This Week On TV2

TV2 has the kids covered these school holidays, with an exciting line-up of movies starting this week. Tune in Monday-Friday at 12.30pm to catch, The Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl, Mulan 2, Osmosis Jones, Pokemon: Destiny Deoxys and Wallace And Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit.

On Monday at 8.30pm, TV2's Easter Monday Movie, Raising Helen stars Kate Hudson (Fool's Gold) as Helen, a high flyer who spends her time at fashion shows and the city's hottest clubs. But her carefree lifestyle comes to a screeching halt when she finds herself responsible for her sister's children. Also starring John Corbett (Sex And The City) and Joan Cusack (Confessions Of A Shopaholic).

Best On The Box Reality series winner, Police Ten 7, keeps cracking the cases on Thursday at 7.30pm. Rotorua police test a driver they suspect is high on drugs, and officers in Dargaville deal with a mystery man refusing to cooperate.

Drama

Gossip Girl

Sunday 4 April, 3.20pm

A famous actress, Olivia Burke (recurring guest star Hilary Duff, Material Girls, Lizzie McGuire) is assigned as Vanessa's (Jessica Szohr) university roommate, this week on Gossip Girl, and Tyra Banks (Tyra) guest stars.

Hoping for a somewhat normal college experience, Olivia enrols at New York University, and is assigned to be Vanessa's roommate, much to the surprise of everyone on campus.

For actress Hilary Duff, it was a case of art imitating life, as she explains on Gossipgirlinsider.com: "She is an actress who has been in a big franchise movie, she's been working hard and all she wants to have is a normal college experience - to go places unnoticed, to be in New York, to just live that life for a little while."

"It's pretty interesting and slightly close to home for me, because sometimes I want to turn the switch off for a little while, and just go out with friends and go unnoticed, so this is a fun thing for me to do."

Quickly catching the eye of Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley), Olivia is pleasantly surprised that he has no idea who she is, and so plays along with him. Duff is coy about what will happen with their characters, only hinting, "their relationship does grow, and that's all I'm telling you."

Banks guest stars as an emotional actress, Ursula, who is co-starring in Olivia Burke's movie, and who Serena (Blake Lively) is assigned to, in her new job as a publicist. A huge fan of the show, Banks was impressed with Lively and how down to earth she was saying, "she is so cool, and normal, she's a real girl."

Both guest stars also enthused about working with the show's revered wardrobe designer Eric Daman, as Banks exclaims: "I was so excited, I've heard amazing things about him, and watch the show every week and see what he does - and it's always good. The day of my fitting I was shocked at how many clothes he had pulled - there were probably a hundred different outfits!"

Elsewhere this week, it's the first day of school at Constance Billard which means it's also time for Jenny (Taylor Momsen) to take her rightful place as the new Queen Bee. Unfortunately for Jenny, Blair (Leighton Meester) is more than happy to intervene when news reaches her that she may be needed back at Constance. Meanwhile, Lily (Kelly Rutherford) returns home to Rufus (Matthew Settle) and her family to find that things are definitely not as she left them.

If you have missed an episode, full episodes of Gossip Girl will be available free online 12 hours after the show has aired on TV2. Go to tvnz.co.nz and click the 'ondemand' button.

Movie Keeping Up With The Steins Sunday 4 April, 9.45pm

A thirteen-year-old boy's rite of passage becomes a game of one-upmanship for his parents in TV2's Easter Sunday movie, Keeping Up With The Steins.

Benjamin Fiedler (Daryl Sabara, The Polar Express) is about to undergo his Bar Mitzvah. He's nervous enough standing in front of a temple full of strangers chanting Hebrew, a language he doesn't understand - but he also has to cope with the efforts of his parents, Adam (Jeremy Piven, Entourage) and Joanne (Jami Gertz, The Lost Boys), to splurge on a party-to-end-all-parties, as they try to surpass the 'Titanic'-themed Bar Mitzvah given by Adam's rival agent, Arnie Stein (Larry Miller, A Guy Thing). With his circus-sized celebration, Arnie has thrown down the gauntlet, and for the highly competitive Adam, the war is on.

