TV Daily

Prime Pick

Photo: HBO

Plenty of informative documentaries air on TV every day, but few could be considered true works of art. "John & Jane Toll-Free" (7 p.m. EST on Cinemax) is that rare documentary that captures its subject -- workers at a call center in Mumbai (Bombay), India -- with a lyrical, haunting combination of striking images, ambient sounds and first-person accounts. In exploring the stories of a handful of 1-800 operators who provide customer service and telemarketing to Americans, the filmmakers transform the workers' hopes and disappointments into a sort of visual poetry. One worker hates his job and wants to be a model. Another listens to self-empowerment tapes whenever he's not working and announces that he plans to be a billionaire some day. Each story unfolds patiently, rich with heartbreaking details. Ranging from unspeakably sad to sweet, "John & Jane Toll-Free" is an unforgettable film that you shouldn't miss.

-- H.H.

Also…

Hitchcock's "Rear Window" airs at 8 p.m. EST on AMC. Nova looks at a controversial lawsuit involving teaching intelligent design in public schools in "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial" (8 p.m. EST on PBS, check listings), which is followed by Independent Lens documentary "Miss Navajo" (10 p.m. EST on PBS, check listings). On Showtime, the stand-up special "Paul Mooney: Know Your History -- Jesus Was Black, So Was Cleopatra" airs at 11 p.m. EST.

On the talk shows

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

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