New to View: August 23 – 29

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

Sunday

➢ Murder in the Outback TVNZ 1, 8.30

“The attack on British couple Peter Falconio and Joanne Lees on a Northern Territory highway in 2001, during which he was presumed murdered and she escaped, has generated widespread media coverage and fictionalised accounts, both before and after the 2005 conviction and life sentence for Bradley John Murdoch. With dramatised recreations and witness interviews, this four-part news documentary attempts to offer fresh perspectives, background detail and contrary accounts. Murdoch is entitled to advocate for his innocence, as are those who cast doubts on his guilt, but the cold case intent of this show is called into question by the extensive presence of former defence lawyer Andrew Fraser, whose own crimes made for the 2009 series Killing Time. Whether playing the sage investigator or spinning his own downfall, Fraser is a gregarious character, but he diminishes the credibility of Murder in the Outback.” — Sydney Morning Herald.

Tuesday

➢ Meat the Family TVNZ 1, 8.30

“This fiendishly cruel yet compellingly juicy format forced four families to reconsider their diets by caring for farm animals in their back gardens for three weeks, before choosing whether to send them to a sanctuary or slaughterhouse. Could they kill and consume their new pets? Or would they turn vegetarian to spare them? … Without wagging it finger, this fascinating film gently explored the ethics of meat-eating by personalising the issue. It also offered reassurance that, like with climate change, our future is in safe hands with the younger generation. It was populist, non-preachy programming. The very definition of food for thought.” — The Telegraph.

Wednesday

➢ The Outliers Maori TV, 7.30

New series about “inspirational youth from minority communities that are bucking the trends and standing out from their peers”, including Wellingtonian Eddie Osei-Nketia, the fastest person in Australasia.

➢ Wildest Places BBC Earth, 9.25

This series about the extraordinarily diverse wildlife in the Pacific, Antarctic, and Australia includes never-before-seen footage filmed above and below the water over more than 10 years.

➢ Casual TVNZ OnDemand

Four-season Hulu comedy about a bachelor brother and his newly-divorced sister living under one roof again while raising her teenage daughter. “Jason Reitman’s Casual is a funny — albeit very specific — look at modern dating, sharpened by edgy dialogue and self-assured performances.” — Rotten Tomatoes.

Friday

➢ Project Blue Book TVNZ 1, 11.00

“After an intriguing first season where the plot revolved around government cover ups, Russian spies and scientific justification, Season 2 hits the ground running with its own theory on Roswell before plunging straight into Area 51, that other great bastion of UFO conspiracy theories. Focussing much more on Neal McDonough’s General Harding – the whisky-drinking boss set up as the show’s snarling villain – this season looks at the origins of both that character and many of the UFO myths we know … With their sophomore season the writers now assume a certain amount of knowledge in the audience and that makes for refreshingly good pace after occasionally becoming somewhat bogged down throughout their freshman run..” — Starburst Magazine.

➢ Cobra Kai Netflix

First two seasons of the Karate Kid sequel that originally streamed on YouTune Premium before being renewed for a third that will stream shortly on Netflix. “Cobra Kai doesn’t live in the past; instead it hits viewers with bursts of nostalgia endorphins, leaving us giddy and defenseless against the next emotional wallop … More entertaining and well-executed than it has any right to be.” — Entertainment Weekly.

Saturday

➢ Great Asian Railways Journeys Living, 7.30

“There is nothing the producers of the eminently watchable programmes about railway journeys featuring Michael Portillo like more than to see the frontman taken well out of his comfort zone. Thus in the latest series the man with a penchant for pink jackets and lime green trousers finds himself being put through his paces by a master of the art of Thai boxing, tuning into his musical side with a dan bau stringed instrument in Vietnam, and putting his back (and bottom) into the craft of making noodles in Hong Kong.” — The Telegraph.

➢ I Am a Killer: Released Netflix

“The story of Dale Wayne Sigler who was sentenced to death 30 years ago for a cold-blooded murder he admitted to committing. Shot on location in Texas and produced over a three-year period, the series [follows] Sigler, after spending more than half of his life behind bars, as he released back into the world … As Sigler begins to adjust on the outside, he addresses the life he took as well as the one he lost and reveals his true motive for committing the brutal crime, which is shockingly different to the reason the world always believed.” — Decider.