Ākina

Soap opera on Maori Television as part of the language and culture programme, Kōrero Mai.

Story
A few people live in a flat in Auckland. One's a lawyer, Mere. Her cousin is a painter and lives alone. Mere has a songwriter friend Stevie, who managed 2 years at law school with her.

Not a great deal has changed from that description since 2004.

Presenter

 * Piripi Taylor (who also does several voiceovers on MTV, notably the warning messages and the complaint notice) and started reporting for it in early 2006).

Current main members

 * Antonio Te Maioha: Hone - landscape gardener hailing from Whakatane and good friend of Quinn
 * Hemi Peke: Stevie - former law student, later songwriter then singer (first in a biscuit commercial)
 * Kym Rawiri: Pareārau - film director with experience in Oz
 * Kawariki Morgan: Quinn - Mere's cousin; artist and film editor who overcame a gambling addiction
 * Riria Hotere: Mere - lawyer and mainstay of the main flat, first at 3 Reka St then at 47 Kawa St; has overcome a tendency to alcoholism
 * Stephanie Martin: Tini - reporter, hailing from Whakatane

Past or occasional members

 * Amomai Pihama: Tui, Stevie's rich musical friend
 * Ben Mitchell: Hāmi, who works with Pareārau
 * Candy Stainton:
 * Cath Harkins: Kim, fiancee of Tai Jones
 * Cheyenne Eynon:
 * Diandra Te Wano: Tiaho, orphaned teenage niece of Hone
 * Gareth Tiopira-Waaka: Pareārau's baby brother
 * Georgina O'Connor:
 * Heni Jacobs: woman in park with baby, November 2005
 * Hera Dunleavy: Trish, Pareārau's baby brother's heart-throb
 * Jade Tepine: barman
 * Jon Brazier: Martyn Small, Stevie's father
 * Karim Nathan: Malcolm Ruka, music promoter
 * Kate Louise Elliot: Gypsy hailing from Whakatane
 * Kingi Peterson: - part of kapa haka group
 * Lucy Schmidt:
 * Mabel Wharekawa-Burt: Auntie Poi - aunt to Mere and Quinn
 * Manaakitanga Taylor:
 * Michael Wah: as himself, a doctor
 * Moera Beattie: Moera, Australian friend of Pareārau
 * Murray Brooks: - part of kapa haka group, possibly the leader
 * Nancy Brunning: - Maia, cousin to Mere and Quinn, with son
 * Nathan Wilson: acquaintance of Quinn
 * Peata Melbourne: Ana - one of the original flatmates at 3 Reka St
 * Rameka Taylor: son of Maia
 * Rawiri Paratene: Tamehana - Mr Jones, Mere's boss at Jones & Spencer
 * Stayci Taylor:
 * Stephen Butterworth: Sean, who works briefly at Whio Records
 * Stuart Turner: Ben Dover - agent for Stevie
 * Tamati Te Kohotu: Tai Jones, son of Tamehana
 * Te Akaurou Mason Jacobs: baby in park with mother
 * Tearepa Kohi: Wiremu - waiter
 * Theo Tait:
 * Vanessa Rare: Brenda - Head of Mere's dept initially
 * Victor Kaukau: - part of kapa haka group
 * : Daniel - language teacher
 * : Naffie - character(s)

and dozens or hundreds of others, but some prominent figures, eg Kaa Williams, have appeared without mention on the cast list

Behind the scenes

 * Cinco Cine
 * Kathryn Graham: network executive 2004-5