The Week’s guide to what’s worth watching
30 for 30: The Infinite Race
The Rarámuris never stop. An indigenous people commonly known as Tarahumaras, they have a long tradition of running barefoot, for up to 200 miles at a go, in the high canyons of Mexico’s Sierra Madre. An astounding entry in the 30 for 30 series explores how their running practice inspired ultra-marathoners worldwide and has served as an essential form of resistance against threats presented by today’s drug cartels. Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 8 p.m., ESPN
Song Exploder
How a great song comes to be can never truly be explained. But in his long-running podcast series that spawned a Netflix edition this fall, Hrishikesh Hirway consistently draws deep insights from every musician who agrees to walk through how a seminal track came to be. The new episodes arriving this week “explode” hits from Dua Lipa, Nine Inch Nails, the Killers, and Mexican folk-pop singer Natalia Lafourcade. Available for streaming Tuesday, Dec. 15, Netflix
The Ripper
Nearly a century after Jack the Ripper terrorized London, an imitator eluded police for years while murdering women in northern England. This shocking documentary details how the “Yorkshire Ripper” targeted prostitutes and used police blind spots to carry on his spree even after being questioned multiple times by investigators. Available for streaming Wednesday, Dec. 16, Netflix
The Art of Political Murder
When violence becomes the norm in a political society, powerful voices for justice become more important than ever. In Guatemala, Bishop Juan Gerardi was such a voice, until his murder in 1998 caused a national crisis. George Clooney and Grant Heslov adapt a book by Francisco Goldman into a poignant documentary that tells the story of the Guatemalans who braved violent intimidation to find Gerardi’s killers. Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 9 p.m., HBO
The Stand
Is there still a public appetite for epic thriller series set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a pandemic? This nine-parter, the second adaptation of a sweeping 1978 Stephen King novel, may provide the answer. In production well before the Covid-19 outbreak, the series will build toward a new ending written last year by King himself. The strong ensemble cast includes Alexander Skarsgard, Whoopi Goldberg, James Marsden, Amber Heard, and Greg Kinnear. Available for streaming Thursday, Dec. 17, CBS All Access
Christmas With the Tabernacle Choir
The holiday season’s most spectacular televised choral event will proceed as planned—because it’s always filmed the December before it airs. Joining the choir of the Salt Lake Tabernacle are co-hosts Kelli O’Hara and Richard Thomas and an audience of thousands. Monday, Dec. 14, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
The movie that puts Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman in contention for Oscars jumps from theaters to its long-term home on Netflix, offering a fiery take on an August Wilson play set in 1920s Chicago. Available for streaming Friday, Dec. 18, Netflix
On Pointe
’Tis the season for competition in this compelling six-part documentary series that follows young dancers in the prestigious School of American Ballet as they vie for roles in the company’s production of The Nutcracker. Available for streaming Friday, Dec. 18, Disney+