Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

American Rust: Jeff Daniels stars in this compelling drama as complicated and compromised chief of police Del Harris (Daniels) in a Rust Belt town in southwest Pennsylvania (Neon).  Scenes from a Marriage: Adapted from Ingmar Bergman’s 1973 Swedish classic, and starring Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, Scenes from a Marriage re-examines the show’s iconic depiction of love, hatred, desire, monogam...

Iconic TV series Packed to the Rafters is back, and what else could it be called than BACK to the Rafters.  Most of the cast is back, including legendary Aussie actor Michael Caton who's back in his role as Grandad Ted.   If you don’t know the name Michael Caton, you’ll almost certainly recognise some of his most famous lines from the ‘97 film The Castle. He's been speaking with Jack Tame. LISTEN...

Movie reviewer Francesca Rudkin has some flicks for those in lockdown, and those in level 2. Aucklanders can watch action flick Kate, and documentary Shcumacher on Netflix. If you're out of Auckland, she's been watching documentary The Lost Leonardo which is in cinema. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I got up early, drove out to the airport, and joined the lines of cars slowly crawling between the big marquees.   It was simple. It was fast. The staff were friendly and efficient. It felt oddly momentous.  Significant. A bit like I feel when I cast a ballot on election day. One day I’ll tell my kids about the time I first got vaccinated for Covid-19. That’s the thing. We don’t just get vaccinate...

Singer Halsey has a new album called “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’ and it traverses a topic that’s not so common in pop music: Pregnancy and Childbirth.  Estelle Clifford’s been giving Jack Tame her thoughts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Book reviewer Catherine Raynes has been reading Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard and When Things areAlive They Hum by Hannah Bent. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationship expert Steven Dromgool has some tips on how to get the most out of hugging your partner. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For those needing to stay a bit closer to home, Mike Yardley has some tips for spring festivities in Christchurch. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomatoes on track  Now’s a good time to start sowing your tomatoes in little pots, inside, so you can release them into the garden when it gets a bit warmer and when frost dangers have disappeared. You can also grow some suitable varieties in large pots or sizeable containers on the north-facing balcony.  Tomatoes come in many varieties and in two distinct growth strategies:  The Indeterminate var...

Lockdown can be very financially damaging, especially for business owners. But for some people, it's a change to actually improve your finances. Enable Me's Hannah McQueen has been been talking to Jack Tame, and explaining how you can make this happen. If you want more help, visit www.enable.meLISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror - It's the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and there are plenty of 9/11 documentaries about the attacks on television this week, but his documentary series on Netflix goes deep into the history behind the attacks, documenting Al Qaeda’s roots in the 1980s to America’s response, both home and abroad (Netflix)  Halifax: Retribution:Rebecca Gibney returns as forensi...

Amazon now has its own brand of TVs  They want full control of the second most important screen in your home - the big one in your living room. After partnering with TV manufacturers with Fire TV collaborations, they're now branding TVs as their own. There's the Fire TV Omni and the Fire TV Series 4. The Omni model has a higher resolution screen and voice control. Even when the Omni is off, you'll...

Today is the twentieth anniversary of 9/11. The terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda killed almost 3,000 people, and countless more have died from the environmental impacts of being near the collapsed Twin Towers. The attacks prompted the invasion of Afghanistan, we all now know how that ended. They also changed the world as we know it. Can you remember the feeling of waking up that morning and hearing t...

This week, Francesca has movie picks for everyone. If you're in lockdown, Infinite is available to stream on Neon. If you're luck enough to be heading down the alert levels, there's Respect. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caramel apple cake   This cake has it all going for it – quick to make and bake, soft and moist, incredibly delcious with a thick caramel icing – it’s like a nog soft comforting pillow!   The recipe makes a very large sheet pan cake, enough to give away so cheer up someone’s day.   Makes 25x35 rectangle cake   220g butter  1 cup water   2 cups plain flour   1 teaspoon baking soda   Pinch salt   1...

Kevin Milne's made rediscovered something during lockdown: the joy of nature documentaries. And it's made him see climate change in a new light. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was a Year Ten high school student. I remember my friends talking about the attacks as we rode out bikes to school. In social studies, our teacher pulled a TV to the front of the class and we sat and watched in silence. I must have spent eight or ten hours watching TV that day. More than anything, I remember the dust. That’s my recollection of 9/11, one of those moments where you remember where...

We’ve been waiting for a few weeks now. There’s been fire, an ex-wife in a wedding dress, and a lot of unfinished music...but Kanye West has finally released Donda.  Estelle Clifford’s been taking a listen. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before we went back into lockdown life, travel writer Mike Yardley was touring The Great Alpine Highway. He's been giving Jack Tame some hints for when we can get on the road again. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Firewood Collections  For those of us lucky enough to have an ultra-low emission burner as a cosy heating source, the yearly job of gathering and stacking firewood is an excellent hobby that keeps us fit and creates interesting opportunities for discovery of organisms.  I love looking at tunnels in wood bark beetle scribbles under pine bark and macrocarpa which are elegant sites for caterpillars t...

Kids garden  The children are our future and one of the best ways to instil them with healthy eco values is through gardening. It will also change their attitude to food, and may even make some of the old ‘I won’t touch’ foods into favourites.   This can be a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone and provides unlimited learning opportunities for kids and adults.   Here are some tips:   Keep it...

Our Master of Wine Bob Campbell is recommending The Ned 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough $18.99.LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Branson's spaceship has been grounded  It turns out the test flight wasn't as successful as we thought it was.   The New Yorker reports that after the craft detached and was blasting off to space traveling at twice the speed of sound, the onboard pilots got yellow and red warning lights to indicate the spaceship wasn't vertical enough to make it back to earth safely. The plane uses the mom...

Back in February, when lockdowns were just a distant memory, a group of Kiwi celebs headed to Kerikeri to compete in Celebrity Treasure Island.  Little did they know that when it would be released, we’d be stuck at home, and ready for some light viewing.  One of the contestants on the beach is reality star, Art Green, who joined Jack Tame for a chat. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Impeachment: American Crime Story: The third season in Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story series examines the national crisis that led to the first impeachment of a U.S. President in over a century through the eyes of the women at the center of the events: Monica Lewinsky, Linda Tripp and Paula Jones (SoHo, from 8 September).  The Flight Attendant: A reckless flight attendant with an alcohol probl...