Nights

Nora Ephron is best known for films like When Hally Met Sally (1989) and Sleepless in Seattle (1993). She died in 2012, aged 71, but her style and perspective remain influential.

NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan joins Emile Donovan to discuss the government's new funding for charter schools, the prospect of selling Kiwibank, and a lookahead to Budget Day.

What's the difference between perfume and eau de toilette? And does spritzing and walking through the mist actually work?

BBC World's Jonathan Frewin talks to Emile Donovan about a new mobilisation law in Ukraine, the overhaul of the EU's migration rules, and the UN Security Council's meeting on the situation in Yemen.

Bryan Waddle has his eye on the latest changes to the rugby laws, one of our greatest Olympians looks to finally have a challenger in the form of her teammate, and a Kiwi equestrian adds another title to her already full cabinet.

Wellington and Auckland are working towards deals with the government to help fund major infrastructure upgrades, while other cities line up to make deals to fund and manage their own affairs.

Approximately 300,000 animals are used for research across Aotearoa every year. Animal welfare officer Jodi Salinsky is dedicated to demystifying what that means.

Robert Sullivan is a poet and an associate professor in creative writing at Massey University who has just published his latest book of poems, Hopurangi: Songcatcher, with Auckland University Press.

Featuring new music from Nigerian virtuoso guitarist Mdou Moctar, a song from Baltimore synth-pop artist Nourished By Time, and a collaboration between rapper 3am and Erykah Badu.

Proceeds from the gala concert, held in the Grand Ballroom of the Hanmer Springs Hotel, will be put toward the purchase of mobility wheelchairs for the Hanmer Springs Health Centre.

Nights' resident film critic, Dan Slevin, takes a look at the upcoming Architecture & Design Film Festival, dives into big budget adaption of Shōgun and takes listeners through the Kanopy catalogue available through public libraries.

Sailing under the banner Paddle for Purpose, the group are taking a pitstop from kayaking the East Coast of the North Island, from Cape Reinga to Wellington, a journey of over 2,000 kilometres.

Metro editor and former bass player for punk band Die! Die! Die! Henry Oliver joins Emile Donovan to reflect on the influence of producer Steve Albini, who has died aged 61.

The Loan and Mercantile building on the city's waterfront will have 30 apartments for low-income tenants from the government's Housing Register.

AUT lecturer Dr Lewis Tennant has conducted the largest study to date into New Zealand's podcasting market, studying over 700 podcasts across 13 categories, with the data going back to 2005.

Nearly 85 years since the death of its founder, the Rātana movement still carries a significant amount of mana in Aotearoa's political and social spheres. But that is only one side to the story of Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana.

We all have a life, but what should we do with it? Dan Weijers is a senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of Waikato.

In the heart of the of Queensland Outback lies the small town of Longreach, adults are running around hiding from each other - for weeks at a time.

Aside from a few notable exceptions, the depiction of love making on film has dramatically declined in the past 20 years.

Education minister Erica Stanford has announced that New Zealand schools will be pivoting to teaching structured literacy. Dr Nina Hood joins Nights to explain the approach.

Classics enthusiast and educator Ben Jackson is back to celebrate Rome's birthday, allegedly founded on 21 April, 753 BCE, by brothers Romulus and Remus.

Nominees for this year's New Zealand Tree of the Year competition have been revealed, includ The Walking Tree on the West Coast., "Freddie's Pōhutukawa" in Gisborne, and Moko in Otari Wilton's Bush, Wellington.

TAHI and RNZ host and producer Evie Orpe joins the show to say who wore what and who wore it best.

Just months out for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the event has been rocked by the revelation 23 Chinese swimmers were allowed to compete at the 2021 games in Tokyo, despite testing positive for the banned substance Trimetazidine months earlier.

AAP New Zealand correspondent Ben McKay joins Emile Donovan to discuss how AUKUS discourse has gone down on the other side of the ditch, ructions over Julie Anne Genter's conduct in the House, and his pre-Budget chat with finance minister Nicola Willis.

