7. Dear John – BASF ad

This classic ad was made on a shoestring budget: milk bottle silver caps stood in for soldier's dog tags and a Wellington quarry apes a Korean War-zone of the evergreen MASH TV series (from the naming of "O'Reilly" at the top of the mail call through to the 1953 country and western tearjerker used in the soundtrack, sung by Jacqui Fitzgerald and adapted by Murray Grindlay).

The anachronism of cassette tapes in Korea proved a charming twist on the traditional "Dear John" letter; and the ad was later voted Best Australasian commercial of the 80s.

8."Not Your Penis" – Shortland Street

Shortland Street has long had its finger on the pulse of popular culture, but a line uttered in 2017 by core character Chris Warner (Michael Galvin) to his son Harry (Reid Walker) entered global consciousness.

The line deftly addresses a serious issue — the trend of sexting among young people — with dad-style humour. Within hours it went viral.

The scene made global headlines, but got its biggest tribute via high-profile American show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with host Jimmy Kimmel and surprise guest Alec Baldwin (as Chris Warner) recreating the awkward Kiwi cliffhanger to an audience of millions.

9. Emergency Defecation Situation – Hilary Barry, 3 News

These clips offer up a selection of Kiwi news bloopers.

First, Sacha McNeil presents a retrospective of unscripted moments from TV3's first 25 years of news: newsreaders sneeze and laugh, and reporters face rogue weather, animals, dance routines, and lashings of champagne from Olympic champions.

Then presenter Hilary Barry laughs at inappropriate moments on The Paul Henry Show: she starts an extended battle with the giggles while mentioning All Black Waisake Naholo's broken leg (2015).

In 2016 she succumbs to laughter over an emergency defecation situation.

10. "Always Blow on the Pie" – Police Ten 7

It was the food safety advice that echoed around the globe.

The late-night footage of an Auckland policeman interrogating a suspected car thief on this long-running crime-fighting series seemed routine, until conversation shifted to the purchase of a pie at a local service station.

The officer's deadpanned response came straight out of left field — and went viral (interestingly, only after a repeat screening of the show was posted online).

The "nek minnit" catchphrase of its day provided global news fodder; it also inspired T-shirts, dubstep tracks and parodies on YouTube.

The full 60 Television Moments 1960 – 2020 Collection is available to view, free and uninterrupted, on the NZ On Screen website.