New to View: August 8 – 14

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

➢ Head High Three, 8.30

Wentworth’s Robbie Magasavia has been recruited for S2 of this high school rugby drama while some of the secondary characters in S1, such as Jordi Webber’s Constable Crux, will have bigger roles.

➢ Debris TVNZ OnDemand

The X-Files meets Fringe in this sci-fi newcomer about two agents investigating wreckage from an alien spacecraft. “Debris sets itself apart with its canny use of special effects. Many moments in the pilot unfurl into downright chilling images.” — Variety.

➢ The Circuit Acorn TV

Mystery Road’s Aaron Pedersen plays an outback lawyer in this acclaimed 2007 series. “With plot lines including child abuse, racism and an abandoned generation, The Circuit boasts poetic moments not previously mirrored by most small screen dramas … Despite its excellent and authentic performances it will not make for easy viewing; which is a very good reason to watch it.” — TV Tonight.

Tuesday

➢ The Spanish Princess Prime, 8.30

S2 of the Catherine of Aragon drama. “There are equals parts battles and romances, and the set designs, careful costuming, cosy exteriors, and rainy grey moors create a fantastic aesthetic. But it’s ultimately the intrigue of the court that garners the most interest, along with the faltering of the desired Camelot that Catherine planned for with Arthur and later with Henry.” — Paste.

➢ Toddlers Behaving Badly TVNZ 2, 8.30

“This new series is essentially Supernanny with a woman called Laura Amies replacing Jo Frost. She arrives on the doorstep of despairing parents, diagnoses their problems in a matter of minutes and magically transforms their children’s behaviour. She’s so good at it that she can do three kids in an hour-long episode, if the show is to be believed.” — The Daily Telegraph.

➢ Cry Wolf Rialto Channel, 8.30

Award-winning eight-part Danish drama about a social worker investigating a teenager’s wild allegations about violence in her family. “What I found exciting is it’s a criminal investigation within a family, and the tension comes from who is lying and who is telling the truth,” writer Maja Jul Larsen (Borgen, Follow the Money) told Drama Quarterly.

Wednesday

➢ Give Us a Clue TVNZ 1, 7.30

Revival of celebrity charades. “Give Us a Break would be more apt … Feels spectacularly cheap but times are tough and it’s better to see ourselves on the box than air time being given to another rerun of The Chase. But is that a good enough reason to watch? I’ll give you a clue: It’s one syllable and rhyme with ‘oh.'” — NZ Herald.

➢ ZeroZeroZero SoHo, 8.30

Linear premiere of Neon’s outstanding global drugs cartel saga told from alternating perspectives. Utterly compelling and cinematic.

➢ What If … ? Disney+

“Now that Loki’s over, what’s next for Marvel series on Disney+? The answer is Marvel’s What If…?, an animated anthology series that explores what would happen if major moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe played out with different characters, like Peggy Carter taking the Super-Soldier Formula instead of Steve Rogers.” — C|Net.

Thursday

➢ 7 Days/Aussie Gold Hunters Three, 8.30/9.30

Odd-couple double-bill of the year: a new season of the Kiwi comedy warhorse paired with S4 of the Discovery reality series that’s still to lose its shine: Discovery recently commissioned two more 20-ep seasons.

➢ Super Rich Sleepovers TVNZ 1, 8.45

Sally Lindsay dumps “posh” pal Nigel Havers to go it alone in this series about ultra-flash homes. “Never have sleepovers been more mind-bogglingly decadent … each hour-long episode will satiate your desire for property porn. Of course, it’s better than looking into a plush hotel, because this is owned by a singular individual and you get to observe all their kooks, quirks, tastes and critique how they live.” — Tatler.

➢ Riverdale Netflix

S5 premiere that’s essentially a S4 leftover because of COVID-19 disruptions. “As such it thrusts us into the start of the endgame of last season’s storylines … To be fair, it’s a solid episode. Just one that, through no fault of its own, doesn’t really work as a season premiere. That minor gripe aside, there’s a lot to enjoy here.” — Den of Geek.

➢ Five Bedrooms Neon

S2 of the Australian comedy, about five singles who buy a house together, that’s spearheading this week’s launch of Paramount+ in Australia. “We want to get to 12 seasons, and that’s much more possible in the US and the UK,” starting Doris Yunane says. “I think now that we’re with Paramount, the potential for continuing for longer is much greater. And we’ve got a lot to squeeze out of this one.”

Friday

➢ Law & Order: Organised Crime Prime, 8.30

The latest spin-off brings Christopher Meloni back to the NYPD 10 years on. “Meloni’s patented smile-stare is as effective as ever. And the action moved with a familiar Law & Order dispatch. Much of the [premiere], however, felt generic, cursorily plotted and filled out with thin and unconvincing characters.” — New York Times.

➢ Brand New Cherry Flavor Netflix

Todd Grimson’s novel comes to Netflix as a horror-thriller revenge series starring Rosa Salazar (Alita: Battle Angel) as a fledgling filmmaker who “tumbles down a hallucinatory rabbit hole of sex, magic, revenge — and kittens”.

➢ Modern Love / Star Trek: Lower Decks Amazon Prime Video

Sophomore seasons of the romantic anthology and the animated sci-fi spoof. The first Modern Love tale stars Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) and Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody). “A wonderful addition to the Modern Love library, simultaneously capturing all of the series’ best elements while maintaining its distinct personality throughout.” — Digital Spy.

➢ Gone for Good Netflix

The latest Netflix adaptation of a Harlan Coben novel is a five-part French thriller about the mysterious disappearance of a man’s girlfriend 10 years  after losing the two people he loved most.

➢ The Kingdom Netflix

Eight-part political thriller. “Featuring a top-notch Argentine cast … El Reino turns on a man running for vice-president of Argentina, when the presidential candidate is assassinated at campaign close. Sensing the opportunity to become the next president of Argentina, he also seeks to discover who’s behind the assassination and its reasons.” — Variety.

Saturday

➢ Anne Boleyn TVNZ 1, 8.35

Jodie Turner-Smith becomes the first black woman to play Queen Anne. “With a predominantly female creative team behind the show (director Lynsey Miller, producer Faye Ward, writer Eve Hedderwick Turner), the blank pages of Boleyn’s history book are filled with a modern, empowered interpretation of the queen.” — Empire.

➢ It’s a Sin TVNZ 1, 9.35

“Russell T. Davies’ limited series about the dawn of the [AIDS] crisis in early 1980s London is a gut-wrenching look at the horrors of the disease — but it makes plenty of room for joy, too.” — Rolling Stone.