HDTV Heads-Up: February 11-17

TV3 will pair the award-winning new drama sensation of the 2011/12 US TV season, Homeland, with the return of CSI, which will have a new-look lead-in of Last Man Standing and Modern Family.

Homeland last month won Golden Globes for best drama series and best actress in a drama (Claire Danes), and is being previewed online for a week from 9am Thursday, at TV3.co.nz/Homeland, ahead of its February 13 launch.

Last Man Standing is Tim Allen’s first sitcom since Home Improvement, and like the rest of TV3’s new Monday night line-up, will air in HD.

The latest season of CSI recruits Ted Danson as the new forensics boss and will screen opposite its traditional HD nemesis, Desperate Housewives, on TV2.

Against Homeland TV2 will pit another new HD drama, Revenge, about a woman who wreaks retribution on a privileged community.

Modern Family isn’t the only HD comedy switching slots for the new season: TV2 is relocating The Middle to 7.30pm Tuesdays, to help launch a new HD sitcom, Suburgatory, about a New York City teenager for whom life in the suburbs is purgatory.

Screening for the first time in HD this year is Happy Endings, which will air 9pm Wednesdays after all-new The Big Bang Theory (earlier seasons of which will screen in HD for the first time from 7pm Sundays).

Sundays also will see TV3 resurrect The Big C at 9.30pm, after the return of House (again in SD) while TV2’s return of Pretty Little Liars at 5.30pm will push back Hellcats to 4pm.

That night TV2 is screening in HD the 2009 thriller, A Perfect Getaway.

Also new in HD that week are seasons four of Go Girls (TV2, 8.30 Tuesday) and Sons of Anarchy (TV3, 9.15 Wednesday).