WEEK 12: Saturday 20 March - Friday 26 March 2010

Local - The Good Word, Saturday 20 March, 9.10pm: New Zealand's exciting television book show, The Good Word, treats viewers with its lively mix of reviews, views and stories from the world of books.

The series stars novelist Emily Perkins (in the studio) and columnist Finlay Macdonald (in the field), along with an almost all-new all-star panel.

Joining comic Te Radar, on The Good Word panel are newcomers, actor Jennifer Ward-Lealand, columnist Steve Braunias, One News presenter Miriama Kamo, journalist Gordon McLauchlan and - in what may be a worldwide book show first - the country's Chief Censor, Bill Hastings.

The Good Word is an innovative mix of both studio and documentary elements. In the studio, the award-winning Perkins leads the panel in reviewing a book of the week, then brings in a special guest to talk about his or her favourite book.

Filmed in the field each week is a visit with a real-life book club, and Macdonald's documentary series Under the Covers which, in each show, uncovers the story behind a famous New Zealand book.

Presenter Emily Perkins and panellists Bill Hastings, Miriama Kamo and Steve Braunias review book of the week, Juliet Naked, by Nick Hornby. Art critic Hamish Keith talks about his favourite book, and Finlay Macdonald investigates the story behind another New Zealand classic, Stranded in Paradise.

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

WORLD'S BEST: Doco of the Week: Blood Antiques, Wednesday 24 March, 7.10pm: The European art trade, synonymous with wealth and glamour, has always involved a degree of stolen and smuggled art. Now, Afghanistan's rich cultural heritage is financing terrorism and the Taliban, as detailed in this week's TVNZ 7 Doco of the Week.

From Afghans scrabbling in the sand for treasures, to the dazzling show rooms of unscrupulous dealers and private collectors Blood Antiques uncovers one of the most outrageous illegal trades since blood diamonds.

Two Afghans inexpertly claw at the sand of this ancient land. They're looting a tomb under an ancient shrine but the tunnels they walk through have already been ransacked by the Taliban.

"The Taliban kept everyone away and worked for 40 days and nights," say the men. "Now it's all gone. They have sent it to Paris, Germany and America."

The locals say even if they get there first the Taliban will often raid local houses for finds.

"It's simply yet another way of financing their war," says Alex Poels of the Federal Police in Brussels.

It has been notoriously difficult to prove that a priceless piece of ancient Afghan art has been looted. With much of the countryside out of control, Afghan customs officials easily bribe and European buyers unlikely ask searching questions, making it easy to bring in illegal artworks.

As a result Brussels, the beating heart of the Belgian antique world, is packed with Taliban supplied Afghan artifacts, and now the National Museum of Kabul stands almost empty. Its curators beg Belgian collectors to stop buying Afghan artefacts, which are financing the Taliban and destroying the country's heritage.

WORLD'S BEST: e Design, Thursday 25 March, 7.35pm: Narrated by Golden Globe and Academy Award winner Brad Pitt, e Design explores the complex social, political, cultural, environmental and economic issues of sustainable architecture.

The building of shelter consumes one-sixth of the world's fresh water supply, one-fourth of its wood harvest, two-fifths of its fossil fuels and manufactured materials, and one-half of its waste stream. A new attitude to construction is not only possible but also completely necessary for continued urban and rural survival.

TVNZ 7 brings this groundbreaking and critically acclaimed series about the innovators and pioneers who envision a better quality of life on earth - socially, culturally, economically and ecologically. e Design is characterised by a poetic combination of compelling storytelling, provocative cinematography and an emotive original music score.

Tonight's episode follows architect and activist, Sergio Palleroni, and his mission to provide architectural and design solutions to regions in social and humanitarian crisis. Palleroni already has four global initiatives underway aimed at providing architecture students with hands-on field experience of building housing for the poor.