The Box Set
Cricket: Australia vs England 12.58pm, Thursday, Sky Sport 1
The battle for the Ashes begins again with this first of five test matches being played at Brisbane’s Gabba. The home side will be looking to evoke memories of 2013-14 when they whitewashed their ‘‘Pommie’’ counterparts, while the English will be looking to retain the urn they won during the last series in the UK in 2015. Interestingly, the player everyone has been talking about over the last few months is actually a Kiwi – Christchurch-born England player Ben Stokes.
Only Lovers Left Alive 8.30pm, Saturday, Ma¯ori TV
Jim Jarmusch directs this 2013 vampire film starring the talented Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston. It tells the story of Adam (Hiddleston) and Eve (Swinton) – married vampires who have been alive for centuries. Writing in The Observer, Jonathan Romney described it as ‘‘a droll, classy piece of cinematic dandyism’’.
Miss Sloane 8.30pm, Saturday, Rialto
Jessica Chastain headlines this 2016 thriller about a formidable political lobbyist who may have finally met her match. ‘‘A talky, tense political thriller, full of verbal sparring and fiery monologues,’’ wrote Variety’s Peter Debruge.
Snowpiercer 8.45pm, Saturday, TVNZ2
Chris Evans, Jamie Bell and Tilda Swinton head an all-star cast in this 2013 sci-fi actioner about a train which appears to support the only life left on earth after a climate-change experiment goes awry. ‘‘Enormously fun visionary filmmaking, with a witty script and a great international cast, ‘‘ wrote New York Post‘ s Lou Lumenick.
Witness for the Prosecution 8.30pm, Sunday, Prime
Toby Jones, KimCattrall and Andrea Riseborough star in this two-part 2016 BBC mini-series based on the 1925 Agatha Christie short story. It focuses on the young, handsome Leonard Vole who seems to have the odds stacked against him when he’s accused of murder. ‘‘An expertly cast, perfectly crafted murder-mystery,’’ wrote The Guardian‘ s Lucy Mangan.
Toni Erdmann 8.30pm, Monday, Rialto
Incredibly long, tonally all over the map and definitely not for the easily offended or faint hearted, German writerdirector Maren Ade’s 2016 black comedy is nonetheless a surprisingly memorable watch. At its heart is an estranged father-daughter relationship, played with quite brilliant awkwardness by Peter Simonischek and Sandra Huller. ‘‘The film’s sweetness and bitterness are held so perfectly in balance, and realised with such sinew-stiffening intensity, that watching it feels like a three-hour sports massage for your heart and soul,’’ wrote The Telegraph‘ s Robbie Collin.
The seven-day television listings are as accurate as possible at the time of publication. For the most up-to-date programme details, please see the newspaper’s daily listings.