John Banas

Writer

Wellington, New Zealand

Biography

John Banas is a New Zealander writer, director, actor and teacher who has, for over forty years, worked extensively in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. He began as an actor, writer and director in Kiwi theatre during the 1970s, Banas increasingly focused on dramatic writing for television from the 80s on. After relocating to Australia, he established himself as a prolific TV screenwriter with a string of iconic shows, including Blue Heelers and City Homicide. His many New Zealand …

Filmography

6.7

E Street

An Australian television soap opera, set in a tough fictional inner-city district called Westside. The stories revolve around the local community there. Created by Forrest Redlich and produced by Network Ten from 24 January 1989 to 13 May 1993.

6.2

All Saints

Medical drama focusing on the working and personal lives of the doctors and nurses working on the front line of a busy inner city Emergency Department at All Saints Hospital.

6.3

Water Rats

Water Rats is an Australian TV police procedural broadcast on the Nine Network from 1996 to 2001.

7.7

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Our lady sleuth sashays through the back lanes and jazz clubs of late 1920’s Melbourne, fighting injustice with her pearl handled pistol and her dagger sharp wit. Leaving a trail of admirers in her wake, our thoroughly modern heroine makes sure she enjoys every moment of her lucky life. Based on author Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher Murder Mystery novels.

7.9

headLand

Headland is an Australian drama television series produced by the Seven Network which ran from 15 November 2005 to 21 January 2006. The Seven Network filmed 52 episodes in the first series. Production on the second series had begun before any episodes were aired. Set in a university, Headland premiered in Australia on Tuesday, 15 November 2005 at 7.30pm. On 23 January 2006, the Seven Network officially announced that the series has been cancelled. The show aired on weekdays at 7.30pm in the United Kingdom on E4, re-formatted as half-hour episodes. E4 eventually dropped the show but episodes continued to be broadcast on Channel 4 at 12:30pm, this time in the original hour-long format.

7.5

Tricky Business

Warm, funny and moving, Tricky Business looks at the lengths people go to get themselves out of trouble - financial trouble, emotional trouble, growing up trouble, relationship trouble… things we all have to deal with at some time or other.

6.0

Underbelly NZ: Land of the Long Green Cloud

Underbelly NZ: Land of the Long Green Cloud is a six-part New Zealand television mini-series. The series originally aired from 17 August 2011 to 21 September 2011. It was the first Underbelly series to be created outside of Australia, and depicts events prior to and concurrent with Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities.

N/A

Straight Forward

After a family member is murdered, con woman Silvia decides to get even by robbing the crime boss behind the hit. But things go awry, and she has to flee to New Zeeland and start a completely different life.

5.7

Love Knots

Jodie Carpenter is the owner of 'The Loft', her family's sail-making company located near quaint Redmond's Bay Marina. When luxury developer Charles Prescott purchases the port looking to carry out a lavish expansion, Jodie fears that her business and heritage will be torn down and replaced.

N/A

In a Flash

This drama tells the true story of the six Elim College students and their teacher who tragically lost their lives in a flash flood, a traumatic experience for the college and New Zealand.

5.0

Destination Love

Madison has the chance to pursue her love of event management when her two best friends announce their engagement. Finding a pre-planned wedding package on a remote island vineyard in New Zealand, Madison teams up with David, the handsome vineyard owner, to re-imagine the event for her friends.

4.5

Bombshell

How the tragic death of one man triggered a David and Goliath battle between two Allies that echoed around the world and became the catalyst to end nuclear testing in the Pacific.

6.1

The Monster of Mangatiti

When 19 year old Heather Walsh accepts a job on a farm in the Mangatiti Valley, she has no idea paradise will become a nightmare. This true New Zealand story tells of Heather's horrific ordeal.

8.0

Resolve

Based on the true story of Chris Crean, who took a stand against gang violence in his community only to become a target himself.

6.6

How to Murder Your Wife

A black comedy based on the true story of Alfred Benning's outlandish attempts to murder his overbearing wife in 1977.

N/A

Ablaze

In November 1947 forty-one people died in a massive blaze that gutted the huge Ballantynes Department Store complex in the heart of Christchurch’s business district. This is the tragic story of New Zealand’s worst fire disaster.

5.0

Safe House

Safe House is the story of a struggle for survival in an unfamiliar and threatening world, based on the true life experience of a woman in the early days of the witness protection programme in New Zealand. TV Movie

4.8

Siege

On the 7th of May 2009, Senior Constables Len Snee, Grant Diver and Bruce Miller arrived at 41 Chaucer Rd in Napier to serve a search warrant on Jan Molenaar for the growing of cannabis. This was just a routine warrant, something they had done countless times. What was meant to be an ordinary procedure turned into three of New Zealand’s darkest days and ended with one police officer dead, two officers critically injured and a member of the public fighting for his life. In some fifty hours Jan Molenaar made a permanent and devastating imprint upon the national psyche of New Zealand as he changed the lives of individuals, families, a police community, and a city. The siege was one of the worst and unexpected cases of violence both Napier and New Zealand had witnessed and it was all the more shocking because of its ordinary suburban backdrop.

N/A

Kiwi

In 1983 Kiwi, a farm horse, became a racing legend when he ran from last to first to win The Melbourne Cup. Kiwi tells the story of the horse and the family who raced him. The extraordinary story of a remarkable horse that became a racing legend when he ran from last to first over the final 300 metres at Flemington to win The Melbourne Cup. This is the enthralling story of Kiwi, the horse a farmer's wife bought for $1000 that went on to win the Melbourne Cup in 1983. An 18-year-old jockey called Jimmy Cassidy was the rider.

N/A

Toke

Drama set in the sleepy town of Tokerangi, New Zealand in which three laid-back orchard workers accidentally grow a strong strain of marijuana.