Entertainment picks: Calling the fearfully departed

Intrepid trio Michael Hallows, Brad Hills and Carolyn Taylor.

Keep the Michael King bible handy for tonight's three-hour knowledge-athon, Test the Nation (tonight, TV One, 7.30pm), when Simon Dallow and Lana Coc-Kroft quiz us on all things Kiwi. Aside from revealing the biggest geography geek in your household - know where Inchbonnie is, do you? - we'll find out if it's nurses, fitness gurus, farmers, librarians, bankers or celebrities who are most clued up about our nation.

Believe in ghosts? The Aussie cricketers apparently do after staying at the Lumley Castle Hotel in England, where it was reported they were spooked by sightings of a woman murdered in the 14th century. Fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz told the BBC, "I encourage any ghost out there to come and see me. Please come and say g'day, and we will sit down and have a beer or coffee and talk things through."

Sounds like he'd make a great host of new local series Ghost Hunt, (Tuesday, TV2, 10pm) where newcomers Michael Hallows, Brad Hills and former What Now? presenter Carolyn Taylor risk losing bladder control in the pursuit of the paranormal, starting at Dunedin's Larnach castle.

Despite the following title falsely alluding to problems in the bedroom, Heroes for Six Minutes (Thursday, TV3, 8.30pm) looks at the increasing popularity of "white-collar boxing".

Ever noticed the quiet IT guy has been coming to work with a few bruises lately? Yeah, well don't mess with him because he might just be part of this Fight Club movement, and anyone who has been keeping up with Sylvester Stallone's The Contender (Wednesday, TV2, 9.30pm) will know boxers don't like to be messed with.

Last but not least, it's the TV phenomenon you've been waiting for ever since, well, the last one. Before you roll your eyes at the thought of another round of NZ Idol (Sunday, TV2, 7.30pm), just remember how much fun it was watching the first round of squeaky voices, weird dance moves and Elvis freaks in the auditions. Poise your remote for an overdose of Celine.

Film

What's scarier in War of the Worlds - the aliens or Tom Cruise? Either way, we can forgive Mr Katie Holmes' public displays of face-sucking for helping to bring HG Well's seminal classic back to the big screen, even though it's a tad out of sorts with Cruise's scientology convictions.

Wells' tale, about Martians attacking Earth was as much a dig at British imperialism as a terrifying sci-fi thriller. It caused widespread panic as a radio play when listeners interpreted the news of the invasions to be true. Steven Speilberg's take on the famous story is the third big-screen adaptation and his third alien flick - but we're guessing ET stayed at home for this one.

Also opening this week, is A Good Woman, (Rialto from Thursday), a rewritten version of Oscar Wilde's romantic comedy, Lady Windermere's Fan, transposed to Italy's Amalfi coast in the 30s. Scarlett Johansson plays a naive young newlywed who joins the social set for the summer with her handsome husband Robert (Mark Umbers), only to find her marriage under threat when American gold-digger Mrs Erlynne (Helen Hunt) turns up.

Social circuit

We are promised a night of glitz, glam and TV stars at SkyCity on Tuesday night but we won't know who they are until we get there. Still, it's a virtue that the New Zealand Screen Awards are going ahead this year, after the demise of the Aftas in 2003. The awards for the best in local television will be dished out on July 27.

The same night TV3 is toasting its new local drama, Outrageous Fortune, which has a good chance of being up for an award next year. Created by James Griffin (Spin Doctors, Serial Killers) and Rachel Lang (Mercy Peak), and starring Robyn Malcolm in what could be her juiciest role yet, it is about a Kiwi crime family trying to break free from their past. With character names like Wolf, Cheryl, Van, Jethro and Munter we think the dress code is probably black tie-dye.

Music

Speaking of bogans, midwestern alt-metallers Mudvayne return on Tuesday, and despite coming up with the line, "I have a dream but nobody cares" (from new album, Lost and Found), they're playing the St James rather than the Studio because of popular demand. The band have dropped the makeup and nicknames, but not the hard and heavy schtick their fans love.

The following night promises to be an equally unhinged gathering of a completely different nature when Whirlwind Heat return to play the Kings Arms to promote their upcoming new album, Types of Wood. The Michigan keyboard-bass-drums trio have been celebrated as the next Devo and panned as the sonic equivalent of a seizure. They sound crazed - anyone who sings about the merits of stickers has to have a few loose cogs - but we prefer to call them intriguing.

Finally, it will no doubt be an emotional but ferocious farewell when Sommerset perform their last gig at the Kings Arms on Saturday. The local hardcore-punk band are packing in the sweat towel after 10 years, with singer Ryan Thomas and bassist Stefan Thompson reuniting with original drummer Jay Dougrey and guitarist Milon Williams for the occasion. As one of this country's most-travelled bands, fans worldwide are already mourning the break-up, no doubt as much for the music as for their notorious on-road antics.