Go Girls
Encyclopedia
Go Girls is a New Zealand
comedy
/drama
television series centering around four adult friends, Amy, Britta, Cody and Kevin, who live on the North Shore, Auckland
. Dissatisfied with their lives, they make challenging promises to each other that they endeavour to fulfill throughout the series.
Go Girls aired its first season starting in February 2009 and was successful enough that it was renewed for a second season, which aired in 2010, and then later a third season which began airing Tuesday 8 February 2011 in its new timeslot of Tuesday at 8.30pm. .
The series has also been screened in Australia, with the first episode screening 8 August 2009, right after So You Think You Can Dance
on Network Ten
. The show was created by Rachel Lang, responsible for the popular Outrageous Fortune television series, and Gavin Strawhan (Burying Brian
). The two are responsible for the writing of the show, along with Kate McDermott.
On 25 March 2011 Go Girls was renewed for a fourth season of thirteen episodes to be filmed later this year and aired in 2012 after the show's third season proved another ratings winner for its channel, TV2
, Vauxhall
and Cheltenham
, North Shore respectively. The interior shots of the homes are constructed completely inside South Pacific Pictures
' studio facilities on the North Shore.
The workshop 'Ezytune', of which characters Cody and Kevin work at, is actually a Midas workshop located on Wairau Road in Glenfield
, North Shore City. The show's producers acquire use of the workshop and simply place an 'Ezytune' sign over the existing Midas lettering during filming.
The bar frequented by the characters, 'The Taka' , is a completely fictitious premises and was constructed within a studio. An enlarged photograph of the Hauraki Gulf
, with volcano Rangitoto in the background, is used as the backdrop outside of the windows of the bar, this can be noticed in some scenes filmed on the bar's decking area.
of using only New Zealand
music within the series, Go Girls features an array of New Zealand
bands and artists.
The opening theme to the show "Piece of my Heart" by The Electric Confectionaires, was fittingly chosen as the band originate from the North Shore area.
As well as an eclectic mix of New Zealand
songs throughout the season's episodes, a few set artists and songs were chosen to represent the show. The set score of the show most notably consists of music by three specific artists. Used in almost every episode to set mood, is music taken mostly from the New Zealand band, The Brunettes
2002 debut album, Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks
. At least one song from this album can be found in every one of the 13 episodes of season one. A cover of the song "End of the Runway
" from the album is sung by actress Alix Bushnell
, who plays Britta McMann, in the final episode during characters Cody and Eli's wedding dance.
Another artist from the North Shore, Lydia Cole, features often with her song "Come With'", from her 2008 album Twenty Years.
The Electric Confectionaires song "Mr Whippy" is also used within the show.
The New Zealand Herald reviewer said about Go Girls: "It has not only restored my faith in television and womankind, but it made me laugh out loud in the process" and another reviewer from the same paper said "It looks good for a laugh provided by a set of appealing Shore girl characters.". The Sunday Star Times said "It's the scripts that make it - more productions of this calibre please"
However, not all reviews were positive with a reviewer for the Dominion Post newspaper saying Go Girls had "Bad overacting, no direction, lame dialogue and characters that don't ring true [has made for a] truly tedious hour of viewing".
. Liz Tuccillo
, a writer on Sex and the City
and the book and film He's Just Not That Into You
. In November 2010 it was reported that the series is currently being developed by writer Michael Oates Palmer (Army Wives
, Kyle XY
). The American version will be a loose adaption described as being about "a single man and his three single female friends, all in their early-mid 30s, trying to make relationships work in a major American city while all their other college friends are off starting families"
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
/drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
television series centering around four adult friends, Amy, Britta, Cody and Kevin, who live on the North Shore, Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. Dissatisfied with their lives, they make challenging promises to each other that they endeavour to fulfill throughout the series.
Go Girls aired its first season starting in February 2009 and was successful enough that it was renewed for a second season, which aired in 2010, and then later a third season which began airing Tuesday 8 February 2011 in its new timeslot of Tuesday at 8.30pm. .
The series has also been screened in Australia, with the first episode screening 8 August 2009, right after So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
. The show was created by Rachel Lang, responsible for the popular Outrageous Fortune television series, and Gavin Strawhan (Burying Brian
Burying Brian
Burying Brian is a New Zealand television series produced by Eyeworks Touchdown which premiered on Television New Zealand's TV ONE on 2 July 2008, and ran for 6 episodes. The series is about Jodie and her three female friends. At the beginning of the first episode, Jodie's husband Brian dies during...
). The two are responsible for the writing of the show, along with Kate McDermott.
On 25 March 2011 Go Girls was renewed for a fourth season of thirteen episodes to be filmed later this year and aired in 2012 after the show's third season proved another ratings winner for its channel, TV2
Production
Exterior shots of characters' homes are located in Mairangi Bay, TakapunaTakapuna
Takapuna is a central, coastal suburb of North Shore City, located in the northern North Island of New Zealand, at the beginning of a south-east-facing peninsula forming the northern side of the Waitemata Harbour...
