Will New Shows Put the ‘Boo!’ Into Boosting TV3’s 2012 Ratings?

TV3 is banking on dinosaurs, monsters, terrorists and haunted houses to scare up more viewers in 2012.

The network has unveiled its new-season highlights to media and ad agencies, many of which, if not all, will screen in HD.

Top picks from the US include Homeland, Terra Nova, American Horror Story, Awake, The Finder, The Killing and Grimm while just signed from across the ditch is Bikie Wars, which could be the stablemate TV3 needs for Sons of Anarchy.

Closer to home, TV3 has commissioned The Paul Henry Show (working title) and spin-offs for its 7 Days alumni: Would I Lie to You?, another panel comedy (this time based on the British hit of the same name); and Funny Roots, in which “top Kiwi comedians travel the world to see what part their heritage plays in their humour”.

There also will be Golden, a new comedy about an out-of-shape Olympic Games aspirant, from South Pacific Pictures (Go Girls, The Almighty Johnsons), and TV3’s own versions of The X Factor and Oz TV’s The Block.

TV3 can’t confirm how many of these series will be in HD until they’re delivered, but expect the US newcomers and Bikie Wars to be in 1080i, as well as Golden given South Pacific Pictures is shooting everything in HD.

But among the freshmen series that definitely will be in SD, because they’re been scheduled for sister channel Four, are The Ringer, New Girls, Don’t Trust the B—– in Apartment 23 and Whitney.

Clearly, drama and reality will continue to dominate TV3’s slate while comedy largely will rule on Four.

But at least TV3 looks to be breaking out of its crime procedural straitjacket while next year even an old staple like CSI will be given fresh appeal with Ted Danson’s addition to the cast.

• TV3’s new-season HD highlights:
• Homeland: A CIA officer (Claire Danes) fears a newly-freed Al Qaeda captive is no hero, but a dangerous double-agent; Damian Lewis, Mandy Patinkin, and Morena Baccarin co-star.
• Terra Nova: Steven Spielberg production set 85 million years ago, when a small band of settlers is trying to save Earth from extinction; Jason O’Mara, Stephen Lang, Shelley Conn, and Landon Liboiron star.
• Grimm: Detective Nick Burkhardt learnst fairytale monsters are real and he’s the only one who can stop them; David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Reggie Lee, and Silas Weir Mitchell star.
• The Finder: Iraq vet Walter Sherman’s unique ability to locate anyone or anything helps others recover what they’ve lost in this Bones spin-off; Geoff Stults, Saffron Burrows and Michael Clarke Duncan star.
• American Horror Story: A subversive modern horror series set in the ultimate haunted house, from Glee and Nip/Tuck creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk; Connie Britton, Jessica Lange, Denis O’Hare and Dylan McDermott star.
• The Killing: US cable-TV adaptation of Denmark’s serialised sensation about a police investigation into a teenage girl’s murder that has shocking political repercussions; True Love’s Michelle Forbes and Big Love’s Mireille Enos star.
• Awake: A car crash leaves a detective living two realities: in one his son is dead, in the other his wife; Jason Isaacs, Laura Allen, Dylan Minnette and Steve Harris star.
• Golden: Shelley Bowman is on the comeback trail — out of shape and out of luck, but determined to defend her Olympic golds; creator Lucy Schmidt stars in a Kath and Kim-like comedy “about fallen heroes, fractured relationships, celebrity obsession, weight loss, rivalry and the rocky road to redemption”.
• Bikie Wars: Drama series set inside Sydney’s notorious motorcycle gangs from the producers of Underbelly, based on the infamous “Milperra Massacre”.