PMN’s Summer Series: Viral hit is about 'paying homage' to the experiences of Pacific communities

Welcome to PMN's Summer Series, where we republish some of our best and most popular stories from the last 12 months - in largely their original form.

It’s already hit 1.5 million views - and there’s still half six episodes to go.

But if you haven’t seen The 9-5ers already, don’t check your TV guide.

The viral hit, set in a fictional Māngere appliance store, is currently playing on social media, thanks to support from NZ on Air, TikTok and Screen Australia.

The series is a mockumentary written and directed by proud Māngere local Regan Foa’i who you may know as the host of Niu FM’s Morning Shack​ or his hilarious Just The Norms​ skits on Instagram and Facebook. 

​​Foa’i says the success of the 15-part web series has been a pleasant surprise to him and his producers Liz Laupepa and Danny Aumua from O Tamaiti Ltd​.

“All together we’ve reached 15,000 followers and 1.5 million views all up and we're only about halfway through so it will just keep growing.

“But I don’t have any experience in this field - it was like my first time writing and directing in something like this.”

​The 9-5ers is co-directed by Regan Foa'i and Danny Aumua and produced by Liz Laupepa and Danny Aumua from O Tamaiti Ltd​. Photo/ Supplied/ O Tamaiti Ltd​​

Foa’i, who went to Māngere East Primary and Southern Cross Campus, says securing this opportunity was equally astonishing. He first applied to NZ on Air in 2021 but was flatly denied. But come 2022, after re-pitching the project with Aumua’s help, they were accepted into the Every Voice initiative which gives Australia and New Zealand content creators the chance to get funding for the development and production for innovative TikTok projects.

Foa’i says acting or screen writing was never something he seriously considered after high school and he instead worked his way up in a telecommunication company, becoming a regional manager for a business installing power meters all around the North Island. But just before Covid-19 hit he began creating short comedy skits under the name Just The Norms and once lockdown began his videos started to go viral.

“I’ve gone from doing music production and skits on social media to now being on a tv set. I look back and just see how far I've come, seeing the results of putting in the hours and the work so it’s pretty buzzy.”

The 9-5ers follows the lives of three overly qualified Pacific employees and their newly appointed “egghead” boss, and Foa’i says a big focus for his script was to tell really relatable stories about the experiences of South Aucklanders.

“For me - being born and raised in Māngere - it was all about paying homage to where I'm from.

"It's about being able to tell our stories and I’ve got this massive passion for where I grew up," ​adding that he loves his local community so much, he even changed his middle named to Roell, which is the street he grew up on.

With the potential of a second series already on the horizon, Foa’i says the ultimate goal is to get the show produced for Netflix. And he hopes others in Mangere can take inspiration from the show’s success.

“A lot in the media look down on where we stay and who we are and it can get quite discouraging - but there’s so much talent that comes out of our streets and when the floods came we all came together and just supported each other.

“That’s who we are - that’s what we’re really about.”