There are three types of people in the world: those who kill spiders on the spot, those who let them live, and those who safely trap and release them outside. But once they're outside, do they survive?

Rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake have both dropped lyrics that range from sly digs at each other to allegations of addiction and domestic abuse. Wellington DJ Brad Warrington aka Sticky Fingers provides some history of the beef.

Nights' sports correspondent Jamie Wall joins Emile Donovan to weigh in on the Auckland stadium debate, the Warriors women's team's triumphant return to NRLW, and the potential for the All Blacks to play it Qatar.

Dr Allan McCay is Deputy Director of The Sydney Institute of Criminology and an Academic Fellow at the University of Sydney's Law School, with a particular focus on neurotechnology.

Myopia, or short-sightedness, is one of the most common medical conditions in the world. Sachi Rathod has been treating it in low-decile schools all over Auckland.

Director, producer, and te reo Māori advocate Mahanga Pihama joins Emile Donovan to share a whakataukī that resonates with him.

Tonight, a selection described as 'broadly lo-fi': including drag queen hypnagogic pop project Cindy Lee, death rock- and punk wave-influenced Brux, and a new local track from the Audio Foundation Improvisers Series Vol 3.

Nelson nut butter brand Fix & Fogg was approached by NASA with a request to create a space rocket-approved product - and now it's launched.

Nights' resident screen critic Dan Slevin is reviewing the debut for writer-director Loren Taylor The Moon is Upside Down, Home, a real estate and design show with a difference, and all three seasons of Star Trek: Picard.

ComicFest is being held at the National Library of New Zealand on Saturday, with a range of events on offer for the comic- and cartoon-mad on its 10th anniversary.

Called a 'music mag for the music mad', Newzician Magazine features profiles, interviews and photo spreads on emerging independent musicians across Aotearoa New Zealand - in print.

Massey University Professor Mohan Dutta joins Emile Donovan to examine the India elections.

Commencing this weekend, duck season is an occasion so big in some parts of the country, club rugby games have to be shifted to another day to accommodate it.

Moa bones, obsidian and tools found at the site indicate people first arrived here as early as 1250 AD - the last land mass in the entire world to be settled by humans.

In 1972, the Victoria University students' association raised $2000 for the Vietnam War - but did it go to the Viet Cong for the purchase of a tank?

The former prime minister reacts to foreign minister Winston Peter's comments on AUKUS.

Futuromania: Electric Dreams, Desiring Machines, and Tomorrow's Music Today is a new book that traces the history of sounds that prefigure pop music's future.

Nights' resident Agony Aunt, comedian Courtney Dawson, is back and ready to answer your quandaries, your palavers, your misgivings.

Started in 1991, the Costume Cave on Wellington's Wakefield Street has long been a friend to filmmakers, theatre practitioners and partygoers in the capital and across the country.

Festival Open Christchurch returns this year with 50 open buildings for the public to explore spanning Gothic Revival, Christchurch Modern, contemporary and a range of uses.

This weekend, Sam Harvey is hoping to not only win the Dead Cow Gully race in Australia, but break the work record running continuously for 800km in 120 hours.

Stuff political reporter Thomas Manch joins Emile Donovan to break down some of the big political stories of the week, including AUKUS posturing and a tough political poll for the coalition government.

We've seen it in just about every American sitcom, but why don't we 'post bail' in New Zealand? And why is paying to get out of jail allowed at all in some jurisdictions?

BBC World reporter Pete Ross joins Emile Donovan to take a look at some of the events making headlines internationally, including local elections in the UK, protests in the former Soviet state of Georgia, and a forthcoming report from a Canadian government inquiry into foreign interference and spying.

Otago Daily Times sports reporter Kayla Hodge joins Emile Donovan to cover the rise in suspensions to start the ANZ netball premiership, the New Zealand Warriors' search for up-and-coming talent in the deep south, and profile some of New Zealand's most underrated athletes.

