If tonight’s new “American Masters” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings) only showed old black and white clips of the exquisite daner Tanaquil Le Clercq, it would be worth watching. But in the film by Nancy Buirski, “Tanaquil Le Clercq: Afternoon of a Faun,” it’s a much more unexpected story: about a gangly girl whose look and style changed ballet, about her life’s loves, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, and a shocking tragedy.
Putting off a vaccination on her way to a European tour in 1956, at the age of 27, she was struck with polio and never danced — or walked – again. Indeed, as she sat in an iron lung in Denmark, it wasn’t certain that she’d live through it. But she did, with a spirit that inspired others when she became an important dance teacher in a wheelchair. Buirski’s access to old footage, home films, letters add an unusual intimacy to the compelling story. And those filmed performances — of the many Balanchine performances she inspired as well as the too apt “Afternoon of a Faun,” are simply mesmerising.
It follows a new special on the influential landscape architect “Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings).
In a kind of “Toy Story” for the tub, Christian Borie voices a robber duckie, Megan Hilty is a plastic hippo and Tam Cavanagh is a shy turtle in the new kids movie “Lucky Duck” (Disney Junior, 7 p.m.).
Today’s World Cup games are Italy vs. Costa Rica (ESPN, noon), Switzerland vs. France (ESPN, 3 p.m.) and Honduras vs. Ecuador (ESPN, 6 p.m.).
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Glenn Greenwald, Kristen Soltis Anderson, Paul Reikhoff and Mike Shinoda are guests on a new “Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO, 10 p.m.).
Can comedy really be a competition? Another new show puts the notion to the test on the Marlon Wayans-hosted “Funniest Wins” (TBS, 10 p.m.).
A nearly two decade old murder mystery of an Arizona real estate developer killed by a car bomb gets a two hour “Dateline” (NBC, 8 p.m.).
New episodes of “Cold Justice” (TNT, 9 p.m.) return.
A new addition to the Harry Potter section of the theme park gets a half hour commercial, “Live from the Red Carpet: Diagon Alley” (E!, 8 p.m.). E! is owned by NBC Universal, not coincidentally.
Pirates plunder on in the Friday night Turner Classic Movies showcase this month, with “Against All Flags” (8 p.m.), “Captain Blood” (9:30 p.m.), “The Sea Hawk” (11:45 p.m.), “The Master of Ballantrae” (2 a.m.) and “Fortunes of Captain Blood” (3:45 a.m.). Plus there’s always John Malkovich’s “Crossbones” (NBC, 10 p.m.).
Baseball includes Detroit at Cleveland (MLB, 7 p.m.).
In the College World Series, it’s Vanderbilt vs. Texas (ESPNU, 3 p.m.) and Virginia vs. Mississippi (ESPN, 8 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore. The View: Eric Dane, Bill Rancic & Ross Mathrews. The Talk: Regina Hall, Swoosie Kurtz, Chi-Lan Lieu, Pat Harvey. Ellen DeGeneres: Kat Dennings, Beth Behrs (rerun). Wendy Williams: Honey Boo Boo and Mama June.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Dave Chappelle, Laura Prepon, the Orwells (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Amanda Seyfried, Will Ferrell, Chad Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Jenny Slate, OneRepublic (rerun). Seth Meyers: Jennifer Lawrence, Alan Cumming, Little Daylight (rerun). Craig Ferguson: Maria Bello, Bradley Trevor Greive. Carson Daly: Emily Mortimer, K. Flay (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Wolfgang Puck. Arsenio Hall: Cedric the Entertainer, Nikki Glaser, Sara Schaefer, Kat Graham (rerun). Chelsea Handler: Rob Riggle, Moshe Kasher, Fortune Feimster, Bobby Lee (rerun).