HD Heads-Up: December 24-30

➢➢TVNZ 1 will use “terrifying true-crime thriller” Litvinenko to launch a “Summer of Drama” – snappy marketing spiel for stripping premium drama late-night over December and January. The award-winning four-part series stars David Tennant as poisoned Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko. The Guardian argued his attempted accent made Litvinenko “unwatchable” but Radio Times thought it “a compelling story, competently told … It’s a somewhat intentionally mixed bag of a series, one which utilises multiple protagonists and darts around genres at speed. And it’s largely effective” …

➢➢ Christmas specials will run all week long on TVNZ 1. Premiering on Christmas Eve will be a trio of historic home makeovers — Christmas at Castle Howard (7.00), Christmas at Chatsworth House (8.05), Christmas at Holkham Hall (9.05) — and In for a Christmas Penny (10.05). Christmas Day will include King Charles’ first Christmas message (6.50), Blankety Blank Christmas Special (7.00), Alan Carr’s Epic Christmas Gameshow (7.35) — or The Price is Right in new wrapping — and Together at Christmas (8.25), a televised festive concert in Westminster Abbey …

➢➢ Airing Tuesday and Wednesday will be The Chase Christmas Special (7.45) and Gordon, Gino and Fred’s Unseen Bits (8.45), a compilation of unseen footage and bloopers from their global road trips. Debuting Monday will be Call the Midwife Christmas Special (8.45) while rounding out the week will be Friday’s Doc Martin Christmas Special (8.40) …

➢➢ Providing respite from the festive foray will be Nick Knowles Heritage Rescue (TVNZ 1, 8.45 Thursday), which follows the restoration work of historical landmarks like Castle Howard and Exeter Cathedral …

➢➢ Reality newcomers will include the Lego Masters Australia Bricksmas Special (7.00 Saturday and Sunday), chefs’ contest Rat in the Kitchen (TVNZ 2, 11.30 Wednesday) and Blowing LA (TVNZ 2, 9.05 Thursday), in which hairdressers to the rich and famous compete to be the best …

➢➢ An HBO Max documentary about the 2017 disappearance of journalist Kim Walls will screen on FTA TV for the first time. Undercurrent: The Disappearance of Kim Wall (Prime, 9.40 Tuesday) investigate what happened when she went on a submarine trip to interview entrepreneurial inventor Peter Madsen …

➢➢ Joanna & Jennifer: Absolutely Champers (Eden, 9.30 Friday) has AbFab’s Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley exploring the Champagne region of France to find out how their favourite glass of fizz is made. It first screened here on Sky’s Living Channel …

➢➢ Another nostalgic duo, Kath & Kim, will re-run 6.30 weeknights on TVNZ 2, as the second half of a new-look double-bill with game show Pictionary …

➢➢ Back for new seasons will be Fish of the Day S4 (Duke, 6.35 Saturday), The Amazing Race Australia S6 (TVNZ 2, 7.30 weeknights from Tuesday), Lego Masters USA S3 (Three, 7.30 weeknights from Thursday) and Cooking With the Stars S2 (TVNZ 1, 7.45 Thursday) …

➢➢ Ending their runs will be Ambulance Australia, Snack Masters UK, The UnXplained With William Shatner, Motor Mythbusters, Darcey Bussell’s Wild Coasts of Scotland, The Block Australia and Killer Couples …

➢➢ The pick of the Christmas Day movies is the Oscar-winning Green Book (TVNZ 1, 9.20). Other HD coming attractions for the week will include:

• Ailo’s Journey (Whakaata Māori, 4.00 Saturday)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (TVNZ 2, 5.50 Saturday)
• Elf (TVNZ 2, 7.,00 Saturday)
• The Lion King – Reo Maori (Whakaata Māori, 7.00 Saturday)
• Deck the Halls (Duke, 8.30 Saturday)
• Rambo: Last Blood (Eden, 8.30 Saturday)
• Last Train to Christmas (Prime, 8.30 Saturday)
• Happiest Season (TVNZ 2, 8.50 Saturday)
• Love The Coopers (Three, 8.50 Saturday)
• The Man Who Invented Christmas (Whakaata Māori, 9.00 Saturday)
• Bad Santa 2  (Duke, 10.15 Saturday)
• Almost Christmas (TVNZ 2, 10.45 Saturday)
• The Night Before (Three, 11.00 Saturday)
• Friday After Next (TVNZ 2, 12.40am Sunday)
• Zombieland (Three, 12.50am Sunday)
• Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas (TVNZ 2, 2.10am Sunday)
• High Holiday (Three, 2.15am Sunday)
• Saving Santa (Three, 3.40am Sunday)
• Home Alone 3 (TVNZ 2, 5.20 Sunday)
• Santa Claus The Movie (Whakaata Māori, 6.30 Sunday)
• The Polar Express (TVNZ 2, 7.00 Sunday)
• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Three, 8.10 Sunday)
• Last Christmas (TVNZ 2, 8.30 Sunday)
• A Christmas Number One (Prime, 8.30 Sunday)
• Joyful Noise (Eden, 8.30 Sunday)
• Brazil (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Sunday)
• Noel (Three, 8.55 Sunday)
• Christmas With The Kranks (TVNZ 2, 10.10 Sunday)
• Florence Foster Jenkins (TVNZ 1, 11.30 Sunday)
• Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights (Duke, 12.10am Monday)
• Jerry Maguire (TVNZ 2, 1.50am Monday)
• Risky Business (TVNZ 2, 2.10am Monday)
• Hunt for the Wilderpeople (TVNZ 2, 7.00 Monday)
• Noah (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Monday)
• King Kong (Duke, 8.30 Tuesday)
• Starsky & Hutch (TVNZ 2, 9.00 Tuesday)
• Redfern Now: Promise Me (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Wednesday)
• Girls Trip (TVNZ 2, 9.00 Wednesday)
• Redfern Now: Promise Me (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Wednesday)
• 28 Days (Three, 8.30 Thursday)
• Ocean’s Thirteen (Three, 8.30 Friday)
• Cellular (TVNZ 2, 9.00 Friday)
• Liar Liar (Duke, 9.25 Friday)