The mental health hotline Lifeline turns 60 this year, and they say financial pressure has never been greater.

Every eighty years, a nova 3,000 light years away called T Coronae Borealis spectacularly erupts, appearing as a new star in the sky.

Justine has been behind the award-winning docuseries NZ Wars, and tonight she's been celebrating the premiere of a new season with a personal connection, Stories of Tauranga Moana.

Featuring new music from New Zealand band Ha the Unclear, a 2022 track from Adelaide-based band Workhorse, and the debut album from artist Mandy, entitled Lawn Girl.

Wellington NZ commissioned the creation of 20 bronze pigeons statues to celebrate the city's business community. But now, two of the statues have disappeared, leaving some Wellingtonians all aflutter.

Nights' resident screen critic Dan Slevin is back with Short-Cuts for another week.

This Saturday, in the village of Waimauku, hundreds of guinea pigs will be gussying up to be named Mr or Ms Auckland at the Auckland Guinea Pig Show.

Morrine Martin is a trombone player with Rolleston Brass, and her son will be playing the Last Post on the trumpet at their local service.

The Online Cenotaph is a vast collection of old photos, beloved memories, diaries and records supplied by the public for all to access - from family members to historians and academics.

Henry Erdman designed posters for some of the biggest blockbuster films of the past decade, including Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Tenet (2020), and The Boy and the Heron (2023). But making his way in the industry required some creative thinking.

Locally, music festivals have pulled back to once every two years - or disappeared completely. Even the New Zealand A&P Show was on the brink of shutting completely after 160 years, saying that it was just no longer financially viable.

TAHI co-host Evie Orpe joins Nights to debrief one of the biggest events in independent New Zealand music.

She's been a tailor for the British police, a bridal seamstress, taxidermist, and even a set maker for the band Iron Maiden. Now, she's turning to her local community.

While the Game Boy would eventually be surpassed by newer, faster and better consoles, its cultural impact was huge: even today, it's sought after by collectors, with original games and the console itself selling for hundreds or even thousands.

Interest.co.nz economic policy reporter Dan Brunskill has been following prime minister Christopher Luxon on his tour of southeast Asia and joins Emile Donovan to debrief.

Is this old trick good gardening, or just a bit weird? Landscape designer Justin Newcombe says he's tried it - and it works.

BBC World's Rich Preston joins us from London to talk about some of the major events making headline internationally, including a hearing on the legality of the UK selling arms to Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to China, and Venice becoming the first city in the world to charge tourists a fee to enter for the day.

Nights' sport correspondent Bryan Waddle is back after a big weekend of sport and chats to Emile Donovan about the Blackcaps tour of Pakistan which got off to a terrible start, another successful motor racing event in Taupō. and is it a good thing someone else other than the Crusaders is going to the win the Super Rugby competition?

Ginette McDonald is an actor, writer and TV producer best known as the comedic suburban heroine Lynn of Tawa. NZ On Screen's new Ginette McDonald Collection celebrates McDonald's trailblazing career with videos of her comedy, production work and historic interviews.

Oxford University professor Subir Sarkar says over the past 100 years our understanding of how the universe works has changed dramatically as technology has improved in leaps and bounds.

The manukura of St John's Theological College picks a whakataukī that means 'it is the job of the children to smash the calabash'.

Featuring a political track from Dunedin doom-pop two piece Night Lunch, a new release from Baby Rose and BADBADNOTGOOD, and Melbourne-based Cyanide Thornton's self-titled 2018 EP.

He brought forth the eponymous Byronic hero, inspired musicians from Liszt to Leonard Cohen, and despite a roguish reputation, he is still regarded today as one of the great poets.

BBC World's Middle East correspondent Sebastian Usher joins Emile Donovan for the latest on the reported strike on the city of Isfahan.