However, when Adam's father Irwin (Garry Marshall, Happy Days), now a gray-haired hippie, and his spacey younger girlfriend (Daryl Hannah, Kill Bill) arrive in their broken-down camper, the Fiedler's plans are thrown into disarray.

Prior to being cast as agent Ari Gold on TV2 drama Entourage, Jeremy Piven was cast as agent Adam Fiedler, a man who can't let go of the resentment he feels for the father who deserted him.

Director Scott Marshall explains: "The relationship between Adam and Irwin is where the real conflict is in the story. Jeremy played that so well. Irwin is such a likable character, it's hard to be mad at him. But Jeremy would never lose the edge - he would not let Irwin get away with what he did."

The relationship between the different generations, all of whom are battling to come of age in their own way, was a subject that was close to home for screenwriter Mark Zakarin.

"I suppose it's a reflection of my family," Zakarin remarks about the film. "It's about taking responsibility for your life and your decisions. And you can come of age when you're 13 or you can come of age when you're 72."

"One of the things that maturity is about, is taking responsibility for the decisions you make in life. The acknowledgment that maybe you're making the right ones, maybe you're making the wrong ones - but you're making your own ones. That's the hallmark of adulthood.

Keeping Up With The Steins also features a talented supporting cast, including Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond), Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and a star cameo by singer Neil Diamond.

Local Drama

Shortland Street

Weekdays, 7pm

A special episode of Shortland Street screens this Easter Monday, when Paul Holmes makes a unique cameo appearance - dressed in drag.

Holmes plays the role of Leslie Grant, an arrogant amateur actor featuring as Lady Bracknell in the show's theatre production, The Importance of Being Earnest.

Holmes says it was a challenging experience, playing a role within a role.

"It was a difficult one. I was playing someone who was playing someone else. It could do your head in if you think about it too much."

Holmes enjoyed his day on set, saying the pleasantness of the cast really made it for him. But he wasn't without nerves either.

"Oh god yes, I was nervous. I had a big scene to learn and it took me a good couple of weeks at home to do it. I used to be able to learn lines really quickly. But I was nervous of strutting my stuff in front of the Shortland Street cast and the crew."

This isn't Holmes' first stint on Shortland Street. He made a brief appearance on the show in 1993.

"I went on as 'Holmes' and appeared at the hospital reception trying to find someone, I think," says Holmes. "It was a long time ago. I never did see the episode because I was actually on 'Holmes' at the time."

Shortland Street's producer Steven Zanoski says Holmes was his immediate choice for the role and enthuses that he was exceptionally professional on set.

"Beyond the novelty of Holmes in a dress, this is a fantastic performance from a very talented actor," says Zanoski.

So can viewers expect to see Holmes in a more permanent role on the Street?

"I think I've left it a bit late to be a handsome young actor on Shortland Street," jokes Holmes.

If you have missed an episode, full episodes of Shortland Street will be available free online 12 hours after the show has aired on TV2. Go to tvnz.co.nz and click the 'ondemand' button.

Local Reality

The Apprentice New Zealand

Tuesday 6 April, 7.30pm

With numbers dwindling in both Athena and Number 8, and both teams reeling from last week's boardroom, the competition heats up, this week on The Apprentice New Zealand.

Summoned down to Auckland's Waitemata Harbour, the teams are tasked with producing a television commercial for Seek.co.nz. Provided with camera crews, Athena and Number 8 set off to scout location, secure talent and brainstorm the script. While Athena struggles with the task, Number 8, with ad-man Daniel Phillips in the team, are feeling confident, but have they covered all bases?

Back in the boardroom, there is a shock discovery, and 'The Boss' wants answers.

