Scott Kara's week of it

Dave Dobbyn and Artisan Guns kick off the 2011 Zoo Music season at Auckland Zoo this Friday night. Photo / Supplied

MUSIC
Crikey! Lucky that cheetah is on a leash, he looks like he wants Dave Dobbyn for dinner. But come Friday night the singer/songwriter will be at one with the animals at Auckland Zoo when he and Artisan Guns play the first Zoo Music concert of the year.

Another option for those not going to the Big Day Out is country legend Kenny Rogers who plays Vector Arena with the APO as part of his 50th anniversary tour. And tonight, as a warm up to the big day, the Drab Doo-Riffs, guitar hero Billy TK (playing classic psychedelic Kiwi rock album Stoned Guitar ahead of his BDO set on the Lilyworld stage at 5.30pm), and punk rowdies the Transistors play Tabac at 8pm.

MOVIES
It was hardly a stuttering start to the awards season for The King's Speech with Colin Firth winning best actor at the Golden Globes this week for his portrayal King George VI.

Also getting a slice of Globes' action is boxing film The Fighter, which tells the story of "Irish" Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his half-brother, trainer, and boxer Dicky Eklund played by Christian Bale who won best supporting actor at the awards.

Meanwhile, also starting this week is superhero comedy The Green Hornet, the first genre movie by director Michel Gondry whose past work has included Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and music videos by the likes of Bjork, the White Stripes and Steriogram.

TV
It just won't be the same without Simon Cowell. Not that it's likely to stop too many people watching the new series of American Idol, especially the audition process (the best bit if you ask me) which kicks off on Friday night at 8.30pm on TV2 with Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler joining Randy "Dawg" Jackson at the judges' table.

Meanwhile, on Sunday tele drama Nights In the Gardens of Spain gives Witi Ihimaera's 1995 novel a modern Maori twist; the new series of Intrepid Journeys (Thursdays, TV One, 8.30pm) starts with weatherman Tamati Coffey visiting Oman; and next week it's goodbye to Oprah (Monday, 2pm, TV3) which is the end of an era (apparently). I know she's been a beacon of hope to millions, but my most memorable Oprah moment was seeing Tom Cruise make an idiot of himself by jumping up and down on her couch.

OR...
... get along to New York artist and designer Eric Orr's exhibition at the Rebel Yell Gallery at 203 K Rd which starts on Friday and runs until February 9. He began his career painting in the subway stations of the Big Apple and it was there he came up with his trademark symbol - the Robothead.

-TimeOut