SATURDAY JUNE 27
Banksy and the Rise of Outlaw Art (Sky Arts, Sky 017, 8.00pm). There was graffiti before Banksy, but perhaps his pungent political messages hit home a bit harder. Anyways, a doco about his influence on street art featuring a bunch of cool people.
SUNDAY JUNE 28
Beat the Chasers (TVNZ 1, 8.30pm). Judging by the tweets, which is probably a bad idea, over lockdown all of New Zealand found itself in front of The Chase every night at 5pm. It is a brilliant fomat: hardly anyone wins any money, so it's really exciting when they do. Now they've put all the Chasers on one show together and pitted them against members of a studio audience. The drama! The excitement! The set-up jokes! The format is way too complicated to explain, but the fun, as always, is in trying to answer the questions yourself. In other game show news, TVNZ 2 is starting a new local kids' series on Monday: Brain Busters (4pm) features four players answering questions before the top two tackle the "brain buster" obstacle course.
Head High (Three, 8.30pm). They've been promo-ing it for weeks, so thank goodness it's finally here. I have often wondered why rugby-mad New Zealand has never produced a decent rugby television drama, but perhaps Head High is the one we've been waiting for, addressing, as it does, many other issues surrounding the game, including poverty and privilege, according to the Herald's interview with Miriama McDowell. It's co-created by Tim Worrall and Kate McDermott and features a brilliantly diverse cast, from old hands such as Joe Naufahu to newcomer Te Ao O Hinepehinga Rauna.
The Windermere Children (Rialto, Sky 039, 8.30pm). The Rialto Channel on Sky is having its annual unlocked extended weekend, starting today and ending on Tuesday. Films include this biographical drama based on the story of child survivors of the Holocaust who arrived at a camp set up near Lake Windermere in the north of England. It's sad and beautiful and features some of the real survivors at the end. With Iain Glenn, Romola Garai and Tim McInnerny. Other highlights include Australian film The Nightingale (Saturday, 8.30pm) and the documentary Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks (Thursday, 8.30pm), an homage to the impact of Hong Kong film-makers.
MONDAY JUNE 29
Shortland Street (TVNZ 2, 7pm weekdays). Surely there is no better indication that we've beaten Covid-19 than seeing Shortie come back to its regular five nights a week. Not only that, but the show reaches its 7000th episode on Friday; the episode was one of the first to be filmed under pandemic rules.
I May Destroy You (SoHo2, Sky 210, 8.00pm). It began on Neon a couple of weeks ago, but now arrives on linear telly. It's blimmin' brilliant; Michaela Coel and her co-stars Paapa Essiedu and Weruche Opia talk about hook-up culture, consent and code-switching in this Guardian interview.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark (SoHo2, Sky 210, 9.30pm). One for the true-crime crowd: a documentary series based on Michelle McNamara's book about the Golden State Killer.
THURSDAY JULY 2
Around the World by Train (TVNZ 1, 8.30pm). No, nothing to do with Snowpiercer: Tony Robinson globe-trots by rail, with plenty of stop-offs to explore his surroundings, from herding camels by helicopter in the Australian Outback to abseiling a tree in the Malaysian forest. Whether you care for this sort of travelogue or not, it's the only kind of travel we can do at the moment.
STREAMING
Inna de Yard (TVNZ OnDemand, Wednesday). TVNZ has added this 2019 documentary that screened at the NZIFF last year; it has a Buena Vista Social Club Feel, featuring some reggae old-timers, including Cedric Myton, Kiddus I, Ken Boothe and Judy Mowatt, recording an acoustic album.
Transplant (TVNZ OnDemand, Wednesday). A Canadian medical drama with an unexpected political aspect: lead character Bashir "Bash" Hamed (Hamza Haq) was a refugee from Syria trying to rebuild his career and life in Toronto. However, due to problems with his credentials, he begins the series as a line cook.
Warrior Nun (Netflix, Thursday). Okay, we'll bite.