Tonight in HD: March 28

Series Highlight: The Walking Dead (TV2, 9.30) After the destruction of his family, Herschel demands that Rick and his group leave immediately; Shane and Rick’s differences begin to openly erupt. Said IndieWire of this episode, which relaunched season two in the US: “Nebraska, written by Evan Reilly and directed (masterfully) by Clark Johnson, is a major departure from the books. Until now, each set of six episodes has more or less corresponded to a volume of the collection. Reilly’s episode appears to be taking the series in a new direction. Yet if the plot diverges, the essential theme of the show remains the same: When humans are reduced to simple survival, just how far will we go? Do we create social order (the small group formed at the beginning of the show; the somewhat larger group that includes Hershel and his family) or do we devolve into savagery? And what constitutes hope? These questions can be profound or sophomoric. In Nebraska, they’re a little of both.” ✮✮✮✮

Sky Movies Greats: Maverick(Sky 22, 8.30, 5.1) Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and James Garner are dirty rotten scoundrels way out west in this ripe remake of the TV series which owes more of a debt to Lethal Weapon and Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid. The narrative doesn't stack up to much, and there's more hokum than heroism, but the one ace up Maverick's sleeve is the charismatic casting. (1994) ✮✮✮

Home & Away (TV3, 5.30) Tyler chases Casey, brandishing a knife; Indi reacts when Romeo admits Ruby surfed with him; Brax apologises to Leah for the carry-on. ✮✮

Friends (TV2, 6.30, R) Afflicted with a mysterious skin condition on his butt, Ross seeks advice from Phoebe’s herbalist; Monica can’t decide what to do about Pete when she thinks he is going to propose. ✮✮✮✮

Shortland Street (TV2, 7.00) Rachel’s fears are put to rest; Evan and Ula go to the next level; TK’s blind to deception. ✮✮✮

Two and a Half Men (TV2, 7.30) When Walden begins redecorating the beach house, Alan becomes overly emotional … and is pushed over the edge. ✮✮

SPCA Rescue (TV One, 8.00) A dog in shocking condition sparks an investigation; two cats are dumped in separate boxes on the same street; an inspector struggles to convince an owner that his chickens are being mistreated. ✮✮✮

2 Broke Girls (TV2, 8.00) Caroline and Max are waist-deep in clutter when they clean a hoarder’s apartment to make extra money; Max learns that Johnny has been keeping a secret from her. ✮✮

Road Madness (TV3, 8.00) A medical emergency causes chaos on the open road; tourists in campervans spark mayhem; shocking driver behaviour caught on camera at high speed. ✮✮

Winners & Losers (TV One, 8.30) Bec makes a sacrifice for Matt; Sophie tries to get the timing right; Mrs Gross gets her results – will Jenny follow through on her promise to give her lotto winnings away? ✮✮

The Big Bang Theory (TV2, 8.30) When it is revealed that Penny and Bernadette went wedding dress shopping without her, Amy becomes heartbroken and pressures Sheldon to make love to her. ✮✮✮✮

The Almighty Johnsons (TV3, 8.30) There are new women in the lives of both Axl and Ty – but are they here to stay? ✮✮✮

Happy Endings (TV2, 9.00) Angie, Max’s high school girlfriend whom he dated before he figured out he was gay, moves back to town, and her arrival affects everyone. ✮✮

Harry’s Law (TV One, 9.30) Harry defends a woman accused of murdering her own child; Tommy and Adam represent a former soldier deemed ineligible for a Purple Heart after becoming a professional clown. Scott Grimes (ER, American Dad) guest stars. ✮✮

Sons of Anarchy (TV3, 9.30, 5.1) SAMCRO deals with the fallout from a death threat made against Tara. Said HitFix’s Alan Sepinwall: “The sense I couldn’t shake throughout Fruit for the Crows – for my money, the strongest episode of season four by a long stretch – is just how inescapable the box the various Sons have built for themselves.” WhatCulture! dubbed it “another standout episode, perhaps suggesting that this is a season that’s just starting to lay its best cards out on the table.” ✮✮✮✮

Sky Movies: Take Me Home Tonight (Sky 20, 8.30, 5.1) An aimless 23-year-old spends the night with the girl of his dreams. Anna Faris, Dan Fogler and Topher Grace star. Said Variety: “A pleasant-enough all-in-one-night comedy, featuring a protagonist facing the classic Graduate-like existential dilemma of post-college paralysis.” (2011) ✮✮✮

Nikita (TV2, 10.30)  During a mission, Alex runs into Irina, a friend from her past; Alex tries to help Irina escape from her captor, only for Irina to betray her. ✮✮✮

CSI: New York (TV3, 11.15, 5.1, R) In part two of the three-part CSI trilogy crossover, Ray Langston of the Las Vegas crime lab (guest star Laurence Fishburne) tracks a human-trafficking ring specialising in black-market organ harvesting to New York. ✮✮

This Is Not My LIfe (TV One, 11.55, R) Alec now has memories of being Alec Ross, but is convinced it’s not true. ✮✮