The best on the Box
Top television picks for the week ahead.
James Croot’s Miles Ahead, 8.30pm, Saturday, Rialto
Don Cheadle directs and stars in this 2015 exploration of the life and music of Miles Davis. ‘‘Erratic, unpredictable and constantly intriguing, Miles Ahead plays more like one of Davis’ compositions than a traditional biopic, stumbling around with flashes of insight and a brilliant central performance,’’ wrote Indiewire’s Eric Kohn.
The Replacement, 8.30pm, Sunday, TVNZ1
Three-part Glasgow-set drama about a successful architect who is expecting her first child. However, as she is about to head off on maternity leave, she fears her cover may be taking over more than just her professional life. ‘‘A joyously bonkers, highly psychological melodrama that starts with a foot in reality and then runs wild. It’s ridiculously addictive, though,’’ wrote The Guardian’s Sam Wollaston.
Top of the Lake: China Girl, 9.30pm, Tuesday, UKTV
Detective Robin Griffin (Elizabeth Moss) returns for the second season of Jane Campion’s acclaimed Australasian drama. Looking for a fresh start in Sydney, Griffin finds her memory jogged by a suitcase with rather appalling contents. ‘‘As a mystery and a cop show, it is totalling compelling. Less bonkers than the first series, tighter, better planned,’’ wrote The Guardian’s Sam Wollaston.
Get Shorty, 9.30pm, Tuesday, Soho
Based on Elmore Leonard’s novel and the 1995 movie of the same name, this 10-part series centres on Miles Daly who works as muscle for a murderous crime ring in Nevada. For the sake of his daughter, he attempts to change professions and become a movie producer, laundering money through a Hollywood film. But instead of leaving the criminal world behind, he accidently brings it with him to Los Angeles. Ray Romano and Chris O’dowd star.
The 9th Floor, 7pm, Wednesday, Face TV
Radio New Zealand journalist Guyon Espiner presents a five-part series looking at prime ministers from our recent past. The programme makers say his interviews with Helen Clark, Dame Jenny Shipley, Jim Bolger, Mike Moore and Sir Geoffrey Palmer will surprise and even shock.
Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny, 8.30pm, Thursday, Rialto
Feature-length 2016 documentary on the life and work of film-maker Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Before Sunrise, Dazed and Confused). ‘‘If you’re a fan willing to look past his misfires [or why he agreed to a Bad News Bears remake] or a film buff wondering about how a director operates on a set, Dream Is Destiny will be a delight,’’ wrote Arizona Republic’s Bill Goodykoontz.