Frontline: Bush’s War
Combining new interviews and reporting with material from previous Frontline reports, this two-night special assembles a comprehensive narrative of the war in Iraq. Part 1 focuses on the post-9/11 run-up to the Iraq invasion, especially the policy battles within the Bush administration. Part 2 turns to the war itself, showing how initial plans for a quick withdrawal gave way to a long-term conflict, and looks ahead to the legacy President Bush will leave his successor. Monday–Tuesday, March 24–25, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Autism: The Musical
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This frank, powerful documentary follows five autistic children and the parents who valiantly confront the challenges of rearing them. The climax, in which the children perform an original musical designed to help them overcome their communication difficulties and demonstrate their worth, is deeply affecting. Tuesday, March 25, at 8 p.m., HBO
Masterpiece: The Complete Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility
Masterpiece closes its Austen cycle on a high note with this charming and witty new adaptation of the saga of the impoverished Dashwood sisters. Hattie Morahan and Charity Wakefield are winning in the roles of sensible Elinor and impetuous Marianne, respectively. The fine cast also includes David Morrissey and Janet McTeer. Sunday, March 30, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
The Tudors
This handsome historical drama, which begins a second season of palace intrigue, reimagines the English Reformation as a sexy prime-time soap. Jonathan Rhys Meyers returns as a smoldering young Henry VIII, while Natalie Dormer makes a suitably fetching Anne Boleyn—but it’s Peter O’Toole who steals his all-too-few scenes as Pope Paul III. Sunday, March 30, at 9 p.m., Showtime
Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union
In this new weekly series, protean English comedian Ullman channels a dizzying array of characters—some original (a Jamaican caregiver, a serial-killer groupie), others wicked impersonations (Arianna Huffington, Laurie David, Sopranos actor Tony Sirico). The satire is acerbic, ambitious, and topical, with a particular emphasis on media personalities. Sunday, March 30, at 10 p.m., Showtime
Other highlights
I Survived …
Survivors of life-threatening experiences recount their stories in this new series. Monday, March 24, at 9 p.m., Bio
Great Performances at the Met:
Hansel and Gretel
Humperdinck’s beloved children’s opera receives an imaginative new interpretation at the Metropolitan Opera. Wednesday, March 26, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
The Capture of the Green River Killer
A dramatization of the search for the serial murderer of dozens of women in the Seattle area in the 1980s. Sunday–Monday, March 30–31, at 8 p.m., Lifetime Movie Network
All listings are Eastern time.
Show of the week
Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?
This eye-opening four-week series makes an unsettling revelation: Social conditions have a greater effect on health than behaviors such as smoking, quality of medical care, or even genetics. Episode 1, “In Sickness and in Wealth,” travels to Kentucky to show that the less money people have, the sooner they die. Subsequent episodes explore how racial discrimination and economic insecurity also diminish health. The ominous conclusion: If the gap between rich and poor in America does not diminish, the richest country on earth will continue to lag far behind other nations in such vital areas as productivity, infant mortality, and life expectancy. Thursday, March 27, at 10 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Movies on TV this week
Monday, March 24
Mask (1985)
Cher won a Best Actress award at Cannes for her portrayal of a fiercely protective biker mom whose son has a massive facial deformity. Eric Stoltz co-stars. 7 p.m., HBO Signature
Tuesday
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
The attack on Pearl Harbor is recounted from both the Japanese and American points of view in this documentary-style historical drama, nominated for five Oscars. 10:30 a.m., FMC
Wednesday
The Dancer Upstairs (2002)
John Malkovich’s directorial debut is a political thriller based on Nicholas Shakespeare’s novel and inspired by Peru’s Shining Path guerrilla insurgency. Javier Bardem stars. 1:05 p.m., IFC
Thursday
Babel (2006)
An accident that befalls a troubled couple vacationing in Morocco triggers one of several intertwining stories from around the world in this drama. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett lead the ensemble. 8:30 p.m., Showtime
Friday
The Naked Kiss (1964)
A prostitute starts a new life in a small town in this unconventional melodrama from Samuel Fuller, noteworthy for its startling opening sequence. Constance Powers stars. 2:45 p.m., TCM
Saturday
The Departed (2006)
Martin Scorsese won his only Best Director Oscar for this violent crime drama about a police officer who infiltrates the Irish mob in Boston, even as a mobster infiltrates the police. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson. 5:30 p.m., Cinemax
Sunday
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (2005)
An unusual friendship blossoms between a lonely widow and a struggling young writer in this affecting comedy-drama. Starring Joan Plowright and Rupert Friend. 8 p.m., TMC
