After 12 (Discovery Travel & Living; Mondays at 10pm) is a travel show with a difference, claim its creators.
Hosted by former MTV presenter Jamie Aditya, the series takes viewers to the 'quaint corners and little-known nooks' of various cities across Asia. Thus the effervescent Aditya stays up late - beyond midnight in fact - in Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Shanghai and Jakarta to hook up with locals who guide him around 'their' city.
There are no gimmicky set-ups or rehearsed lines as our demonstrative host follows the city slickers in search of the food, fun and culture they deem best experienced at night, and Aditya is happy to allow local characters their 15 minutes of fame.
When After 12 comes to Hong Kong, it takes in the sights of Tsim Sha Tsui's Avenue of Stars, The Peak, Temple Street's night market and Lan Kwai Fong. So far, so predictable. It's the local 'celebrities' who make this episode watchable. DJ Manoj R. Dani is a big personality who takes Aditya to a couple of 'hidden' dai pai dong. At 1am, Dani strikes up a conversation in Cantonese with a elderly regular and they chat about the old days and end up singing opera together while Aditya sips beer and looks increasingly redundant. Some viewers may also like to know that we get to see the backside of a former Miss Asia. But I don't want to reveal too much, unlike Belinda Hamnett.
Tomorrow's opening episode takes in Seoul, where Aditya uncovers what it means to live in a city that never sleeps but which is also just a few kilometres away from the world's last cold war frontier. Along with his new musician friend, DJ and translator, Nicole, he is taken on a wild ride of baseball driving ranges, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, temples, plastic-surgery consultations and lessons on Korean dining etiquette.
Meanwhile, just over the border but a world away in terms of lifestyle, North Korea: A Day in the Life (History Channel; tonight at 10pm) is a provocative documentary that follows the family of Hong Sun-hui, a factory worker.