The Week’s guide to what’s worth watching

last updated 8 January 2015

NOVA: Hunting the Hidden Dimension

Fractals—jagged geometric shapes made up of parts that resemble the whole—are all around us, from mountain ranges to blood vessels. Yet it wasn’t until the 1970s that maverick mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot discovered and described them, allowing us to solve problems of calculation—such as measuring coastlines—that were previously impossible. A lively edition of NOVA explores the ever-widening applications of fractal geometry, from designing fashion to detecting cancer. Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m., PBS; check local listings

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In 2005 Pakistani filmmaker Sabiha Sumar requested a dinner with then–President Pervez Musharraf. To her surprise, he consented to two unusually candid conversations. The filmmaker also interviews religious leaders and Pakistanis from diverse social strata as she examines the ongoing struggles for democracy and women’s rights in the Muslim nation at the center of the war on terror. A Grand Jury Prize nominee at Sundance. Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 10 p.m., PBS; check local listings

On this season’s opening night at Carnegie Hall, opera stars Dawn Upshaw and Thomas Hampson, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and Broadway’s Christine Ebersole joined conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth. Recorded in high-def and surround sound, the program opens with Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings

Despite critical acclaim, including two consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series, 30 Rock has struggled in the ratings. But that may change in the wake of the wide exposure that creator/star Tina Fey recently has received for her impersonations of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live. In this third-season opener, Fey’s character hopes to adopt a child—but her chances may be dashed when an evaluator (guest star Megan Mullally) meets her co-workers. Thursday, Oct. 30, at 9:30 p.m., NBC

This look at the Bush administration’s Iraq policies in the crucial months following the fall of Baghdad in 2003 is all the more damning for its cool, clinical tone. Drawing on interviews with military officers, diplomats, and key players such as Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, the film points to a pattern of ignoring expert advice, leading to key errors. Invading without enough troops left the country unstable. Banning all Baath party members from the new government kept the professional class from participating. Disbanding the Iraqi army helped create an insurgency. A 2008 Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature. Monday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m., Sundance Channel

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