A pair of Veterans Day programmes focus not on history but the military sacrifices unfolding now, among the soldiers bearing the wounds of Iraq.

“CNN Presents: Combat Hospital,” premiering at 9 p.m. Bermuda time today and repeating on Sunday, follows the doctors, nurses and medics treating casualties at the 10th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad, housed in a building once used for Saddam Hussein’s medical care.

The film, without narration or musical score, presents unsettling images as soldiers, civilians and insurgents are treated for gunshot wounds, burns and the injuries caused by the improvised explosive devices known as IEDs.

The work is round-the-clock and gruelling; the pain of the wounded and demands on the medical staff seem endless.

“There’s no way to save the leg?” a young soldier, wounded by an IED, asks a doctor.

“That left leg. No. That’s no. the right leg, absolutely,” replies Capt. David Steinbruner as he readies the patient for surgery. “OK? I’m sorry. I can’t lie to you, OK?”

“Combat Hospital” was filmed over a 16-day period earlier this year by CNN Baghdad bureau chief Cal Perry and CNN senior photojournalist Dominic Swann, with the news channel’s Ryan Chilcote.

The programmeme includes footage of the day 12 causalities, including seven critically wounded US soldiers and critically wounded CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier, arrived at the hospital. It was Memorial Day of this year.

The Showtime channel marks Veterans Day with the TV premiere of the documentary “Home Front,” airing 7.30 p.m. ET today. Director Richard Hankin tells the story of Jeremy Feldbusch, one of the more than 17,000 US troops wounded in Iraq.

Feldbusch, an Army Ranger from Blairsville, Pennsylvania., suffered a shrapnel-caused brain injury that caused blindness, seizures and psychological problems. Back home, he faces a lack of resources aimed at helping him through rehabilitation and back into the world.

His struggle to craft an independent and routine life is supported by his family and the Wounded Warrior Project, which aids veterans in getting what they need.

Other shows this week to look out for:

[bul] Brace yourself. “The Simpsons” are keeping up tradition with “Treehouse of Horror XVII,” airing 9 p.m. Sunday. The trilogy includes “Married to the Blob,” in which Homer eats green alien goo that turns him into a voracious blob with an appetite even Dr. Phil (guest voice actor Phil McGraw), can’t ease. In “You Gotta Know When to Golem,” Bart brings a legendary monster from Jewish folklore to life (voiced by Richard Lewis) and trouble ensues. “The Day the Earth Looked Stupid,” the grand finale, is more than trick or treat: It’s a thinly veiled criticism of the Iraq war. When space aliens invade and destroy Springfield, they end up questioning whether “Operation Enduring Occupation” was such a good idea and why Earthlings failed to greet them as liberators.

l Editorial cartoonist Paul Conrad, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, gets his due in “Paul Conrad: Drawing Fire,” airing on PBS’ “Independent Lens” series at 11 p.m. Tuesday.

In his long run at the Los Angeles Times, Conrad skewered politicians of all stripes, including presidents from Harry S Truman through George W. Bush. The artist also created cartoons that were memorable tributes to stars and other prominent figures.

Now 81, Conrad produces weekly cartoons that appear in papers nationwide and has vowed to keep going. Tony Auth, Doug Marlette and Mike Keefe are among Conrad’s cartoon comrades who talk about his work and his influence. Filmmakers Barbara Multer-Wellin and Jeffrey Abelson culled through Conrad’s remarkable archive of some 10,000 cartoons to choose 200 that were deemed among his best. The film is narrated by Tom Brokaw.

[bul] When is a snapshot a cash cow? When it’s shot by a member of the paparazzi, the celebrity trackers who make money keeping magazines filled with pictures of Brad, Angelina and other members of the modern extended family. “Paparazzi,” airing 9 p.m. ET Wednesday on BBC America, details a year in the world of Darryn Lyons and his photo agency, Big Pictures, with its far-flung offices in London, Los Angeles, New York and Sydney.

A BBC film crew, given access by Lyons, captured photo negotiations and dealmaking and tracked photographers as they hunted for hot shots of the likes of Jude Law, Beyonce and Kate Moss. Lyons said the work involves “a lot of blood, sweat and tears.” What, no glamour?

[bul] Linda Ellerbee’s news show for children takes on a topic that many adults may be pondering: Why has political debate become so vicious? “Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Cheap Shots and Low Blows: How Debate Turns to Hate,” includes the journalist’s conversations with kids and pundits about the state of political discourse. Among the questions raised:

What’s fair and what’s a cheap shot? What makes an ad an attack ad? And is the tenor of debate a sign of a newly polarised society or standard operating procedure? Guests include TV host Chris Matthews and Al Franken for the left and Ann Coulter for the right.