The Casketeers

The Casketeers is a New Zealand reality television series that was first broadcast 13 Jan 2018 on TVNZ 1. The series follows a New Zealand couple, Francis and Kaiora Tipene, who own and run Tipene Funerals, a funeral parlor in Onehunga, as well as the other funeral directors and assistants employed there.[1] The series combines humour and pathos[2] by focusing in turn on the stories of individual deaths and bereaved families, the trials and triumphs of running a business, local and traditional funeral and grief practices, and the quirks and relationships of the Tipenes and their staff.

The Casketeers
Created by	Annabelle Lee-Harris
Directed by	Susan Leonard
Starring	Francis Tipene Kaiora Tipene
Country of origin	New Zealand
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	14 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer	Philip Smith
Producers	Carmen J. Leonard Anna Lynch
Running time	23m
Production company	Great Southern Pictures
Release
Original network	TVNZ 1
Original release	13 January 2018 – present

Development & Reception

The series was considered "an unexpected runaway success" in New Zealand.[2][3] In December 2018, the show was released internationally on Netflix. A second series of the show aired on TVNZ 1 beginning 14 Jan 2019 and was made available for streaming globally on Netflix in 2019. The show's production company, Great Southern Pictures, plans to seek funding to create a third season.[4] The show's first two seasons were funded by Te Māngai Pāho, a funding body that promotes Māori language and culture.[3] Māori is spoken throughout the series as well as English, and the series credits are listed in both languages.

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Directed by	Original air date
1	1	Susan Leonard	13 January 2018
A married couple, Francis and Kaiora Tipene, run Tipene Funerals. The show follows their business and the funerals they put on, respectfully dealing with the family of and depictions of the deceased, while also following their relationships with their staff, and their family relationship.
2	2	Susan Leonard	3 February 2018
Francis must organise the tangi for a member of his whanau, as well as a young mother who dies unexpectedly. Traditional funeral practices are covered. On a more humorous note, Francis makes a decision to purchase a vehicle of questionable quality, against Kaiora's wishes.
3	3	Susan Leonard	20 January 2018
Francis and his staff lead the burial of someone whose body has been returned to Aotearoa from Australia. A new funeral director leads her first solo funeral. Francis struggles to convince Kaiora of his desperate need for (yet another) leaf blower.
4	4	Susan Leonard	27 January 2018
Funeral director Fiona directs a Tongan funeral. Francis makes questionable business decisions because of his love for his community. On a lighter side, the staff argues over the identity of a cookie thief.
5	5	Susan Leonard	10 February 2018
For his health, Francis must go back to the gym, which he doesn't enjoy. The staff prepare the body of a Niuean fisherman for a journey.
6	6	Susan Leonard	13 January 2018
Funeral directory Fiona oversees a Samoan burial, and the Tipene family prepares a funeral for a young extended family member. As advertising for their funeral home, Francis wants the staff to put on a show for the local rest home.
7	1	Susan Leonard	14 January 2019
The Tipene funeral home has new staff members, and Francis has a new look. The Tipene funeral home staff oversee a funeral and the exhumation of a WW1 veteran.
8	2	Susan Leonard	21 January 2019
The Tipene funeral home prepares for renovations. Fiona and Francis direct two funerals.
9	3	Susan Leonard	28 January 2019
The staff direct the funderal of an honored kaumatua whose body has been flown in from Dunedin.
10	4	Susan Leonard	4 February 2019
Francis trains a new staff member in funeral direction. The staff direct the funeral of a young Fijian woman.
11	5	Susan Leonard	11 February 2019
Francis's efforts to alter the incorrect appearance of the husband of a grieving widow show his dedication to his customers and his respect for the traditions of their cultures.
12	6	Susan Leonard	18 February 2019
Fiona directs the funeral of a Niuean man. The staff attempts yoga and meditation as a team-building exercise.
13	7	Susan Leonard	25 February 2019
Viewers see more of the process of how death is handled culturally as a funeral case requires special attention from the embalmer.
14	8	Susan Leonard	4 March 2019
Can Kaiora prevent Francis from making yet another terrible vehicle purchase?

References

1. Casey, Alex (14 January 2018). "The Casketeers is an instant Kiwi classic". Classic. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
2. "The Casketeers: putting the fun into funerals". Radio. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
3. Ainge Roy, Eleanor (25 February 2018). "The Casketeers: how two Māori funeral directors became beloved Netflix stars". Beloved. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
4. "Netflix to stream The Casketeers, a show about Māori funeral directors". Netflix. 6 November 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2019.

External links

• The Casketeers on IMDb
• The Casketeers on Netflix
• The Casketeers on TVNZ On Demand