Monday, Nov. 11
THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
9 p.m., PBS
A two-part profile of John F. Kennedy details his heroism after his PT boat was hit by an enemy destroyer during World War II and his first run for Congress. Also: the 1960 presidential race, which featured the first televised presidential debates. Among those sharing insights: JFK’s sister Jean Kennedy Smith and presidential biographers Robert A. Caro and Robert Dallek.
Tuesday, Nov. 12
THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
9 p.m., PBS
John F. Kennedy’s White House years are showcased, including the Bay of Pigs fiasco; the Cuban Missile Crisis; and the decision to travel to Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, to shore up support for the 1964 election. Kennedy’s tenure is critiqued by administration officials John Seigenthaler, civil-rights leader Andrew Young and journalists Evan Thomas and Richard Reeves.
10 p.m., Military Channel
This special explores the role of the Dallas police department in the assassination. Jim Leavelle, the officer who was handcuffed to Oswald when he was shot, is interviewed.
Wednesday, Nov. 13
NOVA: COLD CASE
9 p.m., PBS
A forensic approach to the Kennedy assassination.
SECRETS OF THE DEAD: JFK: ONE P.M. CENTRAL STANDARD TIME
10 p.m., PBS
The assassination is recounted, “24”-style, with a blow-by-blow account of what happened from the minute shots were fired in Dallas to Walter Cronkite’s announcement that Kennedy was dead in New York on the evening news.
Saturday, Nov. 16
AS IT HAPPENED: JOHN F. KENNEDY 50 YEARS
9 p.m., CBS
“Face the Nation” anchor Bob Schieffer gives viewers a look at four days that changed America and American television history. The special gives a portrait of a presidency 1,000 days in and the transformation of the Kennedy family into celebrities. The special will also feature Walter Cronkite’s iconic reporting of the assassination as he was learning it from sources in Dallas. Archival footage includes reports from deceased CBS newsmen Charles Collingwood, Charles Kuralt, Harry Reasoner and Mike Wallace.
Sunday, Nov. 17
CBS SUNDAY MORNING
9 a.m.
Host Charles Osgood looks at Kennedy’s legacy.
FACE THE NATION
10:30 a.m., CBS
Bob Schieffer anchors the program from Dallas.
KENNEDY’S SUICIDE BOMBER
8 p.m., Smithsonian Channel
Richard Pavlick tried to kill John F. Kennedy a month before he was sworn in as the 35th president. With seven sticks of dynamite in the trunk of his car, Pavlick planned to crash into Kennedy’s car as he drove to Sunday mass. He changed his mind when he saw that Kennedy was with his wife, Jackie, and children, Caroline and John Jr. Four days later, a police officer stopped Pavlick near the Kennedy home in Palm Beach. The officer alerted the Secret Service. When the Service arrived, they discovered that Pavlick’s car was loaded with dynamite and a mechanism rigged to enable the driver to trigger a blast from the front seat.
“Kennedy’s Suicide Bomber” showcases exclusive documents that shed new light on the Pavlick case.
THE DAY KENNEDY DIED
9 p.m., Smithsonian Channel
“House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey narrates this account of the tragedy that shook America, starting with the president’s arrival in Dallas. Among the speakers is Jackie Kennedy’s Secret Service agent, Clint Hill, who recounts his attempt to get to the car and shield the President and First Lady, and hearing Jackie’s bewildered words: “Oh Jack, Jack, what have they done?”
9 p.m., TLC
Twenty A-list celebrities read a selection of the 800, 000 condolence letters sent by ordinary people to First Lady Jackie Kennedy. The actors include Jessica Chastain, Allison Janney, Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo.
Tuesday, Nov. 19
FRONTLINE: WHO WAS LEE HARVEY OSWALD
10 p.m., PBS
An investigative biography of the man at the center of the political crime of the 20th century. “Libra” author Don DeLillo, Robert Oswald and Edward Posner, among others, weigh in.
Thursday, Nov. 21
JFK: THE DAY THAT CHANGED AMERICA
7 p.m., MSNBC
Hillary Rodham Clinton, former President Gerald Ford and William F. Buckley are among the celebs who share their memories of JFK. This Chris Matthews documentary first aired in 2004.
JFK: THE LOST TAPES
7 p.m., Discovery
New tapes from Air Force One and testimonies from those on the ground in Dallas offer insight into what happened Nov. 22, 1963. Radio recordings from the Dallas Police track the events that led to the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald.
Friday, Nov. 22
JFK ASSASSINATION: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
8 p.m., History Channel
The assassination has given rise to 311 conspiracy theories and 82 potential assassins. Suspects range from the Mafia to Communists, from factions within the CIA to the Pentagon to, the limo driver in the front of the Kennedy car. According to a national survey, 74% of Americans believe that Oswald was the fall guy.
TOM BROKAW SPECIAL: WHERE WERE YOU?
9 p.m., NBC
Anyone alive on November 22, 1963, including the widow of a Dallas cop who received a letter from First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and the neurosurgeon who examined the president, will always remember that day. NBC News icon Tom Brokaw looks back at a tragic day through the eyes of those who lived through it.