Pick of the week: Coca-Cola Christmas In The Park 2013
It's that time of year, when a bunch of benevolent Kiwi entertainers get together to perform at this very festive, large-scale extravaganza held in Auckland Domain, celebrating the spirit of Christmas and making all the kids' eyes light up when Santa arrives.
Whether you make it along to the Domain on Saturday evening or not, Sunday night's 90 minutes of TV3 coverage gives you the chance to experience it up close and from all the right angles - and this is a show you might want to record so the children can enjoy repeat viewings.
The always cheeky and joyful Stan Walker is headlining this year's show - can any televised entertainment event in this country exist without him? - and, fresh from a sell-out tour of New Zealand, you can expect fine performances of his hits Take It Easy and Bulletproof. He'll also do a medley with Turanga Merito, Vince Harder and Barry Southgate, and Harder will also be performing hits of his own.
One of Walker's X Factor proteges, Anna Wilson, will also be featuring, as will a bunch of other X Factor stars like Benny Tipene, Jackie Thomas and Gap5.
The soulful operatic voices of Sol3 Mio will be helping with the Christmas carols, while stalwart entertainers Jackie Clarke and Frankie Stevens will be leading a stalwart ensemble including regular performers like Drew Neemia, Ainslie Allen and Michael Murphy, crossing decades and genres with hits from the Beatles to Michael Jackson, CeeLo Green to the Righteous Brothers.
Also featuring are an array of dance troupes - Irish, Bollywood, bellydancers, drummer children, hip-hop, and professional acts - and choirs, bringing the show's cast to some 600 strong.
MC-ing the night, and switching into family entertainment mode, will be 7 Days' Jeremy Corbett, though we can only hope his duties don't extend to letting off the closing fireworks display - his sparkling wit might just set things off early. Boom, er, boom.
If you are thinking of attending on the night, there's a programme and other useful information at christmasinthepark.co.nz. If you want to help the event's charity partner Surf Livesaving New Zealand, take a gold coin or three or you can text "Surf" to 933 to make a $3 donation. Go to surflivesaving.org.nz for further details.
When: Sunday, 7pm
Where: TV3
What: Our biggest festive variety show
Variety pick: Australia's Got Talent
Having just watched our own version come to an end, you now get to see whether Australia has more talent than we do. To help with the judging, the Aussies have got a curious international contingent involved. Dawn French signs on for her first stint as a talent show judge, and will surely bring a fresh perspective on what exactly constitutes talent. Geri Halliwell has been brought in after fellow Spice Girl Mel B wasn't allowed to join the show while still under contract to X Factor, and she'll surely play off well against host Kyle Sandilands, the radio jock who's often been dubbed Australia's Simon Cowell. Joining them is Timomatic, the Nigerian-born Australian pop star who rose to fame after placing third in 2011's Australia's Got Talent, so he should have some handy insight into what the audience wants to see.
When: Sunday, 7pm
Where: TV One
What: A new Dawn
Biopic pick: Shirley
Ethiopian-born Irish actress Ruth Negga will be best known down here for her roles in shows like Misfits, and films like World War Z, but here she chronicles the life of legendary British singer Shirley Bassey. Highly driven, Bassey shrugged off her poor childhood in Cardiff, to become a 60s superstar, but she had plenty of challenges thrown her way. After performing in workingmens' clubs from the age of 12, she became pregnant at 17, but her determined agent, Mike Sullivan, convinced her to give the baby up to her sister. Sullivan was important to her success, but he also drove her hard, and when Bassey met and fell in love with a young film producer, a destructive power struggle between the two men ensues. Beneath the diamonds and furs, Bassey's road was a bumpy one, and this intimate biopic shows all sides of her character.
When: Sunday, 9.55pm
Where: TV One
What: Behind the diamonds and furs
Lifestyle pick: Manor Houses
Downton Abbey fans will be pleased to hear this new season of Manor Houses gets behind the walls of Highclere Castle - Downton's main filming location. Lady Mary and the Dowager Countess may not be roaming the halls, but Highclere has plenty of its own stories from its 1300-year history to tell. In its heyday, Highclere was the social epicentre of Edwardian England. This series explains how all the different inhabitants of Highclere lived through the ages, from the aristocrats who enjoyed a life of luxury above, to the army of servants toiling below stairs. It also shares the story of the castle's current inhabitants, Lord and Lady Carnarvon, who spend $1 million in annual upkeep funds. Find out what life at a fairy tale castle like Highclere is really like today.
When: Monday, 8.30pm
Where: Prime
What: Behind the castle walls
Wildlife pick: National Geographic Photographers: The Best Job in The World
It's always seemed like an ideal profession - getting to travel to exotic locations to witness incredible wildlife, people, and events, and the photographers from National Geographic magazine have long been setting a benchmark for inspiring images. But often the stories behind what it takes to get those photos are as fascinating as the subjects themselves.
Whether it's months of research, braving freezing cold or swelteringly hot conditions, dodging the obstacles of the natural world, or the red tape and cultural barriers of the human race, these photographers are also often keen adventurers. This documentary follows photographers including Joel Sartore in the field, and interviews them about some of their favourite photos and experiences.
When: Monday, 8.30pm
Where: National Geographic
What: Focus on the snappers
- TimeOut