For more information, eliminated contestants' thoughts on their firing and Terry Serepisos' behind the scenes blog, head to the official TVNZ The Apprentice New Zealand site www.tvnz.co.nz/apprenticenz.

If you have missed an episode, full episodes of The Apprentice New Zealand will be available free online 12 hours after the show has aired on TV2. Go to tvnz.co.nz and click the 'ondemand' button.

Local Drama Go Girls Thursday 8 April, 8.30pm Kevin's (Jay Ryan) quest to 'aim higher' is put to the test on Go Girls this week, when he learns Easy Tune (aka the only job he's ever had) is up for sale.

Not one for readily accepting change and stumped for a solution, Kevin finds inspiration in Cody's (Bronwyn Turei) fellow WAG Kirby (Monique Bree), when she brings her car into his garage.

"Finally getting over his one true love, Amy (Anna Hutchison), Kirby is Kevin's ultimate fantasy girl," Ryan says.

To Kevin, Kirby is the perfect antidote to his woes. But her situation is complicated - she's lonely and she's married to a rugby star, Zave (played by former Shortland Street actor Te Kohe Tuhaka).

The more time Kevin spends with Kirby, the more he realises his desire to be a success. In Kevin's mind, embracing change is the only way he can get a girl like Kirby.

"Kevin has matured a little bit since last series and I think he has realised that this whole change thing is actually good, and wants to leave his old habits behind," Ryan comments.

This week's episode features a number of 'fantasy' scenes with Kirby; think fast cars and sexy lingerie. It's every man's dream scenario and comes straight from Kev's imagination.

On working with Bree, Ryan says, "Monique's great. She came on and worked really hard, we ran lines and discussed our scenes all the time. She's got really great instinct."

Kevin determines to achieve his goal this week, but more importantly, will he get the girl?

If you have missed an episode, full episodes of Go Girls will be available free online 12 hours after the show has aired on TV2. Go to tvnz.co.nz and click the 'ondemand' button.

Comedy The New Adventures Of Old Christine Thursday 8 April, 11.30pm Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns to TV2 tonight, with brand new episodes of her sitcom, The New Adventures Of Old Christine.

Christine (Louis-Dreyfus) is a divorced mum who runs a gym with her friend Barb (Wanda Sykes), while struggling to keep the peace with everyone around her. That includes the judgmental stay-at-home mums at her son Richie's (Trevor Gagnon) private school, her ex-husband, Richard (Clark Gregg) - and his new girlfriend (Emily Rutherfurd), whose name also happens to be Christine.

Tonight, Christine uses her expertise as a gym-owner to help Matthew (Hamish Linklater) lose weight. But in her attempt to help him, she finds she is unable to shed the extra pounds she's put on herself.

When the show was first conceived in 2006, the character of Christine instantly attracted Louis-Dreyfus, as she tells The Insider.

"The idea of playing a mother who has good intentions, but who is highly flawed, appealed to me - simply because I'm a working mother with good intentions myself," Louis Dreyfus says.

"I hope I'm not as flawed as Christine is, but there's a certain raw reality to this part that very much appealed to me. I'm not divorced, but my parents are, and I know that family dynamic very well."

The year was a particularly busy one for the ex-Seinfeld star, as she was also reunited with her former co-stars from that show for a multi-episode arc in Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm, which screens on TV2 from Wednesday 21 April.

"I shot Curb during my hiatus, and it's all 'in the can' as we like to say, so it was pretty manageable," Louis-Dreyfus says.

Co-star Wanda Sykes (who is also a guest player on Curb Your Enthusiasm), says she has a blast working on the sitcom with Louis-Dreyfus.

"It's so much fun - I have such a great time on this show. What I love is Christine is so unreasonable and so dysfunctional that really Barb doesn't have to stretch too far to be the voice of reason. Barb's a bit of a jackass herself, but not as far out as Christine."

Louis-Dreyfus jokes, "Both of them should be institutionalised."