HD Heads-Up: July 3 – 9

June 24, 2021 0 Comments

➢➢ The latest US sitcom to be consigned to off-peak on TVNZ 2 is the acclaimed B Positive, which will air 4.25 Sundays from July 4. The hit comedy stars Thomas (Silicon Valley) as a newly divorced father and therapist whose chance encounter with a woman from his past (Masters of Sex’s Annaleigh Ashford) could be life-saving: she volunteers him the kidney he needs. “B Positive‘s familiar sitcom trappings are elevated by its charming cast – especially the weird and winsome comedic stylings of Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford,” was the verdict of Rotten Tomatoes, which awarded the show an 84% critics’ consensus …

➢➢ Still no sign of the the latest Magnum PI season surfacing on Three but in the meantime fans can catch up with the titular hero in the July 7 episode of Hawaii Five-O (Three, 9.30). Reads the billing: “When a list of undercover CIA agents is stolen, the team enlists the help of Magnum PI’s Thomas Magnum, Higgins, Rick and T.C. to get it back and protect national security” …

➢➢ Said CultureVultures of the crossover: “Ihea ‘Oe I Ka Wa a Ka Ua E Loku Ana? blends two Hawaiian police procedural classics into one: the reimagined versions of Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum PI. This crossover inserts a new dynamic into the Five-0 set-up, notably with the cocky Magnum and the uptight Higgins introducing a whole new brand of bickering, culture clashes (notably with Higgins, who is English) and senses of humour. The crossover has been long-awaited since the debut of the remake of Magnum P.I. in 2018, and it did not disappoint” …

➢➢ Happy Birthday Mr Bean (TVNZ 2, 8.45 July 6) is a commemorative special that explores why the iconic character became a global phenomenon. “Marking the 30th birthday of one of ITV’s most successful series, this documentary is worth watching for the rarity of Atkinson talking about his work,” the Independent said. Atkinson’s next physical comedy series will be Netflix’s Man vs Bee, in which he plays a character who battles a pesky bee over 10 10-minute episodes …

➢➢ The Battle for Britney (Three, 8.55 July 3) is a BBC2 documentary about the battle over the control of Britney Spears’ estate and fortune. London’s Evening Standard thought it “engaging and balanced – but doesn’t shed new light on the case” while The Telegraph thought it a “pointless” attempt to cover the same ground as another Three exclusive, Framing Britney Spears, that “offered nothing new” …

➢➢ Louis Theroux: Shooting Joe Exotic (Prime, 9.45 July 7) reunites the interviewer with the imprisoned Tiger King a decade after their first close encounter of the furred kind in America’s Most Dangerous Pets. Commented the Sydney Morning Herald: “Theroux has made a career from delving into controversial characters and issues, but not drawing solid conclusions. But with Shooting Joe Exotic, it’s difficult to watch the out-takes from his original film and not think that perhaps, to a much smaller degree than the unashamedly lurid Tiger King, his own portrayal of Joe Exotic was not entirely as innocent as his trademark faux naivety would like us to believe” …

➢➢ Returning for new seasons will be Taskmaster (TVNZ 2, 8.30 Wednesdays from July 7), which will be double-billed with the S12 resumption of Would I Lie to You?, and screen opposite the return of Prime’s Air Rescue, while ending its run will be Naked Attraction …

➢➢ There will be ~~three~~ two network movie premieres in the first week of July: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Three, 8.30 Sunday), Shazam! (TVNZ 2, 8.35 Sunday) and My Year With Helen (Maori TV, 8.30 Monday). Other HD coming attractions include: