Stuff to Watch: Your guide to the week’s best on Sky and free-to-air TV

The White Lotus (8.30pm, Mondays from October 31, SoHo)

Mike White’s Emmy Award-winning and critically acclaimed black comedy returns for a second, seven-part season with episodes debuting here the same day as the US.

Leaving Hawaii behind, it this time follows a different group of vacationers during the course of an increasingly chaotic week-long story at The White Lotus resort in Sicily, Italy.

Season 1 favourite Jennifer Coolidge is joined by a new ensemble who include Aubrey Plaza, Theo James, Michael Imperioli, Tom Hollander and F. Murray Abraham.

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Crime: Greed v Need (8.30pm, Tuesday, October 25, 8.30pm)

In this latest instalment of TVNZ’s Documentary NZ strand, former New Zealand police detective Tim McKinnel explores the economic and human impact of corporate crime, while comparing to crimes of poverty, need and escapism.

He has seen first-hand how white-collar crime is often largely unreported in New Zealand, and unpunished on the whole – while young people continue to be locked into cycles of crime they can never return from. This leads McKinnel to wonder if our system needs changing.

Katrina Babies (9.30pm, Wednesday, October 26, SoHo)

Sixteen years after Hurricane Katrina, first-time filmmaker and New Orleans native Edward Buckles, Jr. shines a light on the lifelong impact on children like him whose lives were defined by the tragedy. Thirteen years old during the storm, Buckles has spent years documenting the stories of his peers – a generation of New Orleanians who have experienced loss, displacement and lack of support from government officials.

“Deeply personal and thoughtfully political,” wrote The New York Times’ Lisa Kennedy.

Cooks on Fire (7.30pm, Thursdays from October 27, TVNZ 1)

Described as irreverent and fun, this latest, six-episode local cooking competition sees seven teams of two battling it out on their BBQs under the watchful eyes of international BBQ champion Jared McDonald and foodies Nici Wickes and Ganesh Raj.

With guest judges including celebrity chef Peter Gordon and MasterChef NZ winner Karena Bird, expect plenty of fire from the participants, as they strive to take home the $30,000 cash prize for coming out on top.

The Bridge (9.30pm, Thursdays from October 27, TVNZ 2)

Narrated by James McAvoy, this UK reality competition focuses on 12 strangers challenged to build more than 250 metres of bridge in just 20 days, using only their bare hands, basic tools and supplies. If they can complete their task, that will lead them to an island, where a tower guards a chest containing £100,000 that only one of them will be able to claim.

“There’s a bare-bones appeal to The Bridge that almost reads as nostalgic in the age of reality-TV bombast,” wrote The Daily Beast’s Kevin Fallon.

Good With Wood (8.30pm, Fridays from October 28, TVNZ 1)

Host Mel Giedroyc returns with 10 more skilful enthusiasts fighting hammer and nail to be crowned Britain’s best woodworker. The contestants will spend eight weeks competing in a series of big builds designed to test their talent, creativity and ambition.

Most importantly, can they impress expert judges Sophie Sellu and Tom Dyckoff?

Ride Like a Girl (7pm, Saturday, October 29, Whakaata Māori)

Sam Neill plays veteran Australian horse trainer Paddy Payne in this 2019 biopic that focuses on his daughter Michelle (Teresa Palmer), the first woman jockey to win the Melbourne Cup (in 2015, riding Prince of Penzance).

Along for the ride are Magda Szubanski, Mick Molloy and Sullivan Stapleton.

“[Director] Rachel Griffiths doesn’t steer too far from biopic convention, but… the movie’s feel-good final furlongs are sure to have you cheering,” wrote Marie Claire magazine’s Jason Best.