Tonight in HD: July 12

Season Highlight: Episodes (TV One, 10.05) Sean and Beverly have to retrieve Matt LeBlanc from a seedy bar outside of LA so that the paparazzi waiting outside won’t see him driving home drunk. “Episode four had a ton of laughs and a much-appreciated darker, serious side,” IGN said. “The biggest difference between the Brits and the Yanks, according to this show, is intelligence. Sean and Beverly are bright and the rest of the rabble are dim. What makes Matt stand out is that he’s not dumb and is constantly surprising the writer duo with how smart he actually is. ‘Oh yeah. I’m f***in’ full of whimsey,’ he spouts, tired of justifying his life to the judgmental pair.” But Den of Geek thought it “the least satisfying and cohesive yet … There are moments, however, where Episodes shows glimmers of its earlier promise. The brief glimpses of Beverly and Sean’s bowdlerised sitcom are endearingly horrible, and it’s hard not to see why LeBlanc signed up for such an unsympathetic role. He may be an unreconstructed boor, but he nevertheless gets most of the best lines.”  ✭✭✭✭✭

Fringe (TV2, 10.30, 5.1) While the Fringe team tracks down a girl who can predict the future, Olivia tries to cope with the message given to her by the Observers. Most critics agreed with the AV Club that this episode was “merely fine: a solid case-of-the-week with ties to the main story primarily in the form of character development, not development of plot (or even theme). I didn’t think it was top-tier. The plot was a little too straightforward and the pace a little slow, with an unusual number of long silences. After the last two episodes, which barreled ahead recklessly and thrillingly—a lot like Lost at its most cliffhanger-y—this one was relatively quiet and measured.” ✭✭✭✭

MasterChef Australia (TV One, 4.45) Last night’s winner chooses pears for the invention test.  Can the other contestants catch up? ✭✭

Home & Away (TV3, 5.30) Bianca can’t remember her episode with Liam; Dex tries to help April; Xavier crosses a line investigating Jett. ✭✭

Friends (TV2, 6.30, R) Chandler’s romantic marriage proposal is ruined when Monica’s former boyfriend (Tom Selleck) returns; Joey accidentally buys a boat; Ross is reminded of how young his girlfriend is. ✭✭✭✭

Shortland Street (TV2, 7.00) Murray and Wendy learn to parent apart; Rachel’s compromised state results in disaster; Maxwell gives in to love. ✭✭✭

The Block  (TV3, 7.30) The winning couple deliver their house swap verdict; Shannon sets the couples a distressing challenge; judges Victoria Bidwell and Stewart Harris assess the first room makeovers. ✭✭

Rescue 1 (TV2, 8.00) The team battle to save a man trapped in his overturned Land-Rover on Rakino Island, and a star rugby player at Onewhero may have broken his neck after a scrum collapsed. ✭✭✭

Bones (TV3, 8.30, 5.1) Booth’s son Parker returns from England and Brennan is apprehensive about how he’ll react to his new baby sister. ✭✭

The Unit (TV3, 11.45, 5.1) Posing as scientists, Bob, Jonas, and Grey are forced to help a drug cartel smuggle cocaine. ✭✭✭✭