Alan Davies is known for his natural, relatable storytelling skills across the page, the stage, and the screen.  The comedian is a staple of British television, with roles on the long-running ‘Jonathan Creek’ and popular comedy panel show ‘QI’.   It’s been more than a decade since Davies last did a stand-up tour, but he’s happy to report it’s going well.  “It had been so long that it was feeling, beginning to feel like a gamble,” he told Jack Tame.  “I spent some time unpacking stuff from my childhood, doing a, writing about it, and that process took a while and changed a lot of how I viewed myself, and what I wanted to do, and what I wanted to say.  This show, ‘Think Ahead’, was created at around the same time Davies was writing another volume of his memoir ‘White Male Stand-Up', which deals with issues from Davies’ childhood, career, and his adult life.  “And I’ve got to a place now where I think the show’s really quite sort of, it’s a bit richer and deeper, and better than stuff I’ve done before,” he explained.  “I’m really sort of proud of it.”  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been a bit of an odd year in the music space.  With the rise of AI music, musicians pulling their work off Spotify in protest of the company and CEO, rising ticket prices, and tours cutting off before they hit New Zealand, it’s been rough for some fans.   Chris Schulz joined Jack Tame to delve into some of the worst things about being a music fan in 2025.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Kahn   Q is out of MI6 . . . . . . and in over his head  After Major Boothroyd (aka Q) is unexpectedly ousted from his role with British Intelligence developing technologies for MI6's 00 agents, he finds himself back in his sleepy hometown of Wickstone-on-Water. His childhood friend, renowned quantum computer scientist Peter Napier, has died in mysterious circumstances, leaving behind a cryptic note. The police seem uninterested, but Q feels compelled to investigate and soon discovers that Napier's ground-breaking work may have attracted sinister forces... Can Q decode the truth behind Napier's death, even as danger closes in?     The Hawk is Dead by Peter James   Roy Grace never dreamed a murder investigation would take him deep into Buckingham Palace . . .  Her Majesty, Queen Camilla, is aboard the Royal Train heading to a charity event in Sussex when disaster strikes - the train is derailed.  A tragic accident or a planned attack?  When, minutes later, a trusted aide is shot dead by a sniper, the police have their answer.  Despite all the evidence, Roy Grace is not convinced The Queen was the intended target. But he finds himself alone in his suspicions.  Fighting against the scepticism of his colleagues and the Palace itself, Grace pursues his own investigation. But when there is a second murder, the stakes rise even higher, and Grace is at risk of being embroiled in a very public catastrophe - and in mortal danger.  Failure at this level is not an option. But time is running out before a killer in the Palace will strike again . . .    LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Fuelled by popular culture and history’s long shadow, Derry~Londonderry is enjoying its moment in the sun. The Walled City in Northern Ireland has stamped its mark on the tourist map, appealing to a broad band of visitors. On my recent swing through the island of Ireland, Derry~Londonderry certainly didn’t fail to impress, serving up a heady cocktail of colour, culture, and the echoes of extreme conflict." "The official name of this border town has long been the subject of a naming dispute between Irish nationalists and unionists. Generally, although not always, nationalists favour using the name Derry, and unionists favour Londonderry. On my approach to the city, I noticed most highway signs have had the Londonderry name scratched or painted over. And while I was in the “hyphenated city”, most locals I spoke to resolutely called the city simply Derry." Read Mike's full article. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most Kiwis will be taking time off over the summer, and while most of us are probably looking forward to relaxing before next year kicks back in, some will be looking for things to do.  If you’re searching for ideas, Kate Hall has a few ideas for sustainable activities you can do over the summer break.  Waste audit  Go through one week's worth of rubbish and see what the main culprits are, then make a plan for how to reduce those in the new year (e.g. bread packets, see if your local bakery will let you bring your own cloth bag to get bread or find a recipe and start making your own).  Gardening  Start small with herbs or start even smaller by getting a book out of the library on gardening (Edible Garden by Kath Irvine is great and NZ based).  Pick your own fruit  Go to a pick-your-own berry spot and stock up – preserve or freeze them to eat all year round!   