The Smithsonian Channel debuts a new documentary tonight on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that includes rare footage of the days leading up to the iconic Civil Rights leader's murder in Memphis in April 1968.
"MLK: The Assassination Tapes" relies solely on archival films, photographs and recordings from television and radio news coverage, as well as audio recordings of local police scrambling to secure the Lorraine Hotel minutes after King's shooting was reported.
The Cameron Crowe / T-Bone Burnett documentary chronicling the critically acclaimed 2010 musical collaboration between Elton John and Leon Russell debuts tonight on HBO.
In "The Union" (9 p.m. ET), Crowe ("Jerry Maguire," "Almost Famous," "Pearl Jam Twenty") shows a candid Elton John during his composing process, something never filmed before.
Filming for "The Union" began in 2009, covering the entire writing and recording process of John's album with Russell.
Sounds good to me. Check out a clip of an interview with Elton John below.
An Independent Lens documentary on Civil Rights leader Daisy Bates begins airing on UNC-TV this week.
In "Daisy Bates: First Lady of Arkansas," filmmaker Sharon La Cruise presents an unflinching look at the strong but complicated woman who led the integration of public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957.
La Cruise uses archival news footage and old interviews with the charismatic Bates to tell the story, along with candid interviews with Bates' friends and Little Rock historians. Some of the most striking interviews are with members of the Little Rock Nine who famously integrated the Little Rock Public School System.
The Pregnancy Project (8pm, Lifetime) - A high school student pretends to be pregnant in order to conduct a research project about stereotyping teens who are pregnant.
Goodnight for Justice: The Measure of a Man (8pm, Hallmark Movie) - Judge John Goodnight (Luke Perry) reunites with a former flame while traveling and witnesses a robbery by a gang of bandits. The case turns personal when 
one of the outlaws turns out to be his friend's teen son, who faces a possible death sentence. Adrienne reviews.
Namath (9pm, HBO) - A documentary collaboration between HBO Sports and NFL Films looking at the fascinating life and career of New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath, who led the upstart AFL team to an upset win over the Colts in Super Bowl III. One of the first real sports celebrities, "Broadway Joe" was selected to the NFL Hall of Fame in 1985. Narrated by Liev Schreiber.
Pit Boss (9pm, Animal Planet) - Sebastian tries to reconcile with Shorty by going on a rescue mission at a stable, but their rift takes a backseat when a pit bull encounters an agitated horse.
Swamp Volcano (9pm, Syfy) - A vulcanologist tries to prevent a catastrophic eruption that would destroy civilization after an oil-drilling operation strikes magma flow in the Gulf of Mexico and inadvertently creates a volcano in Miami.
John Mulaney: New in Town (10pm, Comedy Central) - A great new comedy special from "Saturday Night Live" writer John Mulaney. Taped in New York City in 2011.
"Lost in Paradise 3: Purgatory," the third documentary in the series chronicling the conviction of a group of men who have come to be known as The West Memphis Three, makes its debut tonight on HBO.
The West Memphis Three -- Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelly Jr. and Jason Baldwin -- were convicted of murdering three elementary schoolboys in 1993 in West Memphis, Arkansas. The men were teenagers at the time of their conviction.
The first two "Paradise Lost" documentaries drew national attention to the men and the flimsy evidence used in their convictions. People from all over the country, including rock star Eddie Vedder and actor Johnny Depp, took up their cause and worked to earn them new trials.
Facing mounting evidence of their likely innocence (including recantations of testimony and new DNA evidence), the Arkansas Supreme Court ordered hearings for a new trial, but before that could happen, the men were offered the chance to admit guilt without confession and be sentenced to time already served. The Alford Plea, a rarely-used legal maneuver stemming from a 1970 North Carolina case (North Carolina v. Alford), meant the men -- who vehemently profess their innocence -- walked free.
Tonight, HBO is debuting "Strangers No More," a documentary about a public school in the middle of Tel Aviv that welcomes Jewish, Christian and Muslim students from 48 countries. For the students who attend Bialik-Rogozin, the school is like home, a refuge from the volatile lives they've led and from the dangers in the city around them. The film follows three students over the course of a school year.
