Sunday's TV highlights

7PM, TV2
TRENT'S WILDCAT ADVENTURES
As shown by the outpouring of grief over the death of wildlife expert Steve Irwin, people love people who love animals. That's why dedicated zookeeper Trent Barclay, one of the stars of TV2's reality series The Zoo, gets his own show. He leaves Auckland Zoo behind to travel to South Africa where he talks to wildlife experts and comes in to contact with his beloved big cats.
Barclay might have been having the time of his life filming this show but the production crew weren't so rapt. As director Tina Diaz says, "because of the nature of our show and being with Trent, who knows how to handle big cats, I think we were placed in many precarious situations. We were thrown in the deep end and we came out laughing nervously every time."

7PM, TV ONE
MUCKING IN
Ros Rowe has spent her life helping animals and people, so the team muck in for her.

7.30PM, TV3
SURVIVOR COOK ISLANDS
What makes this Cook Islands series so controversial is the fact the four tribes are divided ethnically - African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic and White.

8.35PM, PRIME
SOUL DEEP
In the final we journey from the ghetto to the fabulous world of R&B.


MOVIES
[rated out of 5]

8.30PM, TV2
STARSKY AND HUTCH
Herald rating: * *
The only iconic thing about this remake is the car. A new drug is about to hit the streets and dysfunctional buddy detectives David Starsky (Ben Stiller), and Ken Hutchinson (Owen Wilson) are on the case. (2004)

8.30PM, TV ONE
EMPEROR'S CLUB
Herald rating: * * * *
The wise-cracking son of a senator arrives at an exclusive prep school, where the rest of the boys are disciplined and well-behaved. A classics lecturer (Kevin Kline) takes it on himself to bring the boy into line. (2002)

10.55PM, TV3
THE NINTH GATE
Herald rating: * * *
A book dealer (Johnny Depp) is hired to find the only other two copies of his rare book in existence. The book, called The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows, is said to be the work of the devil. Directed by Roman Polanski, it's a good supernatural thriller, let down only by an uninspired ending. (1999)

6PM, SKY MOVIES 2, 8.30PM, SKY MOVIES 1
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Herald rating: * * *
Johnny Depp's zany take on Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka is more Michael Jackson than Gene Wilder. In director Tim Burton's version the candy king emerges after 15 years of seclusion, and opens his London chocolate factory to five lucky children, who are each allowed to bring one relative as their escort.Rather than a drab remake of the 1971 film, it is full of bizarre characters, re-imagined sets and CGI. One actor, the diminutive Deep Roy, played every darned one of those Oompa-Loompas himself, repeating the same movements hundreds of times and effectively shutting out the entire little person acting fraternity. Once his performances were digitally compiled, the makers agreed that each represented a separate performance and they jacked up his pay packet to a cool US$1 million. Also stars Helena Bonham-Carter, David Kelly and Noah Taylor. (2005)


SPORT

1PM, SKY SPORT 1 LIVE
BASEBALL: WORLD SERIES GAME 1
DETROIT TIGERS V ST LOUIS CARDINALS/ NEW YORK METS
At the time of writing St Louis were 2-1 up against the Mets in their best-of-seven national league championship series to see who meets the Detroit Tigers, who have been the cinderella story of the post-season. Game 2 is scheduled for Monday (1pm, Sky Sport 1 live) and game 3 for Wednesday (1pm, Sky Sport 1 live).

10PM, SKY SPORT 1 LIVE
SOCCER: A-LEAGUE
NZ KNIGHTS V ADELAIDE UNITED
It looks like another season of misery in store for Knights fans but they should be used to it by now. Hopefully the Knights can at least find the back of the net in this away game.

12.55AM, SKY SPORT 2 LIVE
SOCCER: FA PREMIERSHIP
MANCHESTER UNITED V LIVERPOOL
At this stage of the season, Man U look the only side capable of halting Chelsea's march to the title. Liverpool have been out of sorts so far but they love the big occasion.

5.55AM, SKY SPORT 1 LIVE
MOTORSPORT: BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX
Going into this last race, Renault's Fernando Alonso seems set to defend his driver's title. Michael Schumacher's only chance of grabbing the title is if he wins while Alonso finishes out of the points. Stranger things have happened.