HD Heads-Up: October 24 – October 30

TV1 will premiere the universally acclaimed true-life drama The C-Word as a Labour Weekend special (8.30 Sunday).

The BBC dramatisation stars Sheridan Smith (Cilla) as a 28-year-old magazine editor who shed light on her cancer by blogging about it with raw candour (“cancer bitch, but not cancer’s bitch”).

According to The Independent, “She nicknamed cancer ‘the Bullshit’ and focused her energies on family, friends and a funny, candid blog that became a solace for thousands of strangers around the world in a similar predicament.”

It and other critics praised the telemovie for its truth and humour.

“This was tough, uncompromising material but it never lost its keen edge of humanity,” The Telegraph said.

“As drama it may have been as honest and unsentimental as Lynch herself, but it was all the more heartbreaking for that.”

“The C-Word is very sad and very funny and very honest and – most of all – very human,” concurred The Guardian.

“Ace from Sheridan Smith, demonstrating – yet again – that right now there isn’t really anyone to touch her for turning words in a script into breathing, warm-blooded human life. For nailing it, basically.”

Also new to TV1 that weekend is Slow Train Through Africa With Griff Rhys Jones (7.30 Saturday), which, believe it or not given the panoramic scope of the series, won’t be in HD.

“This amiable British actor is the latest in a long line of lively presenters and authors as diverse as Michael Palin, Billy Connolly, Rick Stein, Stephen Fry, Tony Robinson and even Jamie Oliver who have artfully demonstrated their versions of the slightly eccentric Englishman abroad in a range of successful formats,” said The Australian.

“Like his thespian predecessors, he hardly stops chattering about the things he discovers or jesting and even providing the odd pratfall.”

“The first episode sees him depart from Marrakech laden with souk-sourced supplies for a trip to Fe,” said The Guardian.

“With Griff exuding as much enthusiasm for the backgrounds of fellow passengers as for the cities he visits, it’s a welcome addition to the Wry Comedic Travelogue genre.”

TV2’s Labour Weekend highlights range from pre-empting Shortland Street and Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris for Toy Story 3 (7.00 Friday) and dusting off Disney classic Alice in Wonderland for its free-to-air HD premiere (7.00 Sunday).

Other coming attractions in HD include: Meet The Robinsons (TV2, 7.00 Saturday), Marley & Me (TV3, 7.00 Saturday), Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me (TV2, 8.55 Saturday), You Again (TV2, 10.50 Saturday), The Joneses (TV2, 12.55am Sunday), The Greatest (TV2, 2.50am Sunday), Cast Away (TV2, 8.30 Sunday) and Dream House (TV2, 12.20am Monday).

In other HD comings and goings: Best of Top Gear returns in a new slot (TV3, 4.55 Sunday) … TV1’s Top Country (8.00 Sunday), Perception (midnight Tuesday) and House Husbands (8.30 Thursday) end their runs … Another season of Amazing Spaces: Shed Of The Year starts Thursday (TV1, 7.30) … TV3’s transgender season continues with Born in the Wrong Body: My Transgender Summer Camp (9.30 Thursday) … Colin Farrell, Rachel Wiesz, Dawn French, Chris O’Dowd and Rod Stewart guest on The Graham Norton Show (TV3, 8.30 Friday).