Learn the Truman way in ‘American’ history; that’s classic ‘Whitney’; ‘Wonder’ boy’s ‘Working’

Sunday

“The American Experience” / 8 p.m. KCET. Concludes 8 p.m. Monday

Pop quiz. Name the president who hailed from Missouri, went bankrupt as a haberdasher and ended World War II with the most destructive weapon ever made. Simple, eh? In the two-part “Truman,” we learn about the tough, obstinate, hard-working chief executive who at one point thought he wasn’t the right man for the White House. His supporters thought otherwise, which led to the exuberant rallying cry, “Give ‘em hell, Harry.” And he did.

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“Say It, Fight It, Cure It” / 8 p.m. Lifetime

The triumphant slogan for breast cancer survivors becomes the title of a candid documentary directed by Lee Grant. This 90-minute film includes an interview with Rosie O’Donnell, who talks about the death of her mother and the high rate of women diagnosed with the disease on Long Island, N.Y., where O’Donnell was raised. In addition, the program offers a conversation with five women who discuss the emotional toll that breast cancer has had on their family.

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“Rescuers: Stories of Courage” / 8 p.m. Showtime

Barbra Streisand is co-executive producer of this film incorporating two tales about brave women who helped Jews throughout the Holocaust. In “Mamusha,” Elizabeth Perkins (who coped with cloning on NBC last week) plays a Polish Catholic housekeeper bringing up a Jewish boy after the death of his mother. “Woman on a Bicycle” stars Sela Ward as a member of the Resistance movement delivering underground pamphlets in 1941 France. Anne Jackson portrays her mother.

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“Heart Full of Rain” / 9 p.m. CBS

Can a father and son resolve personal differences in order to save their home from an impending flood? That’s the question facing the characters in this TV movie with Richard Crenna and Rick Schroder. The latter plays Isaiah, who has returned after a seven-year absence in hopes that life can be as it once was. While his mother (Carroll Baker) and younger brother are forgiving, the same cannot be said for his father (Crenna) and former lover (Kim Dickens).

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“Classic Whitney” / 9 p.m. HBO

She’s every woman who will always love you and give you good love while believing in you and me. And the greatest love of all, next to her family, can only be performing, which the graceful Grammy winner will do (sans bodyguard, natch) at Constitution Hall in Washington. Look for the voluble vocalist to sing many of her biggest hits at the tape-delayed concert. How will I know? Because you can count on me!

Wednesday

“Working” / 9:30 p.m. NBC

Fred Savage, whom you’ll remember from “The Wonder Years,” has been tirelessly toiling on his new sitcom. Not as wonderful as the actor’s previous entry, this one is a so-so satire set at a multinational company where white-collar protagonist Matt Peyser (Savage) prefers to climb the corporate ladder without shortcuts, even when they’re handed to him by his untrustworthy boss (Maurice Godin). Future scripts can be sharper--with a little work.

Thursday

“Mystery!” / 9 p.m. KCET

Hetty Wainthropp, a cross between Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher, is the latest sleuth to crack crimes on this venerable PBS series. Patricia Routledge, of the Brit comedy “Keeping Up Appearances,” plays the Lancashire housewife-turned-investigator who will not be “put out to pasture” after celebrating her 60th birthday. In the first of four yarns, Hetty (who takes a bus to the scene of the crime) has suspicions about the “accidental” death of a homeless woman.

Saturday

“Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict” / 6 p.m. KTLA

Fleshing out a “lost manuscript” written by her late husband (the celebrated creator of “Star Trek”), Majel Barrett and a team of collaborators conceived this new science-fiction series. Set in the 21st century, it stars Kevin Kilner as a Midwestern police captain working with advanced aliens who solve the world’s foremost problems--disease, famine and war--while being suspected of sinister motives. Say, you think these inferior Earthlings remember “V”?