HD Heads-Up: May 31-June 6

May 22, 2025 0 Comments

➢➢ TVNZ 1 uses King’s Birthday Weekend to launch a week after its BBC premiere Walking With Dinosaurs (7.00 Monday). The belated sequel to the 1999 series of the same name, it’s been updated with “cutting-edge science and state-of-the-art visual effects” to reveal how prehistoric creatures lived, hunted, fought and died. “A lot has changed since the Kenneth Branagh-narrated series first aired in 1999, including the fact that many people now believe dinosaurs, like dragons, did not actually exist,” The Guardian said. “Whether our post-factual world, AI or the popularity of TV series such as House of the Dragon are to blame, who knows? But [WWD showrunner Kirsty] Wilson hopes this series will disabuse people of that notion. She says whereas the original WWD ‘was purely visual special effects and animatronics [with] no dig sites involved at all, this time around, we’re … doing our homework for the audience to see. We wanted to feature the real science that goes on’” …

➢➢ “Twelve virgins, one island and a team of sex therapists who encourage participants to pleasure them … Channel 4’s new show is eye-popping TV,” said The Guardian of Virgin Island (TVNZ 2, 9.35 Tuesday) but pondered: “Is Virgin Island the most awkward TV sexperiment ever?” The London Evening Standard was even more blunt: “Is watching people hump on TV anybody’s idea of a good time?” But The Telegraph said it’s not as exploitative as it sounds: “The closest thing to Virgin Island is not Love Island (it’s the antithesis of Love Island, which is a blessing) or Naked Attraction, but The Undateables. These people are all perfectly dateable but don’t consider themselves to be, and suffer either from rock-bottom self-esteem, social awkwardness or both” …

➢➢ Irresistible: Why We Can’t Stop Eating (TVNZ 1, 9.00 Monday): “This investigation into the dark side of the food industry, presented by Dr Chris van Tulleken, is persuasive without hectoring. This documentary squarely blamed the food industry for the crisis in public health, and the particular focus was on the clever ways in which it makes us buy more of the things that aren’t good for us” (The Telegraph) …

➢➢ If you haven’t already binged it on ThreeNow, Aussie crime drama sequel Scrublands: Silver (Three, 9.25 Tuesday) follows investigative journalist Martin Scarden back to his coastal home town, where his new partner becomes the chief suspect in the murder of his childhood friend. “A well-plotted murder mystery that wastes no time throwing suspects and secretive activities at the viewer, it balances out the plot twists and ever-growing list of People of Interest with the occasional glimpse into Martin’s teen years, complete with post-grunge soundtrack,” said ScreenHub …

➢➢ Into the Jungle With Ed Stafford (Three, 7.30 Wednesday) is the network’s new anchor for its reality block. “The survivalist takes vulnerable children and their fathers to the jungle – then turns them into absolute audience fodder,” excoriated The Guardian. “It was painfully slow, a whole hour centred on two points of contrived jeopardy (rock pool; abseil) that would look like peanuts to anyone who’s ever crossed a road,” scorned The Telegraph. But The Times reckons, “After just one episode you were left with a real conviction that everyone involved would glean something genuinely meaningful from a jungle contest” …

➢➢ Other network premieres include:

Diary of a Junior Doctor (TVNZ 1, 7.30 Tuesday), which chronicles the lives of five junior doctors in Auckland’s biggest and busiest hospital
Vicky (Line of Duty) McLure thriller Insomnia (TVNZ 1, 10.30 Sunday), a Paramount+ psychological drama that divided critics
Sullivan’s Crossing (TVNZ 2, 5.05 Sunday), which already can be streamed on TVNZ+
fresh seasons of FBI: International S4 (TVNZ 2, 11.10 Sunday) and Never Mind The Buzzcocks S31 (TVNZ 2, 9.35 Thursday) …

➢➢ Duke starts new seasons of Into the Badlands (11.40 Saturday) and The Horne Section (10.40 Wednesday) while making its series debut is Cult Cars: Landcruiser (9.30 Thursday), a four-part Foxtel Original docuseries, in which Luke Purdy and Taylor Smith explore Australia’s outback …

➢➢ Whakaata Māori is launching Pakipūmeka Aotearoa, a season of local documentaries that explores the modern off-grid lifestyle, “blending documentary storytelling with engaging lifestyle content” (8.30 Monday). It opens with Nomad, in which a young Māori nomad from Te Waipounamu seeks to live off the land like his tūpuna …

➢➢ Border Patrol Special: Biggest Busts (TVNZ 1, 8.00 Monday) is an hour-long season-finale compilation special. Also ending their runs are:

Dynamo: Beyond Belief
From
Knuckles
George Clarke’s Remarkable Renovations
Saving Lives At Sea
Year Of
Off the Grid with Colin and Manu
Big Adventures Into Thailand With Sue Perkins …

➢➢ Delayed/free-to-air sport includes:

ANZ Premiership Netball: Mainland Tactix v Northern Mystics (TVNZ 2, 4.00 Saturday)
SRP: Hurricanes v Moana Pasifika (Sky Open, 7.00 Saturday)
NRL: Cowboys v Wests Tigers R13 (Sky Open, 9.30 Saturday)
Sal’s NBL: Franklin Bulls v Auckland Tuatara (Sky Open, 3.00 Sunday)
NRL: Rabbitohs v Warriors R13 (Sky Open, 8.30 Sunday)
NRL: Storm v Cowboys R14 (Sky Open, 7.30 Friday) …

➢➢ HD movies include: