TV picks for Nov. 16: 'Undercover,' 'Polar Bear Town,' 'The Art of More'

November 15, 2016 at 10:13PM
Nick Johnson (Adrian Lester) & Maya Cobbina (Sophie Okeondo) in "Undercover"
Des Willie, BBC America
Sophie Okonedo and Adrian Lester in “Undercover.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

British accent

The first episode of "Undercover" is hard to pin down — is it a diatribe against capital punishment? a spy vs. spy vs. wife thriller? — but I'll stick with anything starring Sophie Okonedo and Adrian Lester, two of Britain's finest thespians who deserve more stateside attention. For those who insist on American blood, ex-TV president Dennis Haysbert appears as an enigma on death row.

7 p.m., BBC America

Bear necessities

"Polar Bear Town" gives viewers an intimate tour of Churchill, Manitoba, where each winter humans are outnumbered by the town's white-coated visitors. The documentarians try to rev up the drama by emphasizing a recent bear attack, but mostly this is a picturesque diversion that celebrates the merging of two animal kingdoms in the spirit of goodwill and brisk tourism.

7 p.m., Smithsonian Channel

For art's sake

It's no longer a big deal when a movie star like Dennis Quaid plays second fiddle in a streaming series, but it's still a pleasant surprise to see him in "The Art of More," the art-world drama that returns for a second season. Merritt Patterson ("The Royals") joins the cast.

Now streaming on Crackle

Neal Justin

Dennis Quaid as Samuel Brukner and Kate Bosworth as Roxanna Whitman in "The Art of More" on Crackle. credit: Philippe Bosse, Sony/Crackle
Quaid (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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