"Strangers No More" airs tonight at 6:45 p.m.
Dancing with the Stars (8pm, ABC) - The final week of performances for the season includes a freestyle number.
How I Met Your Mother (8pm, CBS) - Ted and Barney make a life-altering decision, and Robin tries to talk Lily and Marshall out of moving to Long Island.
Enlightened (9:30pm, HBO) - A bad dream helps Amy face her feelings for Levi, but she also bonds with Tyler over loneliness issues after Dougie gets a promotion and Amy tries to set him up on a date with Krista's coworker.
Woody Allen: A Documentary (10pm, UNC-TV) - The conclusion of Robert Weide's profile of Woody Allen, which chronicles Allen's career from his days writing for Sid Caesar in the 1950s to present. The film features footage of him at home and on movie sets and includes a tour of his childhood haunts in Brooklyn. Also, remarks Diane Keaton, Martin Landau, Sean Penn, Chris Rock, John Cuzack, Larry David, Scarlett Johansson, Mariel Hemingway and others.
Hawaii Five-0 (10pm, CBS) - McGarrett goes to North Korea with Jenna Kaye to deliverf a ransom to rebels who are holding her fiance hostage. Meanwhile, Five-0 investigates the murder of an investigative reporter with ties to Jenna. Jimmy Buffett guest stars.
Castle (10pm, ABC) - A sniper goes on a murder rampage in the city and police struggle to find a motive before time runs out and another victim is killed. Also, Beckett's PTSD symptoms escalate, but she attempts to hide them from the team.
HBO is debuting a documentary tonight about an orphan in India who ran 48 marathons by the time he was four years old.
The story of Budhia Singh circulated across the globe six years ago, but this documentary, filmed between 2005 and 2010, concentrates on the exploitation that took place after the initial publicity. What started as a heartwarming rags-to-riches story unfortunately became a tale greed, corruption, and broken dreams.
This documentary is the first of four about contemporary India debuting on HBO and HBO2 this month. The others are "The Bengali Detective" (Nov. 16, HBO2); "The Sound of Mumbai" (Nov. 23, HBO2); and "Pink Saris" (Nov. 30 on HBO2).
"Marathon Boy" airs on HBO tonight at 8 p.m.
Click below for other playdates and times, and to watch a trailer of the film.
NCIS (8pm, CBS) - A Navy lieutenant is murdered by forced overhydration, and Gibbs meets Ducky's new love, played by Cheryl Ladd.
Prayer for a Perfect Season (9pm, HBO) - A look at the 2010-11 boys' basketball season at St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth, N.J. The documentary follows Kevin Boyle and his players on t heir trek towards a climactic, winner-take-all showdown against archrival St. Anthony's of Jersey City. The film includes comments from players and coaches.
Frontline: Death by Fire (9pm, UNC-TV) - Frontline examines the case of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed in 2004 in Texas for the arson deaths of his three children. Included here is new science that indicates the fire may not have been an arson.
Body of Proof (10pm, ABC) - A famous equestrienne who ran a vocational program for prison inmates is murdered, and the prime suspect is a convicted felon and former drug addict (Crystal Bowersox). Meanwhile, Megan's ex-husband is upset to learn that she took Lacey to a crime scene, but Megan becomes equally peeved when she finds out that Lacey is being dragged along on her father's vacation with his new girlfriend.
Sons of Anarchy (10pm, FX) - SAMCRO must put off an important vote to deal with an external threat.
UNC-MX will air a documentary tonight on the inspiring story of cancer survival by Pulitzer-Prize winning photojournalist John Kaplan.
In "Not As I Pictured," Kaplan documents his own story of fighting a deadly form of lymphoma.
You can also request a free copy of the movie (for personal use only) at the NotAsIPictured.org website. The filmmaker is giving away 10,000 free dvds to anyone affected by cancer. Shipping is free.
Music for the film's soundtrack was donated by Michael Stipe (R.E.M.), Chris Martin (Coldplay), will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Justin Timberlake, David Bowie, Cowboy Junkies, and Pantera.
"Not As I Pictured" will air on UNC-MX at 7 p.m. tonight (October 2).
