The Week’s guide to what’s worth watching

30 for 30: Once Brothers

Childhood friends Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac were part of Yugoslavia’s Olympic basketball “dream team” in the late 1980s, then came to America and became NBA stars. But when war erupted between Petrovic’s native Croatia and Divac’s Serbia, it tore their friendship apart. This powerful documentary reflects on their relationship, whose chance to heal was cut short by Petrovic’s death in a car accident at age 28. Tuesday, Oct. 12, at 8 p.m., ESPN

Ray Charles America

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Marking what would have been the legendary musician’s 80th birthday, this two-hour profile features rare or never-before-seen footage from recording sessions as well as a previously unaired interview conducted shortly before Charles’ 2004 death. The special also includes new interviews with Bill Cosby, Quincy Jones, and several of the musicians who performed duets with Charles on his final album. David Duchovny narrates. Tuesday, Oct. 12,

at 9 p.m., Bio

Monica & David

Touching yet often humorous, this documentary chronicles the first year in the married life of a young couple who both have Down syndrome—from their storybook wedding through the ups and downs of achieving full independence from their families. The film won the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival Best Documentary Feature Award. Thursday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m., HBO

30 Rock

The self-referential series continues to mock the pending acquisition of NBC by cable provider Comcast, as Tina Fey’s harried TV producer Liz Lemon deals with the approaching takeover of her show’s network by “Kabletown.” In a first for the series, this week’s episode will be performed live—once for Eastern and Central Zone viewers, then again three hours later for the West Coast. Alec Baldwin co-stars. Thursday, Oct. 14, at 8:30 p.m., NBC

Rubicon / Mad Men

Two of TV’s most distinctive series have their season finales back to back. As its first season ends, offbeat espionage thriller Rubicon gets its slow-simmering plot up to a boil, but quirky characters and tense atmosphere remain the big draws. Meanwhile, Mad Men continues to set the bar for television drama, as the struggles of its characters reflect an America on the brink of the Vietnam era’s cultural implosion. Sunday, Oct. 17, at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., AMC

Other highlights

Hardcover Mysteries

In this new series, top mystery writers discuss real-life cases that have intrigued them. First up: David Baldacci on the 1964 murder of Washington socialite Mary Meyer, a case that inspired his Absolute Power. Monday, Oct. 11, at 9 p.m., Investigation Discovery

The Event

Hal Holbrook guest-stars as a shadowy businessman in this new thriller series. Monday, Oct. 11, at 9 p.m., NBC

Zoo Confidential

This series goes behind the scenes at the Houston Zoo. Tuesday, Oct. 12, at 9 p.m., Nat Geo Wild