How Much Watching Time Do You Have This Weekend?

No matter how much free time you have this weekend, we have TV recommendations for you. Come back every Friday for new suggestions from our TV critic on what to watch.

This Weekend I Have … an Hour, and I Like to Push Buttons

‘Mighty Trains’
When to watch: Sunday at 9 p.m., on Smithsonian Channel.

We’re talking about literal buttons here, not some form of provocation. If you look at a control panel and think, “Gimme,” this new entry in the “Mighty” franchise — “Mighty Planes,” “Mighty Cruise Ships,” “Mighty Ships” and others — is for you. At one point, a railway car technician lovingly describes the elaborate onboard toilet system he maintains, saying that its 130 or so toilets are like his “little children.” I aspire to this level of devotion. Hats off to you, kind sir from Via Rail Canada.

… 90 Minutes, and I Loved ‘Boyhood’

Richard Linklater on the set of “Boyhood.”Detour Films, via PBS

‘American Masters: Richard Linklater — Dream Is Destiny’
When to watch: Friday at 9 p.m., on PBS.

This loving portrait of the director Richard Linklater traces his career from “Slacker” (1991) through “Everybody Wants Some!!” (2016), with plenty of highs and lows along the way. As several people interviewed in the documentary say, the secret to Linklater’s success isn’t much of a secret — it’s warmth and hard work. If you haven’t seen his movies, this isn’t for you, but even a passing familiarity with “Dazed and Confused” or the “Before” trilogy is enough. (Check local listings for broadcast times.)

… a Few Hours, and I Like Retro Capers

From left, Aleksey Vesyolkin, Fillip Gorenshtein, Alexander Petrov and Maksim Emelyanov in “Fartsa.”Sreda

‘Fartsa’
When to watch: Now, on Netflix.

This Russian series kicks off in Moscow in 1961, as four childhood friends on the brink of adulthood decide to go into business together — illegal business, born out of desperation. They become “fartsovshchik”: black-market retailers who sell contraband Western clothing. The show has a “Catch Me if You Can” vibe; it’s colorful and peppy and bright, with inventive tracking shots and a fizzy energy.

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