Tonight in HD: November 18

SoHo Highlight: Cinema Verite (Sky 10, 8.30, 5.1) Decades before housewives had screaming matches with each other on camera in public, the Loud family became a television sensation when they appeared on the groundbreaking 1973 PBS documentary series, An American Family. Most critics applauded this dramatisation: “Even without the original source material, Cinema Verite offers provocative insight into how far we’ve become lost in the reality-TV wilderness in the past 40 years” (San Francisco Chronicle); “ends up packing an emotional punch that’s as surprising as it is eloquent” (Wall Street Journal);”not a dull or wasted moment” (Newsday). But Variety thought it “a disappointingly shallow treatment considering the wealth of potential within the premise and period” and the New York Times, “a clever, beautifully made but somehow underwhelming re-enactment”. Diane Lane, Tim Robbins and James Gandolfini star. ✭✭✭✭

Supernatural (TV2, 10.30)

Friends (TV2, 6.30, R) Ross puts on a convincing front and invites Joey and Rachel to dine on fajitas with him and Charlie — but quickly gets drunk and embarrasses everyone. ✫✫✫

Shortland Street (TV2. 7.00) Murray gets on Harry’s case; Callum makes promises that he can’t keep; Maxwell tries to keep Nicole in the dark. ✫✫✫

The X Factor USA (TV3, 7.30, 5.1) Which of the top 10 finalists will be eliminated? And Rihanna sings her new #1, We Found Love. ✫✫✫

The Bachelor (TV2, 8.30) A lively session on the radio show, Loveline, uncovers one woman’s shocking secret. ✫✫✫

The Graham Norton Show (TV3, 8.30) With James McAvoy, Joanna Lumley, comic John Bishop and Arctic Monkeys. ✫✫✫

Supernatural (TV2, 10.30) When a demon kidnaps Dean’s friends, he and Sam are forced to join with an unlikely ally to free them. With this penultimate episode, and next week’s season finale, Supernatural manages to “rebound” after “what could charitably be described as an uneven season”, the AV Club said in its B+ review. ✫✫✫✫

Human Target (TV2, 11.30) Chance and Ilsa’s partnership is put to the test when Chance’s old flame asks for his help in rescuing a kidnapped colleague from a ruthless South American dictator. ✫✫✫

NCIS (TV3, 11.45, 5.1, R) A boxer’s death leads Vance to start his own investigation, causing a sparring match with Gibbs. ✫✫

CSI: Miami (TV3, 12.45, 5.1, R) When America’s sweetheart, Phoebe Nichols, bursts into flames during a concert, the CSIs expose the dark side of pop stardom. ✫✫