Jim Hopkins (born 1946) is a New Zealander known for his work in television, radio and theatre.
Hopkins was scriptwriter for Close to Home, presenter of Fast Forward, Don't Tell Me, The Inventors, Dateline Monday, a performer on The BNZ Festival Debates, and radio talkback host on Radio Pacific in Auckland and Radio Avon in Christchurch.
In August 1998, Hopkins released his first book, Blokes & Sheds,[1] which hit number one on the New Zealand sales list after only a week. The book profiles amateur inventors from across New Zealand. Hopkins followed it up with another book, Inventions from the Shed, in 1999,[2] and a 5-part film documentary series with the same name that featured inventors across Australia.[3]
Hopkins was elected as a councillor for the Waitaki District Council, based in Oamaru, in 2007, and became Deputy Mayor in 2010.[4] In July 2013 he announced his intention to stand for the mayoralty in the local body elections to be held later in the year.[5]