HD Heads-Up: November 27 – December 3

➢➢ Documentary series about Ghislaine Maxwell, Greta Thunberg and Muhammad Ali dominate network premieres for the week starting November 27. Chasing Ghislaine (Three, 9.40 Wednesday) is a three-part Discovery+ series about “the dark partnership” between Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. It was executive produced by novelist James Patterson and features more than 30 exclusive filmed interviews. Discovery+ says the series will aim to expose “the mystery behind Epstein’s wealth and influence and how Maxwell’s alleged role within this conspiracy threatens a shadowy cabal of international elite and world leaders who might do anything to keep their identities — and motives — hidden” …

➢➢ Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World (TVNZ 1, 11.35 Monday) follows the environmental activist as she crosses the Atlantic twice in a sailboat to meet world leaders and climate scientists. The Independent thought the three-part series, which has been streaming OnDemand, “effectively an act of worship … predictable but still breathtaking” while Stuff argued it “does a terrific job of presenting Thunberg as wholly reasonable – not the shrill haranguer some politicians and conspiracy theorists would have you believe” …

➢➢ Muhammad and Larry (Duke, 10.20 Tuesday) is a 2009 entry from ESPN’s excellent 30 for 30 series that documents the build-up to Muhammad Ali’s unprecedented fourth heavyweight title, against his friend and former sparring partner Larry Holmes, in October 1980. Giving what ensued more punch than most sport documentaries is its capture by award-winners documentaries Albert and David Maysles …

➢➢ Under Investigation (TVNZ 1, 9.30 Monday) is an Australian docu-series that places a studio audience and panellists literally inside the crime scene of an unfolding investigation via laser projectors …

➢➢ Fresh from TVNZ OnDemand will come Lie With Me (TVNZ 1, 8.30 Saturday), a two-part Channel 5 series about British woman and her Australian husband who relocate their family to Melbourne, where their live-in nanny turns out to be no Mary Poppins. The Telegraph called it an “hysterical psychodrama” that will “have you hooked” and The Guardian “a Down Under dud” …

➢➢ Paul Rudd, Ron Howard, Halle Berry, Stephen Fry and Miriam Margolyes guest on the December 2 broadcast of The Graham Norton Show in its earlier slot (Three, 8.25 Thursday)…

➢➢ Duke will dust off the 2015 Syfy series Killjoys for a late-night free-to-air run (11.25 Wednesdays) in another example of TVNZ maximising its NBCUniversal deal. About interplanetary bounty hunters, it first screened on Sky’s The Zone. The NY Times thought it “well cast and written and staged with a campy sense of humour” but Variety dubbed it “a tedious exercise in Blade Runner lite” …

➢➢ Returning will be Heathrow: Britain’s Busiest Airport (TVNZ 1, 8.05 Saturday), Naked Attraction: Naughtiest Bits (TVNZ 2, 9.45 Monday) and Location Location Location (TVNZ 1, 8.30 Wednesday) while S6 of Strike Back will begin its first free-to-air run (Prime, 9.30 Wednesday) …

➢➢ Ending their runs will be Sunday, SAS: Who Dares Wins, Bloodlands, Mr Robot, Cold Case, Spreadsheet, Taskmaster, The UnXplained With William Shatner, The Voice Australia and Coroner …

➢➢ HD coming attractions for the week starting November 27 will include:

• Red Dog: True Blue (Three, 1.25 Saturday)
• The Lord of the Rings – The Return of the King (TVNZ 2, 7.00 Saturday)
• The Road to El Dorado (Maori TV, 7.00 Saturday)
• Holmes and Watson (Three, 8.30 Saturday)
• One Thousand Ropes (Maori TV, 8.30 Saturday)
• Freddy vs Jason (Duke, 9.30 Saturday)
• The Neighborhood Nightmare (Three, 10.20 Saturday)
• Logan (TVNZ 2, 10.35 Saturday)
• Dave (TVNZ 2, 2.50 Sunday)
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (TVNZ 2, 7.30 Sunday)
• Men in Black (Three, 8.30 Sunday)
• Delicacy (Maori TV, 8.30 Sunday)
• It (TVNZ 2, 10.45 Sunday)
• Gangs of New York (Prime, 8.30 Monday)
• Rambo: First Blood (Duke, 8.30 Tuesday)
• The Devil Wears Prada (TVNZ 2, 7.30 Friday)
• Riddick (Three, 7.30 Friday)
• I Kill Giants (Maori TV, 8.30 Friday)
• Disaster Movie (Duke, 10.00 Friday).