Laughs and learns

Take a good look in the mirror, New Zealand... then have a crack-up.

Laughs and learns series and films

A half light purple and half yellow background with host, Josh Thomson, in the centre. Behind him are black and white images of six historical figures from various time periods. They have been superimposed so that they appear in a staggered star burst sort of pattern. Yellow text reads, "My Favourite Dead Person".

My Favourite Dead Person

A sketch show for kids that honours NZ history by telling some of our stories.
2 seasons/16 episodes
9m
An adult person is holding a young child in their arms and hugging them. Text reads, "Blind Bitter Happiness".

Blind Bitter Happiness

The Faheys are a flawed but lovable suburban family facing life’s challenges.
4 episodes
14m
A woman siting on a two person sized couch, she is lying on it with her feet up on the opposite arm rest. She's looking at the camera. Text reads, "I Got You".

I Got You

Mac dishes out dating advice despite having no relationship experience.
2 seasons/20 episodes
4mvertical
A man is wearing a suit and tie and smiling at the camera with his head slightly tilted to the left. He has a thick moustache, behind him the room is dark but seems to be an office. Text reads, "The Citizen's Handbook" in light pink.

The Citizen's Handbook

A comedy video-and-podcast civics series that tackles NZ history and issues.
3 seasons/19 episodes
11m
A woman sitting on a chair next to a desk and coffee table. She's smiling at the camera. Text reads, "Aotearoa's Most Bizarre Conspiracies".

ConspiraSeries

Tongue-in-cheek investigations into some of NZ's most outrageous conspiracies.
6 episodes
9m
Alice Snedden looking into the camera and holding a megaphone up to her mouth in her left hand. In her right hand she holds up a stack of paper, on the first page is a simple drawing of the beehive with a text bubble that says, "No voting for you!!!". Text reads, "Alice Snedden's Bad News". Both the text and Alice Snedden are on a bright blue background.

Alice Snedden's Bad News

Docu-comedy about political & social issues confronting 2020 Aotearoa.
8 episodes
13m
The indoor netball team of six are all grouped together, two people are kneeling on the floor and the other have their arms around each other. The background is green and there is yellow text that reads, "Here If You Need".

Here If You Need

After her brother's death, Kate forms a netball team of his acquaintances.
6 episodes
9m
Three ovals with images from the short films inside. One oval has two young children, another has a woman holding melting ice creams, the third is a man looking out of a window. Text reads, "Day One Shorts".

Day One Shorts

A series of eight short films made by young, emerging filmmakers.
8 episodes
10m
a truck with road cones and fences on the back is parked. There's someone in the drivers seat who is leaning out of the window and looking at the five other people who are leaning, sitting and standing on the bed of the truck. Orange text reads, "Hi-Vis".

Hi-Vis

Legacy and road chaos are navigated during the largest Waitangi Day ever.
8 episodes
6m

More to watch

If you are interested in Laughs and learns you might also want to check out some of our other series and films.
A multi-media illustration of four different figures in different art styles. Text reads, "Our Aotearoa".
A school of fish swim together in the ocean. The text reads "Turning the Tide"
A large group of people protesting, they're all holding signs. Text reads, "Hīkoi, Speaking Our Truth".
The side profile of a man holding a guitar with a microphone on a stand in front of him. Text reads, "Legacy: Katchafire" and has a boarder around the perimeter of the frame.
Dark purple background with text, "Art Stories in Aotearoa".
A background image made up of red orange and blue shapes. Text reads, "Shine One Katherine Mansfield" in the 'O' is a black and white photograph of Katherine Mansfield's face.
A podcast cover for "The Aotearoa History Show" features the title written in colorful, chalk-like letters on a blackboard background. The words "THE" and "AOTEAROA" are in light blue, "HISTORY" is in pink, and "SHOW" is in green with green chalk lines radiating outwards.
Person on purple background resting their head in their hand. Only their head and chest is visible. Purple text along bottom of image reads, "AMPLIFIED".
In a black-and-white photograph, a Māori woman speaks into a microphone in front of a crowd. Her fist is raised defiantly in the air. At the top of the image, in small yellow lettering, reads: "THE LAST NEW ZEALAND WAR HAPPENED IN 1979. IT LASTED THREE MINUTES." Below the woman, at the bottom of the image, the text reads in yellow lettering: "THE HAKA PARTY INCIDENT." Below that text is smaller, white text that reads: "A FILM BY KATIE WOLFE."
Alice Snedden looking into the camera and holding a megaphone up to her mouth in her left hand. In her right hand she holds up a stack of paper, on the first page is a simple drawing of the beehive with a text bubble that says, "No voting for you!!!". Text reads, "Alice Snedden's Bad News". Both the text and Alice Snedden are on a bright blue background.
A man standing in front of a mural of the Tino Rangatiratanga flag (Māori flag). Text reads, "Hori on a Hīkoi".
Black and white faces of Helen Clark, Dame Jenny Shipley, Jim Bolger Geoffrey Palmer and Mike Moore, with the words 'The 9th Floor' underneath them. The background of the image is black.
A transparent figure of the back of a man, overlayed with another transparent image of the same figure but just his shoulders and back of his head. Text reads, "Duality". it's written in transparent white block letters and yellow cursive overlapped.
Side profile of a persons face, silhouetted against a setting sun out of frame. Text reads, "Imposter".
A white pick-up truck drives up a winding country road, surrounded by dry New Zealand farmland. The text reads "The Turning Point"
A birds'-eye view of some military items sitting scattered on a desk, including a map, a hat, playing cards, and a couple of coins. The text in the middle reads "Back to Timor."
A coastal scene of a land mass with cliffs leading down to a beach and the ocean. Text reads, "My Cyclone Gabrielle, Four Filmmakers Four Views".
Guyon Espiner on a black background, looking at camera with logo behind him
6 people are seated around a long table, four of them are wearing hi-vis tops. On the table there are little traffic cones and signs. There are two flags hanging on the wall behind them, the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand and the Maori flag. Orange text reads, "Hi-Vis".
A hillside is draped with a large Māori flag, on the ridge line stands a single figure and another Māori flag. Text in a painted font reads "Ake Ake Ake"
Text reads, "House Talk" on a white brick wall background.
A graphic of four birds hanging over an adult man's head. In the middle, the text reads: "Bird's Eye View."
A Little Blue Penguin sits in a rocky landscape. Text reads "Kororā, little blue penguin".
Young man with soot on his face looking into the camera, in his left hand he's holding a Patu (weapon). Text reads, "NZ Wars: Stories of Tauranga Moana".