Countdown With Keith Olbermann
Five months after his departure from MSNBC, the outspoken political commentator returns to TV in the same time slot under the same title, but on a different channel. Filmmakers Ken Burns and Michael Moore, comedian Richard Lewis, and Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas are among those scheduled to be regular contributors on the live weeknightly program. Monday, June 20, at 8 p.m., Current TV
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In 1974, the Manhattan district attorney’s office created the nation’s first prosecution unit dedicated to sex crimes, at a time when virtually every detail of a rape victim’s allegations had to be corroborated by physical evidence. This documentary showcases the unit’s work today, when cases are pursued by dozens of prosecutors—including a cold case team that, using DNA, won the conviction of a rapist nearly a decade after the crime. Monday, June 20, at 9 p.m., HBO
Combat Hospital
If you transplanted M*A*S*H from 1950s Korea to 2006 Afghanistan and excised its irony, you might have something like this well-mounted new medical drama. Michelle Borth and Terry Chen portray surgeons newly arrived in Kandahar, where they’re confronted by such challenges as critically injured soldiers, a patient who’s a high-ranking Taliban official, and the appearance of a snake in the operating room. Tuesday, June 21, at 10 p.m., ABC
Keeping Score: Mahler—Origins
Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas travels to rural Bohemia to explore the inspirations for Gustav Mahler’s music and to trace the composer’s life through the premiere of his first symphony, Titan, which startled 1888 audiences with its modernity. Following the documentary, at 10 p.m. Tilson Thomas leads the San Francisco Symphony through a performance of the groundbreaking work. Thursday, June 23, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Commercial Kings
Childhood friends turned independent filmmakers Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal make local-TV commercials so entertaining that the ads have garnered some 90 million views on YouTube. This droll new docuseries follows the duo as they craft television spots for small businesses, on commensurately small budgets. In the premiere, their quirky clients are Holiday Hotel for Cats and Super Shmuttle, a day-care center for dogs. Friday, June 24, at 10 p.m., IFC
Other highlights
Rebuilding Titanic
Experts re-create sections of the doomed ship using 1912 methods. Monday, June 20, at 9 p.m., National Geographic Channel
Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel
The show profiles former New York Giants star running back Tiki Barber as he attempts an NFL comeback after four years away from football. Tuesday, June 21, at 10 p.m., HBO
Life on a Wire
This new docuseries follows daredevil Nik Wallenda, scion of the famed Flying Wallendas family. In the debut, he attempts to set two world records while traversing a wire between two towers at a Bahamas resort. Wednesday, June 22, at 10 p.m., Discovery
