Eric the Goldfish was the star of a campaign used to promote awareness of the role of broadcasting funding agency NZ On Air (formed in 1989), and to encourage people to pay the broadcasting fee. The campaign used humour and CGI to spread the message, taking the point of view of a pet goldfish watching a family, who are watching TV. Although it attracted attention for its cost, the campaign was rated an "outstanding success" by its funders, and Eric entered popular culture. In 2017 Eric was reincarnated as the name of NZ On Air’s online funding application system. 

On a Tuesday evening in April 1968, the ferry Wahine set out from Lyttelton for Wellington. Around 6am the next morning, cyclone-fuelled winds surged in strength as it began to enter Wellington Harbour. At 1.30pm, with the ferry listing heavily to starboard, the call was finally made for 734 passengers and crew to abandon ship. The news coverage and documentaries in this collection explore the Wahine disaster from many angles. Meanwhile Keith Aberdein — one of the TV reporters who was there — explores his memories and regrets over that fateful day on 10 April 1968.

Without the NZ Film Commission, the list of Kiwi features and short films would be far shorter. In celebration of the Commission turning 40, this collection gathers up movie clips, plus documentaries and news coverage of Kiwi films. Among the directors to have had a major leg up from the Commission are Geoff Murphy, Peter Jackson, Taika Waititi and Gaylene Preston. In the backgrounders, Preston remembers the days when the commission was up an old marble staircase, and producer John Barnett jumps 40 years and beyond, to an age when local stories were seen as fringe. 

In this tribute to veteran broadcaster Angela D'Audney — broadcast soon after her death in 2002 — colleagues and friends recall her tenacity and confidence. After nearly 40 years working in television, D'Audney earned the title of New Zealand's "first lady of broadcasting". D'Audney was 18 when she joined the NZ Broadcasting Corporation as an announcer in 1962; she went onto become one of the country's first female TV newsreaders. She recalls losing jobs, the thrill of reading live news and the scandal she faced when she appeared topless in 1982 TV drama The Venus Touch. 

This NZ TV award-nominated documentary tells the story of radio station Mai FM. Founded in 1992 by Auckland iwi Ngāti Whātua, its mix of hip hop, r’n’b and te reo soon won ratings success. Original breakfast host Robert Rakete recalls early days when the station was a CD player hooked up to an aerial, while Mai FM's champions argue the station has executed its kaupapa: promoting Māori language and culture to the youth of Auckland, including the breakout phrase, “it’s cool to kōrero!” The introduction by Tainui Stephens was done for Māori TV's doco slot He Raranga Kōrero.  

The often controversial beliefs of Sir Lloyd Geering, New Zealand’s best known theologian, are examined in this Top Shelf documentary. In this excerpt he visits Jerusalem to argue that the resurrection of Jesus shouldn't be interpreted literally. Forty years earlier, this assertion divided the Presbyterian Church (where he was Principal of Knox College) and led to his heresy trial on charges of “doctrinal error and disturbing the peace of the church”. There is archive footage of an unrepentant Geering from the two-day trial, which was broadcast live by the NZ Broadcasting Corporation.  

This is the first edition of Lotto, New Zealand's oldest state-run weekly lottery. It was broadcast live from Auckland on 1 August 1987 (tickets went on sale on 22 July). The draw was hosted by Doug Harvey and Ann Wilson and overseen by independent scrutineers, with the seven balls picked (from 40) by "The Barrel" — the much-hyped automated number picker. The inaugural numbers were — spoiler alert! — 4, 29, 16, 40, 8 and ... 32, and the bonus number was 30. The prize pool for the first draw was $1,028,024 and Division One was $359,808, which was split four ways.

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.