Wednesday's TV highlights

7.30PM, TV2
THE WAR AT HOME
New sitcom about the trials of bringing up teens, in which dad Dave (Michael Rapaport) frequently looks straight at the camera to comment on what's going on. This one's a little dirtier than Married with Children, say the critics. When Dave isn't talking about his wife's "great rack", he's dealing with 15-year-old Larry, who might be gay, 16-year-old daughter Hillary, who is dating black men, and 13-year-old Mike, who just wants to have sex.

7.30PM, PRIME
HOLMES
One-hour special in which Holmes chats with Donny Osmond backstage at his show in Las Vegas. Osmond talks about growing up and being best friends with Michael Jackson, what it's like being the most famous in the family, The Donny and Marie Show, his anxiety disorder, how he controls his panic attacks and the time when his life fell apart.

8.30PM, TV2
BIG LOVE

Bill Henrickson is a Mormon living in Salt Lake City and a dedicated family man - so dedicated, in fact, he has three families in this new HBO dramedy.

Bill (played by Bill Paxton in his first TV role) has to contend with the demands of three wives (a constant supply of Viagra comes in handy), three adjoining households and seven children, but he also owns a chain of home supplies stores, slyly named Home Plus.

He is also trying to shed his past, having grown up in the cult-like compound Juniper Creek, while trying to shield his lifestyle from mainstream Mormons.

Paxton (Twister, True Lies) is surrounded by quality actors - his wives are played by Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny and Ginnifer Goodwin, and Bruce Dern plays his father.

Harry Dean Stanton is Juniper Creek prophet Roman Grant, who wants a slice of Bill's business.

Naturally, the Mormon community hasn't appreciated receiving the sort of attention that HBO focused on the families of undertakers (Six Feet Under) and mobsters (The Sopranos). The church has been at pains to point out that it banned polygamy more than a century ago.

US reviewers have heaped praise on the series, saying that beyond the offbeat premise is a show that uses a terrific ensemble cast to examine middle American values in much the same way as Six Feet Under and The Sopranos.

In tonight's pilot, just as Bill is opening a new store he hears that his father, who still lives at Juniper Creek, is having health problems.

8.30PM, TV3
CSI
In the series finale, Flack is seriously injured in a building explosion and Mac tracks down a schizophrenic military wannabe as the bomber. Mac and Flack rush to the scene when a security guard is stabbed but are trapped inside a building when the bomb detonates. Flack is rushed to hospital, then Mac then gets a phone call from the terrorist telling him there will be another bombing within the next three hours.

9.30PM, TV3
PRISON BREAK
During the prison riot, Michael rescues Sara, the assassin tries to kill Lincoln, Bellick defies Pope to talk to the governor, and Veronica and Nick fly to Washington DC to trace the tipster's phone call.


MOVIES
[rated out of 5]

8.30PM, SKY MOVIES 1
ARMAGEDDON
Herald rating: * * *
New York City is damaged by hundreds of small meteorites, and scientists discover that a huge asteroid is heading for earth. Their plan: to bury an atomic bomb on the asteroid and blow it up before it gets here. A rag-tag team of oil-drilling specialists are hurtled spaceward, with a cast that includes Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and Billy Bob Thornton. (1998)