Tonight in HD: March 6

SoHo Highlight: Strike Back (Sky 10, 8.30, 5.1) In Darfur, the kidnapping of an English doctor forces Stonebridge and Scott into an alliance with Gerald Crawford, a global-arms dealer with ties to Latif. US critics reckon this shoot-’em-up has one of the best credits sequences of the 2011 season. As TV.com said: “I don’t know a thing about Strike Back, but from watching this opening, I get the feeling that it isn’t going to be as boring as In Treatment or as slow as Mad Men. This opening tells me it’s about two guys who may be in the Army and definitely shoot people and have sex with unhealthily skinny chicks. And that’s exactly the kind of intel I want out of a title sequence. Grade: B+” SoundonSight agreed and ranked the sequence the season’s fourth best, behind only American Horror Story (which is soon to screen on TV3) and two other SoHo series, Boss and Game of Thrones: “The intro for Strike Back does a fantastic job of letting you know what to expect, which is good for someone like me who had no idea what the show was about. The silhouette, semi-animated graphics of special force-style combat resembles something that came out of a Robert Kirkman graphic novel. The song ‘Short Change Hero’ by The Heavy is an excellent selection – the soulful, thumping tune plays well along side the panels coloured with dusty orange and earthly tones and showcasing drawings of the special forces in action.” ✭✭✭✭

Sky Movies Premiere: No Strings Attached (Sky 20, 8.30, 5.1) Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman play a couple who try to keep their relationship strictly physical. Ivan Reitman (My Super Ex-Girlfriend) directs; Kevin Kline and Lake Bell (How to Make It in America) co-star in a comedy that didn't pull the heart strings of many critics. The Hollywood Reporter thought it "nowhere near hot-blooded enough" while the New York Post said it "quickly sinks into a terminal case of the cutes and extreme predictability - amid the usual surfeit of wacky supporting characters.” ✭✭

Home & Away (TV3, 5.30) Roo takes a tough love approach with Ruby; April and Dex start to rebuild their friendship; Brax signs up for a dangerous cage fight. ✭✭

Friends (TV2, 6.30, R) When Monica buys a new bed from Janice’s soon-to-be ex-husband, she gets a racing car bed by mistake. ✭✭✭✭

Shortland Street (TV2, 7.00) Hunter takes control of his life again; Vinnie struggles to change his reputation; TK finds his true vocation. ✭✭✭

The Middle (TV2, 7.30) Frankie demands major changes be made to the Heck household – then flees to her mother’s house – after she is humiliated by a family member’s actions. ✭✭✭

The Secret Lives of Dancers (TV3, 7.30) It’s the final countdown to opening night as the RNZB move their lavish production onto the stage – and one dancer is in for the surprise of a lifetime. ✭✭✭✭

Suburgatory (TV2, 8.00) Tessa is excited for some action in the suburbs when Sheila Shay’s doll collection is stolen … until Dallas and Dalia crash at the Altmans’ house out of fear. ✭✭

Missing Pieces (TV3, 8.00) Demetrius’ search for his father leads the Missing Pieces team to Crete and to a family that sheltered NZ soldiers in WWII; after finding her mother, adopted Rakaia searches for her father. ✭✭✭

Go Girls (TV2, 8.30) Kevin faces up to failure and gets help from unlikely quarters, as Leo tries to be a better man for love. ✭✭✭

NCIS (TV3, 8.30, 5.1) A murder investigation of a Coast Guard officer leads to a Lebanese family seeking asylum in the US. ✭✭

NCIS: Los Angeles (TV3, 9.30, 5.1) Nell goes undercover when a researcher for the Department of Defense is murdered and she’s asked to replace him. ✭✭

Fringe (TV2, 2.25, R) When a man enters an office in Boston for a meeting, he becomes disoriented and collapses, only to have his veins erupt and spray blood everywhere. Shortly after Olivia and Peter arrive at the scene to investigate the bizarre case, it’s discovered that a lethal virus – with deep ties to something very valuable – is spreading. ✭✭✭✭