Signs of impending summer: suddenly free-to-air early evening primetime is awash with Aussie reality shows which finished weeks or months ago across the Tasman.
The Block: Glasshouse is the ninth series of the Australian format which has proved a ratings hit in its local incarnation.
The Nine Network show was a 12-week affair from mid-winter finishing mid last month. Which might sound like a long time for four teams to renovate a place to grow tomatoes - but no, the "Glasshouse" of the title is an 80s commercial building in Melbourne's fashionable Prahran area where its five competing couples - four married or engaged, plus one pair of brothers - took on the project of turning this block into 3-bedroom luxury apartments. Among the occupations of the 10 contestants are: project manager, cabinet maker, painter and plumber and a former professional AFL player studying to be a builder.
Meanwhile the sixth series of MasterChef Australia comes to us having finished across the Tasman in late July with chefs Gary Mehigan, and George Calombaris and food critic Matt Preston returning to judge the amateur cooks. Upcoming episodes will feature appearances from celebrity chefs Kylie Kwong as a guest mentor and big-name Brits Heston Blumenthal and Marco Pierre White joining the show for challenge episodes.
Also: Lifeguard reality show Piha Rescue is back for summer (One, Monday, 8pm), once again doing its best to convince us to swim between the flags, not only at Piha but at Coromandel's Hot Water Beach and at Raglan too.
For those who think Downton Abbey isn't getting to the 21st century fast enough, there's Chatsworth (Prime, 7.30pm, Sunday) the first in a three-part documentary series about a contemporary year in the life of the stately home in Derbyshire, which has been owned by one family for 450 years.
If you can't make it to the Vodafone NZ Music Awards at Vector Arena tonight, Four is screening The Mentos Red Carpet Special from 7.30pm, then the awards live from 8pm tonight. If you're watching and see a bunch of people at table near the back who look really happy but don't appear to have won anything - that's probably the TimeOutteam. We'll give you a wave ...
The Block: Glasshouse
Where and when TV3: Weekdays from Monday at 7.30pm
MasterChef Australia
When and where: One, Tuesday to Saturday., 7.30pm
- TimeOut