HD Heads-Up: May 24-30

➢➢ There’s not a lot that’s new to whet your appetite for free-to-air TV in the last week of May. Tellingly, the only network premieres are all off-peak: S3 of Pathfinders (TVNZ 1, 10am Sunday), which profiles “living legends from Te Ao Māori who were raised through the challenging years where te reo Māori was shunned”, and the return of disabilities series Attitude (TVNZ 1, midday Sunday). Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain (TVNZ 1, 12.30 Sunday), in which the Michelin-starred chef hits the roads of rural UK in his food truck, was widely panned. “The celebrity chef’s new show is not unpleasant – but it brings absolutely nothing to the table,” said The Guardian, peppering its reviews with comments like “empty” and “flavourless” while excoriating the programme for “[removing] the politics from food production almost entirely”. The Telegraph thought it “more of a glossy Marks & Spencer advert than useful cookery show” while The Times quipped it made Kerridge sound like “a product-pushing influencer … Did anyone spot who was sponsoring Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain (ITV1)? It was tricky. You had to concentrate. The name was only mentioned, oooh, about every five minutes” …

➢➢ Ending their runs are:

• The Travelling Auctioneers
• School Spirits  
• Sherwood
• Tempting Fortune
• Border Security 
• Amanda and Alan’s Spanish Job
• The Other Mrs Jordan
• Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
• Snow Patrol NZ
• Love Triangle 
• Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection
• Thank God You’re Here …

➢➢ Live/delayed free-to-air sport includes:

• ANZ Premiership Netball: Northern Stars v Central Pulse (TVNZ 2, 4.00 Saturday)  
• SRP: Chiefs v Moana Pasifika (Sky Open, 7.00 Saturday)
• NRL: Panthers v Knights R12 (Sky Open, 9.30 Saturday)
• Premier League: Goal Rush — Nottingham Forest v Chelsea (Sky Open, midday Sunday)
• Sal’s NBL: Auckland Tuatara v Wellington Saints (Sky Open, 3.00 Sunday)
• NRL: Warriors v Raiders R12 (Sky Open, 8.30 Sunday)
• L2D State of Origin I: Maroons v Blues (Sky Open, 9.30 Wednesday) 
• NRL: Women’s State Of Origin III (Sky Open, 11.55 Thursday) 
• NRL: Dragons v Knights R13 (Sky Open, 9.30 Friday) …

➢➢ HD coming attractions include:

• The Famous Five: The Eye of the Sunrise (Three, 6.30 Saturday)
• Moomins & the Comet Chase (Whakaata Māori, 7.00 Saturday)
• The Switch (Three, 8.15 Saturday)
• The Trip to Greece (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Saturday)
• Carol (TVNZ 2, 12.10am Sunday)
• Dawn Raid (TVNZ 2, 2.10am Sunday)
• Kung Fu Panda 3 (TVNZ 2, 3.05 Sunday)
• The Amazing Spider-Man (Three, 8.00 Sunday)
• Baby Driver (TVNZ 2, 8.10 Sunday)
• Killshot (Eden, 8.30 Sunday)
• Paris Memories (Whakaata Māori, 8.40 Sunday)
• M3GAN (TVNZ 2, 12.10am Monday)
• You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (Duke, 9.30 Monday)
• Apollo 13 (Duke, 8.30 Tuesday)
• Escape from Mogadishu (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Wednesday).