More timeless traditional tales with a twist return to Māori Television when a new series of TORO PIKOPIKO E! premieres on Monday May 28 at 4.30 PM. 

The children’s puppetry programme – screening every weekday – brings together a cast of more than 80 characters weaving their own special magic.  The stories are narrated by a nature spirit called Tikina te Kuia, whose two grandchildren, Hoani and Taima, comment on and sometimes participate in the stories told beside Tikina’s fire. 

Completely in the Māori language, each episode has its own original waiata with acoustic arrangements. Children are introduced to historical Māori characters – some from a time when the gods walked alongside humans. These episodes feature the exploits of Māui and his brothers, their mother Taranga, sister Hinauri and grandmother Mahuika. 

In other episodes, sparkling characters come to life such as the eel brothers, Piha and Poho, and feisty Poura te Koura. On the farm, Henare deals with a runaway piglet called Ponini, while in the bush, Koro, the kauri tree, copes with Gazza, the possum.  In the world of insects, Toa, the kauri snail, has a party gate-crashed by a weta called Weriweri, and Huha, the huhu bug, narrowly avoids becoming dinner for Karumaha, the spider. Under the ocean, sea creatures such as Hori te Hapuka, Kuware te Wheke and Tere te Manaia contend with human traps and pollution. 

The third series of this magical puppetry masterpiece is produced for Māori Television by Toro PikoPiko Productions based in Waitahanui, Taupo. 

TORO PIKOPIKO E! screens on Māori Television every weekday at 4.30 PM from Monday May 28. 

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