New Zealand teen drama n00b, which started life as a TikTok project, has been acquired by streaming platform Netflix for Australia. The show was developed for TV by Great Southern after generating a huge following on the social media platform.
Sharing the news, the Director and Editors Guild of Aotearoa, NZ, said: “The show, created by director Victoria Boult and producer Rachel Fawcett, is set in 2005 Gore, Aotearoa. It follows the social downfall of Nikau Bennett, a popular teenager whose world is turned upside down when he is outed to the whole school. As Nikau plummets from cool guy to social outcast, the series explores his struggle to navigate the complicated dynamics of high school and find the confidence to embrace his true self.”
One of the backers of the series, public funding body NZ On Air, explained: “n00b had its genesis as a successful TikTok series funded in 2021 via Every Voice, a joint initiative between NZ On Air, Screen Australia and TikTok.”
The show launched on TikTok in 2022 and generated 1.5m views before being adapted into a 6-part drama for Warner Bros Discovery-owned services Three and ThreeNow. NZ On Air head of funding Amie Mills said: “To see the talented team behind n00b taking it from TikTok to TV and partnering with Great Southern is a great endorsement of the value of our investment in talent pathways.”
French distributor Oble Entertainment has worldwide distribution rights to the digital-first inspired series – so keep an eye out for it landing in other territories.
