HD Heads-Up: May 11-17

Holy HD superheroes!

TV2 will launch its latest HD fantasy drama, Arrow, the same week it repeats in HD two Batman movies and a futuristic gaming thriller.

Batman Forever will air midday Sunday and The Dark Knight as The Sunday Premiere Movie, ahead of Gamer at 11.40.

Arrow will go to air 9.15 Monday before settling into its weekly 9.30 Wednesday slot.

The DC comic book adaptation screens on the US youth channel CW and TV2 will be hoping it has more mainstream appeal than other CW fare it’s dumped from primetime to late-night, including Supernatural and The Vampire Diairies.

All three have been renewed for the 2013/14 season but Arrow is the most popular.

It also hit the target with most critics.

“Smooth without being slick, textured but not self-indulgent, Arrow reminds us that the best stories we tell are both revelatory and a whole lot of fun to watch,” the Los Angeles Times said of the premiere that was CW’s most-watched broadcast in three years.

Echoed the New York Times: “This looks like a pretty tasty fantasy drama.”

But Variety thought it more bull than bull’s-eye: “Arrow certainly looks polished (having David Nutter direct a pilot virtually insures that), but there’s only so much action an hour-long drama can afford, and the characters necessary to sustain the series are, initially, strictly two-dimensional.”

TV One doesn’t have any new HD highlights for the week starting May 11 while TV3’s are limited to the HD debut of Chelsea NZ’s Hottest Home Baker, with its season-four premiere on Thursday, a repeat of the movie Jumper on Monday and, three hours later,  a re-run of Sons of Anarchy from episode one of season two.

Guesting on Friday’s Graham Norton Show will be Star Trek’s Chris Pine, Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberbatch, Sex and the City’s Kim Cattrall, and Bonnie Tyler.