TV picks for Feb. 23:  Lead Belly, "Hate in America," "Citizenfour"

February 22, 2015 at 8:00PM
In this image released by Radius TWC, Edward Snowden, left, appears with Glenn Greenwald in a scene from "Citizenfour," a documentary that intimately captures Snowden during his leak of NSA documents. The film is nominated for an Oscar for documentary feature. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honors the documentary nominees Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, ahead of the 87th annual Academy Awards, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Radius TWC)
Edward Snowden, left, with journalist Glenn Greenwald, is the subject of the documentary “Citizenfour.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Getting the Lead out

Fans of any music genre will want to catch "Legend of Lead Belly," a fascinating documentary on a man who was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, inspiring everyone from the Beatles to Nirvana. Van Morrison and Roger McGuinn are among the musicians weighing in. 7 p.m. Smithsonian Channel

Can't we all just get along?

Emmy-winning journalist Tony Harris has teamed up with the Southern Poverty Law Center to investigate "Hate in America," a documentary that examines hate groups ranging from neo-Nazis to anti-government militias, all still thriving in the country. 7 p.m. Investigation Discovery

Top secret

Oscar nominee "Citizenfour" takes a look at the early emergence of Edward Snowden as he began leaking classified government documents to journalists. It's an important story, but the film takes place largely in a Hong Kong hotel — not exactly a thrilling location — and director Laura Poitras comes off as a little too smug. 8 p.m. HBO

Neal Justin

circa 1935: Promotional portrait of American blues musician Huddie 'Lead Belly' Ledbetter (1889 - 1949) playing a 12-string guitar and singing. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Lead Belly (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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