’s directorial debut follows a family as an unexpected turn in their mother’s (Helen Mirren) health thrusts four adult siblings and their exaspearating father (Timothy Spall) into chaos as they navigate messy family dynamics in the face of potential loss. But their quick-witted mother, June, orchestrates her decline on her own terms.
“Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale” - Season 2 (Sundance Now/AMC+ — Dec. 25, Season Premiere) Picking up a year after the traumatic events of Season 1, as Sarah Fenn (Elaine Cassidy) and her daughter Harper (Hazel Doupe) are in hiding in Scotland, concealing Harper’s extraordinary powers. But a dark cloud is descending, as recent anti-witch legislation has increased hate crimes. While Sarah worries that worse is to come, she’s presented with a dramatic ultimatum — return to Sanctuary or have her magic bound.