American Experience: Grand Central
Both an architectural masterpiece and an engineering marvel, New York’s Grand Central Station came into being through the actions of larger-than-life personalities—and not without casualties. Through archival footage and interviews with historians and experts, American Experience traces its colorful history. Monday, Feb. 4, at 9 p.m., PBS
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Lipstick Jungle
In this new series, three high-powered Manhattan women support one another in their professional and personal lives. Based on a novel by Candace Bushnell, it’s less of a frothy comedy than her Sex and the City and more of a prime-time soap. Brooke Shields, Kim Raver (24), and Lindsay Price are appealing in the lead roles. Thursday, Feb. 7, at 10 p.m., NBC
That Mitchell and Webb Look
British comedians David Mitchell and Robert Webb perform sketches of Monty Pythonesque absurdity in this hilarious new series. Debut segments include “Numberwang,” an incomprehensible game show; “Angel Summoner and BMX Bandit,” heroes with highly disproportionate abilities; and “Sir Digby Chicken Caesar,” a drunken vagrant who thinks he’s fighting evil. Friday, Feb. 8, at 9:20 p.m., BBC America
Six Degrees Could Change the World
According to this high-def documentary, a shift in average global temperature of only 6 degrees Celsius (less than 11 degrees Fahrenheit) could have catastrophic consequences. Six Degrees Could Change the World dramatizes these degree by degree, points to symptoms of global warming that are already apparent, and recommends strategies against climate change. Sunday, Feb. 10, at 8 p.m., National Geographic Channel
Other highlights
Nature: Crash, A Tale of Two Species
Nature looks at the interdependence of the horseshoe crab and the migratory Red Knot shorebird. In high-def. Sunday, Feb. 10, at 8 p.m., PBS
Nick News: Martin Luther King
Julian Bond presents a profile of the civil-rights leader. Sunday, Feb. 10, at 9 p.m., Nickelodeon
Masterpiece: The Complete Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
The acclaimed 1995 miniseries adaptation of Austen’s classic novel returns. With Colin Firth. Sundays, Feb. 10, 17, 24, at 9 p.m., PBS
All listings are Eastern time.
Show of the week
Bernard and Doris
Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes are both first-rate in this speculative dramatization of the relationship between multimillionaire Doris Duke and Bernard Lafferty, the butler she left in control of her fortune after her death. As the decadent Duke, Sarandon is at once likable and disagreeable, pitiful and funny, a woman who has everything except meaningful relationships. Fiennes gives an equally nuanced performance as a repressed, gay alcoholic whose true character—both good and bad—emerges as his bond with Duke becomes far more intimate than that of servant and mistress. Saturday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m., HBO
Movies on TV this week
Monday, Feb. 4
Fired! (2006)
After being fired by Woody Allen, actress Annabelle Gurwitch interviewed other people about getting the ax. The result is a wry documentary. 9:30 p.m., Sundance
Tuesday
The History Boys (2006)
Alan Bennett’s award-winning drama about a group of British schoolboys being groomed for Oxford and Cambridge features the original stage cast.
9 p.m., HBO Signature
Wednesday
Lianna (1983)
Indy auteur John Sayles’ second feature is a frank drama about an unhappy wife who finds fulfillment in a lesbian affair. Linda Griffiths stars. 10 p.m., Flix
Thursday
Trading Places (1983)
A Wall Street nabob and a streetwise con artist swap stations in life in this hit comedy, starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. 8 p.m., Cinemax
Friday
Dim Sum:
A Little Bit of Heart (1985)
In San Francisco’s Chinatown, a widowed mother and her daughter use each other to avoid commitment with men. Wayne Wang (Smoke) directed. 3:50 p.m., IFC
Sunday
Spellbound (1945)
A psychiatrist falls for a mysterious amnesiac in this Hitchcock classic. With Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, and a sequence designed by Salvador DalÃ. 11:30 a.m., TCM
New on DVD
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Brad Pitt portrays the legendary outlaw in this brooding Western; Casey Affleck’s performance as his killer has won him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. (R, $28)
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Disarming Hezbollah: Lebanon's risky missionTalking Point Iran-backed militia has brought 'nothing but war, division and misery', but rooting them out for good is a daunting and dangerous task
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Woof! Britain's love affair with dogsThe Explainer The UK's canine population is booming. What does that mean for man's best friend?
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