The best on the box
Picks out the best on television for the week ahead.
James Croot Paula 8.30pm, Friday, TVNZ1
New three-part British thriller in which the life of a young chemistry teacher is ripped apart after she has a one-night stand with a good-looking but dangerous handyman. ‘‘Every scene is dark, claustrophobic and menacing and the whole thing has a slight air of suppressed insanity about it,’’ wrote The Guardian‘s Lucy Mangan.
Poi E 8.30pm, Sunday, Maori TV
Poie might have seemed like something of a novelty record when it first hit the airwaves in 1983, but the mix of lyrics mysterious to most New Zealanders and a cutting-edge hiphop beat soon made it a favourite in lounges, schoolyards and on dancefloors across the nation. Christchurch-born director Tearepa Kahi’s (Mt Zion) lovingly crafted, intimate 2016 documentary captures the anarchic spirit of the song and its creator Dalvanius Prime.
The Martian 8.30pm, Sunday, Three
With its Matt Damon-stuck-ona-planet conceit, Jessica Chastain in charge of the rescue mission and commitment to getting the science right, it’s easy to see why comparisons have been made between this 2015 tale and 2014’s Interstellar. But in truth, director Ridley Scott’s film has more in common with that other Damon ‘‘mission is the man’’ movie Saving Private Ryan – only told from Ryan’s perspective. After the excess bombast of Exodus: Gods and Monsters, it was nice to have a low-key, stripped back sci-fi tale from the man who gave us Blade Runner and Alien.
Little Boy Blue 8.30pm, Sunday, Rialto
New four-part ITV drama which looks at the 2007 murder of 11-year old Rhys Jones in Croxteth, Liverpool and the effect it had on his parents, the police and the community at large. ‘‘Jeff Pope’s dramatisation excelled at turning bad news into good drama,’’ wrote The Guardian‘s Sam Wollaston.
Grand Designs NZ 7.30pm, Tuesday, Three
Architect Chris Moller hosts the third instalment of the Kiwi version of this popular British reality series. This season sees beautiful houses being built in vast locations ranging from forests and inner-city dwellings, to private island escapes and tree canopy hideaways.
Lost & Found 8.30pm, Tuesday, Three
Hosted by David Lomas, this third season of the popular Kiwi reality series features complicated cases in which family members have been abandoned, stolen or torn apart from loved ones. The subjects in each episode try to find closure and answers, with some also after an understanding about their cultural heritage.