For Your SD Eyes Only

Twenty movies. Five Bonds. One place … and none in HD.

TV One’s missed another golden opportunity to distinguish classic drama by not showcasing it in HD.

It will launch a 20-week James Bond season on Saturday night with GoldenEye, just days after it was reported filming of Bond 23, which Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road, Jarhead) will direct from a screenplay by Frost/Nixon’s Peter Morgan, has been delayed indefinitely.

But like the rest of the 007 movies that will follow out of chronological order, Pierce Brosnan’s first assignment for her Majesty’s Secret Service will be in SD.

Given the popularity and familiarity of the Ian Fleming franchise, why not give Bond a spectacular gilt edge by presenting the movies on NZ TV for the first time in HD?

Britain’s BSkyB aired 10 of them in HD last year and had TV One opted to do the same, it could have been a coup for FreeviewHD (in which TVNZ has a vested interest).

While TVNZ isn’t yet geared up to be a fully functioning HD broadcaster, it’s not as if TV One viewers are spoilt for HD content. After all, the network’s only significant HD primetime commitments are Cold Case and Criminal Minds.

In short, wasted HD programming opportunities such as this leave you shaken, not stirred.

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2 Responses to “For Your SD Eyes Only”


  1. Warning: preg_replace(): Unknown modifier '/' in /home/customer/www/screenscribe.net/public_html/wp-content/themes/headlines/includes/theme-comments.php on line 66
    February 17, 2010 at 9:05 pm

    Such a wasted opportunity as you point out.

    Sigh.

    I guess TVNZ are more focused on spending time and money on live crosses for the 6pm news.

  2. And crappy cooking shows.. TVNZ sure has dropped the ball with HD..

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