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These listings cover television programs up to Friday, January 2, 2004!
Greetings, TV viewers!
The discussion topic for this Wednesday's Media Hour is "Where would you like to be?" It's inspired by some of the programs listed below which are about exotic, even imaginary places. Since some of the programs are about idealized situations such as various environmental conditions, you can let your mind roam freely to come up with your choice.
For the Media Hour, watch the show(s)-of-the-week, jot down some ideas, then talk about them with me and other citizens (including other City Workers, if they're available) at the Greek Theater, over in City Hall. You'll find that the Theater makes discussions pretty easy, since City Workers are able to direct people's movement and behavior, when we need to, and it keeps everyone's chat bubbles from overlapping too much. We meet for MediaHour on Wednesdays from 6:30pm to 7:30pm Whyville Time (that's the same as Eastern Daylight Time).
Friday, December 26
"A History of God" (A&E Channel, 10 p.m.-midnight E/P) Explore manifestations of the Divine to people from Abraham's days to the present in this documentary. You'll examine fertility rites of the ancient Middle East; the revelations at Mt. Sinai; the jealous yet compassionate God of the Hebrews; Jesus and the mystery of the Trinity; and Allah, the Muslim God of Unity. Survey thousands of years of wrenching and revolutionary encounters with God that prophets, saints, and mystics have experienced, and mankind's quest for comfort and meaning.
TV-PG.
Saturday, December 27
"IR-Investigative Reports: The Danger On our Plates" (A&E Channel 5-6
p.m. E/P) This documentary was filmed before the last week's discovery that
"mad cow disease" had reached the USA but it nevertheless provides a
informative overview of the procedures for tracking food safety in America. With
350,000 Americans hospitalized each year for food poisoning, this particular
program the spread of E-coli bacteria in meat and looks back at the infamous
1992 "Jack-in-the-Box" poisoning outbreak. Public health officials, meat
industry officials, and consumer advocates offer their views about what can be
done to make food safe. It's rated TV-PG.
Sunday, December 28
"Dateline NBC: Sudden Impact" (NBC 8-9 p.m. E/P) This documentary special examines the ripple effects of a single drunk driving crash that NBC reporters spent over two years following. From the crash scene, to the hospitals, to the courts, and through the maze of the insurance system, "Sudden Impact," looks at how far-reaching and devastating these crashes are for everyone involved. Long after the cars are towed away, the victims and their families are left with physical scars, emotional pain, and financial hardship that can last a lifetime. Tom Brokaw anchors this program.
"Nature: Lost World of the Holy Land" (PBS, 8-9 p.m. E/P) This documentary follows Israeli and Arab conservationists working to protect endangered biblical animals. It also conveys the hope that one kind of cooperation may help open the door to another. The website
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/ has interesting details about both of these aspects.
Monday, December 29
"American Masters: Rod Serling" (PBS, 9-10 p.m. E/P) This documentary about science fiction will be a real eye-opener if you haven't ever seen an episode of "Twilight Zone" on one of those channels that runs old tv shows. The clips in this PBS program reveal that Rod Serling, creator-writer-producer of that classic series, thought up many of the tricks of the science-fiction trade before anyone else did. You also encounter the original "Twilight Zone" music which, once you've heard it, you'll never forget.
Tuesday, December 30
"Top Ten Eating Contests" (Travel Channel, 8-9 p.m. E/P) This is a documentary about the people who 'eat to compete" Competitive eating has been around for centuries, but only recently has it become an organized discipline with serious contenders vying for titles. "Eaters" travel the circuit of contests leading up to Nathan's Coney Island hot dog eating competition. TV rated PG.
Wednesday, December 31
"Live from Lincoln Center: New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve Gala Concert" (PBS, 8-10
p.m. E/P) This telecast offers a particularly rich selection of music you will enjoy getting to know. I say "getting to know", because if you haven't heard the selections in the show before, you're going to want to hear them again whenever you have a chance to go to a concert or listen on a recording. Sir Andrew Davis conducts the New York Philharmonic in this concert featuring soprano Renee Fleming. The program includes Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun," Ravel's Sheherazade, selections from Bizet's Carmen and the overture to Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld.
Thursday, January 1, 2004
"Survival Technology" (History Channel, 7-8 p.m. E/P) This is a history documentary about human adaptation to killer environmental conditions. You will see how people survive in the desert, the Arctic, the sea, jungle, and space. It charts the body's physiological responses to extreme circumstances such as frostbite, heatstroke, and hypothermia. There are interviews with survival experts about the military's latest cutting-edge survival gear, as well as the equipment aboard the space station, and look to the future, when nano-technology will create a new type of technology.
Friday, January 2, 2004
"Now With Bill Moyers: A Futurist's Vision" (PBS 9-10 p.m. E/P check local listings) At the onset of a New Year, many are wondering: what lies ahead? In this interview program you will meet Andrew Zolli, who holds the title Futurist in Residence at Popular Science magazine. Based on cultural, design and technological trends, Zolli advises companies about what the future may hold for them and how they can profit from it. He explores everything from the branding of corporations to human cloning and calls for a national conversation to form a national vision of the future.
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