Best Bets on TV

“God in America” (9 p.m., PBS): The teams from “American Experience” and “Frontline” have collaborated on this ambitious series that examines the major role religion has played in shaping the social, political and cultural life of our nation. Over three nights and six hours, the production interweaves documentary footage, historical dramatization and expert commentary while making a case that you can’t really understand American history without understanding the influence faith has had upon it. The program’s first hour, “A New Adam,” explores the origins of America’s unique religious landscape and how the New World changed the faiths the first European settlers brought with them.

“The Event” (9 p.m., NBC): On “The Event,” the White House desperately tries to ward off a biological threat. But the show apparently has an even bigger crisis on its hands: saggy ratings.

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