Sunday's TV highlights

7PM, TV2
8 SIMPLE RULES
Bridget finds her popularity waning because of her long-distance relationship with Donny, while Kerry's social status skyrockets because of her relationship with Kyle.

7.30PM, TV2
NZ IDOL
It's been a fiery few weeks as the competition has been narrowed down to four. Even Dom has put his two cents in and attacked the judges. Which beggars the question, since when was an opinion right or wrong?

8.30PM, TV ONE
VINCENT
When housewife Sally Mortimer finds thousands of pounds stashed in her husband's wardrobe, she's extremely suspicious and calls on Vincent and his team to investigate.

8.35PM, PRIME
SOUL DEEP
Southern soul is the order of the week as the doco explores Otis Redding's unique brand of emotionally charged soul which emerged from the bitterly divided Deep South in the 60s to unite black and white audiences.

9.40PM, PRIME
DEADWOOD
Howls of outrage greeted the news in the United States that the third series of this grim and grimy Wild West drama would be its last. Critics and fans alike argued that the show and its characters were just coming into their own - the only problem was that HBO had decided not to finance a fourth season, and creator and writer David Milch (NYPD Blue) had moved on to a new project. However, after canning the series, HBO says there will be two two-hour movies to wrap things up.

There will be some who won't lament the loss of one of the most profane and violent series on television.

Especially as the 1870s mining town of Deadwood is populated by an unlovable and unhygienic bunch of crooks, hustlers, prospectors and prostitutes who look as though they've been rolling in the muddy main street. But beyond the brutality and the cussing, the language and plotlines verge on the Shakespearean. This third series, which has already had a run on Sky Movies, begins with an episode entitled "Tell Your God To Ready For Blood", which nicely foreshadows how things will play out when the lawless town holds its first elections for mayor and sheriff.

The upright and uptight Seth Bullock is running for sheriff - against bartender Harry Manning, while E.B. Farnum and Sol Star contest the mayoralty.

But behind the scenes is where the real power struggle is going on, between mining baron George Hearst and brothelkeeper Al Swearengen.



MOVIES
[rated out of 5]

8.30PM, TV2
TIMELINE
Herald rating: *
Billy Connolly plays an archaeology professor who travels back in time via a 3D fax machine. Some of his students attempt a rescue mission and also get stuck back in the 14th century, during the Hundred Years War. From a book by Michael Crichton. (2003)

11PM, TV2
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
Herald rating: * * * *
This tale of a group of teenagers besieged by the spirit of dead child molester Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) still rates as one of the all-time horror classics. (1984)

10.55PM, TV3
SUPER TROOPERS
Herald rating: * *
Patchy comedy about misfit state troopers in Vermont who are out to have a good time. (2001)

6PM, SKY MOVIES 2, 8.30PM, SKY MOVIES 1
MR & MRS SMITH
Herald rating: * *
Swingers director Doug Liman really hit his stride as an action director in 2002 with The Bourne Identity. Here, he directs Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as assassins and lovers, opting for black comedy along the lines of War of the Roses. Unfortunately, he doesn't pull it off. (2005)


SPORT

11AM, TV ONE LIVE
MOTORSPORT: BATHURST 1000
A day in petrolhead heaven. Geoff Bryan presents two hours, first, building up with driver interviews, before the premier race on the Australian V8 Supercar Championship calendar.

4.35PM, SKY SPORT 1 LIVE; 9.40PM, PRIME
AIR NEW ZEALAND CUP QUARTER-FINAL 4, NORTH HARBOUR V OTAGO
New Ranfurly Shield holders Harbour received a dose of reality when they were outclassed by Waikato, and they'll find it tough, too, against a no-frills Otago side.

5.55PM, SKY SPORT 2 LIVE
MOTORSPORT: JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
The Aussie V8s probably won't have wrapped up in time before this race begins, so it's a tough choice between them and the dogfight for the Formula One drivers' title between Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, this time on the Suzuka circuit.