The Panel

The Pre-Panel for 17 March 2026

Wallace Chapman and producer Tessa Guest preview tonight's instalment of The Panel.

Photo: RNZ / Jeff McEwan

The Panel with Tim Batt and Jenni Giblin, Part 1
 
Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Tim Batt and Jenni Giblin.
 
First up, the Public Service Association is calling for a loosening of the government's in-office mandates as fuel prices continue to tick upwards.

Then, a Manawatu pub hosted a book-burning ceremony of Jacinda Ardern's autobiography - the panel asks Pead PR Partner Jack Wheeler about the optics of such an event.

Photo: SAM EDWARDS/CAIA IMAGE/SCIENCE P

The Panel with Tim Batt and Jenni Giblin, Part 2

 
In part two, nothing gets people more angry than rubbish. In Rotorua, a change from weekly to fortnightly collection has prompted a petition with 4,000 signatures and counting. Councillor Robert Lee is against the change.

Then, the likes of rugby and Formula One dominate our big screens, but what about the art of marching? The National Marching Championships brought the finest talent together over the weekend, and Wellington coach Ema Wihapi-Solia gives the panel a summary.

The Panel Plus
 
An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan.
 
Then: fashion critic Emma Gleason gives her wrap of the big looks of the Oscars. And she takes a look at shifts in second hand clothes shopping in New Zealand.

Photo: Fiona Kelsen