HD Heads-Up: October 15-21
October 6, 2022 
11 Comments
➢➢ TVNZ 1 will shake up its weekend schedule with a slate of new series that includes two of the year’s most compelling British dramas: Sherwood (9.35 Saturday) and This England (8.30 Sunday). Written by James Graham (Quiz), the former is loosely based on the true story of two unconnected murders that occurred in 2004 and has a stonking cast headed by David Morrissey, Lesley Manville and Joanne Froggatt. Sherwood has been renewed after the first series scored a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was acclaimed locally as “the British drama of the year” (The Spinoff) and “the best British crime drama since Broadchurch” (Stuff) …
➢➢ This England dramatises Boris Johnson’s initial travails as Prime Minister as he contended with the fallout from Covid-19 and Brexit. Billed as a “meticulously researched and powerful new series [that] interweaves politics with stories from across the UK”, it stars Sir Kenneth Branagh as Johnson, alongside Ophelia Lovibond (Elementary), Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch) and Simon Day (The Crown) …
➢➢ Reviews for This England, which went to air two weeks ago on Sky Atlantic, were damning on both sides of the political divide, from “so sympathetic to Boris Johnson it is absolutely bananas … leaden, artless and a disservice to all those who died” (The Guardian) to “Branagh fails to get under Boris’ skin – and this drama is a dud” (The Telegraph). But The Times thought it a “forensic retelling of Britain’s Covid-19 hellscape. Let’s be clear: it is brilliantly realistic. Too brilliantly realistic” …
➢➢ TVNZ 1 also will premiere:
- Lingo (7.00 Saturday), the daytime quiz show, in which three pairs of contestants deduce word puzzles, tests its primetime appeal
- the final season of Doc Martin (8.30 Saturday)
- S2 of The Secrets She Keeps (10.45 Saturday)
- former Three staple Grand Designs New Zealand (7.30 Tuesday), complete with a new host, British-born architect Tom Webster, and
- The Great Kiwi Bake Off: Celebrity Treasures Island Special (7.30 Thursday), a bizarre crossover in which six castaways compete to win $12,000 for charity …
➢➢ Other new series will include Would I Lie To You Australia (TVNZ 2, 9.00 Friday), the return of Australian Ninja Warrior (Three, 7.00 Sunday) and the S5 premiere of Young Sheldon (TVNZ 2, 7.00 Sunday). Ending their runs will be Killer Camp and Ten Year Old Tom …
➢➢ New documentaries to watch for include No Māori Allowed (TVNZ 1, 8.30 Tuesday), which exposes Pukekohe’s racist past, and Arctic Secrets (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Tuesday), a series about the emergence of the Arctic’s most magnificent and iconic creatures after seven months of darkness …
➢➢ Lesley Manville, Hugh Bonneville, Lashana Lynch and singer Sam Ryder will guest on Thursday’s The Graham Norton Show (Three, 8.30) ….
➢➢ Sports fans will be able to watch live free-to-air boxing (TVNZ 1, 11am Sunday), when Lightweight Champion Devin “The Dream” Haney defends his crown in a rematch with former Champion “Ferocious” George Kambosos Jr …
➢➢ The only movie screening for the first time on FTA TV in the third week of October will be The Rhythm Section (Three, 8.55 Sunday). Other HD coming attractions will include:
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (TVNZ 2, 7.00 Saturday)
- Fantastic Mr Fox (Whakaata Māori, 7.00 Saturday)
- Bend It Like Beckham (Three, 7.30 Saturday)
- Jackie (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Saturday)
- The Hulk (Eden, 8.30 Saturday)
- Lady Bird (Three, 9.35 Saturday)
- The Talented Mr Ripley (Duke, 10.10 Saturday)
- Ted 2 (TVNZ 2, 10.40 Saturday)
- Misunderstandings of Miscarriage (Three, 11.30 Saturday)
- The Shining (TVNZ 2, 12.55am Sunday)
- Storks (TVNZ 2, 4.15 Sunday)
- The Bourne Supremacy (TVNZ 2, 7.30 Sunday)
- The Fountain (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Sunday)
- Pride & Prejudice (Eden, 8.30 Sunday)
- Jaws 3 (TVNZ 2, 10.45 Sunday)
- Celia (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Monday)
- Disclosure (Duke, 8.30 Tuesday)
- Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde (Whakaata Māori, 8.30 Wednesday)
- Pompeii (Three, 7.30 Friday)
- Back to the Future (Eden, 8.30 Friday)
- I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (Duke, 9.30 Friday).
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October 6, 2022 at 8:58 am
Is the Lingo the UK version or US version?
It’s the UK version, John, with Good Morning Britain’s Adil Ray.
Anyone know if these are new episodes or just repeats of the recent run of morning episodes?
Hey, PuzzledPete, they’re billed as first-run.
Philip, the axe has fallen on Three’s 4.30 bulletin. I don’t understand this logic, you’ve pointed out that it rated well in its slot and beat the competition, so what’s the rationale for this decision? Are you able to confirm that AM Early and Newshub at 8pm are safe for 2023 please.
I’ll try, Leo, but I imagine WBD will be holding back this info until its upfront on November 3, when it will reveal its plans for 2023. The 4.30 bulletin continues to rate competitively but sounds like WBD is going to put more resources into its 11.30am bulletin. I am as surprised as you, as I would have thought 4.30 more vital to building interest in Newshub Live at 6pm. And while Discovery made a fuss about committing to news coverage, under the merger with WB there has been massive cost-cutting across the board globally, and no doubt Three is feeling the squeeze, especially given Newshub seems unable to close the gap with 1 News in primetime. Even so, with the upsurge in streaming, US networks are exploring more live news programming options in daytime and it seems strange WBD would be veering away from this strategy at a time when it seems more crucial than ever.
Do you think we will have some news for the new streaming service in November, Philip ?
At the very least I hope there’s an announcement about ThreeNow being subsumed by Discovery+, Trevor, but I imagine the HBO Max roll-out will still be 2024 at the earliest because of the legacy deal with Sky — unless some kind of accommodation can be made.
Hey, Leo. WBD has confirmed that AM Early and Newshub at 8pm will continue in 2023.
Thanks for replying Philip. It would be wonderful to see the end of ThreeNow ?
Cheers Philip for the confirmation that AM Early and Newshub at 8pm will return, I suppose it’s a silver lining from the imminent axing of 4.30. Seems like a shortsighted decision that will no doubt impact the lead-in for Newshub at 6pm and, as you have pointed out, that news is one of the last areas that FTA networks have to combat streaming erosion. What’s the bet that in 12 months’ time, they announce the return of 4.30? I know it’s a long shot but I do hope TVNZ resurrect their 4.30 bulletin to take away the audience that Newshub have built since 2017. Thanks for always giving us the answers to our queries. I look forward to their Upfronts next month.