TVNZ will air Australian soap opera Home and Away after MediaWorks announced it had lost the rights to the programme. TV2 will begin airing episodes within the next three months, at a timeslot that is “comfortable” for Home and Away viewers, TVNZ said.

The television series, which has been running since 1987, is set in the fictional town of Summer Bay on the coast of New South Wales. Home and Away is not a new programme to TVNZ, which broadcast the show between 1993 and 2002 after it was dropped by TV3.

Jeff Latch, TVNZ’s head of TV ONE and TV2, said he was delighted to welcome the television series to TV2. “Loyal fans can be reassured that we’ll give Home and Away a great weeknight timeslot, with catch-up episodes planned for the weekend. And with TVNZ Ondemand, Home and Away fans will enjoy an even greater range of viewing choices for getting their Summer Bay fix,” Latch said.