TV Daily

Prime Pick

Photo: PBS

The first Frontline special of the season, "Cheney's Law" (9 p.m. EDT, check listings), offers a detailed look at the ways Vice President Dick Cheney has maneuvered to give Bush unprecedented wartime power. By subverting the checks and balances set in place by the U.S. Constitution, Cheney defined and encouraged some of President Bush's most disastrous policies, and while you may be familiar with the administration's more questionable gambits, the specifics will shock you. Key figures from Colin Powell to Condoleezza Rice were cut out of the loop of several major decisions in the wake of 9/11, as Cheney and his lawyer, David Addington, engaged in legal tightrope walks to increase Bush's authority. This haunting look at the behind-the-scenes trickery includes scenes dramatic enough to belong in a "West Wing" season finale, so don't miss it.

-- H.H.

Also…

PBS's Nova special "Ghost in Your Genes" (8 p.m. EDT, check listings) examines epigenetic therapy. The Oscar-winning film "The Last of the Mohicans" airs at 8 p.m. EDT on AMC. Sundance documentary "Wordplay," which focuses on New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz, airs as part of PBS's Independent Lens series at 10 p.m. EDT (check listings). And on FX's "Damages" (10 p.m. EDT), the events surrounding David's murder are further revealed.

On the talk shows

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

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