Tuning in: On TV this week.
Saturday Jan. 29
The Exonerated (Court TV, 4 p.m., encore Jan. 30, 2 p.m.): A first-rate cast (Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, and Brian Dennehy) dramatize the plights of six people sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit. Though their lives are shattered and their families face great sorrow during their ordeals, these people find ways to take a stand for justice.
The Magic of Ordinary Days (CBS, 9-11 p.m.): This graceful story centers on a young unwed mother whose father, a pastor, arranges for her to marry a shy farmer. Set against the backdrop of World War II, this satisfying romance finds subtle surprises in the most ordinary daily experiences. Just when you think you know what's coming, something comes along to challenge one's perceptions of the characters. Keri Russell and Skeet Ulrich star.
Murphy's Law (BBC America, 9-10 p.m.): Tommy Murphy is an undercover cop whose brash style makes him conspicuous among the thugs he investigates. His Irish wit and his nothing-left-to-lose attitude threaten his superiors almost as much as the bad guys. In the new season, Murphy switches to high gear to find a serial killer who has murdered a colleague (and love interest). James Nesbitt's acting gives this drama an unusual complexity.
The Night Detective (BBC America, 10-11 p.m.): Nicky Cole is a cop of exceptional ability, yet he's reassigned from a prestigious London position to a humiliating job as a night detective in the north of England. It's partly because he is a black man - the show pulls no punches about racism in Britain - but his flinty integrity challenges the status quo.
