The Block NZ

PHOTO: The Block NZ. SUPPLIED

The eagerly anticipated return of New Zealand’s beloved reality series, The Block NZ, has been met with disappointment as Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ announced the indefinite cancellation of its upcoming season. Originally slated for release in 2024, the 11th season of the popular Three and ThreeNow show, hosted by Mark Richardson, has been shelved indefinitely due to the “challenging housing market” in Aotearoa.

The decision to postpone the season was initially made in November 2022, citing the housing market’s difficulties as the primary reason. However, the recent announcement of the show’s cancellation comes as part of a broader restructuring within Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ, which has also seen the discontinuation of Newshub and the elimination of hundreds of jobs.

Mike Molloy, co-manager of Warner Bros. International Television Production NZ, described the cancellation as a blow to the industry, expressing sympathy for the affected local production workers. “Devastating for a lot of local production workers. That is what we’re living with,” Molloy remarked, highlighting the widespread disappointment among those involved in the show’s production.

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A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery explained that the decision to cancel The Block NZ was in line with the company’s broader business restructuring, which included the discontinuation of fully funded local shows. Existing sponsors were informed that they would be contacted if the show was to proceed, with first rights of renewal guaranteed.

The proposed new season was set to take place in Auckland’s North Shore, specifically in Brown’s Bay, where houses had already been purchased and were nearing completion. The former property on the site reportedly sold for $2.575 million in March 2022, indicating substantial investment in the project.

The cancellation comes on the heels of disappointing returns from the 2022 season of The Block: Redemption, which featured former contestants returning in teams. The winning team, Chloe Hes and Ben Speedy, managed to sell their house in Orewa, Auckland, for a meager $4000 over the reserve price, marking the lowest profit win in the show’s decade-long history.

As fans lament the indefinite hiatus of The Block NZ, the future of the beloved series remains uncertain. With the housing market presenting ongoing challenges, it remains to be seen whether the show will return to screens in the future, leaving fans and contestants alike grappling with the loss of a television staple.