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

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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

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