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I'm simply amazed by the story of John O'Neill, the FBI agent who predicted bin Laden's attack on the U.S. -- and who, after losing his job with the FBI over his prediction and suggested response, took a position as head of security for -- believe it or not -- the World Trade Center.

Something a little less incredible yet all the same pretty darn wild is the story of Salman Rushdie, the author who wrote, among other things, The Satanic Verses, which, and I mean this positively, is a very wacky book. Certain Islamic fundamentalists didn't find it so funny, however, as one of the plot points is that Mohammed, the Islamic prophet, was not exactly everything he's cracked up to be. Not being keen on literary metaphor and fiction, these folks put a death sentence on Salman's head. That was almost 15 years ago.

Watch the shows and tell me what you and your parents think. Email me, the MediaWiz of Whyville!

Click here for an index of this week's shows. And now, the Media Menu!

Thursday, September 26

"Snow White:The Fairest Of Them All" (Hallmark Channel 9-11 pm E/P) This movie is a brand-new re-telling of the classic fairy tale by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. It's actually it's a sort of retro version because it's way closer to the original creepiness than the animated Disney production. This live-action, special effects-filled version stars Miranda Richardson as the evil queen and has been written/directed by Caroline Thompson ("The Addams Family", "Edward Scissorhands"). You may want to take a look at the official website (http://www.hallmarkent.com/SnowWhite) before you watch the show. The synopsis will tip you off to just how 'gothic' (really nasty royalty) this originally was and, in this movie, still is. Available on video and DVD.

Friday, September 27

"NOW with Bill Moyers: Risky Business" (PBS, 9-10 pm E/P) The topic of this news-analysis program is risk, not just the kind you face when you are running your own business (like, you may lose everything) but the risk that the whole business community faces because people are worried that executives are greedy, cheaters (like the customers and stockholders won't show up). The panel of experts on this show will debate the current system of corporate governance and what must be changed to restore the confidence of the public. (Think of it as a debate about the problem of having students grade their own exams. That's sort of where we have been with business-policing until now.)

Saturday, September 28

"War Birds" (CNN, 8-9 pm ET, 5-6 pm PT) Starting with a look inside the cockpits of U.S. fighter jets and bombers, a CNN reporter explains the aeronautical technology used in the recent Afghan war -- and he also finds out what it's like to be in the middle of an aerial dogfight.

"Fantastic Voyage: Evolution of Science Fiction" ((History Channel, 8-10 pm E/P) This documentary looks at the evolution of science fiction stories including the era when they were mainly available in "pulp" magazines (with wonderful, off-the-wall illustrations) through the era of B-budget movies (with hilariously unsuccessful special effects) all the way to the age of Trekkies (serious stuff, finally).

Sunday, September 29

Next@CNN: Critters in Conflict" (CNN, 4-4:30 pm ET, 1-1:30 pm PT) The lead report in this newsmagazine is a look at some of the ways people and animals clash in the modern world.

"Copenhagen" (PBS, 9-11 pm E/P) This is a television version of the Tony-Award winning play by Michael Frayn about the controversial 1941 meeting between two brilliant physicists whose work had opened the way to the construction of an atomic bomb - but who were on opposite sides in World War II. The meeting was refereed, sort of, by the wife of one of them, Margarethe Bohr. Niels Bohr of Denmark and Werner Heisenberg of Germany are also seen in newsreel footage as part of an accompanying documentary about the actual historical background of the play. There's also an accompanying website http://www.pbs.org/hollywoodpresents/copenhagen/ describing the scientific aspect of the play. This includes a short explanation of modern science's most honestly-named concept, "The Uncertainty Principle".

"Motorcycle Women" (Discovery Channel, 10-11 pm, E/P) This documentary features the stories of six women from various walks of life who share a passion for motorcycles. Riding everything from Harleys to a Kawasaki, they embark on what, for each of them, is the toughest ride of their life.

"CBS Sunday Morning" (9-10:30 am, E/P) The main story in this TV magazine show is an interview with Bombay-born author (and rock music lyricist) Salman Rushdie, an excerpt of which I want you to read here because it might make you want to get up early to get to know this person: "People thought of me as something other than what I was like -- that I must be an unfunny, obsecure theological peson, and I'm not. I didn't get invented by the fatwah (being condemned by some Muslims for writing a book they thought blasphemous). I was an extremely well known writer for 10 years before (I wrote) "The Satanic Verses". I would be quite happy to be famous for the right thing." What does he mean by the right thing? Well, he's a huge rock fan and was asked by U2 front man Bono to write the lyrics and appear in the video for "The Gound Beneath Her Feet", which is also the title of Rushdie's 1999 book. For more information on this writer, log on to http://www.nytimes.com/books/99/04/18/specials/rushdie.html

Monday, September 30

"Phobias" (National Geographic Channel, 8:30-9 pm E/P) This is the initial program (topic: fear of snakes) in a documentary series that explores the origins and treatment of extreme fears. Viewers will experience anxiety from the phobic person's point of view, revealing how a person's life sometimes becomes controlled by their fear. Various therapies for dealing with phobias are shown. Check out the website http://www.nationalgeographic.com to see which thing you want -- or don't want -- to see a program about (flying, thunder, bridges, heights, germs, fire, darkness, cars, spiders, rodents.. and even clowns).

Tuesday, October 1

"Mysterious Life Of Caves" (PBS, 8-9 pm E/P) This NOVA documentary was filmed by crews descending through miles of twisting, plunging caverns, including some of the most exotic in the world, off limits to all except speleologists (cave researchers). Women are especially prominent in this scientific field. Among those featured in the documentary are microbiologist and Mars specialist Penny Boston, geologist Carol Hill and geologist Louise Hose.

Wednesday, October 2

"Billion Dollar Disasters: Hurricane Andrew" (Discovery Channel, 8-11 pm E/P) Being broadcast now that hurricane season has begin, this documentary chronicles the 1992 storm that became the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. The report includes the stories of several South Florida families that survived Andrew, plus home videos that were made of the event (people trapped in their kitchen, for instance).

Thursday, October 3

"Frontline: The Man Who Knew" (PBS,9-10 pm E/P) This documentary is the saga of FBI Special Agent John O'Neill, the bureau's top counter-intelligence agent, who investigated the bombings of U.S. Embassies in African and the attack on the USS Cole -- and concluded that Osama Bin Laden was planning a devastating attack in the U.S. But he was forced out of his job because he wanted to take preemptive action to disable the Al Qaeda. (The program's accompanying website http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/knew/ has an interactive map with details of what O'Neill knew about Bin Laden, and when.) The job O'Neill took after he left the FBI was as head of security for the World Trade Center, where he was killed in September 11, 2001.