What to Watch: November 2 - 8

The Spicks & Specks team

TV.com's pick of the best TV shows on Aussie screens this week.

The Contender Australia
Premiere. Charlotte Dawson and Rescue: Special Ops' Daniel Amalm host this first local spin-off of the US series from reality king Mark Burnett. There are 14 professional boxers from Australia and New Zealand here, all out to prove their manhood and land themselves a chance to fight Anthony Mundine. The egos are brutal (one is determined to keep himself above the pack), but there is a nice mix of diverse backgrounds here. The actual weekly match is about five minutes.

Airs: 8:35pm Monday on FOX8

Melbourne Cup
There are fillies, fashions, fascinators and flowers in this annual telecast. But the race that stops the nation is scheduled for 3pm AEDT. Seven's coverage of the event will feature Bruce McAvanaey, Simon Marshall and Richard Freedman with Johanna Griggs, Matthew White, Sonia Kruger, Fifi Box and Sandy Roberts also capturing the colour of the Cup carnival.

Airs: 10am - 5:30pm Tuesday on Seven

Ugly Betty
New series. When last we left the good folk at MODE Magazine Wilhelmina had become the new editor-in-chief. Now Daniel must make some changes due to her devious ways -- including her appearance in Live with Regis and Kelly. Meanwhile, Betty makes an important decision after Henry proposed to her just after Gio invited her to Rome with him for a holiday. Followed by the premiere of Reaper in which Bret Harrison stars as Sam Oliver who discovers his parents have sold his soul to the devil at the age of 21. He becomes a smooth-talking bounty hunter, capturing souls who have escaped from the underworld.

Airs: 7:30pm Tuesday on 7TWO

Packed to the Rafters
It's wedding day for the Rafters as Ben and Melissa are set to tie the knot in a humble, low-key family ceremony. It begins with a buck's night and not-quite hen's night for our two lovebirds. Then Mel's parents arrive from Perth and prospective father-in-law "Big Pat" is going to give Ben a hard time. But Ben is already struggling to write his vows, which only exacerbates his wedding jitters. Will he make it to the altar on time?

Airs: 8:30pm Tuesday on Seven

Survivor
New series. Slammed into the Brazilian Highlands, we're again set for another series a long way from a tropical ocean. We begin mid-transit abandoning the new contestants in an open desert (hints of Survivor: Australian Outback perhaps?). But while they are made to trek for four hours to their destination, two of the members will get a free ride. Survivor: Tocantins, again shot in HD and again viewable only on SD on GO!, is known as "the blindside season". Guess why...

Airs: 8:30pm Tuesday on GO!

True Blood
Now that Sookie and Eric have been trapped at the Fellowship of the Sun, it looks like we'll be in for an almighty battle inside the church. Jason gets wind of his sister's peril and races to her rescue. The result is a tense Mexican stand-off that is one of the series best scenes. Meanwhile, Tara and Eggs are about to succumb deeper and deeper under the spell of Maryann and head vamp Godric shows his human side.

Airs: 8:30pm Tuesday on Showcase

A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne
Premiere. This true crime drama looks at the murder of model Caroline Byrne in Sydney, 1995, with some solid performances by Garry McDonald as her bereaved father, David Lyons as boyfriend Gordon Wood and Tiriel Mora in a character turn as stockbroker Rene Rivkin. Graduating from children's television to adult drama is Cariba Heine (Blue Water High, H20: Jut Add Water). Lyons is the standout here as the volatile Wood while McDonald keeps his cool.

Airs: 8:30pm Wednesday on TEN

Spicks & Specks
Get out your shoulder pads, fluoro T-shirts and your leg-warmers -- we're going back to the 1980's this week. Expect to be reminded about Breakdancing, Moonwalking, Kenny Rogers tour jackets and Ultravox video clips. The guests are Brian Mannix from the Uncanny X-Men, Ally Fowler from The Chantoozies, Dave O'Neil and comedienne George McEnroe.

Airs: 8:30pm Wednesday on ABC1

Trawlermen
New series. Like Deadliest Catch, this is drama on the high seas as Scotland's bravest fishermen battle the North Sea. It opens with a wild storm that would surely feel like being in the middle of a "perfect storm". Nets are lost, boats break down, tempers fray -- this is stressful stuff even from the safety of the living room couch. But the thick Scottish accents are the show's biggest challenges. Can we get subtitles next time?

Airs: 7:30pm Friday on SBS ONE