Beach cleanup  Attend a local one or do your own at your favourite beach (we enjoy beaches a lot during summer so it's great to give back!).  Explore a regional park and learn about the local ecology   Start a conversation  At a BBQ or Christmas function, talk with someone about sustainable living, what/if their values are sustainable – keep the convo positive and curious.  Start a compost Summer is ideal because everything breaks down faster – and you have time to set one up! A worm farm, bokashi or compost is great.    LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 13 December 2025, comedian Alan Davies joins Jack to discuss his return to the stand-up stage for the first time in a decade.  Jack weighs up who should take responsibility for children under 16 on social media.  Kevin Milne considers the use of AI when writing personal messages.  Nici Wickes goes savoury with a deceptively simple butterflied lamb leg and Dr Bryan Betty shares important tips on staying safe this summer.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yes, I realise it won’t be summer for another week or so, but the following observations are just a few Gardeners’ Tips to muck around with:  Ancistrocerus gazella is an introduced “potters wasp” from Europe. It got here decades ago and is a really cute predatory wasp that does some great things in your quarter acre paradise. This little wasplet makes nice nests inside hollow tubes and then it goes on the hunt for small caterpillars, usually the leafrollers that silk your leaves together and chew from within their leaf-silk tent.  Ancistrocerus paralyses the caterpillars, lays an egg on them and cements the quarry and its own potential baby inside the carefully chosen tube. Of course, the caterpillar will become food for the ectoparasite, and this helps to reduce the chewing damage on your roses, perennials and other plants.  Here’s a tip: create a bunch of small-diameter bamboo tubes as a choice of real estate for these wasps to live in. The accommodation runs a little bit like that of the mason wasp (who gets their kids —larvae— to feed on paralysed spiders).  Frustrated Cucurbit growers (cucumbers, melons, marrow, courgettes, you name it) often complain at this time of the year that their plants simply don’t set fruit at all; in fact, the plant almost exclusively produces male flowers and hardly any female flowers!  Yep, common complaint. If there is a scarcity of pollinators the plant “thinks” there isn’t enough pollen/there are not enough pollinators to fertilise the female flowers, so it creates more male flowers to “compensate”.  A remedy that works toward solving the problem is to have a lot of Pollen and Nectar plants surrounding the cucumber/melon, etc, so that a heap of pollinating insects are constantly patrolling the area. The first female flower will then almost certainly get her turn, and the plant “knows” it’s okay to produce more female flowers.  If you can achieve that from mid-spring onwards, all will be well!  Talking about pollinators, have a look out for the Wool Carder Bee! It’s another introduced pollinating insect from Europe, and it has some quite amazing behaviours.  It loves to hover and fly around the Lamiate flowers in your garden, stuff like Salvias, and lamb’s ear. These types of plants are its favourite food, and it defends its patch fiercely by chasing away other pollinators – bees, bumble bees, an

Summer is fun however it’s good to remember how to stay safe when it comes to things like sun, food, insects, and alcohol. Here’s what to watch out for and how to stay safe over the holidays.   The number one thing to think about the sun – it makes us feel good but can cause harm!   Sunburn sets us up for skin cancer. Be especially careful with children!   Use SPF 30+ sunscreen, reapply every 2–3 hours and after swimming.   Wear hats, sunglasses, and protective clothing.   Remember: UV is highest between 10am and 4pm.  Stay hydrated. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke can develop quickly, especially in the elderly and small children.   Keep food safe especially in the heat   We increase the risk of food poisoning over summer due to the heat, which encourages bacteria.  Keep food cold and covered – use chilly bins/ice packs.   Follow the 2-hour rule – avoid leaving food out in heat for more than 2 hours   Wash hands and utensils to prevent spread of germs. Cook meats thoroughly, especially poultry and BBQ foods.   Avoid cutting up meat/chicken on the same board as salad vegetables.   Watch for signs of food poisoning: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever – see your doctor.   Watch out for insects, especially mosquitoes and sandflies  Avoid getting bitten – can be itchy and painful.   Use insect repellent in areas with sandflies or mosquitos and wear long sleeves/pants in bushy areas.  Watch out for allergic reactions: red inflamed skin around a bite, can be very itchy.  