America at a Crossroads: The Mosque in Morgantown
After reporting on events in Pakistan following the 9/11 attacks, The Wall Street Journal’s Asra Nomani returned to her hometown of Morgantown, W.Va., to find that Muslim women there were no longer allowed to pray with men in the local mosque. As it follows Nomani’s fight against Muslim extremism on the home front, this vérité-style documentary provides perspective on the evolution of American Islam. Monday, June 15, at 10 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Frontline: Breaking the Bank
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The government-brokered merger between Bank of America and Merrill Lynch in the fall of 2008 fundamentally changed the relationship between government and private business, this documentary posits. It follows Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis as he attempts to navigate between the conflicting demands of investors and government officials in a banking system that, some say, has already been nationalized. Tuesday, June 16, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Independent Lens: Ask Not
Since the Clinton administration implemented the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in 1993, more than 12,000 members of the U.S. military—including 54 Arabic linguists—have been discharged for being homosexual. This thoughtful documentary follows efforts to change the policy and talks to gay soldiers, former and current, one of whom asks: “Do we really care whether the person who translates the next crucial piece of intelligence is gay or straight?” Tuesday, June 16, at 10 p.m., PBS; check local listings
The Queen and I
As a child, Iranian filmmaker Nahid Persson Sarvestani was fascinated with the fairy-tale life of then–Empress Farah—yet later joined the 1979 revolution that overturned the shah. After Persson Sarvestani grew disillusioned with the Islamic revolution and fled the country, she became curious about the deposed royal’s fate, and eventually met with Farah in Paris, where she has been living in exile for nearly 30 years. This film documents their emotional meetings and improbable friendship. Wednesday, June 17, at 8 p.m., HBO2
Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life
The publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species 150 years ago “revolutionized the way we see the world,” says naturalist David Attenborough in this documentary, which marks Darwin’s 200th birthday. Retracing Darwin’s life and travels, Attenborough lucidly explains the process of evolution and joyously celebrates the diversity of life. Sunday, June 21, at 7 p.m., BBC America
Other highlights
The Lazy Environmentalist
In this seven-part series, expert Josh Dorfman shows how eco-friendly products and practices can actually make life easier. Tuesday, June 16, at 9 p.m., Sundance Channel
HawthoRNe
Jada Pinkett Smith portrays a feisty head nurse in this new medical drama. Tuesday, June 16, at 9 p.m., TNT
Dream Riders
In this documentary, a father and son take a 4,000-mile bicycle trip and repair their relationship. Saturday, June 20, at 8 p.m., Travel Channel
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