Explorer: 24 Hours After Hiroshima
This chronicle of the dropping of the first atomic bomb, on Aug. 6, 1945, includes the last interview with the weapons test officer who armed it. Experts analyze declassified documents, while survivors who recall the blast include a “Hiroshima maiden” who eventually came to America for reconstructive burn surgery. Tuesday, Aug. 17, at 10 p.m., National Geographic Channel
Live From Lincoln Center: South Pacific
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This live broadcast will present Lincoln Center Theater’s Tony Award–winning revival of the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical based on James A. Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific. Kelli O’Hara and Paulo Szot lead the cast of this production, which features such beloved standards as “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Bali Hai,” and “There Is Nothing Like a Dame.” Wednesday, Aug. 18, at 8 p.m., PBS
The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
Canada’s answer to Monty Python, the Kids in the Hall gained a cult following in the early 1990s, thanks to their surreal comedy series. Now the quintet reunites for this eight-part series, forsaking their customary sketch format for a dark satire set in Shuckton, Ontario—a little town that hopes to attract the next Olympics, but gets a visit from the Grim Reaper instead. Friday, Aug. 20, at 10 p.m., IFC
New Orleans Rising
Though solidly middle-class, New Orleans’ black community of Pontchartrain Park had one of the city’s lowest rates of returning homeowners in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In this eye-opening report, correspondent Soledad O’Brien follows the efforts of residents such as Treme actor Wendell Pierce to rebuild the community in the face of bureaucratic indifference, and finds troubling parallels between responses to Katrina and the BP oil spill. Saturday, Aug. 21, at 8 p.m., CNN
Sharkwater
This dazzlingly photographed documentary turns popular misconceptions about sharks upside down. Filmmaker Rob Stewart illuminates their importance in the marine ecosystem, denounces the sensationalism of their portrayal in popular media, celebrates their beauty, and pleads eloquently for their protection. Saturday, Aug. 21, at 10 p.m., Planet Green
Other highlights
Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel
In Washington, D.C., Bernard Goldberg interviews Michaele and Tareq Salahi, whose annual charity polo event attracted controversy after the couple crashed a White House state dinner last November. Tuesday, Aug. 17, at 10 p.m., HBO
POV: Salt
A visually striking visit to the desolate salt flats of South Australia. Tuesday, Aug. 17, at 10 p.m., PBS; check local listings
All You Need Is Klaus
The title of this engaging profile refers to Klaus Voorman, who not only designed the Grammy-winning cover of the Beatles’ Revolver album, but also played bass with major recording artists of the era. Sunday, Aug. 22, at 8 p.m., Smithsonian Channel
