Tonight in HD: November 10

SoHo Highlight: Treme (Sky 10, 9.30, 5.1) About the rebuilding of New Orleans three months after Hurricane Katrina, the title refers to a neighbourhood above the French Quarter that symbolises the city’s soul. As co-creator David Simon (The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Street) says on the comprehensive extras of the already-released Blu-ray, “It’s the place where New Orleans gave birth to itself.” He wanted to make Treme before the hurricane, to root it in musical culture, “but Katrina gave it impetus”. The series sublimely but painstakingly dramatises the mass trauma of disaster recovery with themes that resonate even more powerfully in the wake of Christchurch’s earthquakes while celebrating the colour, cuisine and music that make New Orleans one of the world’s great cities. But be warned: whereas most TV is the equivalent of junk food, Treme is slow food at its most exquisite. John Goodman, Homicide’s Melissa Leo, CSI: Miami’s Khandi Alexander, and The Wire’s Clarke Peters and Wendell Pierce star. ✭✭✭✭✭

Rove LA (TV3, 9.30)

Friends (TV2, 6.30, R) Joey tries to hold a secret party for his soap opera colleagues; Ross is intimidated by Charlie’s former boyfriends. ✫✫✫

Shortland Street (TV2, 7.00) Hunter feels the heat; Vinnie makes a stand for Brooke; Daniel reacts badly to romance. ✫✫✫

The X Factor USA (TV3, 7.30, 5.1)  The judges continue to coach the remaining acts. ✫✫✫

Rove LA (TV3, 9.30) With Modern Family’s Ty Burrell, The Office’s John Krasinski, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. ✫✫✫✫

Chuck (TV2, 10.35) Sarah embarks on a mission that could be her last; Ellie and Awesome are at odds over what to name the baby. If the action feels rushed, it could be, as Alan Sepinwall speculates, because it was “racing to get all the pieces into place for next week’s episode, which was written as a potential series finale”. IGN agreed, but thought “there were still plenty of fun and funny moments”. ✫✫✫✫

Rapid Response (TV One, 11.35, R) ✫✫

Underbelly: The Mr Asia Story (TV3, 11.45, R) Allison questions her role in the Mr Asia syndicate after her life is threatened by a corrupt Federal Narcotics Bureau agent. ✫✫✫✫

Criminal Minds (TV One, 12.50, R) ✫✫

The Vampire Diaries (TV2, 2.45, R) ✫✫✫