HD Heads-Up: November 30-December 6

➢➢ Ludwig (TVNZ 1, 8.30 Sunday) was one of the year’s biggest and most acclaimed hits in the UK. David Mitchell plays a Cambridge puzzle creator whose life is upended when his twin brother, a detective chief inspector, disappears and he reluctantly assumes his identity and joins the force to to try to find him using his unique deduction skills. Quipped The Times: “It’s the sign of a well-written show that not one but two preposterous storylines can be introduced without fuss each episode and be made to work together, just by getting Mitchell to look exasperated and roll his eyes as if to say, of course this is what happens if you don’t put your socks, pants and trousers on in the right order!” …

➢➢ The Body Next Door (TVNZ 1, 9.40 Sunday) is “a jaw-droppingly addictive true-crime tale” said The Guardian of this docuseries that opens with the discovery of a body wrapped in 40 layers of plastic in a Welsh village that had its origins in NZ 50 years earlier …

➢➢ Black Widow (Sky Open, 8.30 Sunday) is a three-part investigation into a death that went from apparent suicide to suspected murder …

➢➢ Ram Raid Mums (TVNZ 1, 7.30 Monday) is a Documentary NZ profile of three women struggling to raise their children “in a system that seems to have failed them” …

➢➢ Hitting the rocky road are Ruby Wax, Melanie Brown and Emily Atack in 2022’s Trailblazers: A Rocky Mountain Road Trip (TVNZ 1, 8.35 Saturday), in which the trio re-traces the footsteps of forgotten Victorian explorer Isabella Bird, while Sue Perkins in Alaska (TVNZ 1, 8.30 Wednesday) explores the US state’s extreme weather, wildlife and wilderness …

➢➢ An equally tense BBC variation on The Bear, Boiling Point (TVNZ 1, 9.50 Saturday), and Showtime drama The Man Who Fell to Earth (Sky Open, 10.00 Tuesday) make their belated free to air debuts; the original Boiling Point movie can be streamed on Māori+ …

➢➢ Returning for new seasons are Night Coppers S2 (TVNZ 1, 9.30 Monday), Road Wars S2 (Duke, 9.30 Thursday) and Customer Wars S2 (Duke, 10.00 Thursday) while ending their runs are:

• Gino’s Italy: Secrets of the South
• The Hui
• Ibiza Narcos
• Mary & George
• Married at First Sight UK
• Lopez vs. Lopez
• The World’s Most Expensive Cruise 
• Council of Dads …

➢➢ Appearing on The Graham Norton Show (Three, 7.00 Thursday) are Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, James Norton and Chris McCausland …

➢➢ Live/delayed FTA sport includes:

• Cricket – Black Caps v England (Duke, 10.30am Saturday-Monday)
• A-League Men: Auckland FC take on Newcastle Jets (Sky Open, 4.30 Saturday)
• English Premier League: Goal Rush (Sky Open, 10am Sunday)
• Hungry Jack’s NBL25 Season: BNZ Breakers v Perth Wildcats (Duke, 6.40 Sunday)
• NFL (Duke, 7am Monday)
• Hungry Jack’s NBL25 Season: BNZ Breakers v Melbourne United (Duke, 7.30 Thursday) …

➢➢ HD coming attractions include:

• Meet the Fockers (TVNZ 2, 7.00 Saturday)
• Scooby-Doo (Three, 7.00 Saturday)
• Felix and the Hidden Treasure (Whakaata Māori, 7.00 Saturday)
• Military Wives (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Saturday)
• Four Holidays (Three, 8.50 Saturday)
• Divergent (TVNZ 2, 9.10 Saturday)
• Crazy Rich Asians (TVNZ 2, 11.50 Saturday)
• My Girl (TVNZ 2, 3.30 Sunday)
• Selena (Eden, 8.30 Sunday)
• Jack Reacher 2 – Never Go Back (TVNZ 2, 8.40 Sunday)
• Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (Whakaata Māori, 8.45 Sunday)
• Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (TVNZ 2, 11.50 Sunday)
• No Ordinary Sheila (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Monday)
• Last Action Hero (Duke, 8.35 Monday)
• The Devil’s Own (Duke, 8.30 Tuesday)
• Conan the Barbarian (Duke, 10.35 Tuesday)
• The Inland Road (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Wednesday)
• My Best Friend’s Girl (Three, 8.40 Thursday)
• Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (Three, 8.00 Friday).