Television critic Philip Wakefield chooses the 10 best shows on the box this week, for Tuesday, June 17 to Monday, June 23.
1. Mad Men: From Sopranos scribe Matthew Weiner comes a smart, funny drama about the golden age of Madison Avenue, when women, Jews and Negroes knew their place. According to the New York Times, "The series walks the line between tongue-in-cheek knowingness and know-it-all parody."
Prime, 8.40pm Sunday.
2. Outrageous Fortune: Fourth-season premiere of the corker Kiwi comedy/drama opens with a Wolf at the door of the West household.
TV3, 9.30pm Tuesday.
3. Inside New Zealand: The Gangs: Pam Corkery embarks on another intrepid journey in this two-part investigation of gang culture. Follows new episodes of CSI: Miami and the premiere of the self-improvement series, The Big Stuff.
TV3, 9.30pm Thursday.
4. Life on Mars: Are TVNZ’s programmers from Mars? They’ve sat on the second series of this quirky cop show for months - it’s already out on DVD - but only hastily added it to the schedule last week.
TV One, 8.30pm Monday.
5. Chuck: TV2 is launching this slick, funny, hi-tech spy romp with a double-episode. It stars Less Than Perfect’s Zachary Levi as a nerdy salesman whose brain, without his knowledge, is implanted with a computer file of top-secret CIA data.
TV2, 8.30pm Wednesday.
6. The Tudors: Said USA Today of the second season, "The Tudors comes back enriched and improved" - which could explain its promotion to TV One's premium drama slot, where it will air in double-episodes. New to the cast, as Pope Paul III, is Peter O’Toole. Precedes new episodes of The Unauthorised History of New Zealand.
TV One, 8.30pm Sunday.
7. Aliens in America: New culture-clash sitcom about an Indian exchange student who winds up in mid-west America. The Hollywood Reporter said the premiere was distinguished by some of the year’s “funniest writing on TV”.
TV2, 7pm Saturday.
8. Trade Wars: Reality newcomer that tries to nail building industry cowboys.
TV2, 8pm Monday.
9. Army Wives: Desperate Housewives meets The Unit in this newcomer about being married to the military. Entertainment Weekly dubbed it an “earnest soap about women who are scrappy, sensitive, and stoic”. NYPD Blue’s Kim Delaney and JAG’s Catherine Bell star.
TV2, 8.30pm Thursday.
10. The Shield: Another chance to see the sensational fifth-season finale but no word on when season six will screen as TV2 hasn’t picked up the rights to it.
TV2, 2.30am Tuesday.
See Also