, Vauxhall
Vauxhall, Auckland
Vauxhall is a suburb of North Shore City, Auckland, New Zealand. Alison Park lies directly to the east, separating Vauxhall from Lake Road which carries the majority of traffic between Takapuna and Devonport....
and Cheltenham
Cheltenham, New Zealand
Cheltenham is North-Eastern suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It gets its name from the English town of Cheltenham, and has a magnificent view of Rangitoto Island from its beachfront areas. The suburb is in the North Shore ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions of the city of Auckland....
, North Shore respectively. The interior shots of the homes are constructed completely inside South Pacific Pictures
South Pacific Pictures
South Pacific Pictures is a television production company based in New Zealand. The company produces drama series, mini-series, telemovies and feature films for the domestic market and international market....
' studio facilities on the North Shore.
The workshop 'Ezytune', of which characters Cody and Kevin work at, is actually a Midas workshop located on Wairau Road in Glenfield
Glenfield, New Zealand
Glenfield is a suburb of North Shore, one of several cities in the Auckland metropolitan area in northern New Zealand. It is located to the north of the Waitemata Harbour, nine kilometres northwest of the Auckland city centre....
, North Shore City. The show's producers acquire use of the workshop and simply place an 'Ezytune' sign over the existing Midas lettering during filming.
The bar frequented by the characters, 'The Taka' , is a completely fictitious premises and was constructed within a studio. An enlarged photograph of the Hauraki Gulf
Hauraki Gulf
The Hauraki Gulf is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has a total area of 4000 km², and lies between the Auckland Region, the Hauraki Plains, the Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island...
, with volcano Rangitoto in the background, is used as the backdrop outside of the windows of the bar, this can be noticed in some scenes filmed on the bar's decking area.
Music
Continuing with co-producer Lang's theme throughout Outrageous FortuneOutrageous Fortune (TV series)
Outrageous Fortune was a New Zealand comedy/drama television series, which was created by James Griffin and Rachel Lang and was produced by South Pacific Pictures...
of using only New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
music within the series, Go Girls features an array of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
bands and artists.
The opening theme to the show "Piece of my Heart" by The Electric Confectionaires, was fittingly chosen as the band originate from the North Shore area.
As well as an eclectic mix of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
songs throughout the season's episodes, a few set artists and songs were chosen to represent the show. The set score of the show most notably consists of music by three specific artists. Used in almost every episode to set mood, is music taken mostly from the New Zealand band, The Brunettes
The Brunettes
The Brunettes are an indie pop or twee pop group from New Zealand formed in 1998. The band consists of core members Jonathan Bree and Heather Mansfield with additional contributions from part-time band members including James Milne , Ryan McPhun , Harry Cundy, and most recently,...
2002 debut album, Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks
Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks
Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks is the first full-length album released by twee pop group The Brunettes. It was released in 2002 as a joint release between Lil' Chief Records and EMI New Zealand.-Track listing:All songs written by Jonathan Bree....
. At least one song from this album can be found in every one of the 13 episodes of season one. A cover of the song "End of the Runway
Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks
Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks is the first full-length album released by twee pop group The Brunettes. It was released in 2002 as a joint release between Lil' Chief Records and EMI New Zealand.-Track listing:All songs written by Jonathan Bree....
" from the album is sung by actress Alix Bushnell
Alix Bushnell
Alix Bushnell is a New Zealand actress, best known for her role as "Britta McMann" on the television series, Go Girls.-Early life:...
, who plays Britta McMann, in the final episode during characters Cody and Eli's wedding dance.
Another artist from the North Shore, Lydia Cole, features often with her song "Come With'", from her 2008 album Twenty Years.
The Electric Confectionaires song "Mr Whippy" is also used within the show.
Reviews
The show received mostly positive reviews upon airing.The New Zealand Herald reviewer said about Go Girls: "It has not only restored my faith in television and womankind, but it made me laugh out loud in the process" and another reviewer from the same paper said "It looks good for a laugh provided by a set of appealing Shore girl characters.". The Sunday Star Times said "It's the scripts that make it - more productions of this calibre please"
However, not all reviews were positive with a reviewer for the Dominion Post newspaper saying Go Girls had "Bad overacting, no direction, lame dialogue and characters that don't ring true [has made for a] truly tedious hour of viewing".
U.S. Adaptation
In October 2009 it was announced Go Girls would be adapted for U.S television by ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. Liz Tuccillo
Liz Tuccillo
Liz Tuccillo is an American writer and actress best known for her work on the HBO comedy series Sex and the City and for co-authoring the self-help book He's Just Not That Into You...
