HD Heads-Up: March 9-15

How do you follow a natural history series as spectacular as Africa?

With another David Attenborough sensation, Kingdom of Plants.

TV One will launch the three-part series, which aired in 3D in the UK, on March 12, two weeks ahead of its Blu-ray release (which also will be in 2D only, and not 3D, as in other territories).

Said The Guardian: “Like its ground-breaking predecessor The Private Life of Plants 17 years ago, Kingdom of Plants 3D reveals an extraordinary world of plant survival …

“Some of this may sound familiar, but this time by filming in 3D and by slowing everything down to ‘plant time’, as producer Anthony Geffen calls it, I was treated to an eye-popping new world.”

And as the Sydney Morning Herald said: “It’s a David Attenborough series, so it’s going to be brilliant, of course.

“However, like me, you might be thinking his topic this time around is a little, well, dull. Plants hardly capture the imagination like, say, blue whales or grizzly bears.

“But fear not – sprinkled with a little Attenborough magic, the biology of plants turns into an exciting, surprising visual feast.”

Meanwhile, TVNZ has confirmed the season finale of Africa on March 5, in which Attenborough made controversial comments about climate change, will be the version the BBC aired originally and not the re-edited version.

Following 3rd Degree’s pending premiere in HD will be the first Q + A programme to screen in 1080i.

The Sunday morning current affairs hour will start its 2013 season on March 10, at 9am, with Susan Wood taking over the fronting duties of the late Sir Paul Holmes.

In other HD news of note for the week starting March 9:

❑ Season eight of CSI: New York will premiere on Saturday with the team remembering 9/11 10 years on (TV3, 9.30)

❑ Author Neil Gaiman will guest on Sunday’s re-run of The Simpsons (TV3, 7.00)

❑ The network HD premiere of Unstoppable will screen on Sunday (TV3, 8.30), ahead of a re-run of Funny People (TV3, 10.40)

❑ Buzz Aldrin will guest star in Wednesday’s The Big Bang Theory (TV2, 8.40)

❑ Kiwi comedy Diplomatic Immunity will get an overnight Thursday re-run (TV One, 12.25) and Sunny Skies will end its run on Friday (TV3, 8.00)

❑ Richard Gere, John Malkovich, Saoirse Ronan and Taylor Swift will guest on Friday’s Graham Norton Show (TV3, 8.30).