Nights for Monday 17 November 2025

8:10 With a new leader and party rebrand, TOP aims for parliament in 2025 

The Opportunities Party received 2 percent of the party vote in 2023's general election.

Founded in 2016 by entrepreneur Gareth Morgan on the platform of radical centrism, the party has been leaderless for nearly three years. But despite this radio silence, TOP has been consistently polling around 2 percent.

But now, the party has a new leader and a new name.

Business leader Qiulae Wong will helm Opportunity in its 2026 election bid.

She speaks to Emile Donovan.

8:30 Small Histories with Emma Kay 

Every Monday, we take a moment to look back with our resident historian, Emma Kay.

Emma runs Small Histories of New Zealand, where she digs up curious stories, funny articles, and lost treasures from our past and shares them on social media.

Tonight she's talking about the origins of the New Zealand accent.

8:40 Sports with Jamie Wall

RNZ sports journalist and Nights' sporting guru Jamie Wall joins Emile to talk about all the action from a big weekend of sport, including where to now for the All Blacks following their loss to England and the Irish last-minute miracle to keep their Football World Cup dreams alive.

8:50 BBC World Service

We cross to our friends at the BBC World Service to take a look at some of the events making international headlines.

Our correspondent tonight is Rob Hugh-Jones, who is talking about the debate in Germany over its military buildup, the former prime minister of Bangladesh going on trial, and the complicated marking of 50 years since the death of the former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. 

9:05 Nights Quiz

Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Emile Donovan as he dons his quizmaster hat.

If you get an answer right, you move on to the next question. If you get it wrong, your time in the chair is up, and the next caller will be put through. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the run goes in the draw for a weekly prize.

9:25 Cutting through 'spin', David Cohen on his unauthorised biography of Jacinda Ardern

It’s been a year of reflecting on the Jacinda Ardern era in New Zealand politics.

Over the past six months, the former prime minister released a memoir, A Different Kind of Power, which was then followed by a documentary, Prime Minister, about her time in office.

Now, writer and journalist David Cohen offers a very different perspective.

His unauthorised biography, Jacinda: The Untold Stories, is available now, and he speaks to Emile Donovan about what motivated him to write it.

9:45 Pacific Waves

A daily current affairs programme that delves deeper into the major stories of the week, through a Pacific lens, and shines a light on issues affecting Pacific people wherever they are in the world. Hosted by Susana Suisuiki.

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10:17 The Detail

Tonight on The Detail - Type 1 diabetes used to be called 'juvenile diabetes', and type 2 affected adults. But that's no longer the case, and the number of kids with type 2 in New Zealand is rising.

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10:45 The Reading: Farm for Life 

We begin an 8-part adaptation of the inspiring true story of how Tangaroa Walker turned his life around through farming - and how what he learned can help anyone succeed.

11:07 Nashville Babylon

Every week on Nashville Babylon Mark Rogers presents the very best in country, soul and rock 'n' roll.

On this week's show there's blues from Magic Sam, soul from Wilson Pickett, classics courtesy of Linda Ronstadt and Guy Clark, Americana from Calexico plus old-school country from the Louvin Brothers.