Asia Downunder was a weekly magazine programme for and about the Asian population in New Zealand. The long-running series featured a range of stories from news and issues to profiles, arts, sport, business and travel. Asia Downunder was produced and presented by Korean-born Melissa Lee (later a National Party MP) and a small team of reporters. Asia Downunder began screening on TV ONE in 1994 and ran for 19 seasons, until 2011. Later producers included Chris Wright and Kadambari Gladding.

Maria Dallas' performance of Jay Epae song ‘Tumblin’ Down’ helped make it a top 20 hit in 1966. Impressed with her versatility at the Loxene Golden Disc Award ceremony that year, TV producer Christopher Bourn invited her into a television studio five days before Christmas to perform songs for two 15 minute episodes of her own show, Golden Girl. Over the next year Dallas’ career continued to explode. In between trips to Australia, America and Asia, Bourn got her back to film further episodes, each one featuring four or five songs by Dallas, plus a guest spot by another performer.

Author, chef, bon vivant and redhead, Peta Mathias has explored food and cooking on New Zealand television screens for more than 10 years — many of them spent presenting the various titles of the Taste series. Over two seasons of Taste Takes Off, Peta visited 16 destinations — chosen for their culinary diversity and cultural interest — in Asia, Europe, Australia and the Americas to get an insight into the origins of their cuisines, meet some of the locals, discover the stories behind the flavours and try her hand at cooking some signature dishes.