Orange Roughies

The show centres around four main characters who are members of an elite New Zealand taskforce based in Auckland NZ, intended to be a combination of police and customs officers. Despite being an elite force, they are, as their commander Ron Maddock reminds them, under-funded, under-resourced and under the hammer. Because of this, the Roughies (as they are called) have to make sure that they perform exceptionally well to avoid being canned, as they are, after all, an experiment. Their members are: Detective Sergeant Danny Wilder, Senior Customs Officer Jane Durant, Detective Constable Zach Wiki and Noel Bullerton.

Directed by —, Orange Roughies leans on a strong ensemble — Nicholas Coghlan, Zoe Naylor, Mark Ruka — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2006.