Phil Smith, the founder of Great Southern Television, recognized the potential of Francis and Kaiora Tipene for the show The Casketeers, which faced challenges securing funding for a Kiwi version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? The project sat on the shelf for nearly a year before Smith successfully convinced TVNZ of the duo’s talent and the show’s appeal.
Explain It To Me Like I’m 5:
The Casketeers
Phil Smith had a great idea for a TV show about two talented people, Francis and Kaiora Tipene, but it took almost a year to convince others to let it happen.