New to View: April 19 – 25

A weekly guide to what’s new of note on air and online

SUNDAY

Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean: Havana To Haiti | Prime, 7.30

Part one of two. “I hope the programme will do for Cuba what the Silk Roads show did for Georgia. Most people would love Cuba, and intrepid types might even be inspired to visit Haiti. Patsy wouldn’t mind Havana at all — lots of lovely men down dark alleyways, and lots of drink. But Haiti? She’d probably turn up as a voodoo witch with an old bottle of Bolly.” — Joanna Lumley.

McDonald & Dodds | TVNZ 1, 8.30

“Dodds is a great character stuck in a not-that-great drama – one that feels like it’s been commissioned by algorithm. You liked all of those other detective shows? Then try this! So we have a young detective paired with an older sidekick (Endeavour), in a historic city (Inspector Morse), solving daft whodunits (Midsomer Murders) with guest stars (Death in Paradise).” — The Telegraph.

The Accident | Rialto, 8.30

Part one of four. “The people of the small ‘left behind’ fictional Welsh town of Glyngolau are celebrating a new construction project that is due to bring 1,000 new jobs to the area. As they start their ‘run’ they hear a terrible noise. On the building site, a factory block has blown up. What follows is the story of the shockwaves that ripple out from that event, finding the fissures in the community and causing relationships to crumble as people assign blame, cope with bereavement and survive the fallout.” — The Guardian.

MONDAY

Bradley Walsh and Son: Breaking Dad | TVNZ 1, 7.30

“The premise of Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad – [is] that Bradders is a 58-year-old jumbo grump and curmudgeon who’s ‘stuck in his ways’– and it’s fair to say it’s his least-convincing role to date. Bradley, we’re told, just wants to be left in peace in front of the telly and not harassed by his 20-year-old son, Barney. But Barney has other ideas. He’s dragging his dad out of his armchair and flying him to America so the pair can embark on a 2,000-mile road trip from Los Angeles to New Orleans.” — Radio Times.

One Lane Bridge | TVNZ 1, 8.30

“For One Lane Bridge’s leading actors, their roles in the murder mystery series is a chance to go against the grain and bring a point of difference to the genre’s tropes. The six-part series combines the suspense of a series like Broadchurch with the Kiwi lens of a tight-knit Queenstown community. A farmer is found dead, sparking an investigation the rattles the tight-knit community.” — NZ Herald.

The Rookie | Three, 8.30

One of Three’s most popular drama series resumes from episode 11 of season two. But the show has struggled in the US and it’s not clear if there will be a third.

Rebuilding Paradise With Paul Henry | Three, 9.30

The irreverent, iconic broadcaster bounces back with his take on how we can get back on our feet post-COVID. Screens Monday-Thursday, pre-empting SVU, NCIS, Hawaii Five-O and Live at the Apollo.

After Life (S2) | Netflix

“After Life is the best example of [Ricky] Gervais’ ability to find beauty in the banal without glossing over life’s more depressing moments. His body of work post-The Office has always attempted this to some degree, but After Life seems to bottle exactly what Gervais set out to do. It’s some of his most moving work to date, and if you can stomach the occasional C-bomb, his most rewarding.” — NME.