It was a long road to get there but a great sense of satisfaction to see all three episodes of Heavyweight with Dave Letele are now available to view for free on TVNZ+.
The latest episode explores obesity and continues the series' purpose of tackling some of our most pressing social issues through the lens of lived experience. The first episode, Down and Out, focused on alcohol and addiction and featured personal stories from renowned advertising executive Kate Smith and former All Black Zac Guildford. The second episode, Patched, delved into the realities of gang life and its impact on communities. Former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett features in the latest release.
Originally conceived by These Guys I Know as a way to raise the profile of Dave Letele (who we were supporting pro bono through our 1000 Hours initiative) and increase impact of his community work - Heavyweight with Dave Letele was designed as a platform for stories to be shared to explore critical societal issues. Whilst the issues covered were regularly touched on through media, we recognised the value Letele offered speaking from lived experience. Says Executive Producer Amanda Wilson “When it comes to sharing these stories, visibility matters. It is important to see others talking through their experiences - Dave leads by example in that sense”.
It was a long road from concept to on air, and These Guys I Know worked hard for this to happen - working with production partner South Pacific Pictures and navigating pathways to funding, given Heavyweight covers content that is sensitive and not an easy ask for commercial brand partners. NZ on Air have generously funded all three episodes of Heavyweight with Dave Letele. The three part series concept was originally pitched by These Guys I Know in June, 2022 - first episode aired in August 2023, the second in August 2024, the third in February of 2025. To achieve the required quality while respecting cultural context, we put in significant work—at times setting aside These Guys I Know’s commercial projects to make it happen. Executive Creative Director Ant Farac wrote and directed Heavyweight with Dave Letele. Was it worth it? Yes. Did it take a huge amount of time? Yes.
The time spent was frustrating at times. It was a hard-fought project: and now, looking back over those three years - the timeline, the challenges, and effort (often at the expense of commercial work) highlight the dedication behind it. We had hearts absolutely set on making it happen.
Heavyweight was built with purpose: It wasn't just about making a show, but about creating a platform for real conversations around tough societal issues. We think this is important.
The show has had society impact, beyond ratings, which is what it set out to do. “We have received deeply personal messages about how lives have been impacted and cycles broken. That has made the hard work well worth it”.
That said, the world of broadcast and content has changed remarkably just in the three year period. Each episode of Heavyweight with Dave Letele was watched 200,000 times during its first week (viewing patterns moving from linear led to on-demand during the three year period, which was fascinating to watch). Today - content is created quickly. You can make something and get it online in days - but, does it provide the same quality, safe environment for brands to fund as it once did? Does it ensure the societal impact, check the boxes required including cultural integrity, health and safety as it once did? Does it create the same professional pathways for talent as it once did? Does any of this matter anymore? Is anything being lost in the push for speed and immediacy?
Or is the future simply faster, and we’re all better off for it?
We’ll be watching (and participating) with interest.
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