TV Daily

Prime Pick

Photo: PBS

While the subject matter of Frontline's "The Undertaking" (9 p.m. EDT on PBS, check local listings) might scare off the faint of heart, its gentle look at the work of funeral director and poet Thomas Lynch mixes deep sadness with a patient, philosophical tone. The program combines the stories of families handling funeral arrangements with the day-to-day dealings of a funeral home. Interspersed throughout are the poems and insights of the family patriarch, Lynch, who reads his own work with the somber, lyrical tone of a particularly soothing NPR commentator. While these "deep thoughts" moments might leave some viewers rolling their eyes, Lynch's prose is necessary to lift this enormously heavy subject out of the darkness. Likewise, footage of two parents dealing with the impending death of their 2-year-old, who's suffering from a genetic disorder, will make you weep until you're reaching for the remote, but by the end, their courage in the face of devastating consequences feels strangely inspiring. Ultimately "The Undertaking" offers a sometimes grueling but gracefully crafted reminder of how our experiences with death connect us to one another and awaken us to the preciousness of each day.

-- H.H.

Also…

The finale of five-part miniseries "Five Days" airs at 8 p.m. EDT on HBO, while "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" airs at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC. In tonight's fifth-season premiere of FX's "Nip/Tuck" (10 p.m. EDT), Christian and Sean move the business to Beverly Hills, Calif. And Independent Lens documentary "Storm of Emotions" (10 p.m. EDT on PBS, check listings) explores the evacuation of Israelis from the Gaza Strip.

On the talk shows

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

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