Popular comedian Mike King tried his hand at a Letterman-style talk show with this relatively short-lived TV2 series. In this final episode King’s guests are TV personality Jason Gunn, McLeod's Daughters actor Lisa Chappell, kickboxer Ray Sefo, and Australian comedy writer Santo Cilauro, who talks about working with the late Bruno Lawrence on TV series Frontline. One-time Commodores bassist Ronald LaPread leads the eight-piece house band.

Backch@t was an award-winning magazine-style arts and culture show that appealed, right from the opening acid-jazz theme tune, to a literate late-90s arts audience. Fronted by media personality Bill Ralston, these excerpts from the first episode come out guns blazing with a debate by panellists about Tania Kovats's controversial artwork 'Virgin in a Condom', the sculpture that caused national upset when it was exhibited at Te Papa in 1998. Managing to keep a panel discussion convivial rather than confrontational, Ralston handles the catholic debate with aplomb.

This episode of the antiques appraisal series was recorded at Auckland Museum with host Dougal Stevenson, Marshall Seifert and Trevor Plumbly joined by Cherry Raymond, and Richard Valentine. Items examined include daguerreotypes, cubist pottery cats by Louis Wain, Edwardian Lavalier pendants and a Marconi radio. It also features a discussion about different types of valuation ... then there’s the piece of pottery, from Auckland artist Cameron Brown’s Titian studio (inspired by the 1956 Springbok Tour), which has the panel very much divided about its merits.

Paul Holmes presents this third TVNZ Leaders Debate before the 2002 General Election. Prime Minister Helen Clark (Labour) talks of "keeping a good job going", while challenger Bill English (National) pitches that Kiwis "deserve better". After a campaign featuring GE corn and a controversial worm (used in the first debate), this final discussion before the election features the leaders of the two main parties arguing over "the issues that matter" (health, education, taxes, MMP machinations) in front of a half-Labour, half-National audience at Avalon's 'TVNZ election centre'. 

Hosted by Charlotte Dawson, How’s Life? saw a rotating panel of guests responding to letters from viewers in an effort to help them navigate their day to day struggles. In this episode, the panel is made up of Paul Henry, Suzanne Paul, a pre-Outrageous Fortune Robyn Malcolm and ex Department of Work and Income boss Christine Rankin. The issues under discussion include a difficult five-year-old, strangers sneezing on your food, and a teenager who doesn't approve of their ex's new boyfriend. There is also meningococcal awareness advice from Auckland District Health Board.

This episode from series five of Kete Aronui, a documentary series featuring Aotearoa's artists that screened on Māori Television, follows the careers of iconic contemporary dancers Taane Mete and Taiaroa Royal. For both, training at Te Whaea propelled them into their art, teaching them not only technique but also a way of life. Featuring footage of Royal dancing in Douglas Wright's Forever (1993), the excerpt also includes a dance class with Michael Parmenter, another dance great, and discussion of dance companies Limbs and Black Grace.

Years before it became a national health crisis, star UK broadcaster David Frost hosted this audience discussion on NZ’s “battle of the bulge”. And far from his later interrogation of Nixon, Frost’s form here is loose and relaxed. Analysis makes way for his wry examinations of such du jour weight-loss products as portable saunas, laxative pills, “Easy-Slim” underwear, and the Slendermatic: a muscle vibration unit modelled by a bikini-clad lass reclining on a sheepskin rug. This was one of six Frost Over New Zealand specials filmed over a whirlwind four-day shoot.

This Queer Nation episode focuses on the Gay Games, held in Sydney in 2002. With more than 12,000 participants (including 441 New Zealanders) the event was Australasia's largest queer event ever. It begins with an overview of the event, looking at the benefits it had for the community, business, and tourism. The second part is less upbeat, addressing the massive $2m loss the Games incurred, with discussion around the reasons for this. Part three is about the next Gay Games, to be held in Montreal in 2006, along with a brief historical overview of the event. 

This 2014 web series follows a South Auckland family who set their sights on winning a best-of-the-factories talent quest. In the seventh episode the Saumalus have just snuck through to the next round of the quest, but patriarch Tigi doesn’t seem to have heeded the judge's advice to come back with something from “this century”. Factory boss Keith makes a shock announcement about the factory’s future: the sale of the factory threatens half the workforce. As discussions continue on how to respond to the news, Tavita gets the Romeo and Juliet blues.

In 2006, Th’ Dudes reformed after 26 years. This documentary follows them on a national tour as members Peter Urlich, Dave Dobbyn, Ian Morris, Lez White and Bruce Hambling reflect on their former lives as late 70s pop stars. Encouraged to behave like stars, they didn’t disappoint. There are frank discussions about sex, drugs, an obscene t-shirt, on-stage nudity and other bad behaviour — but also the stories behind classic songs like ‘Bliss’, ‘Right First Time’ and ‘Be Mine Tonight’, which still captivate adoring, if aging, audiences a quarter of a century later.