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The Tuesday Playlist: Luther's Back, Along With Jon Stewart and Brian Williams

Some like it rough — and TV doesn't get much rougher or darker than BBC America's brutally compelling crime drama Luther, mining new depths of depravity and tragedy in its third cycle (airing as a four-night miniseries this Tuesday through Friday at 10/9c, except Wednesday, when it airs an hour earlier as the lead-in to the even more shattering Broadchurch). Once again, Luther's Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning star Idris Elba attacks his signature role of the tormented, damaged London detective John Luther with raw magnetism. He has a way of absorbing others' pain and isn't afraid to inflict some of his own, but Luther's history of explosively reckless behavior has made him the target of a relentless Internal Affairs cop (the excellent David O'Hara), who tries to turn Luther's loyal partner Ripley (Warren Brown) against him.