These listings cover television programs up to Friday, December 19.
Greetings, TV viewers!
The Centennial of Powered Flight will be the topic for the Media Hour December
17th -- and it's also the subject of many science program suggestions this
week. On Wednesday it will be be exactly 100 years ago that the Wright Brothers
flew the first motor-powered, human-guided airplane. The question we'll be
discussing at 6:30 p.m. Whyville time in the Greek Theatre will be "Life without
airplanes." If that sounds odd, consider that one September day back in 2001,
all commercial air traffic in the U.S. was grounded. So a lot of people got
to thinking about this matter of life without airplanes. It could happen
again.
Also, ask yourself if there is a train or bus station in your town -- and
if so, how long would it take you to get to Grandmother's house for the
holidays if you had to travel by bus or train. And then there's the matter of
all that fresh fruit in North Americas supermarkets coming from South America and
South Africa (read the labels!). We can also discuss whether you think a manned
flight to Mars is absolutely a better idea than exploring the place by
using robotics.
Friday, December 12
"Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked" (History Channel, 6-8 p.m. E/P) Even if you
hate documentaries, you might be able to sit though this one. And if you
don't get History Channel where you live, you can order a tape of the show at
www.historychannel.com. This 2-hour special reveals how comic book superheroes
reflect their times -- from the 1930s to the 21st century -- and how these
wish-fulfillment figures became role models for generations of kids It follows
the
most well-known cartoon crusaders and villains, as well as the industry that
formed them, you'll we see how they mirrored society -- from the Depression,
WWII, the Cold War, and the turbulent '60s to today -- and how they proved
adaptable to other media. Rated TV-G.
Saturday, December 13
"It???s A Wonderful Life" (NBC, 8-10 p.m. E/P) This is a classic movie about a
person who is given a remarkable "gift" -- to see what the world would be like
if he had never been born and done certain things -- good and bad. Get your
parents to watch it with you. They may have some very interesting things to say
about this film.
Sunday, December 14
"Travel Tech: Gigantic Planes" (Travel Channel, 8-9 p.m. E/P) This is a
technology documentary about the most enormous and fastest planes ever built
-from
the Airbus A380 in France, to the Helios, an new aircraft being built for NASA.
Monday, December 15
"Test Pilots" (National Geographic Channel, 9-10 p.m. ET, 6-7 p.m. PT) This
is a documentary about the work of the men and women who define the outer
limits of flight technology -- sometimes at the cost of their lives.
Tuesday, December 16
"The Wright Brothers??? Flying Machine" (PBS, 8-9 p.m. E/P) Tomorrow is the
Centennial of the world's first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
This documentary describes the invention of the airplane used there. While many
programs retell the Wright brothers' personal story, this film explores the
inventiveness which the two aviation pioneers applied to the problem of
powered flight. Visit the website http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/wright/.
"Spellbound" (Cinemax Channel 8-9:30 p.m. E/P) This Oscar-nominated
documentary follows eight young spelling bee competitors through the national
semi-finals against 241 others for the title of Best Speller in America. Smart
people
are minorities in America, many of them are outcasts. But their color,
shape, size and background differences disappear when they participate in a
champion spelling bee. The film becomes a nail-biter in the finest tradition as
the
kids grind out suspense like a group of pint-sized, big-brained Rockys and
Karate Kids, fighting through stress and exhaustion until the bitter end. We
Americans are not particularly fond of intelligence, but we love competition.
And
the winner of the spelling bee gets more than a trophy; they earn acceptance
and recognition that lasts throughout their lives. This film is a true rarity
in cinema -- it celebrates thinking and knowledge. Lots of really interesting
info about this competition and the kids in it at
http://www.thinkfilmcompany.com/SpellboundMovie/.
Wednesday, December 17
"Return to Kitty Hawk: 100 Years of Flight" (Discovery Channel, 8-9 p.m. E/P)
On December 17, 2003, one hundred years to the minute from the original
flight at Kitty Hawk, an attempt will be made by members of the Experimental
Aircraft Association to recreate the event. Details of this technology project at
http://www.countdowntokittyhawk.com/
"The Spirit of St. Louis" (Turner Classic Movie Channel, 8-10:30 p.m.
ET, 5-7-30 p.m. PT) This is a movie about the first solo flight across the Atlantic.
Charles Lindberg flew a one engine plane named The Spirit of St. Louis which
was financed by business people from that Missouri city. It took 33 hours -??? no
beaks for sleep. The movie is quite suspenseful. (see also the Friday,
December 18th documentary about the construction of this aircraft).
"In the Shadow of Cold Mountain" (A&E Channel, 10-11 p.m. E/P) This
documentary is airing too late in the evening for most kids, but it should be
taped for
viewing and study. It???s about the new movie which has been based on Charles
Frazier's National Book Award-winning novel "Cold Mountain". The story is
about a wounded Civil War soldier undertakes a perilous journey home to his
mountain community, where he hopes to reunite with his pre-war love--who has
struggled in his absence. The documentary provide an opportunity to compare a
movie
and a novel book to actual historical events. And is rated TV G even though
the events discussed, such as battles, are violent.
Thursday, December 18
"From Jesus To Christ: the First Christians -??? Part II" (PBS 9-11 p.m. E/P)
This documentary miniseries draws upon new and sometimes controversial
historical evidence, and challenges familiar assumptions about the origins of
Christianity. Program 1 (last Thursday) traced the life of Jesus of Nazareth,
exploring the message that helped his ministry grow and the events that led to
his
crucifixion around 30 A.D. Program 2 (today) follows the development and impact
of the Gospels and the extraordinary events of the second and third centuries
in which Christianity grew from a small Jewish sect to an official religion of
the Roman Empire. More information at
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/.
Friday, December 19
"Charles Lindbergh: The Lone Eagle" (National Geographic Channel, 9-10 p.m.
ET, 6-7 p.m. PT) In this documentary, modern engineers agree to ignore
modern technological advances in favor of 1920???s technology to build an exact
replica of the Spirit of St. Louis to re-enact Charles Lindbergh's flight.
