Afternoons

Tim Batt joins Jesse with an update on Sony's PlayStation 5 nightmare and how the same problem is now happening with other software.

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Writer and Afternoons book critic Kate Langdon joins Jesse to discuss: Ordinary People Like Us by Kelly Ana Morey John of John by Douglas Stuart Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy.

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It's time for Mayoral minutes where we speak with a local mayor about the challenges they're facing, how they're working to solve them, and what makes their community special. Today we're heading to the Matamata-Piako District, in Waikato. Home to Hobbiton, Matamata is one of the country's leading thoroughbred towns and it's from there that Jesse is joined by Mayor Ash Tanner.

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Each year on average New Zealand dog owners spend between $1500 to $6000 a year on their pooch, while cats cost between $650 and $1500 annually. Generally the money is spent on food, vet care and boarding fees, but a growing amount is going towards treats, clothing, bedding and pet specific events. This weekend the 'NZ Weiner Derby' caused traffic jams in Auckland, while earlier in the month the 'Golden Retriever' gathering brought hundreds of people and pets to Taupo. Alice McKinley has been running dog events for years. First the Big Dog Walk and now 'Wine Dogs' in the Hawkes Bay. She chats to Jesse.

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The first ever Aotearoa Festival of Design is happening this week in Whanganui. And in case you're asking yourself why Whanganui... it is a UNESCO City of Design, the only place in New Zealand to have the honour. The festival celebrates the role that good design plays in shaping our lives, with events for professional designers, students, and the public. The keynote speech was given by Tom Eslinger - the former global director of Saatchi & Saachi, and co-founder of the Whanganui School of Design. He chats to Jesse.

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If you've been walking around Wellington city this week you might have noticed orange posters advertising "IndieProper". It's a new initiative happening right now to help support independent retailers. The eventual goal is to become the retail equivalent of the capital city's popular Welly On A Plate festival. Jesse spoke to its co-founder - and owner of Wellington store/barbershop 'That Was Then, This Is Now' - Nat Woodhall.

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Visitors have been asked to stay away from South Waikato's popular Te Waihou/Blue Spring over the long weekend to ease pressure on the tourist hotspot. More than 100,000 tourists have visited the attraction since last year. The council have put aside 20 thousand dollars to manage traffic through the area, but councillors say they can't afford to continue to shell out that kind of money and a long term solution is needed. Tirau councillor Kerry Purdy joins Jesse to discuss.

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Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

To call Kim Novak a Hollywood legend seems inadequate. She was one of the biggest stars of the 1950's, working with so many of the greats; Jimmy Stewart, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder. Then, at the height of her fame, she walked away from the spotlight.

Actor and Afternoons critic Claire Chitham reviews East of Eden (Netflix).