New to View: October 24 – 30

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

Monday

➢ RFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service TVNZ 1, 8.30

Airing opposite the return of TVNZ 2’s First Dates Australia is the premiere of this next-generation Flying Doctors. “This series is more about cutting into patients than cutting-edge drama. A tightly scripted eight-part series (though presumably there’ll be more if it does well), this is well-made across the board, with few of the obvious scripting flaws that often derail local productions. It’s not ground-breaking television by any stretch, but – much like the patients of the RFDS – you’ll find yourself in safe hands.” — ScreenHub.

➢ Insecure Neon/Sky Go

➢ Recovery 29 Prime, 8.30

Three years in the making, this documentary investigates the cause of the Pike River mining disaster and the efforts of the Pike River Recovery Agency to recover the remains of the 29 miners who died. “I really want people to understand the work that went into it and to meet the men who did the work and have an understanding of who they are,” director Sofia Wenborn told The TV Guide.

➢ Curb Your Enthusiasm Neon/Sky Go

S11, which is set in a post-COVID LA, will stream weekly and air 9.00 Thursdays on SoHo. Executive producer Jeff Schaffer told Variety each season is pieced together like a giant jigsaw puzzle. “This year we’re throwing a lot of puzzle pieces out at you in the beginning, but I promise you, they all come together in a real nice, completed puzzle of pettiness and awkward vengefulness.”

➢ All American TVNZ OnDemand

“The high-school football drama has plenty to untangle from last season’s July cliffhanger. Did Coop (Bre-Z) survive the shooting? And how about Layla (Greta Onieogou), MIA on the road with a psycho stalker? Those tuning in for the gridiron action want to know who won the championship, and what Spencer (Daniel Ezra) will decide on early national signing day.” — TV Insider.

Wednesday

➢ Our DNA Journey Three, 9.30 Wednesday

Ant and Dec variation on Who Do You Think You Are? “The pair embark on a gleeful global adventure as they seek to discover where they came from and who their ancestors were. They’ll be utilising cutting edge genetic tools and getting advice from top experts in DNA to delve into their past. No surprise if it turns out their ancestors had teamed up to present a medieval show called Britannia Doth Possess Talent, By My Troth.” — Irish Times.

Thursday

➢ Elizabeth I & II: The Golden Queens Prime, 8.35

Were the reigns of these centuries-apart monarchs, and their tribulations with family members Mary Queen of Scots and Princess Diana, mirror images? Part one of two.

➢ Temple Neon/Sky Go

“Daniel Milton (Mark Strong) and Lee Simmons (Daniel Mays) are back as the Dr Frankenstein and Igor of the London rogue medical scene, albeit somewhat lacking in motivation now that Daniel’s wife has risen from her sickbed … This second run is released from the bounds of the Norwegian show from which the first was adapted, and with the addition of Rhys Ifans to the cast, we are excited to find out what lies beyond.” — The Times.

➢ Love Life TVNZ OnDemand

Anna Kendrick no longer is the focus of S2, which stars The Underground Railroad’s William Jackson Harper as a New York City book editor who’s newly single. Kendrick, who executive produces, told Deadline: “Now that I’m not the lead of the show, I feel like I’m finally allowed to say, ‘I love this f**king show so much.’ It’s so good! I watched Will’s episodes and I’m like, ‘Damn, this is just so good.’”

Friday

➢ Unheard Amazon Prime Video

The first two episodes of this six-part series about racial discrimination in Australia can be streamed for free on primevideo.com.

➢ Swagger Apple TV+

New 10-part drama series about youth basketball, based on the early life of NBA star Kevin Durant, that coincides with Netflix’s same-day premiere of its own drama series about the formative years of Colin Kaepernick, Colin in Black and White. “The Swagger trailer suggests the show will touch on a handful of timely topics. Several scenes show most characters in masks, which indicates that at least part of the series is set during the coronavirus pandemic, and one scene shows a Black player taking a knee while a white spectator takes his mask off to boo him.” — IndieWire.

Saturday

➢ Two Weeks to Live TVNZ OnDemand

“Leaving Game of Thrones behind her, [Maisie Williams] shines as a doomsday-prepper on a mission in this dark, sideways comedy with shades of Killing Eve.” — The Guardian.