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These listings cover television programs up to Sunday, April 4.
Greetings, TV viewers!
The the media hour discussion Wednesday will be based on the programs about
immigrants airing Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. (You may not know this, but the
people who died in the Alamo were immigrants from America who had moved to
Mexico.) No matter where you live now , you probably have immigrants somewhere
in your family tree -- maybe even you yourself. So the topic will be: "What
I've learned/know about the immigrant experience."
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 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Whyville Time (that's the same as Eastern Daylight Time).
Friday, March 26
"Modern Marvels: Farming Technology" (History Channel 7-8 p.m. E/P) U.S.
agricultural technology "from seed to shelf" is so efficient that most people
don't think much about it. But food growing and processing is ever more
sophisticated, employing computer-guided, ground-shaking machinery, and
sometimes-controversial techniques. It's an industry of declining family farms,
diminishing returns, yet higher yields. This show covers the evolution of the
tools used to produce food, shows the steps in the cycle that bring food to the
table, and looks at the future of farming.
"Dateline NBC" (NBC, 8-9 p.m. E/P) The mains story in this magazine has a catchy
title, "Generation XL" and tells the stories of three overweight teenagers who
between them, lost 115 pounds in just two months. How did they do it? And were
they able to keep it off in the long run? TV reporters spent eight months with
the three teens, two 17-year-old boys, and a 15-year-old girl, following them at
an intensive exercise and weight loss camp and then back home, to see how they'd
do on their own.
Saturday, March 27
"Mothers Of Invention" (History Channel, 7-8 p.m. E/P) Airing in
observance of Women's History Month, this technology documentary is about things
invented by women. Hang gliders, brown paper bags, windshield wipers, and liquid
paper... who new? From the early 1800s -- when women weren't allowed to hold
patents -- to 2000, this program reviews stories of unrecognized women and their
well-known inventions that we just can't live without. For more about Women's
History Month stories, log on
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/womenhist/main.html (my favorite is
about Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space)
Sunday, March 28
"Chasing The American Dream" (MSNBC Channel, 8-9 p.m. E/P) Immigration is
becoming a big topic in the U.S (and other countries which have an attractive
lifestyle) What makes people willing to risk their lives in pursuit of the American Dream? Do they achieve the dream when they get here? This program shows rare footage of one
Mexican family's high-risk journey across the deserts of Arizona in search of a
better life in America. You'll also find out about undocumented workers
revitalizing dying heartland towns in such unexpected places as Oklahoma.
Hispanic immigrants living illegally in the United States are estimated to
contribute billions of dollars to the country's economy each year, and their
labor supports industries ranging from agriculture to manufacturing to food
service. It is a difficult life, fraught with low wages, long hours,
bottom-of-the-ladder jobs, no healthcare and a deep-rooted tradition of
exploitation. Yet despite the frustrations of living without documentation, an
estimated half-million immigrants continue to risk their lives each year
crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. More people have died crossing this border than
died trying to cross the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. For more info, log on to
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4579802/.
Monday, March 29
"New Americans" (PBS, 9-11 p.m. E/P) This is the first episode in a
documentary miniseries about the journeys of new immigrants and refugees from
several countries as they adjust to their new lives in the United States. It
profiles Barine, Israel and Ngozi, who are refugees from Nigeria; also
Dominicans Ricardo Rodriguez and Jose Garcia, highly promising baseball players;
and Naima, a young Palestinian woman who marries a Palestinian-American, Hatem.
The other episodes air in this time slot on March 30 and 31. The official
website for the series is very informative:
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/.
Tuesday, March 30
"Remember The Alamo" (History Channel, 8-10 p.m. E/P) Here's a
documentary about the controversial events of March 1836 when Mexicans and
Americans began warring against one another. A massacre of Americans at the
Mexican Army's hands made "Remember the Alamo" an immortal Texan battle cry. But
is this history viewed through a singularly American lens? With distance from
the heat of battle, a Mexican version of the controversy emerges. What caused
Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett to run from their pasts to become heroes in death?
How did a struggle for
independence become a race war? This program exposes new evidence about this
event with a dark secret. Another version of the story -- a big screen movie --
opens in the U.S. April 9. For information on the movie, log on to
http://www.thealamofilm.com/, or read
a N.Y. Times article about it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/24/movies/24ALAM.html?ex=1080709200&en=57f44ccd8f1dd99d&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE
Wednesday, March 31
"National Geographic Specials: Whales In Crisis" (PBS, 8-9 p.m. E/P)
Whales and humans share an ancient relationship, long celebrated in myth and
legend. Today, the bond is as strong as ever, as this program reveals when it
travels from the Arctic to the Florida keys to meet a new generation of folks
dedicated to studying, saving and preserving the world's remaining population of
whales.
"Modern Marvels: Nature's Engineers" (History Channel 10-11 p.m. E/P)
This technology program airs rather late, so you might want to make arrangements
to tape it -- perhaps by your parents -- because adults and even teachers should
be interested in this topic. We're talking about smart bugs, beavers, birds,
etc. Towering skyscrapers crawling with life, intricate tunnels connecting
entire communities, mighty dams that tame the wildest rivers -- this is
construction animal style! These engineers of nature remind us that we're merely
the latest in a long line of creatures trying to re-make the world.
Thursday, April 1 -- April Fool's Day
"The Most Extreme: Thinkers" (Animal Planet Channel, 9-10 p.m. E/P)
Here's another reminder that we humans may not a have all the answers about how
to live. When it comes to sorting out some of the toughest problems, animals may
have an advantage over humans. This program shows how bees use dance to
communicate. And I suspect that none of us is smart enough to solve some of the
problems that an octopus easily deals with every day.
Friday, April 2
"History Of The Bathing Suit" (Travel Channel, 9-10 p.m. E/P) When I
identify a program as a history documentary, some readers sort of tune out. I
don't think that will be the case with this program. It chronicles the evolution
of the swimsuit ??? with historical film footage plus interviews with designers
and historians from around the world.
Saturday, April 3 -- NEW
"Apollo 13" (Bravo Channel 3-6 p.m. E/P) This multiple Oscar-winning
movie is based on a real event, a nail-biting suspenseful technical failure in
space during an American moon-shot. Tom Hanks, in the role of astronaut Jim
Lovell, made the famous remark, "Houston, we have a problem." There's lots to
see and think about in this movie if you have ideas about maybe getting involved
in the flight to Mars that the U.S. is planning. Rated PG. Available on
video. Kids who are already thinking seriously about interplanetary travel -
like to??Mars -- are posting??on-line journals at
'http://www.redrovergoestomars.org/journals/index.html.
Sunday, April 4 -- NEW
"The Winning Season" (TNT Channel, 8-10 p.m. E/P) This is a movie
about a 12-year-old baseball fanatic who finds a mint condition baseball card
with a picture of 1909 World Series star Honus Wagner on it. It's not only the
world's most valuable baseball card -- it is also the granter of wishes. The boy
goes back to 1909 on a journey that changes his and the star's lives forever.
And it may change your ideas about baseball.
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