WEEK 50: Saturday 12 December - Friday 18 December 2009

NZ VIEWS: Talk Talk - Saturday 12 December, 9.10pm: Famous and not-so-famous New Zealanders talking, not about what it is that makes them famous, but what it is that makes them tick - that's the trick with Talk Talk, a glamorous-looking interview series presented by Finlay Macdonald.

With one key guest on each half-hour show, Talk Talk will go in deep, interviewing the person in the answer chair for almost 20 minutes before ending the show with a performance from a New Zealand group or musician chosen by Talk Talk's feature guest. In this episode of Talk Talk, presenter Finlay Macdonald talks to founding Director of the Liggins Institute and one of New Zealand's best known scientists, Professor Sir Peter Gluckman. The show will wrap up with a performance by Gianmarco Liguori.

If you have missed an episode, check your guide for extra opportunities to view. Full episodes of Talk Talk will also be available free online after the show has aired on TVNZ 7. Go to tvnz.co.nz/talktalk and click on the 'on demand' button.

NZ VIEWS: The Gravy - Saturday 12 December, 9.35pm: Musician Warren Maxwell, Playwright Gabe McDonnell and Graphic artist Ross Liew return to present series 4 of Aotearoa's creative culture show, The Gravy.

From words to bodies to technology, each episode is a journey of discovery into the hearts and minds of inspirational New Zealanders. The show continues its successful tradition while bringing in a contextual element born from a deep respect and engagement with the creative culture of the nation. Extraordinary stories continue to explode in your face in the weekly animated segment, The Truth. Tonight's episode of The Gravy features sound artist Phil Dadson, a pioneer of the New Zealand scene, who builds experimental instruments and large-scale sound sculptures. Also on the show is Sam Hamilton, an experimental sound artist. His collaborative project Parasitic Fantasy Band combines sound with experimental film. Greg Lock also stars on this episode with The Trons, a completely robotic band.

If you have missed an episode, check your guide for extra opportunities to view. Full episodes of The Gravy will also be available free online at www.tvnz.co.nz/thegravy.

WORLD'S BEST: Christianity: A History - Friday 18 December, 7.10pm: Christianity: A History presents an alternative view on the history of Christianity. This major eight-part series will play on Fridays on TVNZ 7.

Each thought-provoking episode investigates a key moment in Christianity's history from its birth in Palestine, through its conquest of the Roman Empire and its conversion of Britain; from the bloody legacy of the Crusades to the intolerance and division of the Reformation; from its global expansion at the barrel of a colonial gun to the devastating impact of science; and finally through to its future prospects in the world of the 21st century. Four hundred years after the birth of Jesus, when the Roman empire collapsed, a new chapter began in the history of these islands, Britain underwent a religious revolution. Warring pagan tribes became one nation, under one religion - Christianity. In this episode, Robert Beckford, tells the story of how Christianity arrived in Britain during the Dark Ages and its vital role in creating a national identity which has survived ever since.