HD Heads-Up: July 23 – 29

➢➢  An acclaimed 2019 climate change drama series starring Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt at last will premiere free-to-air here on July 24 (TVNZ 1, 11.40). The Commons was commissioned for Australian streaming service Stan and scored a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Said The Guardian: “By contemplating big, meaty subjects – such as the continued effects of the climate crisis – within a distinctively Australian context, with plenty of recognisable (CGI-enhanced shots) of Sydney, we are forced to contemplate how our own communities and cities might look going forward” …

➢➢ Three will pre-empt its 8.30 Sunday night movie for Newshub Investigates: The Covid Generation, which will explore the impact Covid has on each generation of New Zealanders. It will screen after the 7.00 season premiere of The Masked Singer NZ …

➢➢ Ending their runs will be Outback Truckers, The Cleaning Lady, Under investigation, The Big Body Hotel, Killing Eve, Merchants of the Wild, The Wine Show and Britain’s Got Talent. Many of these are Prime staples making way for the channel’s marathon Birmingham Commonwealth Games from 7.30 Friday …

➢➢ Prime also will screen the HBO documentary about the ’70s underground abortion network, The Janes (9.30 Sunday) …

➢➢ Wheelburn (Duke, 10.10 Sunday) is a Kiwi motoring show hosted by Mike Dawes and Cole Armstrong that features celebrity guests Joel Shadbolt, Jospeh Parker, Robbie Magasiva, Brendon Hartley, Sloan Frost and Hayden Paddon …

➢➢ Moon Tide Fishing (Whakaata Māori, 8.00 Tuesday) is a new lifestyle series about how the  Māori lunar calendar – maramataka – is foolproof for catching fish anywhere in the country …

➢➢ Duke will strip a Jaws triple-bill as a Sharkfest movie marathon 8.30 Wednesday-Friday, starting with the original and closing with Jaws 3-D. Other HD coming attractions will include the FTA premieres of Baby Done (TVNZ 2, 8.35), The Current War (Eden, 8.30 Sunday), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Sunday) and McQueen (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Monday) as well as:

• The Secret Life of Pets (TVNZ 2, 7.00 Saturday)
• Ugly Dolls (Three, 7.00 Saturday)
• The Spiderwick Chronicles (Whakaata Māori, 7.00 Saturday)
• Muriel’s Wedding (Eden, 8.30 Saturday)
• The House (Three, 8.35 Saturday)
• Mary Shelley (Whakaata Māori, 8.40 Saturday)
• Baby Done (TVNZ 2, 8.35)
• The Shining (TVNZ 2, 10.20 Saturday)
• Deadly Dormitory (Three, 10.25 Saturday)
• Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (TVNZ 2, 4.15 Sunday)
• War of the Worlds (TVNZ 2, 8.30 Sunday)
• Sudden Impact (Prime, 9.30 Monday)
• Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (Prime, 8.30 Tuesday)
• Demolition Man (Duke, 9.30 Saturday)
• Full Metal Jacket (Duke, 8.30 Tuesday)
• Non Stop (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Wednesday)
• 2012 (Three, 7.30 Friday).