Name: Burying Brian
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Released: 2008-07-02
Cast: Ingrid Park, Jodie Dorday, Ian Mune, Shane Cortese

Six episodes. One dead husband. Zero chill from these Kiwi women.

Mini Series

Suburban chaosGallows humorToxic friendship goals

Latest Episode

60 min

Season 1 • Episode 6

Latest

Episode 6

Aug 6, 2008

While Jodie searches frantically for Denise, Theresa finds support from an unlikely source. Can Brian finally be laid to rest?

Overview

Comedy Drama

Burying Brian is a New Zealand television series produced by Eyeworks Touchdown which premiered on Television New Zealand's TV ONE on 2 July 2008, and ran for 6 episodes. The series is about Jodie and her three female friends. At the beginning of the first episode, Jodie's husband Brian dies during a domestic dispute. Jodie believes that she may go to jail for his murder, but her friends convince her not to report the death, but instead to bury the body and make it appear that he has run off with another woman. Although the series was a ratings success, no further episodes were made after the first season.

Content warning

Complicity and silenceFemale solidarity vs. self-preservationThe performance of griefDomestic entrapment

Standout Aspects

Acting

Ingrid Park's barely-contained panic is delicious.

Writing

Balances domestic thriller with suburban absurdity.

Production

Auckland's middle-class veneer never looked so sinister.

Best for:Binge·Friends·Solo

Heads up:Violence·Disturbing

First AiredJul 2, 2008

StatusEnded

Vibe

Pacesteady

Intensitymedium

Tonemixed

Feelmedium

Seasons1·Episodes6

Top Cast

Ingrid Park

Jodie Dorday

Ian Mune

Shane Cortese

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

This was one of TVNZ's rare forays into female-led dark comedy, filling the void left by 'Outrageous Fortune'—but its abrupt cancellation after ratings success still puzzles Kiwi TV historians.

Insight

The 6-episode structure was deliberately tight to avoid the 'mystery fatigue' of longer seasons—a choice that makes the unresolved ending feel more like a gutsy artistic decision than network cowardice.