The MasterChef NZ mock seriousness returns, and Morning Report is live from Cashel Mall today and tomorrow.
TV
MasterChef NZ
MasterChef New Zealand (TV1, 7.30pm). All that mock seriousness, the portentous music, the tears, and the yes chef, no chef, three-bags-full chef. If only we could skip to the end and save all that anxiety. (Wait, there might be devices that do that …) Anyways, the third season of our local MasterChef reality competition begins. Judges Simon Gault, Josh Emett and Ray McVinnie are back, and there will be guest chefs, including The Food Truck’s Michael Van de Elzen, Annabel Langbein and even Rick Stein. Challenges include an all-night bake-off; catering a cocktail party – for the navy; and cooking a French banquet.
Suburgatory (TV2, 8.00pm). Lily Allen’s F— You was playing in last week’s pilot, a fact that we adolescently found amusing. Tonight, George (Jeremy Sisto) has to host a barbecue. It’s not the greatest sitcom ever, but Suburgatory has potential.
Frozen Planet (TV1, 8.30pm). The final episode looks at how people survive the polar regions, from the Dolgans, who herd reindeer on the tundra, to the research scientists at the South Pole who are cut off from the outside world for six months.
Misfits (Four, 9.30pm). Another brilliant episode of Misfits, in which a comic-book nerd draws stuff that come true. This is not as awesome as you might think. In fact, it’s downright dangerous for Simon.
The Late Show with David Letterman (Prime, 11.10pm). Tonight Kristen Wiig, comedian Mike Birbiglia, and music from Butch Walker & the Black Widows.
FILM
Lourdes (Rialto, Sky 025, 8.30pm). A restrained, wry look at the miracle industry by Austrian director Jessica Hausner (Lovely Rita). It’s about a woman with multiple sclerosis (Sylvie Testud), who is taken to the French town for a cure. That she is equivocal about the whole thing is a source of frustration for her caregivers., but Hausner also refrains from making any bold statements about the nature of religious belief. (2009)
RADIO
Morning Report (Radio New Zealand National, Tuesday and Wednesday, 6.00am). For two days this week, Morning Report will broadcast live from Cashel Mall in Christchurch, one year after the most heartbreaking of the Canterbury earthquakes, on February 22. Simon Mercep will be talking to residents and decision-makers about their city after the worst year of its relatively short life and RNZ reporters will find out how the rebuilding is going, even as the shakes continue. – Diana Balham
The Kick Drum/Special Olympics Hour (Otago Access Radio, 105.4FM, Tuesdays 8.30pm and Wednesdays 11.00am). Interesting things are happening on public access radio around the country and here are a couple of programmes worth checking out if you’re within cooee of Dunedin (or can live stream on the internets). In The Kick Drum, local legend Marcel Rodeka finally gets his own radio show. He did a voice test at another station many moons ago and was shown the door, which jump-started his career on the drums with Dunedin rock group Mother Goose, then Aussie band Perfect Strangers. For 15 years he shared the stage and studio with Queen; Chris Rea; Joan Armatrading; Blood, Sweat and Tears; Midnight Oil; Jimmy Barnes; Bob Geldof and other Very Famous People before coming home. Nowadays he plays with the Oxo Cubans, teaches drumming and is dedicated to showcasing local bands on this brand-new programme. In Special Olympics Hour, Thomas van der Lugt is keen to promote his organisation, spread the word about getting involved in sport and spin a few favourite tracks. The 25-year-old was a member of the Special Olympics alpine ski team at the World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho, in 2009, winning gold and silver medals and placing fifth in racing. “It was so cool to stand on the podium in my New Zealand gear with everybody cheering,” he says. – Diana Balham