Tonight in HD: April 12

SoHo Highlight: Top Boy (Sky 10, 8.30, 5.1) In part one of four about life on a drug-ridden East London housing estate, a 13-year-old finds he has to “step up and be a man” when his mother is hospitalised after a breakdown. “It feels like this is a drama that isn’t going to end well for anyone,” The Guardian predicted of the Channel 4 award-winner. “But don’t let that stop you watching for the next three nights. Well-acted, well-written television like this don’t come round that often.”  The Daily Telegraph hailed it as “a well-made, convincing drama, with an excellent ensemble cast” while The Independent argued it may have been inspired by The Wire but didn’t imitate the Baltimore crack house sensation: “Where that offered a 360-degree view of a city’s power-bases, this concentrates only on the shadow economy of drugs in an inner-city neighbourhood – how the trade is staffed and run and how it finds its new recruits. It isn’t interested in the standard cat-and-mouse game of a police procedural. It’s a kind of sociology by other means.” ✮✮✮✮

Home & Away (TV3, 5.30) Indi declines Logan then mistakenly believes Romeo slept with Ruby; a close call makes Henri end it with Casey; Xavier and Sasha try to bring John and Gina together. ✮✮

Friends (TV2, 6.30, R) Chandler and Ross are excited when their friend Gandalf, the ‘party wizard’, announces he is coming to town; Joanna squashes Rachel’s chance at a promotion; Monica is offered an exciting job. ✮✮✮✮

Shortland Street (TV2, 7.00) Brooke helps Bree out of a tight spot; Wendy plans to treat Murray; Lana and Nicole’s meddling leads to trouble. ✮✮✮

Once Upon a Time (TV2, 8.30) Mary Margaret and David continue to grapple with their unrequited love; Snow White tries to ease her breaking heart as Prince Charming’s wedding to King Midas’ daughter approaches. ✮✮

The Finder (TV3, 8.30, 5.1) Isabel’s new boyfriend Frank, a professional baseball player, gets robbed, and Walter steps in to help find his stolen collectibles. ✮✮

Crash Course (TV2, 11.30) Greg Murphy mistakes a beach for a road and ends up taking a swim as he delivers the inside story on the risks of driving in the sand. ✮✮