New to Rialto Channel in September

Among the first attractions you’ll see in HD on the new-look Rialto Channel from Wednesday are the Keisha Castle-Hughes miniseries On the Ropes and NZ documentary Yellow is Forbidden.

Here are the premieres for the rest of the month:

Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie (8.30, September 18): Director Andrea Nevins follows the efforts to transform Barbie into more than a 21^st century toy, complete with interviews with feminist historians and writers Gloria Steinem, Amanda Foreman, Peggy Orenstein, and Roxane Gay. As Nevins loops in cultural touchstones like beauty pageants, it gradually becomes apparent that a history of Barbie is nothing less than a history of Western womanhood.

Trump’s Showdown (8.30, September 19): Traces the dramatic events that have led the White House and the United States to the brink of what could become a Constitutional crisis. Gripping and riveting, this is the epic inside story of President Trump’s unprecedented confrontation with federal investigators.

Stray (8.30, September 21): Two damaged strangers fall into a complex relationship in Kiwi director Dustin Feneley’s beautiful yet harrowing debut feature film. Jack is on parole for grievous bodily harm and holes himself up in remote Central Otago, where he encounters Grace, far from home and seeking refuge.

Iona (8.30, September 22): A young woman and her teenage son flee Glasgow, seeking refuge from a violent crime, to her birthplace, the isle of Iona. Their return exposes her tormented son, Bull, to a way of life that Iona rejected when she left the island as a teenager.

Trapped (8.30, September 23): Before the lucky beneficiary of one million Euros from a complete stranger can access the money, she has to complete a macabre task: kill a man who deserves to die. While she needs money to care for her sick daughter, can she put aside her morals for something she needs so desperately?

Pick of the Litter (8.30, September 25): Follows a litter of puppies from the moment they’re born as they begin their quest to become Guide Dogs for the Blind – the ultimate canine career. The stakes are high and not every dog can make the cut.

Hawke: The Larrikin and the Leader (8.30, September 26): A riveting in-depth examination of the life and leadership of Labour legend Bob Hawke. Drawing on extensive television interviews with Hawke and featuring first-hand accounts from John Howard, Bill Kelty, John Eales, and Peter Garrett, this compelling political biography explores the realities and contradictions of one of Australia’s greatest leaders to reveal the real Bob Hawke.

Journey’s End (8.30, September 28): WWI drama about a company of British soldiers in northern France who use food and the memories of their lives before the war to distract from a pending German offensive.

Maze (8.30, September 29): The incredible true story of the 1983 mass break-out of 38 IRA prisoners from the HMP Maze high security prison in Northern Ireland — and the relationship between the mastermind of the largest prison escape in Europe since WWII and the prison warden that represented the first steps towards the eventual peace process.

Double Lover (8.30, September 30): Unable to fight bouts of depression, a woman enters psychoanalysis and falls in love with her caring psychiatrist. After they move in together,  feelings of mistrust creep in and she impulsively visits another psychiatrist. Spiralling emotional and sexual stakes push all three to extremes.

• Rialto is premium channel that costs $11.18 a month on top of a standard Sky sub.