Tonight in HD: March 25

Series premiere: Touch (TV3, 8.30, 5.1) Martin Bohm (Kiefer Sutherland) discovers that his emotionally challenged 11-year-old son can predict events before they happen in this series from Heroes creator Tim Kring. For once, NZ free-to-air TV is part of a global launch for a show that previewed to top US ratings in January before beginning its run proper last week, when viewership was a touch lower but reported as still a “solid launch“. “Overall, the first episode delivers a suspenseful ride around the world, peppered with some tear-jerking moments,” said the Chicago Sun-Times while The Hollywood Reporter urged viewers to “connect” with Touch: “There’s something intriguing about it.” But Variety was more skeptical: “Touch has its ‘We Are the World’ heart in the right place. But like another song says, we don’t need another Heroes.” And The Times argued: “In the series’ favour, it demands significant thinking from its audience to keep up. The problem is that the more you think about Touch the less it means and the greater the objections to terrorism, infant mortality and autism being carolled into one heck of a sentimental Kring ring.” ✮✮✮✮

Movie: Old Dogs (TV2, 8.30) How can you not put down old dogs like John Travolta and Robin Williams when they headline a comedy this lame? They star as long-time business partners babysitting precocious, seven-year-old twins on the eve of clinching the deal of their lifetimes. Travolta also ropes into the twee scenario his wife and daughter, along with Matt Dillon, Seth Green and, saddest of all, Ann-Margret. How bad is Old Dogs? Let’s just say there were more laughs in the two-and-a-half minutes of Blu-ray bloopers than in the movie. (2009) ✮

Pretty Little Liars (TV2, 5.30) The girls are uneasy as each confronts complicated matters; Ezra and Jason are invited to a dinner party at the Montgomerys’ and vie for Aria’s attention. ✮✮✮

The War at Home (TV2, 6.30, R) Dave is excited for Vicky when she decides to go back to university, until he finds she’s so busy that he has to take care of all the household chores. ✮✮✮

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Grown-Ups (TV One, 7.00) Nigel Latta demonstrates how our brains are constantly interpreting, editing and creating a wildly distorted view of the world, on which we make all sorts of dodgy judgement calls. ✮✮✮✮

The Big Bang Theory (TV2, 7.00, R) When Wolowitz seduces Penny’s friend and ends up having sex with her in Penny’s apartment, Penny sleeps on Leonard and Sheldon’s couch. ✮✮✮✮

Mike & Molly (TV2, 7.30) Carl tries to make a love connection and get a date with an attractive woman who’s clearly out of his league. ✮✮

The Almighty Johnsons (TV3, 10.30, R) You have to love it when a plan comes together. ✮✮✮

Enlightened (TV One, 10.30) Series premiere: Laura Dern stars as a self-destructive health and beauty executive who has a very public workplace meltdown. “This engagingly uncomfortable series is not like anything you’ve seen before,” predicted the New York Post. And even if it doesn’t appeal immediately, stick with it — Entertainment Weekly said by episode three, “the tone has become open, generous, and alert to every sort of character.” However, TV Guide said while Enlightened is a “deeply felt show” with a terrific cast that includes Dern’s mother Diane, Dern’s character is “an annoying, exasperating caricature who probably ought to be committed”. ✮✮✮✮

Sky Movies Premiere: Just Go With It (Sky 20, 8.30, 5.1) Better yet, go without it — unless you’re an Adam Sandler diehard or can’t wait to see Jennifer Aniston in yet another laboured romantic comedy, this time about a plastic surgeon’s assistant who pretends to be his ex-wife so he can romance a much younger schoolteacher. The Dominion Post said the stars “have some decent comic chemistry together, but the script is simply too silly to sustain the film.” (2011) ✮✮