If you stare at me long enough, eventually you'll get what you want...

or so says my dog...and he's right. Dogs have been domesticated for longer than any other animal on the planet and we've developed a unique relationship with our furry friends. We treat our pets like a part of the family and we feel that they can understand us in a way other animals cannot. Now, new research is revealing what dog lovers have suspected all along: dogs have an uncanny ability to read and respond to human emotions. How did this incredible relationship between humans and dogs come to be? And how can dogs, so closely related to fearsome wild wolves, behave so differently? It's all in the genes. Tonight on NOVA "Dogs Decoded" investigates new discoveries in genetics that are illuminating the origin of dogs -- with revealing implications for the evolution of human culture as well...7pm

Sluggers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chase the asterisk & home run record...

it's the first of Ken Burn's 2 part THE TENTH INNING series...1994 and the national pastime faces its worst crisis in 70 years when a bitter and prolonged strike forces the cancellation of the World Series, infuriating fans dismayed by the athletes and teams they once worshipped. Baseball has to rebuild. Cal Ripken Jr. sets an amazing record of consecutive games played, helping rekindle the country's love of the game. Barry Bonds, son of the great right fielder Bobby Bonds, signs the most lucrative contract to date in baseball history and thrills San Francisco fans. Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux pitch the Atlanta Braves to the pinnacle. Dazzlingly talented Latino players make an indelible mark on the game. The Yankees, led by manager Joe Torre, return to glory after two decades of disappointment...TOP OF THE TENTH...8pm

He's a wild & crazy banjo pickin' guy...

Bluegrass is swinging through the night with Steve Martin and Sarah Jarosz on Saturday's AUSTIN CITY LIMITS. Comedian Martin picks up his banjo with the Steep Canyon Rangers for new tunes in the old tradition. Young Texan Jarosz rewrites the bluegrass rules with her original songs and style...Saturday at 10pm

Sunday brings another chance to catch the 1st installment of CIRCUS...Go behind the scenes and meet the fascinating, wildly diverse Big Apple Circus family -- the clowns and the wire-walkers, the front office staff and the rough-and-tumble ring crew -- as they gear up for their annual 350-performance tour...Sunday at 2pm

And SHERLOCK returns again in a thrilling contemporary version of the Victorian-era whodunits, as the go-to consulting detective in 21st-century London...Sunday at 8pm

Six men and a flag pole, and the nation was mesmerized...

It's among the most famous images ever taken of the American military.Almost everyone knows the photograph..but until James Bradley wrote the book, Flags of Our Fathers, not many really knew the story behind it -- the story of the flag raisers in the World War II battle of Iwo Jima. Bradley's father, John, was one of the six men immortalized that February day in 1945; however, it was something the elder Bradley would never talk about and so after his father died, James set out to find out why he had been so silent...this week on Face to Face...8pm

Set your DVR for the rebroadcast of last night's premiere of CIRCUS...the behind the scenes look at life under the big top on a very personal level. Think you can walk the wire, fly the trapeze, or walk the dog for laughs and love from the audience? They're just people like me and you, but what a cool job to have! 1am tonight.

The tomb was discovered filled with lavish jewels and treasure almost by accident in 1939...

One of the most startling discoveries inside the tomb was the sarcophagus in which the body was held: It was made of silver with exquisite detail and craftsmanship. No other silver sarcophagus has ever been found and it is now recognized by many experts as one of the most exquisite artifacts of ancient Egypt ever to be found.
The elaborate tribute within the tomb suggested it was the burial site of someone very important, and an investigation reveals political intrigue, a lost city and a leader who united a country in turmoil and became the Silver Pharaoh...SECRETS OF THE DEAD...7PM

On election day, FRONTLINE goes behind closed doors at the White House...

in Congress and the boardrooms of the giant health-care lobby to examine the political battles and costly compromises that defined Barack Obama's healthcare reform endeavor. From early positive efforts, through the bitter battles with the Tea Party, the elation of apparent success at Christmas, to the crushing failure in the Massachusetts Senatorial election, FRONTLINE follows the story and reveals the first in-depth look at how the Obama administration operates. In "Obama's Deal," FRONTLINE veteran producer Michael Kirk ("Bush's War," "Dreams of Obama," "Inside the Meltdown," "The Warning") provides a sobering expose of the realities of American politics, the power of special interest groups and the role of money in policy making...OBAMA'S DEAL...9pm

Ah November...and there's election fever in the air...

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW throws its hat in the ring with this special edition, a salute to the presidential election and the keepsakes of political battles long past...it's enough to make you want to go vote! ANTIQUES ROADSHOW...7pm