The Week’s guide to what’s worth watching
The best programs on TV this week
Vietnam in HD
Thousands of hours of Vietnam War footage, much of it shot by combat soldiers, was converted to high-definition for this six-hour, three-night follow-up to History’s Emmy-winning 2009 documentary WWII in HD. Punctuating the film are the personal accounts of numerous veterans, given voice by such actors as Dylan McDermott, Edward Burns, and Armie Hammer. Tuesday–Thursday, Nov. 8–10, at 9 p.m., History
Poster Girl
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When upstate New York cheerleader Robynn Murray joined the Army at age 19, she was quickly shipped to Iraq and became a “poster girl” for U.S. women in combat, featured on the cover of Army magazine. But Murray returned home with severe post-traumatic stress disorder. This affecting documentary—an Oscar nominee—follows her struggle to reclaim her health and life. Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m., HBO2
American Masters: Bill T. Jones—A Good Man
A profile of the Tony-winning choreographer captures the intense energy Jones brings to creating an original dance-theater piece to mark the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. As it chronicles the project’s progress and retraces Jones’s life and career, the film reveals how much this artist demands of both his dancers and his audiences. Friday, Nov. 11, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Black in America: The New Promised Land—Silicon Valley
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In California’s Silicon Valley, less than 1 percent of venture capital goes to startups with African-American founders, but a privately created “accelerator” program aims to change that. Correspondent Soledad O’Brien follows eight African-American entrepreneurs who’ve agreed to the program’s requirement that they live and work together for nine weeks. Not all goes smoothly as they vie to attract mentors and funding. Sunday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m., CNN
Masterpiece: The Song of Lunch
Alan Rickman stars in this highly literate comedy-drama as a petulant poet manqué who meets his ex-lover for lunch at their old haunt. Rickman’s portrait of middle-aged bitterness and regret is both funny and pitiable, and Emma Thompson is equally subtle and adept as a woman who’s found a life of ease with a more successful author. The Masterpiece production is adapted from a narrative poem by Christopher Reid. Sunday, Nov. 13, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Other highlights
Frontline: Syria Undercover
An undercover reporter meets with members of the Syrian opposition movement who have been forced into hiding. Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Prophets of Science Fiction
Director Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) hosts an eight-part series profiling science-fiction visionaries, starting with Frankenstein author Mary Shelley. Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 10 p.m., Science
Republican Presidential Debate
CBS news anchor Scott Pelley and National Journal’s Major Garrett host a GOP debate in Spartanburg, S.C. National security will be the focus. Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m., CBS
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Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea
In the Spotlight Two undersea cables were cut in the Baltic sea, sparking concern for the global network
By The Week UK Published
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How people-smuggling gangs work
The Explainer The Government has promised to 'smash' the gangs that smuggle migrants across the Channel. Who are they and how do they work?
By The Week UK Published
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Crossword: December 1, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published