Sunday's TV highlights

7.30PM, TV2
NZ IDOL
NZ Idol hits the road tonight and the hopefuls are in Christchurch. Don't forget, you can vote by going to www.tvnz.co.nz (keyword: nz idol). The results will be revealed on tomorrow night's elimination show.

7.30PM, TV3
THE PERFECT AGE
This series, hosted by Petra Bagust, seems to be setting itself an unattainable goal by trying to establish at what age we get the most out of life. Over five shows, it will look at the impact age and the generations we grew up in have upon our lives.

Each episode will feature social experiments designed to challenge the myths about ageing. Experts will analyse the results to see why we behave the way we do depending on our age.

In tonight's first episode, experiments will be conducted to identify differences in attitude as we age. One of the questions posed will be: Are we doomed to get more conservative as we age? If the age of outraged radio talkback callers is anything to go by, the answer is a very loud yes.

Also, the show will try to establish if age affects the way we see ourselves, and how our views on family, relationships and money change over the years. Subsequent shows will look at how our time of life affects our chances of success, our brainpower, and our bodies.

8.30PM, TV3
CSI: MIAMI
New Zealander Simone Kessell appears in this new series alongside lead David Caruso.

8.40PM, PRIME
BEAUTIFUL MINDS
The film Rain Man made Kim Peek the world's best known savant. This doco looks at the life of Howard Potter whose talent was discovered when he was counting peas at age nine.

10.40PM, TV ONE
ARTSVILLE
Meet 65-year-old artist and blacksmith Noel Gregg, who has been commissioned to build two 3m black stilts (Kaki) - the world's most endangered wading bird - that will be displayed in Twizel's town centre.


MOVIES
[rated out of 5]

8.30PM, TV2
SWEET HOME ALABAMA
Herald rating: * * *
Reese Witherspoon stars as a Southern girl making her way in the New York fashion industry. After a marriage proposal she heads down south to sort out her past, which includes a high-school sweetheart she is still hitched to. Reasonably smart and funny. (2002)

10.45PM, TV2
THE GIFT
Herald rating: * * *
Cate Blanchett stars as Annie, a clairvoyant who supports her family by reading cards. After she is terrorised by Donnie (Keanu Reeves), the abusive husband of a client, the promiscuous daughter of a wealthy local goes missing. Annie leads the police to the body and all clues point to Donnie as the culprit. Also stars Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank and Greg Kinnear. Sam Raimi directs and Billy Bob Thornton was one of the writers but it is really just a run-of-the-mill whodunnit. (2001)


SPORT

BADMINTON: NEW ZEALAND OPEN
NOON, TV ONE
John McBeth presents live coverage of finals day at the NZ Open, which offers US$50,000 in prize money. Because it has been upgraded to a two-star event, some of the world's top players will appear, including Singapore's Li Li and Ronald Susilo.

MOTORSPORT: GRAND PRIX OF HUNGARY
11.55PM, SKY SPORT 1 LIVE
Ferrari's Michael Schumacher is turning up the heat on Renault's reigning champion Fernando Alonso. He has cut his lead in the championship to 11 points with six races to go.