/ 25 August 2011

Television picks: August 26 2011

Spring may be on its way, but, just in case, there is plenty on the box for chilly nights indoors.

? The feature documentary The Horsemen of Semonkong reveals the everyday life of the horse-owners, ­jockeys and breeders who live high in the mountains of Lesotho, where horses are central to life and ­everything depends on the weather. As the rainy season ends, autumn brings horsemen, punters and locals to Semonkong’s dusty racetrack for the excitement and festivities of monthly races. The documentary comes from the team that produced the award-winning Love, Communism, ­Revolution and Rivonia: Bram Fischer’s Story.

Broadcast on SABC2 on August 28 at 9pm.

? A decade after 9/11, news channel Al Jazeera presents a series that questions who the winners were in the war on terror. The channel has touted post-9/11 conflicts as being ‘the biggest story of the last decade” and the new series will explore Al Jazeera’s role in reporting the conflict between al-Qaeda and the West. The series of three one-hour documentaries forms part of its plans for ­comprehensive coverage of the 10th anniversary of the tragic event. In addition, before, during and immediately after the anniversary, Al Jazeera news teams will be reporting live from New York, Washington and a number of locations across the world where ­people’s lives have been affected by 9/11 and its aftermath. Directed by Dominic Streatfeild, the three episodes of The 9/11 Decade are titled The Intelligence War, The Image War and Clash of Civilizations.

On Al Jazeera (channel 406 on DStv) from August 30 on Tuesdays at 8pm.