New to View: August 29 – September 4

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

Monday

---

➢ Britannia SoHo, 8.30/Neon

“The biggest change as series three of Jez Butterworth’s Celts v Romans romp kicks off is that they’ve switched the theme tune to T Rex’s ‘Children of the Revolution.’ This is part of a pattern, with Donovan’s ‘Season of the Witch’ having displaced his other big hit, ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man,’ in the handover from series one and two. That’s about as radical as the reinvention goes … Monty Python meets Roman Britain, via a wild LSD trip … delirious good fun.” — The Daily Telegraph.

Tuesday

➢ Newshub Investigates: Delta/ Patrick Gower: On Hate Three, 7.30/8.30

This blockbuster double-bill investigates the latest COVID-19 outbreak and white supremacy in NZ — Gower describes the latter as his mea culpa for being made a fool of by Stefan Molyneux​ and Lauren Southern. “It is personal for me, as always,” he told The TV Guide, “and it is about trying to put it right by platforming Muslims and their views.” Not to be missed if you prefer advocacy over journalism. Screens opposite TVNZ 2’s 7.30 launch of Travel Guides Aussie Week.

➢ Only Murders in the Building Disney+

“Selena Gomez joins Martin Short and series co-creator Steve Martin in a comedy about three strangers who join forces to solve a crime and start a podcast … Not consistently funny, but angsty and mysterious enough to compensate.” — The Hollywood Reporter.

Wednesday

➢ How to Be a Cowboy Netflix

Dale Brisby, who has a 300,000-strong posse of YouTube subscribers and nearly 700,000 followers on Instagram, shows that it takes more than stetsons and spurs to be top gun on the range.

➢ Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror Netflix

“According to director Brian Knappenberger, modern history can be divided into two time frames: before 9/11 and after 9/11. This five-part effort seeks to examine how the catastrophic events of September 11 changed the course of the nation.” — Deadline.

➢ 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room Apple TV+

Non-subscribers can view this for free on September 11. “Narrated by Jeff Daniels, the documentary special tells the story of 9/11 through the eyes of the U.S. presidency through unprecedented access to the key decision makers who responded to the attacks. It recounts the 12 hours after the strike and dives into the dilemmas of against-the-clock-decision making.” — Variety.

➢ New Scotland Yard Files Neon

True-crime mix of documentary and dramatisation that reveals how the Yard’s top cops nabbed killers like The Camden Ripper and The Stockwell Strangler. “You’ll feel like you’re standing there right beside the detectives … absorbing [and] chilling viewing.” — Radio Times.

Thursday

➢ Million Pound Pawn TVNZ 1, 8.45

“The current coronavirus pandemic has left many people struggling to get by, meaning that many have turned to pawnbrokers to help in their time of need. While some guests appeared on the show to fund their luxury lifestyle, others were in need of money to help their loved ones … The first episode certainly didn’t leave a dry eye in sight.” — The Sun.

➢ Q-Force Netflix

“Netflix’s new animated series sets out to tell a James Bond-style espionage tale about a gay man, Steve Maryweather (Sean Hayes), who’s been marginalised from a fictionalised version of the CIA due to his sexuality … It attempts both to dazzle with self-consciously over-the-top spyjinks and to comment on the power of queer communities. This is a balance that collapses.” — Variety.

Friday

➢ What We Do in the Shadows Neon

“What We Do in the Shadows maintains its momentum, with more entertaining adventures and engaging interactions for the audience. Season 3 unequivocally demonstrates that the series is one of those that never gets old. The characters of Berry, Demetriou, and Novak, as well as Proksch and Guillén progress and grow, taking us to places we’ve never seen them go before. You don’t want to miss it.” — Awards Watch.

➢ Money Heist Netflix

Part 5, Volume 1; the final five episodes of this hit Spanish thieves thriller will premiere on December 3. “But they aren’t going down without a fight, so as well as the usual character drama, we’ll be getting plenty of gunfire and explosions too … The showrunners have said that the final five episodes will focus more of the ’emotional situation’ rather than things blowing up and all that flashy stuff.” — Digital Spy.

Saturday

➢ Home Economics TVNZ OnDemand

“While the ‘siblings with different incomes’ angle doesn’t have a tonne of precedence, Home Economics has a similar loose feel as a previous ABC hang-out show, Happy Endings, perhaps mixed in with its more recent series, Single Parents … Even though Home Economics starts off on a shaky foot in the funny department, the chemistry among the ensemble is so good that we’re hoping the show gets better over time.” — Decider.