The Week’s guide to what’s worth watching
The best programs on TV this week
Broadchurch
A huge hit in Britain, this new crime drama follows a pair of detectives investigating the murder of an 11-year-old boy in a small seaside town. David Tennant, beloved as Doctor Who, plays an ill-tempered inspector and Olivia Colman the partner who must find a way to work with him to solve a crime that robbed her own son of his best friend. As secrets come to light, this whodunit may wear out the edges of your sofa. Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 10 p.m., BBC America
Clear History
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Curb Your Enthusiasm remains on extended hiatus, but at least creator Larry David is back with a new project. In this HBO movie, a hirsute David stars as a marketing executive who quits his post just before the electric car his firm created makes his ex-colleagues filthy rich. Ten years later, the boss he blames for his misfortune (Jon Hamm) snaps up a home near him. As the star plots revenge, Kate Hudson, Eva Mendes, and Michael Keaton help him win laughs. Saturday, Aug. 10, at 9 p.m., HBO
Hell on Wheels
As a third season for this 19th-century railroad drama begins, former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) is shaking off past tragedies and committing to completing construction of the first transcontinental line. The mobile work community that follows the project’s advance needs rebuilding after a Sioux raid, and the entire enterprise has moved to AMC’s Saturday lineup. Saturday, Aug. 10, at 9 p.m., AMC
The White Queen
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Yet another British drama tries its luck on American television. Based on a group of historical novels by Philippa Gregory, this bodice-ripping series is set during the War of the Roses, as the rival houses of York and Lancaster vie for the English throne. The U.S. version will have even steamier sex scenes. Saturday, Aug. 10, at 9 p.m., Starz
Low Winter Sun
Even the good guys are corrupt in this dark new cop drama. Mark Strong (Zero Dark Thirty) stars as Detroit homicide detective Frank Agnew, who in the opening act kills a dirty cop to exact a form of street justice. The crime plagues Agnew, though, as he soon finds himself imperiled by forces on all sides. The Detroit setting provides plenty of gritty atmosphere. Sunday, Aug. 11, at 10 p.m., AMC
Other highlights
A Flea Market Documentary
Flea markets from coast to coast, and the eccentric characters who shop and sell in them, are celebrated in this colorful documentary. Monday, Aug. 5, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Nature: Radioactive Wolves
A quarter century after the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, filmmakers follow the wolf packs that are thriving in the uninhabited zone surrounding the abandoned reactor. Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 8 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Strike Back
Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton return for a third season of this fast-paced action series about two MI6 counterterrorism agents. Friday, Aug. 9, at 10 p.m., Cinemax