Best on the box Jasper Jones 8.30pm, Saturday, Rialto The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee 9.30pm, Wednesday, Soho
Stuff’s James Croot‘s top TV picks for the week ahead.
Its source may have been described as Australia’s To Kill a Mockingbird, but this 2017 adaptation of Craig Silvey’s 2009 novel feels more like a cross between The Dressmaker, Stand Byme and our own The Scarecrow. Screenwriter Shaun Grant keeps many of the novel’s many weighty themes, but delivers them with such verve and taut storytelling that watching it all unfold is a joy, rather than a slog. Hugo Weaving, Toni Collette and Levi Miller star.
Crowded House: Live From the Sydney Opera House 9pm, Sunday, Prime
November 2016 marked the 20th anniversary of Crowded House’s farewell performance on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House. To mark this special occasion and their induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame, the band reformed for four shows only. ‘‘These are musicians at the top of their game; playful, joyful and thrilled to be back doing what they love best. It seems it wasn’t their time to go after all,’’ wrote The Guardian‘s Alexander Spring about the concerts.
The Royal Variety Performance 2017 7pm, Monday, TVNZ1
British queen of comedy Miranda Hart makes history as the first woman ever to host this famous annual event. Held in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, acts this year include Michael Ball, James Blunt, Paloma Faith, Alfie Boe, Jason Manford and Seal.
Blue Murder: Killer Cop 8.30pm, Tuesday, TVNZ1
Richard Roxburgh and Toni Collette star in this two-part miniseries which is based on the true story of Australia’s most notorious former detective, Roger Rogerson. A sequel to the critically acclaimed 1995 mini-series Blue Murder , it sees Rogerson caught between the pressures of criminals, police and a love that might save him. ‘‘Blue
Murder: Killer Cop plays like a Greek tragedy. And Roxburgh is magnificent as the deluded and illstarred figure at its centre,’’ wrote
The Age‘s Karl Quinn. A new documentary that explores the legendary life and career of the famous editor. He was at the helm of the Washington Post between 1968 and 1991, when the paper covered many historic events, including the Pentagon Papers and the Watergate scandals.
The X-files Thursday, 8.30pm, TVNZ2
After a successful comeback in 2016, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson return for 10 more episodes as FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. The major focus for this season will be the search for the pair’s son William, with Black Swan‘s Barbara Hershey and The Sixth Sense‘s Hayley Joel Osment joining the cast.