New to View: October 18 – 24

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

Monday

➢ Dog Almighty TVNZ 2, 7.30

A Dog’s Show meets Tux Wonder Dogs in TVNZ’s first vehicle for Jono Pryor and Ben Boyce. Screens Mondays and Tuesdays, and re-runs 7.00 Saturday.

➢ Trump: The Reality Show TVNZ 1, 8.30

“The three-parter blends cringingly embarrassing clips and tweets from the first 18 months of the Trump administration with plenty of fresh detail and insights, plus some choice contemporary rap and grime embellishments.” — The Independent.

Tuesday

➢ Match Fit Three, 7.30

Sir Gaham Henry and Wayne ‘Buck’ Shelford team up try to whip into shape ex-All Blacks for one grand final game. “It’s long been the mindset of the Kiwi bloke to neglect their health, both physical and mental. The four-part series aims to encourage people – men in particular – to pay more attention to their wellbeing and talk openly about all aspects of health.” — Stuff.

➢ Man Alone TVNZ 1, 8.30

Part one of two about mental health issues for men that was adapted from an international format. Celebrity Treasure Island’s Matt Chisholm fronts up.

➢ Grayson Perry’s Big American Road Trip Sky Arts, 8.15

“Filmed in 2019, the artist’s US travelogue risks feeling outdated. However its theme of racial unrest is more relevant than ever – as is Perry’s emphasis on listening.” — The Guardian.

➢ Animal Impossible BBC Earth, 8.30

Do cats always land on their feet? Could a squid sink a ship? Is spider silk really stronger than steel? This fresh take on natural history filmmaking promises to “unravel some of the biggest myths about the animal kingdom”.

Wednesday

➢ Five Gold Rings TVNZ 1, 7.30

New Philip Schofield game show in which contestants answer questions by placing gold rings onto a supersized image on a huge circular LED floor. If they get it wrong they lose a ring, but if they get it right they move up to the next level. Each level is worth more money, but the ring gets smaller each time.

➢ Taskmaster TVNZ 2, 8.30

NZ version of the UK hit, in which Jeremy Wells and Paul Williams set comedians like Madeleine Sami, Leigh Hart, Angella Dravid, Guy Williams and Brynley Stent weird and often ingenious tasks to test their comic stamina.

➢ 9-1-1: Lone Star Three, 8.30

“If not as outlandishly fun as its predecessor, 9-1-1: Lone Star still packs an entertaining punch and is a great showcase for the handsomely self-aware Rob Lowe.” — Rotten Tomatoes.

➢ The Vow SoHo, 8.30/Neon

Documentary series about controversial self-improvement group NXIVM, whose members have been accused of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. “Sympathetic, curious and unsettling.” — The Hollywood Reporter.

Thursday

➢ The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes TVNZ 1, 7.30

A UK critic dubbed this self-explanatory series co-hosted by Caroline Quentin as “Grand Designs on a grander scale“.

➢ Sue Perkins: Along the U.S-Mexico Border TVNZ 1, 8.45

“Of all people to try to make sense of the nightmarish brutality and existential headspin of the US-Mexico border during the reign of Donald Trump, you send Sue Perkins? The former Bake Off host is an all-round good egg and, when she lays off the innuendo (spoiler: she didn’t), she is a thoughtful, empathetic and winningly ‘ordinary’ travel guide. But this was one hell of a task to hand to a light entertainment presenter.” — The Telegraph.

➢ The Alienist: Angel of Darkness Netflix

Belated sequel in which Sara Howard enlists Dr. Laszlo Kreizler and journalist John Moore to find the Spanish ambassador’s kidnapped baby and solve a disturbing series of murders. “Well-tooled and visually detailed enough to keep you coming back for more genteel punishment.” — Chicago Tribune.

Friday

➢ Barbarians Netflix

“The six-part miniseries promises to take viewers to the blood-drenched Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, in which Germanic warriors halted the northward advance of the Roman Empire in A.D. 9.” — Variety.

Saturday

➢ Britain’s Got Talent TVNZ 1, 7.30

Simon Cowell’s young son Eric joins the judging panel for the season 14 premiere. This season was beset by complications ranging from Covid-19 to Cowell breaking his back. The latest setback: a Christmas special featuring some of the show’s biggest and most popular acts has been canned.