This Is Not My Life

Being from New Zealand I have relatively low expectations for New Zealand TV, but both my partner and i were pleasantly surprised after the first episode and are excitedly waiting for more. The show has a slightly scifi side being set in the near future, however don't judge it for that, the acting is wonderful and the production values high. Just when you think you have it worked out the show throws a twist that leaves you confused but in a good way. I'm proud to say that NZ TV really has stepped up its game and if this continues down the same road Im sure this show could compete with the best of TV coming out of the states. GO TVNZ;)

I doubt I have watched a TV series end to end since From the Earth to The Moon' but at last a show that assumes some intelligence of it's viewers and setting and story line that leads you to want to know more.

Clever style making the most of real places, buildings and setting - so does not feel too far in the future. The NZ production (and hence I assume lower budget available than a US made series) seems to have led to more thoughtful writing and directing and probably works in its favor. It will be interesting if greater funding ahead will round off the edges.

Various levels of story it seems, so one suspects the story will actually become more complex as it goes along.

Also real-life modern NZ-English language and architectural style should add a level of interest to non-NZ audiences and so probably appeal to those looking for more thoughtful programs than most.

Could be the basis for a long running and trend setting sci-fi-ish series. Well done guys.

Another excellent Show sacrificed on the altar of quick buck is this one from New Zealand. While the core premise - one person finds himself in a surreal situation and uncovers the machinations behind it - is not new and was quite well presented in a couple older shows like the prisoner or nowhere man,this shows approach and storyline is as well thought out and written as the show invasion which tackled the stone old sf-theme of an attempted "alien" takeover. Which means the story is densely written,with interesting and believable characters and a down to earth sf-technology-approach that paints a very convincing picture of the near future. Like in invasion the writers avoid pointing fingers at an evil power behind the curtain that pulls all the strings. In fact it seems that individual ambitions in the management are tainting the middle class eden project here. Sadly we are literally left in the middle of nowhere with this show because it was not renewed for the second season and sold out to ABC - which is a known HQ-SF-Show killer btw.. "This is not my life" is easily the best SF that came out of New Zealand in decades. Kudos to all who were involved in making this show and shame on all who killed it.

I'm from Portugal and this series begun here in the end of June. It was really catching in the beginning,the actors are great in their roles and they make us believe that the story is real. However, being a curious person, I searched on youtube and I just finished watching the series. I dare say that the writers didn't know what to do to make an accurate ending and they left the story unfinished, I guess they did that to leave the opportunity for a new season but the viewers deserved a better treatment.

My vote is 7 for the whole show but, for the last episode, it should be a 2.

New Zealand has an astounding amount of TV and Film talent for such a small population and This is Not My Life is a well acted and beautifully produced piece of TV. I think that the care that went into this goes beyond scriptwriting and acting (both of which are top notch).The sets and setting are detailed and consistent down to the graphical user interfaces on PDAs and office computers - an alternative but very plausible view of where 2010 technology is heading. The look and feel of the world we are being invited into here has details that describe a dystopian New Zealand down to the overly plastic 'Kia Ora' greeting. Although this is a very Kiwi futuristic drama I hope that this TVNZ production gets taken up by the international networks, it deserves as wide a showing as possible.

The plot owes something to the 1960s series 'The Prisoner' and also to 'Lost' given that the early episodes resolve nothing about how Waimoana came to exist. More than that there is a Kubrick feel to this production based on a tenacious attention to detail by the whole team.