May need to see your pharmacist or doctor for treatment: anti-itch cream, antihistamines.   Always drink alcohol in moderation   Alcohol increases dehydration. A good tip is to alternate drinks with water.   Avoid swimming, boating, or driving under the influence: impaired judgement raises accident risk.  Eat before and while drinking – pace yourself.   Watch for the heat and alcohol combination leading to faster exhaustion.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disney characters are coming to Sora   The three-year partnership with OpenAI will bring Disney’s iconic characters to the company’s Sora AI video generator. But no voices will come with them, and only animated characters will be included, like Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, and Simba.  A key part of this deal: Disney is also making a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI. And the user-generated creations will be able to be used by Disney on things like Disney+.   I'm surprised Disney did this deal. They’re known in the industry as having some of the strictest rules about how their IP can be used. They're suing Midjourney for IP breaches, so maybe this is their way to profit from what they already know will happen even if they choose not to be involved.     Reddit doesn't think it should be banned for kids in Australia   It's making two arguments: first it says that the law limits free political discourse of children. This feels weak.   It's second argument feels stronger: it calls itself a “collection of public fora arranged by subject”. It's basically saying that because you don't typically follow people on Reddit, you follow subjects, that it's not a social media app. It argues that people engage in interactions about that content, not person to person.      LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Abandons  In 1850s Washington, two families led by powerful matriarchs — one wealthy, one poor but deeply loyal — battle for supremacy on the lawless frontier (Netflix).     Trigger Point Death is always just a heartbeat away for bomb disposal officer Lana Washington. In the new season, what appears to be a bomb threat in central London soon reveals itself as something far more sinister (TVNZ+).   Fisk  Family feuds. Money squabbles. Wobbly furniture. A no-nonsense lawyer joins a low-rent wills and probate firm after her marriage and career implode (Netflix).    LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jay Kelly   Famous movie star Jay Kelly and his devoted manager, Ron, embark on an unexpectedly profound journey through Europe. Along the way, both men confront the choices they've made, relationships with loved ones, and the legacies they'll leave behind.    Beat the Lotto   Almost everyone has played the Lottery and everyone would like to win it. Whitaker's documentary tells the story of Stefan, the man who tried to beat the Lotto system by attempting to fix the draw, an act that divided the nation.    LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This slow-cooked lamb dish is a festive treat and it’s super simple to make spectacular with a final flourish of pomegranate jewels and fresh herbs that make the whole thing feel properly celebratory.      Ingredients  1 butterflied leg of lamb (1.6–2kg)   3–4 garlic cloves, slivered   Zest and juice of 1 orange   2 tbsp olive oil   2 tbsp runny honey   1 tbsp Dijon mustard   1 tsp each ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika   1 tsp flaky sea salt   Freshly ground black pepper   2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped   1 cup chicken or vegetable stock   ½ cup white wine (optional)   To finish: Pomegranate seeds, mint leaves, flat-leaf parsley, extra orange zest     Method  Start by laying the lamb out flat and making small slits across the flesh so you can slip in those slivers of garlic. It’s a tiny bit of extra effort but the flavour reward is enormous.   In a small bowl whisk together the orange zest and juice, olive oil, honey, mustard, spices, salt, pepper and rosemary. Pour this over the lamb and give it a good massage so every little nook gets coated. If you’ve time to marinate it for a few hours or even overnight, do — the flavours deepen beautifully.   When you’re ready to cook, heat your oven to 170°C. Nestle the lamb into a roasting dish and pour any leftover marinade over the top. Add the stock and wine around the meat, then seal the whole dish tightly with foil. This is the trick to keeping the lamb meltingly tender. Slide it into the oven and leave it to slowly braise for about 2½ hours, checking halfway to make sure there’s still a little liquid in the base.   Once the lamb is lovely and soft, remove the foil and drain off some of the juices for a gravy. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C. Return the dish to the oven for 15 minutes so the edges caramelise and the top gets all sticky and gorgeous.   Let the lamb rest for a good 15-20 minutes on a board or plate before slicing or pulling it into big, rustic chunks — it will be fall-apart tender.   Pour the reserved pan juices back into the roasting dish. Mix 1 heaped tbsp of flour with some 2 tsps. soft butte

