Dreams With Sharp Teeth
Though he turns 75 this week, writer Harlan Ellison is still the enfant terrible of science fiction, with outspoken opinions on culture, politics, and the brutal business of working for Hollywood. This engaging profile captures him at his most outrageous, incorporating interviews with friends such as Robin Williams and Neil Gaiman, as well as clips from his classic television work, including Star Trek and The Outer Limits. Monday, May 25, at 9 p.m., Sundance Channel
Independent Lens: Steal a Pencil for Me
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It must be one of the most unusual of romantic triangles. Jack Polak, a Dutch Jew, and his wife were prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp when he became involved with another woman in the same barracks. Through their clandestine love letters, this inspiring documentary offers both a fascinating glimpse of a dark chapter in history and a touching love story. Tuesday, May 26, at 10 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Great Performances: In the Heights, Chasing Broadway Dreams
The development of the Broadway musical In the Heights—from early readings to triumph at the Tonys—is laid bare in this colorful documentary. The film not only captures the long process of crafting this portrait of New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood, but also includes performance sequences and profiles many of the company’s members. In high-def. Wednesday, May 27, at 8 p.m., PBS; check local listings
American Masters: Hollywood Chinese
From The Curse of Quon Gwon (1916), the earliest known Chinese-American feature film, to Ang Lee’s acclaimed Brokeback Mountain, this 90-minute overview reveals the many contributions of Chinese and Chinese-Americans artists to American cinema. Punctuated with rare clips, the lively special also includes interviews with directors Lee and Wayne Wang, actors Joan Chen and BD Wong, and many other artists. Wednesday, May 27, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Kick Like a Girl
After Utah’s Mighty Cheetahs, a third-grade girls’ soccer team, went undefeated for two seasons straight, their coach decided they needed a fresh challenge—so she put them up against boys’ teams. Narrated by the coach’s daughter, a fierce player despite juvenile diabetes, this irresistibly charming documentary is both an exciting sports saga and a thought-provoking look at gender stereotypes. Thursday, May 28, at 6 p.m., HBO
Other highlights
Secrets of the Knight: Sir Allen Stanford and the Missing Billions
An investigation of the Texas billionaire accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission of defrauding tens of thousands of investors. Monday, May 25, at 6 p.m., CNBC
Into the Storm
Brendan Gleeson stars in this dramatization of Winston Churchill’s political and personal challenges at the close of World War II. Sunday, May 31, at 9 p.m., HBO
Breaking Bad
Winner of a 2009 Peabody Award, this offbeat series about a dying high school teacher turned drug-dealer completes its second season. Sunday, May 31, at 10 p.m., AMC
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