I mustn’t have been reading The Gluc and The Bridge closely enough, because I didn’t even know that Emily Robins, who played Claire on Shortland Street, was leaving. Consequently, her death on Monday night was a bit of a shocker. There she was, lying in a skip all blue and strangled like it was CSI: Ferndale. It’s certainly giving the Street a pep up, after a bit of dreary run. I really wish Mark and Maia would at least have a pash. She can put it down to “hormones”.
The Herald’s Peter Griffin is on top of Freeview. TVNZ has started screening extended coverage of sporting events on TVNZ Sport Extra, which is Freeview channel 20.
EW rates the best and worst celebrity blogs and Stephen Colbert insists he is America.
Saturday
• A Shadow of Doubt (Maori) is about the use of 1080.
• Charlize won an Oscar for Monster (TV1); Salma Hayek did not win an Oscar for Frida (TV1).
• Die Hard with a Vengeance (TV3) is tired.
• How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It) (Documentary) looks baadasssss.
Sunday
• It’s the last of Gilmore Girls (TV2) (sob); read Ken Tucker in EW after watching, also Karen Valby shed a few tears and Alexis Bledel reflects on the ending. This 2005 piece about having a fantasy motherhood from Salon is safe to read now.
• The lovely Barbara Dreaver, TV1’s Pacific correspondent, has a two-part report on South Auckland gangs, starting during tonight’s 6 o’clock news.
• Marcus Lush does Antarctica in new series Ice (TV1).
• Sunday (TV1) has reports on how dishonest we’re becoming; a BBC report on Cherie Blair; and a report on Trade Me.
• Great reviews for Recovery (TV1) which stars the lovely David Tennant.
• Salon’s Heather Havrilesky loves 30 Rock (TV3) and I believe her.
• The fabulous Weeds returns on Prime.
• Secrets of Egypt’s Lost Queen is the Discovery documentary about Queen Hatshepsut that made headlines not long ago.
Monday
• Tonight’s episode of Extras (Prime) proves that Ronnie Corbett is quite a funny guy. The HBO website has a few, ah, extras. There’s a couple of videos on Ricky Gervais’s website that will tickle your fancy.
• Vanessa Rare will discuss her short film Pikowae as part of Maori Television’s short film season.
• Season three of Rescue Me starts on TV1, although Tommy is such an ass that it can get tedious.
Tuesday
• So looking forward to Outrageous Fortune back on TV3.
• NCIS is also back before OF, but it is very silly.
Wednesday
• Season six of Scrubs starts (TV2). Here’s a Donald Faison Q&A about the upcoming season.
• Do we care that Cold Case (TV1) is finishing? Next week: The Closer.
• Serial Killers repeats on TV1 laaate at night. Here’s Diana Wichtel’s review from 2004.
• The Door in the Floor is on Rialto.
Thursday
• Tonight’s episode of The Sopranos (TV1) was the first one to screen in the US after the long break. Read the HBO ep recap after watching.
• Lauren Graham and Sting are guest stars on Studio 60 (TV2).
• Hustle & Flow (Sky Movies 1) features a brilliant performance from Terence Howard.
Friday
• The OC (TV2) has so jumped the shark.
• Joan Collins is on Footballers’ Wives (TV1), here’s an interview from last year just after she’d played the part and before her one-woman tour. Remember this: she is 72.
• Waking Life (TV3) gets a nine from Philip in the Listener.