These days there seems to be nothing AI can’t do for you. Write emails, grocery lists, stories, summaries, and even Christmas messages.  But should you be getting an AI to write what should be a heartfelt personal message? Kevin Milne can’t help but find the thought of connecting with friends and loved ones this way extremely shabby.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s funny how becoming a parent instantly makes you care more about stuff.    As a child, I used to find it really embarrassing when my Dad would yell out at cars that were driving too fast. Now, I’m that guy. Every time a car hoons up our street, I want to scream at the driver. Sometimes I do.  “There are kids here, you tosser!”  My values in education have very much sharpened since becoming parent. My views on kids and smart phones have only intensified. And as Australia’s world-leading ban on social media for under-16s comes into effect, I’m fascinated to see what’s going to happen.  I really, really dislike social media. I think what was initially sold to the world as a way for people to connect has morphed into something far more cynical. The likes of Facebook know they maximise profits by keeping people scrolling. And while once upon a time when you were on Facebook or Instagram, you’d mainly be seeing pictures of your friends, the various platforms have all worked out that nothing keeps people scrolling for longer than making them really angry. For all of the relatively harmless accounts, cat videos, and people making creative or funny content, the net effect has been poisonous. The platforms that were meant to connect us have done the opposite. They have isolated and divided us.    I said last year on this show that social media platforms should be subject to better regulation (not to mention proper taxation!) and that at the very least, we should be considering Australia’s social media stance. But for those of us who nerd out on public policy, the actual design of Australia’s legislation has underscored why this is such a tricky issue to legislate.  It comes down to the definition: What is social media? Even though they can try and work to a common set of standards, ultimately someone needs to make a judgement call. So while Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok have been banned, Discord doesn’t yet face the same restrictions. There are thousands of different platforms and sites where young people can still post and interact. YouTube has argued it isn’t social media at all. You can still access many videos without an account.  And Reddit is taking legal action arguing that its platform is totally different to many of the others.  Teenagers are industrious. You try and play whack-a-mole and ban every new platform that pops up, but obviously some of them

Alice Taylor has changed the way thousands of Kiwis think about cooking at home.  You may know her for her time as a contestant on Masterchef or from her social media presence at Alice Taylor Eats. She favours no-frills recipes and honest conversations around food accessibility and it’s seen her following skyrocket to half a million across her profiles.   The ethos behind her accounts is pretty simplistic, Taylor told Jack Tame.  “We want to help people save money cooking at home, give them tips and tricks, and ultimately also just make them feel proud about what they’re putting on the table,” she said.  “I think a lot of social media is a bit unrealistic, so we also want to be a platform where people can y’know, watch, have a bit of fun, cook some good food, and feel good about themselves.”   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More and more people seem to be opting for alcohol-free drinks.  The success of Lisa King’s AF Drinks really brought it home to Kevin Milne just how much alcohol consumption habits are changing.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At some point, everyone has been left disappointed when a musician or artist leaves New Zealand off their tour schedule. But our neighbours across the ditch rarely have the same issue. Chris Schulz is having a mammoth week over in Australia – going to the Good Things music festival, two Kendrick Lamar shows, and is seeing Lady Gaga tonight.  He joined Jack Tame for a chat about his jam packed musical week.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple   A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it.  As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait – were bound together under a single imperial banner, an entity known officially as the ‘Indian Empire’, or more simply as the Raj.  