The week’s guide to what’s worth watching

SOLO: LOST AT SEA In early 2007 Australian adventurer Andrew McAuley set out to be the first person to kayak alone from Australia to New Zealand, a 1,000-mile journey across the Tasman Sea.

Dramatic video diaries recorded by a camera mounted on his boat and the recollections of his wife and friends document his harrowing journey—all the way to his final, desperate distress

call. _Monday, Sept. 15, at 10 p.m., National Geographic Channel_ LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER: NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC OPENING NIGHT GALA SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEK Escape your echo chamber. Get the

facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives. SUBSCRIBE & SAVE SIGN UP FOR THE WEEK'S FREE NEWSLETTERS From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News

Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your

inbox. Flutist Sir James Galway will perform with the New York Philharmonic as the orchestra launches its final season under music director Lorin Maazel. The program includes Berlioz’s Roman

Carnival Overture, Ibert’s Flute Concerto, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. _Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m., PBS_ SHOULD I REALLY GIVE UP FLYING? Air travel currently accounts for only

about 4 percent of the total greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere, but scientists believe the figure will rise to more than 60 percent by 2050. This documentary visits such destinations as

Venice, where sea levels are rising alarmingly, to assess the real effects that flight-related pollution and energy use can have on the climate. Interviewees include Virgin Atlantic’s Sir

Richard Branson, who offers potential solutions. _Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 9 p.m., BBC America_ NOW ON PBS: WOMEN, LEADERSHIP, AND POLITICS This special hour-long edition of the award-

winning newsmagazine has become even more topical in the wake of Sarah Palin’s vice presidential candidacy. Correspondent Maria Hinojosa looks at women politicians and the personal and

professional challenges they face—from a New Hampshire senate race to Rwanda’s parliament to Chile’s first female president, Michelle Bachelet. _Friday, Sept. 19, at 8:30 p.m., PBS; check

local listings_ A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Mad Men Arguably the best show on television today, this brooding drama

chronicles the tangled life of an early-1960s advertising executive with the frigid, ethereal texture of a troubled dream. In “Six Month Leave,” Don Draper (Jon Hamm) proves his loyalty to

an old friend, while his wife, Betty (January Jones), finds distraction from her ennui in a friendship. _Sunday, Sept. 21, at 10 p.m., AMC_ Other highlights GUMBY DHARMA The colorful life

story of animation pioneer Art Clokey, creator of cartoon icon Gumby. _Monday, Sept. 15, at 9 p.m., Sundance Channel_ LOS LONELY BOYS: Cottonfields and Crossroads A profile of Grammy-winning

Los Lonely Boys, comprising three Mexican-American brothers who forged a “Texican” sound. _Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 9:30 p.m., PBS_ MASTERPIECE: THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE In this adaptation of

Philip Pullman’s novel, Billie Piper (Secret Diary of a Call Girl) portrays a plucky teenage sleuth investigating her father’s mysterious death in Victorian England. _Sunday, Sept. 21, at 9

p.m., PBS_ SHOW OF THE WEEK WHERE WE STAND: AMERICA’S SCHOOLS IN THE 21ST CENTURY In 1995, the U.S. was No. 1 in the world in college graduation rates; by 2005, it was No. 15. Today, among

30 developed countries, American students rank 21st in science and 25th in math. Are our children getting the skills they need to compete in a global economy? Is the testing mandated by the

federal government’s No Child Left Behind Act doing any good? In this comprehensive and sobering report, Judy Woodruff visits schools in bellwether states in search of answers to these and

other pressing questions. Among the approaches she explores are STEM schools—which emphasize science, technology, engineering, and math—and the controversial topic of merit pay for teachers.

_Monday, Sept. 15, at 10 p.m., PBS; check local listing_