TV Daily

Salon's guide to what to watch on Friday and this weekend: PBS premieres Ken Burns' insightful, affecting documentary series on World War II, "The War."

By Salon Staff

Published September 21, 2007 10:00AM (EDT)

Weekend Pick

Photo: The National Archives

Ken Burns' much-anticipated seven-part documentary series about World War II, "The War" (premieres 8 p.m. EDT on PBS on Sunday and continues on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, plus three nights the following week, check local listings), is finally here, and you won't be disappointed. As he did in his award-winning series on the Civil War, Burns showcases his knack for portraying enormous devastation in human terms. Not only does he find smart, charming, insightful veterans and civilians to interview, but he offers us their most colorful and heartbreaking stories. The photographs and footage, paired with booming sound effects, pack a powerful punch, so much so that you might find it difficult to stomach the marathon viewings planned for this week. But don't despair -- the series is also slated to run weekly on Wednesday nights in most areas.

-- H.H.

Also…

On Saturday, BBC alien-hunter series "Torchwood" airs at 9 p.m. EDT, and stand-up special "D.J. Hughley: Unapologetic" airs on HBO at 10 p.m. EDT. On Sunday, the 19th season of "The Simpsons" premieres at 8 p.m. EDT, followed by the season premiere of "King of the Hill" at 8:30 p.m. EDT and "Family Guy" at 9 p.m. EDT, all on Fox. "Cold Case" also returns at 9 p.m. EDT on CBS.

On the talk shows -- Friday

Regis and Kelly

ABC, 9 a.m. EDT

 Fifth Annual Relly Awards

The View

ABC, 11 a.m. EDT

 Jessica Alba, Dane Cook, Leeza Gibbons

Ellen DeGeneres

Syndicated, check local listings

 Masi Oka, KT Tunstall, Science Guy Steve Spangler

Oprah Winfrey

Syndicated, check local listings

 Growing up intersex, and a discussion of Jeffrey Eugenides' book "Middlesex"

Charlie Rose

PBS, check local listings

 Sean Penn, Eddie Vedder

Larry King

CNN, 9 p.m. EDT

 Dan Rather

David Letterman

CBS, 11:30 p.m. EDT

 Richard Gere, Tom Dreesen, Velvet Revolver (repeat)

Jay Leno

NBC, 11:35 p.m. EDT

 Hugh Laurie, Sherri Shepherd, the Editors

Tavis Smiley

PBS, check local listings

 Alan Alda

Jimmy Kimmel

ABC, 12:05 a.m. EDT

 Ty Pennington, Barry Manilow

Conan O'Brien

NBC, 12:35 a.m. EDT

 Meredith Vieira, Steven Wright, Ben Harper

Craig Ferguson

CBS, 12:35 a.m. EDT

 Terrence Howard, Jennifer Westfeldt, Zap Mama

Contributors: Megan Doll, Heather Havrilesky, Eryn Loeb, Amy Reiter


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