Sorry, but if you want to be an astronaut you need to have the right stuff

Having seen some of those videos I'm at a loss as to how that happened. But I'm old, so almost anything to do with TikTok puts me at a loss.

Apparently the engineer has a dream of being an astronaut, which is a pretty thin premise to base a two-part TV series around.

Especially when the main player forever looks so uncomfortable in front of a camera.

He uses social media to find people who will help him "train" to be an astronaut.

That word is in inverted commas because it is painfully obvious to the viewer that someone can't just walk in and become an astronaut.

Especially when he fails at every step.

But that doesn't stop him from being ridiculously hopeful that his next quest will open door marked "astronaut" for him.

Either that or the makers of the series have told him to keep saying that. If he admitted he didn't have the right stuff after the first hurdle, it would make the rest of the series rather pointless.

US comic Iliza Shlesinger is getting two bites of the cherry with this four-part travel series.

Shlesinger performed in New Zealand last year and, while she was over there, she and husband Noah Galutan drove a motorhome around the place to make this series.

So she gets paid for the stand-up show, and for the TV show.

Based on a viewing of the first episode, the series is a bit patchy.

Shlesinger gets points for appearing on camera in a less than positive light, such as when she makes a big deal about not wanting to go diving in freezing cold and possibly sharky waters.

Her husband, who is a chef and gets off on the Kiwi cuisine, does get in the water, so her dummy spit could have been edited out - but it wasn't.

Other aspects feel self-indulgent, such as the extended amount of time Shlesinger spends with a local comedian.

Talking shop may have been interesting for her but it's not that great for the viewer.

But if a sign of success for a travel show is it includes something you'd want to see, then This Tastes Funny works.

They visit the White Lady food truck, which has been around since 1948.

Sure, they just make burgers, but they look really good. If I ever get to Auckland again, I'm definitely going there for a feed.

With free-to-air, Foxtel and streaming services all offering TV shows, it's very easy to miss a gem.

That's the case with Brassic. The seventh season is about to air on SBS and I had never heard of it before.

On the upside, it means I've got six seasons to binge my way through.

It focuses on a gang of small-time crims in the fictional English town of Hawley.

At the centre is Vinnie, who has managed to drag his best mate Dylan into his reckless and sometimes stupid ideas.

There is a lot of swearing and general rudeness but it generally feels in character rather than being gratuitous.

Think of Reservoir Dogs with an English accent, and you're pretty much there.