2004 in New Zealand television
overview of television-related events in New Zealand during the year of 2004

This is a list of New Zealand television-related events from 2004.
Events
January–February - The New Zealand version of Pop Idol debuts on TV2.
10 May - Ben Lummis wins the first series of New Zealand Idol.
22 September - bro'Town the very first New Zealand animated comedy series for adults premieres on TV3.
Long running British children's animated series Peppa Pig begins airing in New Zealand for the very first time on TV3.
American animated sitcom The Simpsons switches over to air on TV3.
Debuts
Domestic
January - New Zealand Idol (TV2) (2004-2006)
22 March - Studio 2 LIVE (TV2) (2004-2010)
22 September - bro'Town (TV3) (2004-2009)
2 November- Close Up (TV One) (2004-2012)
Unknown - The Insider's Guide To Happiness (2004)
Unknown - Border Patrol (TV One) (2004-present)
International
Unknown - The Berenstain Bears (2003) (TV3)
Unknown - Peppa Pig (TV3)
Unknown - Winx Club (TV3)
Unknown - Duck Dodgers (TV2)
Unknown - Transformers: Energon (TV2)
Unknown - Lilo & Stitch: The Series (TV2)
Unknown - Little Red Tractor (TV3)
Unknown - Joan of Arcadia (TV3)
Unknown - Astro Boy (2003) (TV3)
Unknown - The Pitts (TV3)
Unknown - The O.C. (TV2)
Unknown - Happy Family (TV2)
Unknown - One Tree Hill (TV2)
Unknown - Two and a Half Men (TV2)
Unknown - Queer Eye for the Straight Girl (TV2)
Unknown - Dream Job (TV2)
Unknown - Bridezillas (TV2)
Unknown - Xiaolin Showdown (TV2)
Unknown - Jake 2.0 (TV3)
Unknown - Survivor: All-Stars (TV2)
Unknown - Ratz (TV3)
Changes to network affiliation
This is a list of programs which made their premiere on a New Zealand television network that had previously premiered on another New Zealand television network. The networks involved in the switch of allegiances are predominantly both free-to-air networks or both subscription television networks. Programs that have their free-to-air/subscription television premiere, after previously premiering on the opposite platform (free-to air to subscription/subscription to free-to air) are not included. In some cases, programs may still air on the original television network.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “2004 in New Zealand television” as overview of television-related events in New Zealand during the year of 2004. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as overview of television-related events in New Zealand during the year of 2004. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Dec 19, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q19570477. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2009.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “2004 in New Zealand television”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow 2004 in New Zealand television primary sources, 2004 in New Zealand television archive and Zealand research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “2004 in New Zealand television”?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “2004 in New Zealand television” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.