For complicated reasons, I'm currently living without cable. But apparently, my timing couldn't be better: This week, PBS is showing two documentaries targeted at fans of soul music and design—in other words, me (and, I suspect, many of you). Up first is Sweet Soul Music, a documentary of Stax/Volt's 1967 European tour. In essence, the legendary Memphis label sent its biggest stars (Sam and Dave, Booker T. and the MGs, Otis Redding) to play live for a bunch of white Norwegian teenagers. The results? Consistently exhilarating—it's amazing to see what kind of dance moves the soulsters could pull off while singing live and wearing natty suits. The highlight is Redding's drawn-out version of "Try a Little Tenderness," wherein he leaves the stage and returns four times in under six minutes. (It's called showmanship, kids.) The bill also included the underrated Arthur Conley, who performs the film's title track in the clip below. (Want more? Check out Peter Guralnick's book, also called Sweet Soul Music, which chronicles Stax/Volt's rise and fall, as well as the careers of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and, most colorfully, Solomon Burke.)

As if that's not enough, PBS is also showing the doc Helvetica later this week. As we told you when it first came out, it's probably the best film about fonts you're likely to see. (And no, that's not a backhanded compliment.) It's worth revisiting not only because it tells a compelling story about a potentially dry topic but also because its director, Gary Hustwit, has a new film in the works. It's called Objectified, and it's about the importance (and ubiquity) of industrial design. It includes interviews with legendary Braun designer Dieter Rams, the guys behind the Flip camcorder, and the reclusive (but influential) Jonathan Ive. This morning, the trailer premiered exclusively on Gizmodo; the film is premiering in March '09 (around the same time as South by Southwest, though nothing appears to be official). I'll be keeping my eye out, iPod in hand. (And hopefully, I'll have cable by then.)

Sweet Soul Music, 8 p.m. EST on PBS; Helvetica, airing Saturday on PBS; Objectified, objectifiedfilm.com