Happy Hour - First Episode

Howard Morrison's son, Howard Jr, gave me his shoes after uncle died and I decided to wear them in his honour. While I was on the stage, I felt Uncle Howard's spirit was there with me. I found myself thinking of him and realising, this isn't easy. Perhaps I should have watched him a little closer.

– Presenter Temuera Morrison on hosting variety show Happy Hour for Māori Television, Stuff, 2 September 2014

Cook your Missus some eggs!

– Presenter Temuera Morrison references movie Once Were Warriors as the hour comes to a close Heke

We're a classy pork 'n puha, Ponsonby meets the pā, haere rā kotu, we'll see you at the bar...

– Lyrics from the Happy Hour theme song

You're not in New Zealand now, Dr Ropata!

– Juanita (Matariki Whatarau) snaps back at Dr Ropata (Temuera Morrison)

In one of the sketches I thought we were going to go to the jungles of Guatemala but due to budget constraints we had to film it in a tent in someone's backyard. The whole set-up was quite hilarious.

– Presenter Temuera Morrison on his Dr Ropata in Guatemala sketch, Stuff, 2 September 2014

I was brought in to give the show some colour, you know in case you haven't had a look around it's pretty brown up here... pretty much it's 50 Shades of Māori.

– Presenter Thane Kirby steps up to the Dad joke plate

Tem, all the gushing aside, was terrific, doing a hilarious solo turn with a broom for a taiaha — "we were a poor tribe" — and telling a crazy tale about losing his patu to his uncle's three-legged dog on a marae while delivering the challenge to Prime Minister Rob Muldoon. And there was the promising start of a running gag called 'Doctor Ropata', a spoof prequel to the famous Shortland Street line ... the critic has found a variety show he likes.

– Reviewer Colin Hogg in The NZ Herald, 9 September 2021