‘Afghan Star’ an act of resistance

Why are we in Afghanistan? If only we could look at one of our greatest foreign policy challenges through the prism of “American Idol.”

The 2009 documentary “Afghan Star” (8 p.m., HBO) comes close. It follows four contestants on a popular “American Idol”-style signing competition. A huge hit in the war-ravaged country, “Star” draws viewers from every city and province.

As much as the competition unites the viewing public, it also emphasizes cultural divisions and tribal fissures.

One female contestant is subject to death threats when she dares to dance on television. Another female contestant from the Pashtun region shows more restraint, but the Taliban threaten her anyway.

Cosmopolitan viewers see “Afghan Star” as a return to a more modern and secular society, seen here in home videos from the 1980s when women without scarves attended university with men and even sang in an Afghan-style New Wave band.

A group of women attend the “Star” finale together proudly revealing their faces and hair, defiantly declaring, “We aren’t afraid of the Taliban.”

Interview subjects repeatedly remind us that during the Taliban’s rule, television was forbidden, as were singing and dancing. So while a TV show like “American Idol” may strike us as frivolous, to many in Afghanistan, watching, producing and competing on “Afghan Star” is an act of defiance and fervent hope for liberation.

• For those keeping score, HGTV appears to be undergoing a brand renovation, introducing Bravo-style fabulousness to its relatively benign lineup of real-estate programming. “Selling New York” (8 p.m., HGTV) unfolds like “House Hunters” on steroids, profiling two firms specializing in million-dollar condominiums, sleek lofts and palatial Park Avenue homes. Clients are lured with tickets to Fashion Week and hints that a “Polish Prince” may be their new neighbor.

Tonight’s other highlights

• The NCAA Basketball Tournament (7 p.m., CBS).

• Mark must undergo treatment before returning to the bureau on a two-hour episode of “FlashForward” (7 p.m., ABC).

• The sales force takes the new company’s mantra to heart on “The Office” (8 p.m., NBC).

• “Everybody Loves Raymond” (8 p.m., TVLand) joins the nostalgia network’s lineup.

• Liz can’t avoid her handsome British stranger (Michael Sheen) on “30 Rock” (8:30 p.m., NBC).

• The competition continues on “Project Runway” (9 p.m., Lifetime).