Herald blogger Paul Casserly takes a look at the best and worst of television in our new monthly series TV Junkie.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says New Zealand is regarded as family and he hopes it will become actively involved in the fight against the Islamic State. At a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Murray McCully at Parliament this afternoon, Mr Hammond said: "Frankly we've got used to New Zealand being there alongside us, alongside the US, the UK, Australia, as part of the family.

Netflix reveals a first look at Tina Fey's new comedy series, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

The Rolling Stones have posted a video thanking fans for their recent New Zealand tour.

We check out the highlights and lowlights of the 2015 Golden Globe Awards.

Golden Globe nominee Eddie Redmayne recalls his worst audition - and it turns out, it's not the first time he's told the tale.

Fans have been given another glimpse of what to expect in the upcoming Peanuts movie, as Snoopy returns with a new trailer.

Andrew Huang performs the biggest hits of 2014 using nothing but his voice and an eclectic range of household items.

Journey into the centre of the planet with the nzherald.co.nz breaking news team of Geoff Mackley and Bradley Ambrose, they have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars venturing since 1997 into the Marum volcano on the island of Ambrym in Vanuatu. Risking their lives daily from acid rain and lava splatters all for the perfect shot inside a crater that can easily hold Auckland's Sky Tower. The reward being 'to come out of it alive'.

Hear from the men and women from the New Zealand Defence forces serving around the world as they 'shout out' to their families and friends back home.

Police say a 6-year-old girl hit by a car on Titirangi Rd this morning was on her way to the dairy and on a pedestrian crossing at the time. "The child was at a pedestrian crossing which is controlled by traffic lights and at this stage the indications are that she had used the button to operate the lights and was crossing on a green-man pedestrian signal," police said. The young female driver of the car that struck the girl stopped at the scene and is now assisting police with their investigation.

Pene and Amitai Pati and Moses Mackay, who make up Sol3 Mio, perform Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas on the Mike Hosking Breakfast.

nzherald.co.nz covered the news during 2014, Royals, rock stars and the normal kiwis who are the backbone of New Zealand. This is notthe most viewed videos, it is our selection of the sights and sounds and the voices of Kiwis in 2014.

Watch this US Embassy video of Ambassador-Designate Mark Gilbert and his wife Nancy. They are arriving in New Zealand shortly and wanted to introduce themselves. Learn about his connections with Aotearoa, and why he thinks the partnership between the United States and New Zealand is so important.

What began as a simple trip to the supermarket for Lucy Knight quickly escalated to front-page news. See Lucy's message to the supporters that have donated to help her and her family throughout her recovery. Read more: www.givealittle.co.nz/content/inspiratio­n/givealittle-thanks/givealittle-thanks-­lucy-knight

This year people searched for everything under the sun and beyond, from distant comets to tiny burritos. And they asked Google important questions like, “where do we come from?” and “should I get married?” Here's the Google annual #YearinSearch , a look back at the searches, questions and moments that defined 2014. Watch the film, explore the site and relive the year along the way. www.google.com/2014?

Fire gutted a home and wrecked two cars in the Auckland street John Key once described as a dead-end place. Charles Chan, who lives nearby, said he heard explosions and saw clouds of smoke pouring out of the burning building. "It was a very big fire. There were two cars, one under the porch and one a few feet away. Both were engulfed in flames," he said. "The fire was very intense. Black smoke covered the whole neighbourhood."

Footage has emerged of the hostages in the Sydney siege who were forced to film an Isis-style propaganda video in a plea for the gunman's demands to be meet.

The Hits Polly Gillespie speaks to Sir Peter Jackson about his final Hobbit journey.

A 4x4 crashed down a bank into a creek just north of Auckland just before 11am today on Dairy Flat Highway.A 70yr old woman was freed by firefighters and was airlifted to Auckland hospital.

For tourists who've tried everything else, there's nothing more invigorating than a float down Finland's icy Pajakkajoki river wearing a dry suit.

For further information see wildtaiga.fi.

Kiwi musician SJD debuts his new music video I Wanna Be Foolish exclusively on nzherald.co.nz

nzherald.co.nz caught up with Lisa Origliasso and Jessica Origliasso of The Veronicas to talk about their new album.

Peter Jackson has received his star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame - and he's scored some prime real estate. Stars from Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies watched on as Jackson received his star on Hollywood Boulevard, just days before the final film in his Hobbit trilogy premieres in New Zealand.

During his recent visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping sought New Zealand's help to return a number of fugitives who had fled China with the proceeds of corruption, Prime Minister John Key says.

John Key acknowledges that the Auckland houses market is attractive to NZ'ers since the election, but doesn't feel that Chinese money is dominating and driving house prices.

Rob Cope reckons men don't talk enough about the real issues, so he and his fridge Steve are hitchhiking around the country in an attempt to get men having conversations. "I'm out here having all this fun with Steve, but if I was having a real conversation with Steve, he'd probably be about as helpful as a normal guy would." Mr Cope, a builder from Wellington, is fundraising for Project Wildman, which focuses on getting men to talk about the issues they face "rather than bottling it up and wondering why we drink, get depressed and have a record suicide rate".

Fifteen awards were handed out at the AMP Scholarships National Awards evening held at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, where recipients mixed with New Zealand’s business leaders. AMP was delighted to award $200,000 in scholarships to passionate and determined New Zealanders striving to ‘do their thing’.

Joseph Parker secured the most impressive victory of his professional career last night when knocking out Irineu Beato Costa Junior with a stunning right hand in the fourth-round which the Brazilian never saw coming.Millie Elder-Holmes enjoyed a resounding victory in her Fight for Life bout against Frankie Adams last night. Elder-Holmes, boxing on the under-card of the Joseph Parker v Irineu Beato Costa Junior main event, won the three-round fight by unanimous decision. The judges awarded her every round.

Joseph Parker secured the most impressive victory of his professional career last night when knocking out Irineu Beato Costa Junior with a stunning right hand in the fourth-round which the Brazilian never saw coming.Millie Elder-Holmes enjoyed a resounding victory in her Fight for Life bout against Frankie Adams last night. Elder-Holmes, boxing on the under-card of the Joseph Parker v Irineu Beato Costa Junior main event, won the three-round fight by unanimous decision. The judges awarded her every round.