, a writer on Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
and the book and film He's Just Not That Into You
He's Just Not That Into You
He's Just Not That Into You is a self-improvement book written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo that was published in 2004 and later adapted into a film by the same name...
. In November 2010 it was reported that the series is currently being developed by writer Michael Oates Palmer (Army Wives
Army Wives
Army Wives is an American drama series that follows the lives of four army wives, their families, and an army husband whose wife is in the army. The series, shot at ABC Studios, premiered on Lifetime on June 3, 2007...
, Kyle XY
Kyle XY
Kyle XY is an American television series with a science fiction premise and mystery-drama style. The central character is a teenage boy who awakens naked in a forest outside Seattle, Washington, with no more knowledge or abilities than a newborn. He is taken in by a family and given the name Kyle...
). The American version will be a loose adaption described as being about "a single man and his three single female friends, all in their early-mid 30s, trying to make relationships work in a major American city while all their other college friends are off starting families"
Current Main Cast
| Actor | Character | Seasons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jay Ryan | Kevin | 1 - | Main character and narrator of the show. Manager of Easy Tune automotive repair shop. Married to Amanda. Appeared in every episode. |
| Bronwyn Turei Bronwyn Turei Bronwyn Turei is a New Zealand actress and singer known most notably for her role as Cordelia "Cody" Latimer in the New Zealand television comedy/drama series Go Girls .-Early life:... |
Cody Latimer | 1 - | Main character. Mother of Possum. Silent partner at Easy Tune auto repairs. Appeared in every episode. |
| Alix Bushnell Alix Bushnell Alix Bushnell is a New Zealand actress, best known for her role as "Britta McMann" on the television series, Go Girls.-Early life:... |
Britta McMann | 1 - | Main character. Appeared in every episode. Owns The Party Fairy Company. Former barmaid and real estate agent. |
| Anna Hutchison Anna Hutchison Anna Hutchison is a New Zealand actress. She is known for her roles on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street and American series Power Rangers: Jungle Fury... |
Amy Smart | 1 - 2, 3 - | Appeared in every episode of season one and the first five episodes of season two, after which she left to go to overseas with her boyfriend Hans. She had a cameo appearance in the last episode of season two. Returned Season 3, episode 9 |
| Matt Whelan Matt Whelan Matt Whelan is a New Zealand actor, best known for his role as Brad Caulfield in the New Zealand television comedy/drama series Go Girls.-Early life:Is an accomplished saxophonist, and despite rumours to the contrary does not how to snow board.... |
Brad Caulfield | 1 - 3 | Recurring season one. Starring season 2+. Amy's ex who then married Angelina, though the two have now separated. He then dated Britta before the two broke up and he headed overseas. |
| Esther Stephens | Olivia Duff | 2 - | The quartet's former high school friend and Amy's flatmate when the pair were in London together. |
Current Recurring Cast
| Actor | Character | Seasons | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tania Nolan Tania Nolan Tania Nolan is a New Zealand actress from Rakaia, Canterbury, New Zealand.Nolan is best known for her roles as Isobel Jones in the New Zealand television series The Hothouse and Angelina Caulfield in the comedy/drama series Go Girls .-Career:Graduated from Toi Whakaari Drama School in 2005.As... |
Angelina Caulfield | 1,2,3 | A classmate and Amy's arch-rival who married Amy's ex, Brad Caulfield. | |
| Ingrid Park Ingrid Park Ingrid Park is a New Zealand actress, best known for her role as the evil Dr. MacKenzie Choat in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street .-Career:... |
Fran McMann | 1,2,3 | Britta's mother. Partner of Jeffrey Duff. | |
| Annie Whittle Annie Whittle Annie Whittle is a British-born New Zealand singer and actress who has appeared on such shows as Shortland Street, where she played Barbara Heywood for four years and has had a singing career that has spanned three decades.... |
Jan McMann | 1,2,3 | Britta's grandmother. Partner of Carol Duff. | |
| Irene Wood | Nan McMann | 1,2,3 | Britta's great-grandmother. | |
| Bronwyn Bradley | Gwen Latimer | 1,2,3 | Cody's mother. Suffers from early onset of Alzheimers disease. | |
| William Davis | Wiri Latimer | 1,2,3 | Cody's father | |
| Brittany Wakelin Brittany Wakelin Brittany Wakelin is a New Zealand actress, known most notably for her role as Possum Latimer in the New Zealand comedy/drama television series Go Girls.... |
