This Māori Television hit offers a down-home NZ Idol mixed with a little Fear Factor, as off the street talents sing three rounds of karaoke and try to win $1000. Hosts Te Hamua Nikora (Homai Te Pakipaki) and Luke Bird (The Stage - Haka Fusion) coax Lagitoa from Papatoetoe, Samantha from Pakuranga and Renee from Rotorua to belt out their favourite song. The show’s stripped back style allows lots of space for audience reactions (this time at Rotorua's night markets, and in Pakuranga). With encouragements in te reo and English, the contestants feel the fear and sing anyway.

Avoiding the bells and big notes of talent franchises like X Factor and Got Talent, the stage of this Māori Television series is Aotearoa’s streets and night markets. Passing punters hit the mic to see if they can make it through three karaoke rounds to win $1000. It replaced long-running studio karaoke show Homai Te Pakipakai, and is hosted by Te Hamua Nikora and Luke Bird. Created by Bailey Mackey (The GC) and Jonathon Urlich, the format sold to global company FremantleMedia. Raved The Spinoff writer Madeleine Chapman: "Sidewalk Karaoke is so simple it’s genius." 

Using music to bring home an important message is an age-old technique, used to good effect here by Senior Constable Bryan Ward and Bobby, his talking police dog. Joined by a bunch of enthusiastic kids and members of emergency services, they make some moves while reworking lullaby 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' into a road safety message. Producer and children’s TV icon Suzy Cato is among those making a direct appeal for drivers to slow down on roads, before a final karaoke verse which viewers can sing along to at home.

Robyn Malcolm is the well-known Kiwi, and Vietnam is the far-flung place in this full-length Intrepid Journey. Writes Malcolm in her diary: "I expect to be enchanted, challenged and scared several times a day." If drinking snake wine, taking a pee in a corn field and witnessing the ceremonial sacrifice of a pig fits the bill, her expectations are fulfilled. Although some of the homestays are lacking in mod cons, Malcolm is glad for the experience. She also talks to Jimmy Pham, who runs the Koto cafe which trains street kids, visits the DMZ,  and falls in love with the ex port town of Hoi An. 

This single from Supergroove’s second album Backspacer (1996) reached number seven in the charts, and captures the band's shift from funk to rock after the exit of rapper Che Fu and trumpeter Tim Stewart. The lyrics ask "who would you kill?". Via madcap music video logic, they’re channeled into a fictional TV show, an exercise equipment promo, a pigsty, ice-skating rink, and a burning piano on a beach. The results won Best Video at New Zealand's local music award ceremony in 1997. Bassist Joe Lonie and cinematographer Sigi Spath had won it the previous year, for 'You Gotta Know'.

A soap told from a Māori perspective, this Rotorua-set drama follows Piki (newcomer Hinerauwhiri Paki) as she faces the challenges of being a teen in the age of Snapchat. This opening episode sees the aspiring singer juggle an audition for a kapa haka troupe, and a crush on a fellow performer. NZ Herald reviewer Duncan Greive praised Paki as "shockingly good", and found the Māori Television series "a distinctly modern drama which could have come from nowhere else". The show was developed from an original idea by actor Cliff Curtis and producer Lara Northcroft.

Thanks partly to enthusiastic host Te Hamua Nikora, Homai Te Pakipaki soon won a keen following. Over nine years the sometimes rough and unrehearsed karaoke contest became a Friday night staple on Māori Television —  encouraging young and not so young to shine, as they performed and competed for a cash prize, sometimes to studio audiences numbering as high as 3000. Alongside Nikora, the band of hosts included award-winner Mātai Smith, 2008 series winner Pikiteora Mura-Hita and radio's Brent Mio. In 2016 Nikora returned to co-host follow-up show Sidewalk Karaoke. 

This big, shiny, internationally-produced Chills video is still in keeping with the band’s low-key indie style. In majestic cliff-top scenery (Ireland stands in for New Zealand) Martin Phillipps looks like he is at the top of the world, and large rocks bounce across the screen like karaoke cues — perfect imagery to match the soaring sound of this classic pop song. Apparently Phillipps was nearly swept away by a rogue wave, whilst singing furiously along to a non-existent backing tape. The rocks were made of polystyrene.

As of 2012, 130,000 Māori – aka 'Mozzies' – were living in Australia. This reality series follows young Māori chasing "money, sex and fame" on the Gold Coast: partying and pursuing careers (from modelling and music stardom, to owning a gym). This first episode sees scaffolder/ property investor Tame Noema introduce the crew, ahead of a housewarming party. The kōrero ranges from scoring 'aunties' to pride in tā moko. Created by Bailey Mackey (Sidewalk Karaoke), The GC was a ratings success for TV3, and made headlines for its depiction of a modern Māori subculture.  

The very last grand final of Homai Te Pakipaki sees ten finalists from across the motu come together to sing their hearts out, with the hope of taking home a $20,000 cash prize (plus phone package). Broadcast live, the raw talent karaoke contest is hosted by Brent Mio and 2008 series winner Pikiteora Mura-Hita, with help from Pakipaki veteran Te Hamua Nikora. The winner is decided by whānau, iwi and the viewers at home via text vote. The guests include 2014 winner Lee Stuart, band Sons of Zion and IDentity Dance Company. There are also short clips of past show highlights.