The Dog House NZ
A free login is all it takes to watch The Dog House on TVNZ+. The Dog House is a show full of cuteness, warmth and fun. Each week, households of all sizes and dynamics come to The Dog House to be paired with an abandoned dog, (typically pregnant, or a puppy), and take one to their forever homes where the dogs are given a new chance at being a human’s best friend. Filmed just north of Auckland, at Poehuehue’s Country Retreat Animal Sanctuary, The Dog House NZ is the Kiwi version of The Dog House UK which, along with The Dog House AU, has graced our screens before, and are all also available to stream on TVNZ+. At the sanctuary, the process is simple: the family tells the experts what they’re looking for in a new dog – and then they are introduced with a potential fit for the household. These introductions are incredibly cute. Watching with your loved ones as the dogs go from shy, to friendly, to enamoured with their owners-to-be is something we all deserve. In recent years, a lot of us find it has become very easy to just be cynical about things, but a show like this is unequivocally heartwarming and touching, and really what we all need. Dating shows may be your thing, talk shows might be your thing, or dramas, or comedies or documentaries might be your thing – but this show is sure to unite any and all viewers – even for a cat person, like me. I mean who doesn't like dogs?!
The Dog House NZ, and its UK and Aussie counterparts are available to watch on TVNZ+ for free.
Ms Marvel
Ms Marvel follows a Pakistani-American teenager, Kamala Khan, who is an enormous fan of The Avengers (especially Captain Marvel), even having her own YouTube channel devoted to them. But unlike Marvel fans in the real world, Kamala lives not far from the actual superhero headquarters in New York. When she gains powers of her own, after discovering a bangle formerly belonging to her grandmother, she continues her struggle to fit in at high school. Being a fan of the Avengers makes having powers A BIG DEAL to Kamala – But it turns out it runs in her family. She attempts to control her powers, learn their origins, and keep them a secret from her classmates and crucially: a secret from her very hands-on parents too.
Throughout the series, she meets people from another realm, discovers secrets about her lineage, and travels through time, all while trying to hold in the fact she thinks superpowers are pretty dang awesome... And scary. Mostly awesome though. Ms Marvel provides a different lens on the Marvel universe, and superheroes in general, thanks in part to having a teenage lead, who gets the focus without being just a sidekick. But also, thanks to Kamala being Pakistani-American, an element to her character that isn’t often represented in superhero movies and TV. And her culture isn’t just mentioned for the sake of it either – we see her brother’s Muslim wedding, and Kamala visits Pakistan to see her grandmother, among many other interesting details about her culture – thanks to having a Pakistani-British writer and many other Pakistani, Indian and immigrant writers and directors.
The lead actress, Iman Vellani really carries the series, as a hardcore Marvel fan herself. It is because of this, that she brings a proper authenticity to the role that is obvious from the first moment she appears on screen.
Ms Marvel is an incredibly fresh and vibrant show, which grips you from the start. For someone likeme, who knows very little about Islam and Pakistani immigrant life in New Jersey, Ms Marvel teaches you plenty, while at every turn keeping you entertained and gripped with its action, humor, stunning visuals, amazing cast, and beautifully relatable story. And although Kamala is SERIOUS Marvel fan, you don’t have to be to love this show and everything it has to offer (although I’d still recommend everything Marvel). Ms Marvel will also appear in the movie The Marvels later this year.
Ms Marvel is available to watch with a Disney Plus subscription.
Red, White and Brass
A brand-new movie has hit cinema screens: Red, White and Brass. The feel-good comedy follows Maka, a Tongan superfan who will stop at nothing to watch the Tonga vs France Rugby World Cup game. Except when he goes to buy tickets, they’re sold out. But he concocts a plan to lead a pre-match marching band and stay to watch the game. A marching band that, however, does not exist – and none of his friends and family even play instruments! But four weeks is plenty of time to put a marching band together, right? Who came up with this idea for a movie anyway, you might ask? - it's based on a true story.
This crack up Tongan/Kiwi comedy is great for the family and is sure to have you giggling in your seat the whole time.
