HD Heads-Up: July 19-25

➢➢ TVNZ 2 is fast-tracking its newest drama series, The Hunting Wives (9.40 Tuesday), which is a Netflix exclusive in the US. It concerns an East Coast family of three that moves deep into the heart of East Texas, where the mother falls under the spell of a magnetic socialite and meets a clique of housewives with deadly secrets. American Dreams’ Malin Akerman, Trophy Wife’s Brittany Snow, This Is Us’ Chris Metz, Sandal’s Katie Lowes and Dermot Mulroney star …

➢➢ The S12 premiere of George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces (TVNZ 1, 7.30 Thursday) will face off against S11 on Sky Open. Such ludicrous programming is even more baffling than how rival broadcasters both wound up with the latest seasons of the same show.  In an age of time-shifting and on-demand, it probably doesn’t matter to all but a relative handful of viewers — but it’s still inexcusable that such a clash should occur when TVNZ 1 easily could have waited for S11 to complete its run on Sky Open before launching its successor …

➢➢ Sky Open is stripping late-night weekdays its latest franchise spin-off, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent (from 11.00 Monday). The series has aired for two seasons and a third is due next year. “It all adds up to a promising start,” Variety said while Brioux.tv predicted L&O fans “won’t be disappointed” and praised the producers for taking care “to get differences in the justice systems right” …

➢➢ Returning for new seasons are Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S3 (Duke, 9.25 Saturday), Flatbush Misdemeanors S2 (Sky Open, midnight Monday) and Beat the Chasers (TVNZ 1, 7.30 Wednesday) while Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable resumes from E7 of S1 (TVNZ 2, 9.35 Wednesday) …

➢➢ Ending their runs are:

• A New Zealand Food Story With Ben Bayly 
• From
• The Brokenwood Mysteries
• The Secret Genius of Modern Life
• 7/7: The London Bombings 
• Worst House on the Street
• Our Guy in Columbia
• The Neighborhood 
• Poker Face …

➢➢ Live/delayed free-to-air sport includes:

• Winter Football: Wellington Phoenix v Wrexham AFC (TVNZ 2, 4.30 Saturday)
• Rugby: All Blacks v France (Sky Open, 9.00 Saturday)
• NRL: Storm v Sea Eagles R20 (Sky Open, 11.30 Saturday)
• NRL: Knights v Warriors R20 (Sky Open, 9am Sunday)
• Rugby: Australia v B&I Lions 1st Test (Sky Open, 10am Sunday)
• UFC 318 Prelims (Sky Open, midday Sunday)
• Sal’s NBL: Final (Sky Open, 2.00 Sunday)
• Yachting: SailGP Portsmouth (Three, 4.30 Sunday-Monday)
• ANZ Premiership: Elimination Final (Sky Open, 10.30 Sunday)
• Winter Football: Arsenal v AC Milan (Duke, 11.25 Wednesday)
• NRL: Broncos v Eels R21 (Sky Open, 9.55 Friday) …

➢➢ HD coming attractions include:

• Batman & Robin (Three, 6.30 Saturday)
• Monster Family 2 (Whakaata Māori, 7.30 Saturday)
• American Reunion (TVNZ 2, 8.50 Saturday)
• Greenland (Three, 8.55 Saturday)
• Swimming with Men (Whakaata Māori, 9.15 Saturday)
• Lean on Pete (TVNZ 2, 12.35am Sunday)
• The Croods: A New Age (TVNZ 2, 3.15 Sunday)
• Olympus Has Fallen (TVNZ 2, 8.30 Sunday)
• Shazam! Fury of the Gods (Three, 8.30 Sunday)
• City of Lies (Eden, 8.30 Sunday)
• Limbo (Whakaata Māori, 8.45 Sunday)
• The Final Destination (TVNZ 2, 12.20am Monday)
• Mana Moana Mana Tangata (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Monday)
• Sione’s 2: Unfinished Business (Duke, 9.25 Monday)
• Black Hawk Down (Duke, 9.25 Tuesday)
• James Blunt: One Brit Wonder (Duke, 11.55 Tuesday)
• Dragon Rider (Whakaata Māori, 7.30 Friday)
• Our Little Sister (Whakaata Māori, 9.00 Friday).