It was the British Empire’s crown jewel, a vast dominion stretching from the Red Sea to the jungles of Southeast Asia, home to a quarter of the world’s population and encompassing the largest Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian communities on the planet. Its people used the Indian rupee, were issued passports stamped ‘Indian Empire’, and were guarded by armies garrisoned in forts from the Bab el-Mandeb to the Himalayas  And then, in the space of just fifty years, the Indian Empire shattered. Five partitions tore it apart, carving out new nations, redrawing maps, and leaving behind a legacy of war, exile and division.  Shattered Lands, for the first time, presents the whole story of how the Indian Empire was unmade. How a single, sprawling dominion became twelve modern nations. How maps were redrawn in boardrooms and on battlefields, by politicians in London and revolutionaries in Delhi, by kings in remote palaces and soldiers in trenches.  Its legacies include civil war in Burma and ongoing insurgencies in Kashmir, Baluchistan and Northeast India, and the Rohingya genocide. It is a history of ambition and betrayal, of forgotten wars and unlikely alliances, of borders carved with ink and fire. And, above all, it is the story of how the map of modern Asia was made.     The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage   They would always choose the Crown over their family. It was the pact they made for the honour of wearing it.  Lexi Villiers is a 29-year-old Englishwoman doing her medical residency in Hobart, working too hard, worried about her bank balance, and living with friends. It's an ordinary, happy kind of life, and getting even better, because as the dawn is breaking on New Year's Day, Lexi is about to kiss the man she loves for the very first time.  But by midnight, everything will change. Because Lexi is in fact not an ordinary young woman. She is Princess Alexandrina, third in line to t

"It’s been eleven years since I last filled my heart with Ireland – a shamefully long break in transmission. On my latest visit to this most enchanting of destinations, my road trip began with a jaunt through Ireland’s “Hidden Heartlands.” Far beyond the heavily trafficked haunts like Dublin, Galway, or Killarney, this interior patchwork of counties beats to a slower pace across Ireland’s central plains. Steeped in nature, resolute village life, and bucket loads of history, it is quite the revelation to get off the beaten track and dabble with the authentic charm, artisanal verve, pastoral beauty and homely hospitality that underpins this lesser-known realm." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do we remember the “good old days” as being so good?   In past weeks we’ve touched on events that are blasts from the past, or the good old days. Most people have fond memories of these good old days. Politicians refer to this too to pull on our heartstrings (and votes) e.g., “Make America Great Again” – the inference being that we can make it good like the past.   So why do the good old days feel so good for most of us?   Some of this is due to what psychologists call “the reminiscence bump”. It refers to our teenage and early adult years of life when we tend to have stronger memories about our lives and major events in life.   You can almost date people’s ages by the time of their reminiscence bump – e.g., my teen and young adult years were in the late 80s, early 90s, so my favourite bands are from then (the Smiths), my favourite football team (Liverpool), favourite movie (Goodfellas), or TV shows (Seinfeld).  Reminiscence bump breaks the general rule of autobiographical memory, which is that we typically have better memory for recent events compared to events that were longer ago. Contrasts with “childhood amnesia” which refers to the fact that we have few memories of our very early years of life.  Why do we have this bump?   One theory is that it’s related to the function of autobiographical memory (memory about ourselves and our own lives). This type of memory isn’t meant to be a video recording of our life that we simply tap back into and replay, it’s more about helping shape our view of who we are as individuals – our sense of self.   In our teens and early adulthood we often are experiencing a number of first-time experiences – our first love, our first concert, going to Uni, or starting a first job.   These experiences are new and unique and therefore often stand out in our memory. We might also talk about them more with others at the time, which helps us cement them into our memory more as we repeatedly bring them to mind and go over them.   These first-time experiences help shape our view of who we are, what type of person I am – am I an Oasis fan or a Blur fan? Do I remember when Princess Di died? Do I love or loath the Royal Family?    It also tends us to give a rosy view of the past because many of our memories from the bump are about new and exciting