New to View: January 31 – February 5

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

➢ Cocaine: Living With The Cartels Three, 9.40

Continues Tuesday and Wednesday. “The first episode was a bit ordinary, as it introduced its cast of four British recreational cocaine users, all in their twenties, and explained why their habit may be ill-advised. But the plan was to demonstrate that there’s a bit more to the drugs trade than hoovering up a few lines on a Friday night, and in episode two, the visitors collided with some crushing home truths about the cocaine industry’s trail of devastation. Their gaucheness and ignorance was increasingly embarrassing.” — The i.

Tuesday

➢ War On Plastic Three, 9.40

“It is over a year since Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Anita Rani launched their war on plastic, revealing the enormity of the problem of single-use plastics. In this follow-up episode, Hugh and Anita ratchet up their efforts a gear as they take on the companies that make tea bags and sandwiches, continue the battle with fast-food companies and their plastic toy giveaways, challenge a British family to go plastic free on a budget … and discover the problem with single-use disposable plastic masks.” — BBC.

➢ Firefly Lane Netflix

“You might need tissues at the ready for this new series adapted from Kristin Hannah’s popular novel of the same name. The 10-part series follows lifelong, inseparable best friends (Grey’s Anatomy’s Katherine Heigl and Scrubs’ Sarah Chalke) and charts their relationship through their teens into their 40s.” — TV & Satellite Week.

Wednesday

➢ Louis Theroux: Life On The Edge Prime, 9.45

“An intriguing catch-up with his most memorable interviewees … This was fairly light fare, amounting to little more than clips and chit-chat, but an hour spent in Theroux’s company is rarely wasted. He was self-analytical and wryly witty. Montages showed his evolution from faux-naive Harry Potter lookalike into the hardened, grey-stubbled reporter of today.” — The Telegraph.

➢ Search Party Neon

“The show’s fourth season has only heightened the wit and suspense of previous seasons, with Dory (Alia Shawkat) attempting to fight her way out of captivity at the hands of an obsessive fan (Cole Escola), while comedic powerhouses like Susan Sarandon and Busy Philipps have joined the cast … The last four episodes [provide] a shocking and cathartic ending to a relentlessly tense and hilarious season.” — Time.

Thursday

➢ Bulletproof  SoHo, 9.30

“I’ve always been a fan of Sky’s Bulletproof, which is basically London’s answer to Bad Boys. The second season came and went last year with what seemed like very little fuss, but nonetheless, it has been commissioned for another outing after this three-part special set in South Africa, which finds Bishop (Noel Clarke) and Pike (Ashley Walters) on holiday — though they have far from a relaxing time. It’s a bit too brief to really make much of a splash, and it’s very much more of the same in a new, sunnier setting, but it contains all the stuff that made the first two seasons a riot and if you liked those, you’ll definitely like this too.” — ReadySteadyCut.

➢ Back TVNZ OnDemand

“Even if you like your comedy dark, Back (Channel 4) can still leave you reeling. Starring Peep Show’s David Mitchell and Robert Webb, the six-part series [explores] childhood trauma, jealousy, small-town anxiety and, above all, self-loathing. Fortunately, it is also very, very funny.” — The Telegraph.

➢ Confessions of a Serial Killer TVNZ OnDemand

“Possibly the most prolific serial killer in US history, Samuel Little claims to have murdered more than 90 women across the US over a 40-year period before DNA evidence led to his conviction in 2014. On a journey from California to Mississippi, film-maker Ben Zand delineates the extraordinary story of how this dangerous, deluded drifter managed to remain on the loose for so long. An unnerving, compelling documentary unafraid to ask important questions about the US criminal justice system.” — The Guardian.

Friday

➢ Between Two Worlds TVNZ 1, 11.00

“Between Two Worlds is an intense, high concept melodrama about two very different worlds, thrown together by death and a sacrifice in one and the chance for new life in the other. These two worlds will never be the same again, as they finally merge and become one … One episode of this was far too much to me. If you like nonsense melodramas, you might enjoy Between Two Worlds, but you really have to like them.” — The Medium Is Not Enough.

➢ Invisible City Netflix

While investigating a mysterious death, a man is drawn into a battle between the human world and a realm inhabited by mythical creatures.

Saturday

➢ The Life and Trials of Oscar Pistorius TVNZ OnDemand

“Sprinter and convicted murderer emerges as a complex and difficult figure in lengthy BBC documentary … The Trials of Oscar Pistorius aspires to more than just retelling an extraordinary tale. [Director Dan] Gordon has said he finds the story ‘at once inspirational and harrowing’ and makes a valiant effort to use his subject as a lens on South African politics, disability, the media, male violence, elite sport and the corrosive effect of celebrity. The research is comprehensive, but at times it feels unfocused, and its hold on the viewer’s attention may depend on their existing interest in Pistorius.” — Independent.