Editing Bro'Town (section)

== Overview ==
The main characters in the series are five 14 year old Polynesian New Zealand boys who live in [[Morningside, Auckland|Morningside, Auckland, New Zealand]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Barry|first=Rebecca|date=2005-08-26|title=bro'Town returns as its animation empire expands|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/brotown-returns-as-its-animation-empire-expands/2YQFZTNFJ6TVX5A6O6MZ7YUD5E/|access-date=2020-12-21|website=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> They attend the local college, St Sylvester's. It was New Zealand's first primetime animated television show and was very popular when it started in 2004 with 33 per cent of the viewing audience during its 8-8.30pm time slot for the first season.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=McClure|first=Margaret|date=1 Aug 2016|title=Auckland's Bro'Town|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/15912/aucklands-brotown|access-date=2020-12-20|website=[[Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |publisher=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga|language=en}}</ref> ''bro'Town'' is heavy with popular culture references, and is based on the comedy theatre group ''[[Naked Samoans|The Naked Samoans]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-01-01|title=Firehorse Films (Firm, NZ) :The bro' Town calendar 2007. As seen on TV3. Firehorse Films; Random House New Zealand [2007]|url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23217536|access-date=2020-12-20|website=National Library of New Zealand|language=en}}</ref> The series has faced criticism often for being racist, for example every episode of the first season received complaints.<ref name=":1" /> The writers often describe the humour as being 'not PC' (politically correct) and is [[satire]] with characters being sent-up. One of the series writers Oscar Kightley says of the humour, "The only reason we get away with that irreverence and edgy stuff is because on the flipside is heart."<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Barry|first=Rebecca|date=2009-04-08|title=Farewell to morningside|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/farewell-to-morningside/ASY2BBRDS7OHKYQJRBRZJFIJYI/|access-date=2020-12-20|website=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Bannister|first=Matthew|date=2008|title=Where's Morningside? Locating bro'Town in the ethnic genealogy of New Zealand/Aotearoa|url=http://researcharchive.wintec.ac.nz/215/|journal=New Zealand Journal of Media Studies|volume=11|issue=1|pages=1–15|doi=10.11157/medianz-vol11iss1id55|issn=1173-0811|doi-access=free}}</ref>

''bro'Town'' has left a lasting legacy on popular culture in New Zealand driven by its urban Pacific Island culture.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Gray|first=Sonia|date=2016-06-14|title=Diversify or die: What New Zealand television can learn from our film industry|url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/tv/14-06-2016/diversify-or-die-what-new-zealand-television-can-learn-from-our-film-industry/|access-date=2020-12-21|website=[[The Spinoff]] }}</ref>  It has been critically acclaimed "as hilarious and alarmingly true to life",<ref>{{Cite web|last=Harker|first=Caroline|date=5 Sep 2013|title=Funny-business time – the 21st century|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/humour/page-4|access-date=2020-12-21|website=[[Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> studied at universities,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bro' town – Institute of Culture Discourse & Communication – AUT|url=https://icdc.aut.ac.nz/projects/bro-town|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221014555/https://icdc.aut.ac.nz/projects/bro-town|archive-date=2020-12-21|access-date=2020-12-21|website=Auckland University of Technology}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> and used for health messages in a cartoon booklet with information about rheumatic fever.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Sore throats aren't cool!|date=2011|publisher=Heart Foundation|others=National Heart Foundation of New Zealand., Firehorse Films|isbn=978-1-877571-36-7|location=[Auckland, N.Z.]|oclc=785394505}}</ref>

===Production===
Produced by New Zealand company Firehorse Films which was created by Elizabeth Mitchell for ''bro'Town'' and funded by [[New Zealand On Air]].<ref name=":1" /> The lead designer was Ant Sang who was responsible for character, location and prop designs.<ref>{{Cite web|title=bro'Town • Ant Sang|url=http://www.antsang.co.nz/portfolio/brotown/|access-date=2020-12-21|website=Ant Sang|language=en-NZ}}</ref> ''bro'Town'' was made using three animation studios – two in New Zealand and one in [[India]] – and involved over 100 staff. The series was done in [[Traditional Animation|traditional ink and paint animation]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} The show satirises the boys' culture, with dialogue in the local [[New Zealand English|vernacular]]. The series includes references to New Zealand literature, particularly the novels and short stories of [[Witi Ihimaera]]. The series has<!--changed to singular on balance- could go sing. or plural  --> strong [[religious]] references, with most episodes starting with events between [[God]], [[Jesus Christ]] and other historical figures, which leads to the theme of the episode and the subsequent events between the boys.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}