HD Heads-Up: February 27 – March 5

➢➢ The latest seasons of The Bachelor NZ and Married at First Sight Australia will face off against each in the first week of March. The latter will premiere on February 28 (Three, 8.30) and continue 7.30 Monday-Wednesday while the former will launch on March 2 (TVNZ 2, 7.30) and continue Wednesday, with Sol3 Mio crooner Moses Mackay (Celebrity Treasure Island) in the titular role and NZ TV’s first “bachelor” Art Green hosting.  MAFS also will go up against the season final of TVNZ 2’s The Bachelorette NZ on the Monday night …

➢➢ Just as Three will use episode two of MAFS to launch S2 of The Gulf (9.00 Monday), TVNZ 2 will capitalise on The Bachelorette’s final to help bed in the latest season of The Walking Dead at 9.35 …

➢➢ Reads the blurb for S10’s conclusion: “In these six new episodes, we find our survivors trying to pick themselves up by their bootstraps following the destruction the Whisperers left in their wake. The years of struggle weigh upon them as past traumas surface, exposing their more vulnerable sides. As they question the state of humanity, the state of their collective community, and the states of their minds, will they find the inner strength to persevere with their lives, friendships, and group intact?” Watch for guest turns by Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) and Hilarie Burton Morgan (One Tree Hill) while joining the nomads will be Okea Eme-Akwari (Cobra Kai) …

➢➢ The same night Black Magic – The Team New Zealand Story (TVNZ 1, 8.30) will show how Sir Peter Blake helped to forge a NZ identity as innovative, world-class sailors amid the socio-economic turmoil of the 1980s …

➢➢ It will be preceded by the premiere of Last at 11 (TVNZ 1, 8.35 Saturday), a comedy series from the makers of Educators about inept reporters trying to expose the secrets behind NZ’s bid to win the 36th America’s Cup …

➢➢ Casualty 24/7 (TVNZ 2, 9.05 Thursdays from March 4) was filmed inside Barnsley Hospital’s Emergency Department. It first screened three years ago on Britain’s Channel 5, where it was popular enough to spawn two more seasons. It’s among the “60 years of heart stopping” TV series that The Guardian says were NHS-inspired. Another would be Paramedics: On the Front Line, the West Midlands Ambulance Service series that will resume on March 5 (Three, 9.40) …

➢➢ Also returning that week will be Newshub Nation (Three, 9.30am Saturday), What Now (TVNZ 2, 8am Sunday), Celebrity Brain Busters (TVNZ 2, 5.00 Sunday), Australian Crime Stories (TVNZ 1, 10.10 Sunday), Fair Go (TVNZ 1, 7.35 Monday), The Hui (Three, 11.00 Monday) and Designated Survivor (Three, 11.00 Wednesday) while ending their runs will be Holey Moley Australia, People Like Pus and Trial In The Outback: The Lindy Chamberlain Story …

➢➢ Said The Guardian of Louis Theroux: Altered States – Love Without Limits (Prime, 9.45 Wednesday): “With his patented tone of careful interest, Theroux unpicked the world of polyamory, or people openly sleeping with other people while their partners keep determinedly smiling” …

➢➢ Appearing on the March 4 broadcast of The Graham Norton Show (Three, 8.30) will be Felicity Kendal, Rege-Jean Page, Dave Grohl, Siobhan McSweeney, Alan Carr and Jessie Ware …

➢➢ There will be four network movie premieres in the week starting February 27: Alpha (Three, 7.00 Saturday), The Gilded Cage (Maori TV, 8.30 Sunday), Crazy Rich Asians (TVNZ 2, 8.55 Sunday) and The First Monday in May (Maori TV, 8.30 Monday). Other HD coming attractions will include:

• Doctor Dolittle 2 (TVNZ 2, 5.20 Saturday)
• Bernie the Dolphin (Maori TV, 7.00 Saturday)
• Tracers (TVNZ 2, 8.30 Saturday)
• In Time (Duke, 8.30 Saturday)
• Chappie (Three, 8.55 Saturday)
• Mad Max: Fury Road (TVNZ 2, 10.20 Saturday)
• Fifty Shades Freed (Three, 11.15 Saturday)
• Deception (TVNZ 2, 12.50 Saturday)
• Barely Lethal (TVNZ 2, 2.40am Sunday)
• Home Fries (TVNZ 2, 12.05 Sunday)
• Good Burger (Duke, 9.30 Sunday)
• Alien (TVNZ 2, 11.30 Sunday)
• Most Wanted (Prime, 8.30 Monday)
• The Town (Duke, 8.30 Tuesday)
•  xXx: The Next Level (Three, 7.30 Friday)
• Meatballs (Duke, 8.30 Friday)
• Robot and Frank (Maori TV, 8.30 Friday)
• The Man (TVNZ 2, 8.35 Friday).