Possum Latimer | 1,2,3 | Cody's daughter, currently living with her grandparents, Gwen & Wiri. Named after the NZ rally driver, the late Possum Bourne. | |
| Michele Hine | Carol Duff | 2,3 | Olivia's mother. Partner of Jan McMann. | |
| Simon Prast Simon Prast Simon Prast is a director and actor from Auckland, New Zealand. Prast was the founder of the Auckland Theatre Company and director of the first Auckland Festival AK03.-Early life:... |
Jeffrey Duff | 2,3 | Olivia's father. A doctor at the North Shore Hospital. Dumped wife Carol to be with Britta's mother, Fran. | |
| Leighton Cardno | Leo Browning | 2,3 | Friend of Olivia, whom he met when they attended university. In season 2 he was Olivia's boss at the fictional North Shore Chronicle newspaper while in season 3 Olivia became his boss. Has a crush on Britta. | |
| Zoe Cramond | Amanda | 3 | Kevin's wife. Used to go to school with Kevin, Amy, Britta, Cody and Olivia. | |
| Roy Snow | Nick/NSB | 3 | Cody's boyfriend. | |
| Johnny Barker | Joel | 3 | A musician. Olivia's boyfriend. | |
| Kyle Pryor | Shane | 3 | Kevins long lost cousin. | |
| Jacqui Nauman | Mia | 3 | Had a one night fling with Brad and when she became pregnant she thought the child was Brad's. | |
| Peter Muller | Pastor Mike | 3 | A pastor at Amanda's church who offers guidance to her and Kevin and officiates at their wedding. | |
| Elliott McKee | Jesse | 3 | Works at EasyTune. Has a crush on Cody. | |
| John Tui John Tui John Tui is a New Zealand actor, best known for his roles as Anubis "Doggie" Cruger, the SPD Shadow Ranger, in Power Rangers: S.P.D. and as Daggeron, the Solaris Knight, in Power Rangers: Mystic Force. He is the only Power Rangers actor to play two different characters who both became... |
Timbo | 1,2,3 | A workmate of Kevin and Cody at Easytune. | |
Former recurring characters
| Actor | Character | Seasons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Naufahu | Eli Fa'asalele | 1,2 | Cody's ex-husband and rugby player for the North Shore Giants. Currently residing in France. |
| Stephen Lovatt Stephen Lovatt Stephen Lovatt is a New Zealand actor, best known for his portrayal of the character Max Hoyland on the Australian soap Neighbours.-Career:... |
Larry Smart | 1,2 | Amy, Scott and Possum's father, married to Alison. |
| Theresa Healey Theresa Healey Theresa Healey is a New Zealand actress, known mostly for her role as nurse Carmen Roberts in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street.-Early life:... |
Alison Smart | 1,2 | Amy and Scott's mother, married to Larry. |
| Jared Turner Jared Turner Jared Turner is a New Zealand actor, best known for his roles as teacher, Ben Maddox in Go Girls and as Ty Johnson on the television series, The Almighty Johnsons... |
Ben Maddox | 1,2 | Cody's former boyfriend and Possum's former teacher. He got involved with Cody, despite already being married to Helen (Sarah Somerville) |
| Ari Boyland | Scott Smart | 1,2 | Amy's brother and Possum's half-brother. |
| Gareth Reeves | Philippe | 1,2 | Eli's former boyfriend. Is devastated when Eli dumps him to marry Cody. |
| Blair Strang Blair Strang Blair Strang is a New Zealand actor. He is most noted for playing ambulance driver Rangi Heremaia on New Zealand's longest-running soap opera, Shortland Street, between 1995 and 2001.-Early life:... |
Joseph Little | 1,2 | An actor Britta met in season one while she was an extra filming The Epic Tales of Zoltar. He later got his own spin off series. The two are later engaged for a short time in season 2. |
| Monique Bree | Kirby | 1,2 | One of the W.A.G.s (Wives and Girlfriends), of the rugby team, married to Zave (Te Kohe Tuhaka). Has an affair with Kevin in season 2. |
| Greg Johnson | Flinty | 2 | Eli's publicist who causes trouble for Cody. |
| Chris Widdup | Ross McCormack | 2 | Amy's bank manager who dated Britta once. |
| Brooke Williams Brooke Williams Brooke Williams is a New Zealand actress, best known for playing Jennsen Rahl in Legend of the Seeker and Aurelia in Spartacus: Blood and Sand.-Career:... |
Wanda | 1 | Barmaid at 'The Taka' who was involved with Kevin |
| Shara Connolly | Candy McMann | 1 | Britta's younger sister. Has a brief fling with Kevin. |
| Dean O'Gorman Dean O'Gorman -Early life:Born in Auckland, New Zealand; he has a brother named Brett. He attended Rangitoto College and earned a black belt in karate by the age of ten. -Career:... |
Marco | 1 | Britta's playboy ex. |
| Lynette Forday | Antonia Li | 1 | A reality show producer who was Amy's boss. Has a son, Gabriel (Caleb Griffiths) who Britta babysat. |
| Roy Ward | Don Parkin | 1 | Fran's deceased second husband who was briefly thought to be Britta's father. |