New to View: November 1 – 7

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

Sunday

➢ Black Hands TVNZ 1, 8.30/TVNZ OnDemand

“The Bain family murders are, without a doubt, our country’s most famous unresolved murder, and it’s a case that can reignite passionate arguments even decades later. The same probably can’t be said for this five-part dramatisation of the story, which barely raises an argument for its own existence, let alone either side of the Bain case …  The problem here is the Bain family doesn’t get the chance to be anything more than ‘the Bain family’ from the headlines; they’re more scandal than human.” — The Spinoff.

➢ Brassic Rialto, 8.30

“Brassic may be named after a slang term for being skint, but it’s a show that’s rich in originality and inventiveness. Co-created by lead actor Joe Gilgun (This Is England, Misfits) and writer Danny Brocklehurst (Shameless, Netflix’s The Stranger), it follows a motley crew of mates living in Hawley – a fictional northern town based on Chorley, where Gilgun grew up – and their rarely legal schemes to remain financially solvent.” — NME.

➢ Australian Crime Stories TVNZ 1, 9.30

The premiere of the free-to-air rebranding of Tough Nuts: Australia’s Hardest Criminals investigates what happened to a Miss Tasmania wannabe who disappeared from a bus stop in Tasmania in 1969. Part one of eight.

➢ Fear the Walking Dead SoHo, 9.30

“Based on the three episodes of the season provided for review, at least, Fear the Walking Dead is now a surprisingly fun anthology of short, Western-inspired stories.” — Decider.

Tuesday

➢ Cold Case TVNZ 1, 8.30

Season two of the series that dusts off unsolved Kiwi crimes opens with the death of 88-year-old Russell Allison in a suspicious house fire. Part one of four.

➢ Instinto Rialto, 8.30

“Spanish erotic thriller [that] follows Marco Mur, an attractive, successful businessman, whose trauma from his past prevents him from getting emotionally involved with women. Instead, he has intimate encounters in a club where no one knows anyone else. But when his past returns Marco is forced to face it and all the other conflicts in his life.” — Deadline Hollywood.

Wednesday

➢ 1 News Special/America Decides TVNZ 1/Three, 4.00

Chances are we won’t still know the winner by the end of the night but both networks will devote three-and-a-half-hours analysing who it could be. Their marathon live coverage in HD again shows up the SD inadequacy of Sky’s news channels.

➢ Love & Anarchy Netflix

New Nordic comedy about a mother-of-two consultant whose flirtatious game with a young tech whizz sees them testing societal norms. Variety reports it marks a broader push by the streaming giant into Scandinavian originals.

Thursday

➢ Rich Holiday Poor Holiday TVNZ 1, 8.45

Rich House Poor House spin-off in which people with vastly different incomes swap holidays for a week. “This set-up couldn’t be simpler,” said the Daily Mail. “We meet the families and watch their holidays: it is undemanding and entertaining.”

➢ Police Code Zero TVNZ 2, 10.05 Thursday

Channel 5 documentary series exposing the dangerous situations police face, including shocking assaults such as this.

➢ Light as a Feather Neon

“Light as a Feather is Hulu’s teen horror adventure with a mystery as engrossing as it is grotesque, and just creepy enough to scratch that Halloween itch without keeping you up at night.” — IndieWire.

➢ Paranormal Netflix

“The first Netflix Arabic Original from Egypt to include audio and visual descriptions for viewers with hearing or visual impairments. The series stars Ahmed Amin as Dr. Refaat Ismail, a 1960s scientist who begins to question what he thinks he knows as paranormal events begin to unravel around him.” — Variety.

Friday

➢ Country Ever After Netflix

Follows country singer Coffey Anderson and his hip-hop dancer wife Criscilla as they raise their children and navigate their opposite country vs. city perspectives of life and parenting.