Blue Murder Motel
| Blue Murder Motel | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Kate McDermott Steven Zanoski |
| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Philip Smith Kathleen Anderson |
| Producer | Steven Zanoski |
| Production locations | Orewa, Hibiscus Coast |
| Running time | 8 x 45 minutes |
| Production company | Great Southern Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | TVNZ 1 |
| Release | 18 January 2026 |
Blue Murder Motel is a New Zealand murder mystery television series which debuted in 2026. The series stars New Zealand actor Michala Banas and Australian actor Brett Tucker, who previously appeared together in the Australian drama series McLeod's Daughters.
Premise
Two married Australian police officers have taken early retirement and have purchased the Blue Motel in New Zealand to run as a business.[1] A series of local murders compel them to investigate and to help the local sole-charge police officer solve the crimes.
At the end of the first episode, the advertising display for the motel is tagged, changing its name from Blue Motel to Blue Murder Motel. A later episode indicates that local residents also refer to it as that.[2]
Production history
In November 2024, NZ On Air announced that it had funded a new commission - Blue Murder Motel - produced by Great Southern Television, and that the production would receive up to $2,800,000 worth of funding.[2] Filming was underway by September 2025.
Setting
The series is located in the fictional seaside community of Mōwai Bay, which is described as being "somewhere near Auckland". Filming took place at Orewa on the Hibiscus Coast north of Auckland.[3] Locations included the Edgewater Motel as the Blue Motel, and Ōrewa Beach Holiday Park as the Shady Vista Holiday Park, which was featured in episode 3.
Cast
Main
- Michala Banas as Vanessa 'Vinny' Coleman
- Brett Tucker as Peter 'Cole' Coleman
- Jayden Daniels as Constable Jamie Haira, a recently graduated sole-charge constable
- Stephanie Tauevihi as Maxine, a permanent guest at the motel
- Jamie McDermott as Saffron, a motel employee
Guest
- Maaka Pohatu as Devlin (episode 1)
- Craig Hall as Greg (episode 2)
- Aidee Walker as Theresa (episode 3)
- Peter Elliott as Martin (episode 4)
- Fiona Samuel as Pam (episode 4)
- Angela Bloomfield as Sheree (episode 6)
- Sara Wiseman as Detective Annette Grainger (episode 6)
- Christopher Stollery as Burnsie (episodes 7 & 8)
- Miriama Smith as Simona (episode 7)
- Justine Smith as Real Ellen (episode 8)
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Party Boy" | Josh Frizzell | Kate McDermott | 18 January 2026 | |
|
Married ex-cops Vinny and Cole trade Sydney homicide for retirement bliss, running a retro seaside motel in coastal New Zealand—until a boys’ weekend ends with a corpse in Unit 3. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "A Thousand Dreadful Things" | Lucy Lawless | Kate McDermott | 25 January 2026 | |
|
It’s peak summer and the town swarms with partying teens. When a boy vanishes with his jet ski, Vinny and Cole face a trio of intimidating, entitled girls who are clearly hiding a secret. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Home Is Where You Park It" | Josh Frizzell | Paul Jenner | 1 February 2026 | |
|
At the Shady Vista Holiday Park, guest tensions erupt in a fiery murder. Constable Jamie Haira pulls retired ex-cops Vinny and Cole back into sleuthing, derailing their seaside retirement dreams. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Born Alone, Die Together" | Jacqueline Nairn | James Griffin | 8 February 2026 | |
|
Beloved locals Maude and Martin are poisoned by their own dinner. As Vinny and Cole investigate, cleaner Saffron and guest Maxine suspect the new motel owners hide secrets. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Run For Your Life" | Jacqueline Nairn | Paul Jenner | 15 February 2026 | |
|
A raucous 30th birthday weekend turns deadly when a motel guest is attacked during a fun run. Her sister, a TV ad actress turned trophy wife, bullies Vinnie and Cole into investigating the murder. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Cat Among the Pigeons" | Lucy Lawless | Marina Alofagia McCartney and Kate McDermott | 22 February 2026 | |
|
Local councillor Gordon is found dead at home, the only witness his designer cat, now missing. As cat posters flood the town, Vinny and Cole clash with a city detective who wants them off the case. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Radio Silence" | Mark Beesley | Kate McDermott | 1 March 2026 | |
|
A summer storm traps holidaymakers in the Blue Motel conference room as a local radio DJ dies mid-broadcast. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "A Cop and a Gentleman" | Mark Beesley | Kate McDermott | 8 March 2026 | |
|
A summer market turns deadly, when a local candy merchant dies in a freak accident. Vinny and Cole dig deeper and discover it was murder. | ||||||
Broadcast
The series began broadcasting on TVNZ 1 on 18 January 2026, with catch-up availability on TVNZ's streaming service TVNZ+.[4]
References
- ^ "Cops and lodgers". New Zealand Listener. Auckland, NZ: Are Media Ltd: 53. 12 January 2026. ISSN 2381-9553.
- ^ a b "More genuinely Kiwi stories greenlit to entertain local audiences". NZ On Air. 25 November 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ Ward, Tara (29 January 2026). "Move over Brokenwood, Blue Murder Motel is here". The Spinoff. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "Watch Blue Murder Hotel". TVNZ OnDemand. Retrieved 7 February 2026.