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Whina (7.30pm, Monday, February 6, TVNZ 1)
Free-to-air debut for this 2022 biopic of trailblazing Māori leader Dame Whina Cooper.
Her extraordinary life saw her break gender boundaries, champion indigenous rights, and fight for the land – all while staying true to her heart and her beliefs.
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Rena Owen plays the older Dame Whina Cooper in the 2022 movie Whina.
Directed by The Dark Horse’s James Napier Robertson and Waru’s Paula Whetu Jones, it features Rena Owen and Miriama McDowell playing the eponymous lead at different stages in her life, while the supporting cast includes Vinnie Bennett and James Rolleston.
“This is a moving, heartbreaking and beautifully put-together film,” wrote Stuff to Watch’s own Graeme Tuckett. “Don’t see Whina because you ‘think you should’. See it because it’s a damned good story, very well told.”
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Jeopardy! (3.30pm, Weekdays from Wednesday, February 1, Prime)
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Former Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings is now one of the long-running US quiz show’s two co-hosts.
The world’s best quiz show is back. After an incredible season 38, which featured a number of contestants going on lengthy winning streaks, there’s a lot to look forward to this time around, especially the upcoming Tournament of Champions.
Eagle-eyed viewers will note that Prime have missed a few episodes in jumping forward to the show’s mid-September US return. Former champion Ken Jennings and The Big Bang Theory’s Mayim Bialik continue to alternate hosting duties.
Everything Everywhere All At Once (8.30pm, Sunday, February 5, Sky Movies Premiere)
Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, Michelle Yeoh headlines this 2022 action adventure-comedy about an ageing Chinese immigrant who finds herself having to explore multiple universes in order to save our own reality.
“The film works magic by embracing excess, finding a kind of harmony and possibility within it, and reminding us of the beauty and lunacy of the human experience along the way,” wrote Slant magazine’s Derek Smith.
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Saoirse Ronan is at her luminous best in On Chesil Beach.
On Chesil Beach (8.30pm, Sunday, February 5, Whakaata Māori)
Adapted by Ian McEwan from his own Booker Prize-nominated 2007 short novel, this 2017 tale is a compelling car crash of a relationship drama you’ll find you can’t look away from. Like Revolutionary Road, My Blue Valentine and Brief Encounter, that this “feel bad” story works is down to terrific chemistry between the two leads.
And if Brooklyn and Lady Bird hadn’t already swayed you, this provided more compelling evidence as to why Saoirse Ronan is one of the finest actors of her generation.
Rūrangi (9.30pm, Sunday, February 5, Prime)
Winner of an International Emmy Award, Oliver Page and Cole Meyers’ 2020 short-form series (presented here as a feature-length whole) has been championed worldwide for its queer-representation. The story follows transgender activist Caz Davis (Elz Carrad), as he returns to his conservative Northland hometown.
“It’s a film that thrums with warmth and gives the rest a lesson in how to get trans representation right,” wrote The Guardian’s Cath Clarke.
Follows the debut of Wellington-set comedy Not Even (8.30pm) and the beginning of the second season of Kiwi satire SIS (9pm).
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Could Adele end up with another arm-load of Grammys this year?
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards (1pm, Monday, February 6, TVNZ 2)
American music’s biggest night is back, with recently departed The Daily Show host Trevor Noah the master of ceremonies for an evening that promises plenty of glitz and glamour, as well as performances from the likes of Bad Bunny, Lizzo and Sam Smith.
Leading nominees include Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Adele and Brandi Carlile.
Whetū Mārama: Bright Star (8.30pm, Monday, February 6, Whakaata Māori)
Free-to-air-debut for this 2022 Kiwi documentary about Sir Hekenukumai Ngaiwi Puhipi, aka Hek Busby, and his significance for Māori in rekindling their wayfinding DNA and for all New Zealanders in reclaiming our place as traditional star voyagers on the world map.
“Film-makers Aileen O’Sullivan and Toby Mills have achieved something very special here,” wrote Stuff to Watch’s own Graeme Tuckett. “There are connections here and strands being woven that are not immediately apparent, but will resonate with you long after the credits roll. I think this is a film that will be shown and wondered over for years.”
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