Nights' resident film critic Dan Slevin joins Emile Donovan to review some top picks for weekend viewing, including Origin (2023) in cinemas now, Constellation (2024) streaming on AppleTV+, and Eleanor Coppola's directing debut Paris Can Wait (2016) streaming for free on Māori+.

This Saturday, the Netherlands Society in Rotorua is hosting a competition to crown the 'Master Baker of Oma's Appeltaart', what they call one of the most comforting pies in the history of pies.

Bryer Oden joins Emile Donovan to talk cheap eats and her dislike of the online diet culture.

Those Who Have The Courage is the first book to bring the story of New Zealand's mounted and armoured forces together. Emile Donovan talks to author and researcher Matthew Wright.

Tim Groser is a former National Party minister and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the United States from 2016 to 2018. He speaks with Emile Donovan.

Frances Loo is the owner and operator of Chapters Book & Tea Shop in Auckland's Mount Eden and hosts a romance readers club. She joins Emile Donovan.

GNS volcanologist Brad Scott joins Emile Donovan.

University of Sydney researchers have developed an AI application using cartoons from The New Yorker to help people be funnier. Dr Anusha Withana joins Nights to explain.

Where do you start? How do you afford it? And how do you find a piece you're confident you're going to love forever?Art expert Bentley de Beyer joins Emile Donovan.

Black Salt Games Producer's Nadia Thorne and Lead Artist Alex Ritchie join Emile Donovan to discuss the success of the game 'Dredge'.

Colin Peacock joins Nights to debrief another big week in the media.

Stats NZ's Mark Sowden joins Nights to discuss why collecting data in this country has been getting more difficult.

Joe Bill has been called one of the best teachers of improvisation in America today. He joins Emile Donovan during his visit to New Zealand.

Steven Price is a barrister specialising in media law and joins Nights to discuss the long running Bruce Lehrmann defamation case.

Noël Jelsma from Neudorf Black, New Zealand's leading Black Garlic producer, joins Emile Donovan.

Newsroom's Marc Daalder joins Emile Donovan to talk about the big stories in New Zealand politics.

Aviation expert Peter Clark joins Emile Donovan to help answer this question.

BBC World's Rich Preston gives us a rundown of the events making headlines internationally, including the latest in the Iran and Israel conflict, jury selection starting in the criminal trial of former US president Donald Trump and the world largest democracy gears up for its national election.

RNZ sports journalist Jamie Wall joins Emile Donovan to discuss how sports betting is affecting women's sports, a pivotal moment for the ailing Crusaders, and a gambling scandal involving star baseballer Shohei Ohtani's interpreter.

Not long after filming wrapped on Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the film's iconic bus disappeared, without a trace - until now.

Aotearoa New Zealand has played an unusually pivotal role in humanity's understanding of how light and matter interact, Dr Jacob Ngaha says.

Award-winning broadcaster and host of RNZ's Māpuna Julian Wilcox joins Emile Donovan to share a whakataukī close to his heart, attributed to the late Erima Henare.

It's easy to junk something when it's broken, and just buy something new. In the decade since it was founded, RAD Bikes has recycled over fifty thousand bike parts and served nearly twenty thousand people, in what they say is unlocking the joy and freedom of cycling. Nights talks to the coordinator of RAD Bikes, Jess Smale.

Nights' resident film critic Dan Slevin joins Emile Donovan with new picks for the weekend. This week Dan is looking at Civil War (Garland, 2024) in cinemas now, documentary STEVE! (Neville, 2024) which looks at the life and career of the legendary Steve Martin streaming on AppleTV+ and finally Dan revisits the modern Kiwi classic Out of the Blue (Sarkies, 2006) which is streaming for free on TVNZ+

Tonight we're talking to Alexander Gandar about National Scrabble Day which celebrates the popular game of Scrabble which is played around the world. It coincides with the birthday of Alfred Mosher Butts in 1899; the man who invented the iconic board game.