ScreenScribe

➢➢ This Is Us is going the way of Blackish: to a weekend afternoon slot. After trying to make the first two seasons rate in prime-time, TVNZ 2 is consigning season three to 1.45pm Sundays from March 3. (It joins other first-run newcomers Living Biblically and Splitting Up Together, which air 1.55pm and 2.20pm Saturdays […]

A Million Little Things | SoHo, 8.30 Tuesday ➢➢ “If you believe in the treacle-down theory when it comes to NBC’s rip-roaring success with This Is Us, then you’re ready for ABC’s drama about the emotional entanglements of a group of four Boston men (Ron Livingston, Romany Malco, David Giuntoli and James Roday) feeling all […]

Rise | Lightbox, from Wednesday ➢ “Rise is a season-long backstage drama about a high school production of the musical Spring Awakening. That it is inspired by a work of nonfiction – Michael Sokolove’s Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater – does not […]

  ➢ Stripped reality programming has long been a mainstay of free-to-air TV but now the networks are starting to expand the strategy to drama, too. TVNZ 1 experimented with airing the first season of Doctor Foster across the week and now TVNZ 2 is attempting something similar with two of its dramas: season two […]

Here and Now | SoHo, 8.30 Monday ➢ “Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball returns to HBO with the new drama Here and Now. It’s a family saga whose gnarled emotions give way to a surprising metaphysical twist, and it advances everything that was so special about Six Feet Under. On that show, a family’s […]

This Is Us may not be in its new 9.30 Wednesday home for long if its ratings don’t improve after last week’s mid-season premiere. Off the back of new episodes of  TVNZ 2’s high-rating sitcoms The Big Bang Theory and Mom, it averaged only 1.7% of the network’s target audience, 18-49 year-olds, and 2.0% of 25-54 […]

Most territories around the world will view 24: Legacy up to a week earlier than Kiwis. NZ, Australia and the UK are among the minority that will lag a week or more behind a series that already is making headlines. Given 24’s global rollout to more than 160 markets, and its post-Trump terrorism topicality, it’s surprising TVNZ 2 […]

New Zealand’s definitive guide to what’s airing nightly free-to-air in 1080i    Saturday  The Wonder of Animals (TV3, 4.55)  Ultimate Fishing With Matt Watson (TV1, 5.00) Animals Make You Laugh Out Loud (TV2, 5.00, R)  The Simpsons (TV2, 6.00, R) Newshub Live at 6pm (TV3, 6.00)  The Middle (TV2, 6.30, 5.1, R) The Wonderful World of Gordon Watson (Prime, 6.30, R) Posh Pawn (TV1, 7.00, R) Movie: […]

TVNZ 2 will use the return of My Kitchen Rules and the premiere of 24: Legacy to shake up its schedule. The Australian MKR will air 7.30 Sunday-Tuesday from February 12 while 24: Legacy and new episodes of Lethal Weapon will turn traditionally touchy-feely Tuesday nights into an action expo. This Is Us, which originally aired […]

It may have flamed out in Australia but Zumbo’s Just Desserts, which continues tonight at 7.30, has curried favour with TV3’s target audience, 25-54 year-olds. Monday’s episode averaged 4.0% to beat TVNZ 1’s reality re-runs and TVNZ 2’s Christmas Makes You Laugh Out Loud. Last Tuesday’s episode rated even higher — 4.5% — to average more […]