Sky Slates Polk: The Trial of Philip Polkinghorne

Sky has slated the premiere of the three-part docuseries Polk: The Trial of Philip Polkinghorne for June 15.

The series explores the case of prominent New Zealand eye doctor Philip Polkinghorne, accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna. In an exclusive, never-before-seen interview conducted while awaiting trial, Polkinghorne reveals his version of events for the first time.

Emmy Award-winning director Mike Gattanella explores the trial using interviews from private investigator Julia Hartley Moore; Polkinghorne’s girlfriend, Madison Ashton; Pauline Hanna’s brother, Bruce Hanna; Pheasant Riordan, friend of Pauline Hanna; Alysha McClintock, Crown Solicitor for Auckland; Craig Kapitan, journalist for the New Zealand Herald; and Chelsea Daniels, journalist for the New Zealand Herald.

Hartley Moore, who is also an executive producer on the series, said, “In February 2021, I received an unusual phone call from a Remuera woman concerning her husband’s behavior, but the call was short as her husband arrived home. Seven weeks later, local media broke the news of the death of a Remuera woman, and I had a feeling that phone call and this case were connected. The unexplained circumstances of Pauline’s death sparked a massive police investigation and intense media scrutiny, and I found myself drawn into the case both as a private investigator and personally. I now believe that woman was Pauline Hanna after hearing her voice in the ‘Longlands’ recordings in court.

“Everyone in town was talking about the Polkinghorne case—except Pauline’s husband, Philip Polkinghorne, a respected Remuera eye surgeon. That piqued my interest, as I have somebody at hand who can get anyone to talk; a man with a very particular set of skills, as they say.

“Over the course of many months, a cordial relationship was formed between Philip and this man, who then after some time arranged for Philip and me to finally meet to discuss the idea of telling his story. Incredibly, Philip, who had recently been charged with murder, was very open to the idea and within a few days my film company BA Films began shooting interviews with him. The result is the remarkable interviews that form the basis of this series, Polk: The Trial of Philip Polkinghorne.”