HD Heads-Up: March 2-8

Two series that specialise in giving people the third degree are about to screen in HD.

One already has aired here in 1080i — The Closer — but the other hopefully signals a new HD era in news and current affairs coverage.

The March 6 premiere of 3rd Degree (TV3, 8.30) follows the channel’s other current affair show, Media3 (11.15pm Wednesday, repeated 10.30am Saturday), switching to HD for its 2013 season.

As well as cementing TV3’s reputation for harder-edge news and current affairs than TVNZ, the Duncan Garner-Guyon Espiner hosted hour may encourage TV3 to start broadcasting 3 News and Campbell Live in HD as yet another point-of-difference to the competition.

TV One, meanwhile, will resume late-night HD broadcasts of The Closer from March 5, with the premiere of the seventh and final season.

Curiously, the network aired season five in HD but not season six. Whatever the reason for the inconsistency, it’s terrific to think this well-written and acted police drama will be given the HD send-off it deserves.

The same week TV One will send off Agent Anna (8.30 Thursday) but expect the real estate comedy to be renewed for a second season after rating through the roof.

According to a press release TVNZ issued this week, “Agent Anna has proven itself an instant winner with New Zealand audiences.

“More than 1.2 million New Zealanders (5+) have tuned in to Agent Anna so far this series, and on average more than 400,000 (5+) watched each episode …

“With a strong lead-in from Agent Anna, Miranda, Mrs Brown’s Boys and Citizen Khan have turned TV One’s Thursday night into a winning comedy blockbuster.

“On average more than 30% of the available viewing audience is watching the line-up and these comedies are the most watched in their time zone.”

In other HD news of note for the week starting March 2:

❑ TV One is rescheduling the low-rating Pan Am from 9.30 Saturday to 10.35, following a same-week re-run of MasterChef NZ

❑ Sunday’s re-run of The Simpsons (TV3, 7.00), in which Bart and Lisa become food bloggers, will feature the guest voices of chefs Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay and Mario Batali while New Girl’s Zooey Deschanel will guest on the new episode at 7.30 and Anne Murray half-an-hour later on Family Guy

❑ The same night will see the network HD premiere of Fast Five (TV3, 8.30)

❑ The series finale of Africa on Tuesday (TV One, 8.30) will explore the fragile future of the continent

❑ TV2 will re-run season one of Rizzoli & Isles overnight Thursdays (2.30am Fridays)

❑ Hansel & Gretel’s Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton, Come Fly With Me’s Matt Lucas and celebrity chef Delia Smith will guest on Friday’s Graeme Norton Show (TV3, 8.30).