The Week’s guide to what’s worth watching

The best programs on TV this week

Frontline/World: Behind Taliban Lines

In the lead report, a daring video journalist travels through an area in northern Afghanistan that has fallen back under the control of the Taliban. There he tracks insurgents who are working with members of al Qaida to sabotage a major U.S. supply route. Also in this episode: a look at Pakistan’s public schools, which remain in a dismal state despite having received U.S. aid for years. Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings

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Independent Lens: Behind the Rainbow

The African National Congress accomplished the “Mandela Miracle,” liberating South Africa from apartheid. But today the nation’s ruling party is being torn apart by scandal, corruption, and disagreement over the country’s response to globalization. This documentary traces the ANC’s century-long history and reveals how two prominent leaders went from brothers-in-arms to bitter rivals for power. Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 10 p.m., PBS; check local listings

Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel

In a Winter Olympics–themed episode, correspondent Jon Frankel goes behind the scenes of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which employs the world’s most stringent drug tests to catch athletes looking for an illegal edge. Other segments include a profile of skier Bill Johnson, whose life took a tragic turn after he won a gold medal in 1984, as well as a lighthearted look at curling. Friday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m., HBO

Live From Abbey Road

The third season of this musical showcase begins with a 40th-anniversary tribute to the Beatles’ Abbey Road and the London recording studio for which it was named. In addition to an interview with Abbey Road producer George Martin, there are new performances of songs from the album by Seal, Sugarland, and others. Friday, Feb. 26, at 8 p.m., Sundance Channel

Other highlights

Shadow Soldiers: Israel

Cameras follow former British special forces agent Chris Ryan as he joins Israel’s border police on a mission against a drug dealer. Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 9 p.m., National Geographic Channel

Prison Wives

This grim new documentary series profiles women married to men behind bars. This week, a wife makes a conjugal visit to a convicted murderer serving life without parole. Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 10 p.m., Investigation Discovery

21st Winter Olympics: Closing Ceremony

NBC brings its 17 days of Olympics coverage to an end with a live broadcast of the closing ceremonies in Vancouver. Sunday, Feb. 28,

at 7 p.m., NBC