Peter Cox is an innovative and award-winning writer and creator who works across a broad range of genres including drama, comedy and mystery. He is known primarily for mixing drama and comedy, with series that focus on distinctly memorable and endearingly complex characters. Peter’s love of collaborating with other writers and creatives is central to his process, being equally comfortable as a creator/script producer as well as a staffed writer.

As a creator, Peter’s first series was The Insider’s Guide to Happiness which won six awards at the 2002 NZ Film and Television Awards, including Best Script and Best Drama Series, screening on SBS and the Australia Network. Since then, Peter has developed and/or created TV series’ in both drama and comedy, that have won more than 30 NZ Film and TV awards, and have been distributed in Australia, Canada, the UK, Asia and Europe, with format rights being sold in countries as diverse as Russia and the US. He has also been the recipient of the Buddle-Findlay Sargeson Writer’s Fellowship and won Best New NZ Playwright at the Wellington Chapman Tripp theatre awards.

Most recently Peter won a 2021 AWGIE for Best Mini-Series Screenplay for New Gold Mountain, of which he was creator/ head writer/co-producer. New Gold Mountain was also nominated for Best Mini-Series at both the AACTA and Logie Awards.

Peter has been developing new series in New Zealand and Australia and writing on staff for a comedy series for Paramount/Viacom UK.

He also has an MA and PhD in Creative Writing, focusing on collaborative creative process.

IN DEVELOPMENT

EDGEWATER – television series, drama – (Creator/Writer), Goalpost Pictures Australia
BLOODLINES – television series, drama – (Developed by), Pukeko Pictures/Weta Workshop NZ

SERIES

NEW GOLD MOUNTAIN
Goalpost Pictures/SBS, 2021
Creator/Writer/Co-Producer/Script Producer
Season 1, Episodes 1-4

AGENT ANNA 
Great Southern/TVNZ, 2012
Story by/Script Editor
Season 1

THE CULT
Great Southern/TVNZ, 2010
Creator/Writer
Season 1, Episodes 1-13

THIS IS NOT MY LIFE
GRST/TVNZ, 2009
Developed by/Story by/Writer
Season 1, Episodes 1-13

THE PRETENDER
Great Southern/TVNZ, 2007-2008
Creator/Writer
Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2
Season 2, Episodes 1-8

THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO LOVE
Gibson Group/TVNZ, 2006
Creator/Writer
Season 1, Episode 5

THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO HAPPINESS
Gibson Group/TVNZ, 2004
Creator/Writer/Storyline
Season 1, Episodes 1-13

THEATRE & RADIO PLAYS

THE SWANS
Radio New Zealand 2006

VERY LUCKY PEOPLE
Hagley Theatre Company 2005

THE PRINCESS AND THE PEBBLE
Bats Theatre 2003

THE EXPERT
Circa Theatre, Wellington 2003

HEARTBEAT
Radio New Zealand 2002

THE PLUM TREE
The ‘Young and Hungry’ Arts Trust Initiative 2002

FIVE SHORT SEMINARS ON HOW TO
DISCIPLINE YOUR DOG
McKenzie Theatre, Wellington 2001

AWARDS, NOMINATIONS & OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

Winner, Best TV Series – Air New Zealand Film and Television Awards, 2011
‘This is Not My Life’ (Developed by/Story by/Writer)
Nominated – Best Drama Series; New Zealand Film and Television Awards, 2010
‘The Cult’ (Creator/Writer)
Nominated, Best Comedy Series – Air New Zealand Film and Television Awards, 2009
‘The Pretender, Series 2’ (Creator/Writer)
Nominated, Best Comedy Series; Nominated, Best Script – Air New Zealand Film and Television Awards, 2007
‘The Pretender, Series 1’ (Creator/Writer)
Winner, Best TV Series – Qantas New Zealand Film and Television Awards, 2006
‘The Insider’s Guide to Love’ (Creator/Writer)
Winner, Best Production – Christchurch Theatre Awards, 2005
‘Very Lucky People’ (Writer)
Recipient of the Bundle Findlay Sargeson Fellowship, 2005
Writer’s Residency, Sargeson Centre, Auckland NZ
Official Selection, ‘INPUT’ International Public Television Screening Conference, San Francisco, USA, 2005
‘The Insider’s Guide to Happiness’ (Creator/Writer)
Winner, Best Television Series – Air New Zealand Film and Television Awards, 2004
‘The Insider’s Guide to Happiness’ (Creator/Writer)
Winner, Best Script (Story); Nominated, Best Script – Air New Zealand Film and Television Awards, 2004
‘The Insider’s Guide to Happiness’ (Writer)
Best New New Zealand Playwright – Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards, 2002
‘The Plum Tree’ (Writer)