Morning Show racked up eight Emmy nominations, and if you haven't watched it yet, lockdown is the time to catch up. Photo / Supplied
Morning Show racked up eight Emmy nominations, and if you haven't watched it yet, lockdown is the time to catch up. Photo / Supplied
Aucklanders may be stuck indoors this weekend if alert level 3 lockdown is extended, and they and other New Zealanders may find themselves without a whole lot to do besides binge-watch their favourite shows. If you're in need of something new to watch or listen to, look no further than this article.
From podcasts to movies, to TV shows, the Herald entertainment team has you covered with plenty of recommendations to see you through the lockdown period.
Television
Schitt's Creek (Netflix)
Here's a comedy show you may have missed. The premise is hilarious: a rich family is stripped of all of their possessions except for a middle-of-nowhere town the father bought as a joke. There's plenty of laughs, plus gross and bizarre moments, but expect to the viewing experience to be wholesome and entertaining.
This hospital docu-series might not be top of the mind for comfort viewing, but it's humanity and raw emotion make it a great option.
Lenox Hill follows a New York Hospital, its extraordinary physicians and some of their long-term patients. It's like Greys Anatomy but real life. You may want to skip the bonus Covid-19 episode, but it's also a worthwhile watch to understand the scale of the pandemic when NYC was the epicentre.
This is for the dads who are addicted to The Chase and love a good quiz show. Quiz, in fact, is a dramatisation about the biggest quiz-show scandal of all time, when a British couple were accused of cheating their way to winning a million pounds. The miniseries is a gripping and relatively short watch.
Starring Matthew Macfadyen (Succession), and Sian Clifford (Fleabag), Quiz takes a behind-the-scenes look at trivia obsessives and the lengths they may have gone to for the glory of winning.
Morning Show (Apple TV+)
Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell star in the Emmy-nominated drama about a morning news show thrown into turmoil when one of its star anchors Mitch Kessler (Carell) is fired for sexual misconduct. Witherspoon's character Bradley Jackson is thrown into the hot seat as his replacement. The show grapples with the fallout from Mitch's actions and the complexities of the #MeToo movement. Aniston and Carell's performances are some of their careers' best.
For kids
Kiri and Lou (TVNZ OnDemand)
Parents, our thoughts are with you as you once again navigate keeping your kids entertained throughout this time. For the little ones out there, the award-winning Kiwi kids show Kiri and Lou is children's TV at its best. The claymation show has music by Don McGlashan and contains plenty of important lessons for children and adults alike.
Movies
Hamilton (Disney +)
Until last month, a ticket to watch Hamilton the musical would have set a person back thousands of dollars. Now it costs the price of a Disney + subscription. Make an event of it by dressing up fancy Hilary Barry style, and it will be like a night at the theatre with a perfect view of all of the best moments.
Hustlers (Neon)
Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, and Riverdale's Lili Reinhart star in the film based on a viral New York Magazine article about strippers-turned-con-artists. There are cameos from Cardi B and Lizzo, cementing it as the ultimate chick flick choice.
If you haven't seen this Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper swoon-fest of a movie, you now have no excuse not to. The award-winning movie is available on Netflix and is the perfect dose of escapism. Bonus points if you break out into your best rendition of the movie's hit song Shallow, which won an Oscar.
Kids pick
Zootopia (TVNZ 2, Saturday 7pm)
For a free-to-air family viewing option, TVNZ 2 is showing a great Disney animated film. Zootopia follows rabbit Judy Hopps, a rookie police officer and her adventures when she tries to sniff out a sinister plot.
Podcasts
Rabbit Hole
As we all brace for more time indoors, and often on the internet, you might be wondering what that's doing to your brain.
Enter Rabbit Hole from the New York Times, a fascinating insight into how algorithms from our big social networks are changing us. Featuring interviews with everyone from the top execs from the biggest tech companies, to people who have been radicalised online, it's a deep dive for our times.
A Moment In Crime
There are many true crime podcasts out there, but not many that can take you truly behind the scenes of how our biggest cases unfold. Host Anna Leask has spent more than a decade as a crime reporter, with a ringside seat to some of New Zealand's biggest cases, and access to the people who made the decisions.
Each month she takes you through some of our most notorious cases, and the details that were never made public until now.
Cooking the Books
If a second lockdown has you worried about your finances, you're not alone. Luckily you've got Cooking the Books to help you figure out all things money.
Each week host Frances Cook talks to a new expert, about anything from a budget that still lets you live your life, how to fix your KiwiSaver, getting started investing, or how to ease the pressure from your mortgage.
All podcasts are available to stream on iHeartRadio.
