A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt
At the unusually young age of 24, chef Paul Liebrandt received three stars from The New York Times for the exotic dishes, such as beer-and-truffle soup, that he was creating at the restaurant Atlas. This colorful profile follows the ups and downs of his career over the ensuing decade, as he pioneered the molecular gastronomy movement at various New York restaurants, garnering both critical acclaim and controversy. Monday, June 13, at 9 p.m., HBO
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Jason Lee reprises his role as a singing, Elvis Presley–loving police detective as this likable series returns. In the second-season opener, he is teamed unwillingly with an attractive female Internal Affairs investigator to probe the murder of a cop who may have had ties to a white supremacist militia group. Alfre Woodard lends able support. Tuesday, June 14, at 9 p.m., TNT
Independent Lens: Two Spirits
In 2001, Fred Martinez, a 16-year-old transgender Navajo high school student in Colorado, was beaten to death, becoming one of the youngest known victims of murder motivated by anti-transgender bias. This moving film documents his short life against the backdrop of the Navajo tradition of “two-spirit”—a balancing of masculine and feminine traits. Tuesday, June 14, at 10 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Come Fly With Me
Matt Lucas and David Walliams, the two-man comedy troupe behind Little Britain, play some 50 characters in this British mockumentary series about life at an airline terminal where passengers’ choices include budget carrier Flylo and Irish airline Our Lady Air. Though the show has drawn some complaints in the U.K. for its portrayal of racial minorities, it has also been nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Comedy Program. Saturday, June 18, at 11:30 p.m., BBC America
Masterpiece Mystery! Poirot XI
When a vicar dies right before Hercule Poirot’s eyes, the Belgian sleuth doesn’t suspect murder because the elderly gent’s cocktail contains no poison—but when a second, similar death occurs, he’s compelled to make a rare admission of error. David Suchet again perfectly embodies Agatha Christie’s fussy hero in this episode, the first of three droll new Poirot puzzlers. Sunday, June 19, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Other highlights
2011 Geo Bee
More than 50 students ages 10 to 14 vie for scholarships in this geography competition hosted by Alex Trebek. Monday–Thursday, June 13–16, at 6:30 p.m., National Geographic Channel
Jon Benjamin Has a Van
Comedian H. Jon Benjamin leads a crack investigative team across America—and even into outer space—in this new spoof of network newsmagazines. Tuesday, June 14, at 10:30 p.m., Comedy Central
101 Gadgets That Changed the World
Editors of Popular Mechanics team with various experts to identify the past two centuries’ most influential inventions, from alarm clocks to zippers. Wednesday, June 15, at 9 p.m., History
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Weapons: Julia Garner stars in 'hyper-eerie' psychological thrillerThe Week Recommends Zach Cregger's 'top notch' new film opens with 17 children disappearing at exactly the same time
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Freakier Friday: Lohan and Curtis reunite for 'uneven' but 'endearing' sequelThe Week Recommends Mother-and-daughter comedy returns with four characters switching bodies
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Al fresco art: the UK's best sculpture parksThe Week Recommends Soak up the scenery with a stroll through these open-air galleries
