Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in America. Once each minute in this country, someone dies from it. And, all too often, early symptoms go unrecognised until too late.

PBS is spotlighting this crisis — and what positive health steps you can take — on “The Hidden Epidemic: Heart Disease in America,” which airs, all too fittingly, Valentine’s Day (Wednesday) at 10 p.m.

The 90-minute documentary showcases scientific advances that are transforming the field of cardiology, along with the impact of these changes on people stricken with the disease. The film also covers the emergence of heart disease as an identified major problem for Americans, pinpointing the post-Second World WarII era of prosperity and its negative effect on diet and exercise habits.

Viewers are introduced to a transplant patient at a critical stage following his surgery; a combat veteran of the Second World War who enjoyed robust health until a lifetime of smoking caught up with him; and the widow of a 44-year-old man who died from a heart attack despite his active, healthy lifestyle.

Following the documentary, Larry King of CNN and the Larry King Cardiac Foundation hosts “Take One Step for a Healthy Heart”, a half-hour discussion featuring medical experts who offer strategies for improving your odds of beating heart disease.

Other shows this week to look out for:

l A hero from 9/11 is honoured with a new home on this week’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” It was on September 11, 2001, that Jason Thomas helped rescue two police officers trapped in debris from the fallen towers. He kept his identity a secret, believing he deserved no special recognition. Only after the release of last summer’s “World Trade Center,” in which his act of bravery was depicted by filmmakers who never know who he was, did Thomas come forward. An ex-Marine who now works as a security officer in Columbus, Ohio, Thomas allowed workers to tear down his home (which needed repairs he and his family couldn’t afford) and replace it with a new residence nearly double the size — all in just seven days. This two-hour edition of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” airs 8 p.m. tomorrow on ABC.

[bul] If you’re a romantic (or have hopes of becoming one), you just might love “A Guy’s Guide to Romance.” This one-hour special on the Fine Living network features some of the best off-the-beaten-path getaways; the most romantic spots to pop the question; what women really want when it comes to flowers and chocolate; even recipes that include aphrodisiac ingredients. From champagne and dessert to romantic home decor and meaningful keepsakes, this show is full of ways to woo a loved one. It airs at 8 p.m. on Sunday.

l On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast. When the skies finally cleared, the survival of a major American city hung in the balance. Now a two-hour documentary, “New Orleans,” examines that city’s history and survival: a small French settlement surrounded by water that would become the home of America’s biggest party, Mardi Gras, and its most original art form, jazz; the site of explosive struggles with both integration and segregation, and a proving ground for national ideas about race, class and equality. This “American Experience” film tells its story with firsthand interviews as well as through archival photographic material and footage miraculously spared from Katrina-wrought devastation. It airs on PBS at 10 p.m. on Monday.

l He was brilliant yet petty, vindictive but visionary. The reign of President Nixon saw the end of the Vietnam War, the dawn of progressive initiatives at home, and a promising new relationship with China. Yet Nixon, the only president forced to resign from office, was done in by paranoia, insecurity and illegal activities. This conflicted legacy is examined in “Nixon: A Presidency Revealed,” a documentary premiering at 9 p.m. on Thursday on the History Channel.

[bul] Melvin Van Peebles has blazed a trail through the jungle of the entertainment world. At 74, he is best known as an innovator in independent film with the release of “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song” in 1971, but a new documentary portrays him as a wildly versatile personality who also flew Air Force sorties over the Pacific, studied astronomy in Amsterdam, wrote novels in self-taught French, composed music using his own notation system, wrote stage plays and traded options on Wall Street. “How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)” presents Van Peebles’ life story as told by Gordon Parks, Spike Lee, Gil Scott-Heron and others. It airs at 10 p.m. on Thursday on the IFC Channel.