TV picks: 'Emperor of All Maladies,' 'Younger,' 'Dovekeepers' and more

*  CANCER: THE EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES.

9 tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday, WHYY12.

Did you know the Jimmy of the cancer-fighting Jimmy Fund wasn't really named Jimmy? That - and what happened to him - may be the only fun facts in this three-night documentary, produced by Ken Burns, narrated by Edward Herrmann (who died in December of brain cancer) and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee. Turns out the history of cancer is discouraging. For those whose interest isn't overwhelming, I'd recommend Wednesday's installment, which looks at new therapies (including the story of a patient at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) and at how prevention and early detection are reducing mortality.

*  THE DOVEKEEPERS. 9 p.m. Tuesday and

Wednesday, CBS3.

Fans of former "NCIS" star Cote de Pablo (below) won't be discouraged by my saying that this two-night treatment of Alice Hoffman's story of the handful of survivors of the siege of Masada nearly buries a very real drama under mountains of melodrama, much of it involving de Pablo's "witch of Moab."

*  WEIRD LONERS. 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Fox29.

Four singles end up together in Queens. More fun than that sounds.

*  TWICE BORN: STORIES FROM THE SPECIAL

DELIVERY UNIT. 8 p.m. Tuesday, WHYY12.

First of three installments about the fetal surgery unit of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

*  YOUNGER. 10 p.m. Tuesday, TV Land.

Sutton Foster ("Bunheads") stars as a 40-year-old who passes for 26 to re-enter the work force after her marriage goes south, in a new show from "Sex and the City" creator Darren Star.

*  PHILADELPHIA: THE GREAT EXPERIMENT.

7:30 p.m. Thursday, 6ABC.

Latest installment of Sam Katz's history series looks at the years 1765-90.

- Ellen Gray