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Greetings, TV viewers!
Some broadcast and cable programs contain material included in the public
school curriculum and on competitive exams. Here are viewing suggestions for
September 20 to September 26.
The topic for this week's Media Hour is documenting war -- would you be brave enough to take a 35mm camera, or even a huge heavy video camera, into a war zone, in order to send the story and the truth home?
What's the Media Hour? Watch the show(s)-of-the-week, jot down some ideas, then come and talk about them with me and other citizens (including other City Workers, if they're available). We get together at the Greek Theater (by City Hall), every Saturday morning at noon, Whyville Time. 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 makes everyone's chat bubbles overlap a little less than other rooms.
Monday, September 20
"Hardball/Newsweek Special Report: Under God: Bush, Kerry and the Faith
Factor" (Current Events/History, Middle and High School, MSNBC Channel, 7-8
pm ET, 4-5 pm PT) This is a tv news report about a critical factor in the 2004
Presidential election. Newsweek's managing editor Jon Meacham surveys the
history of religion in politics in America. NBC News' Andrea Mitchell
contributes a report on the fastest growing voting bloc in the United States,
Arab-Americans. "Hardball" correspondent David Shuster reports on the reliance
of both the Bush and Kerry campaigns on churches and religious organizations to
help them get out the vote. Guest panelists will include Father Andrew Greeley,
a Catholic priest and author, Rev. Richard Land, President of the Ethics &
Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and Rev. Ted
Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals and senior pastor
of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo. Host is Chris Matthews.
"Shooting The War" (Modern History, High School, Sundance Channel, 9-10 pm
ET, 6-7 pm PT, Rated TV-14) The photojournalists who travel to war zones such
as Chechnya and Rwanda are a rare breed. In this Canadian documentary by Patrick
Chauvel and Antoine Novat, a group of the most renowned contemporary war
photojournalists - including Chris Morris, Heidi Bradner, Luc Delahaye and James
Nachtwey - reflect on their motivation, their viewers and how they justify
remaining an observer when people are suffering only inches from their lens.
Tuesday, September 21
"Most Extreme: Monster Myths" (Natural History, Middle and High School,
Animal Planet, 9-10 pm E/P) This is a documentary about the natural world's
top ten terrifying "monsters". From the urban legend of New York's sewer
Alligators, to the vampire bat, the piranha, and the anaconda, find out why
these animals scare us so.
Wednesday, September 22
"American Talent" (Arts Education, Middle and High School, PBS, 8 - 9:00 pm
E/P) This is a documentary about some of the best young artists in America.
Every year, 20 high school seniors -- dancers, musicians, writers, actors and
visual artists -- are chosen from more than 6,000 applicants as Presidential
Scholars in the Arts. Find out what it takes to rise to the top and what
sacrifices these students have to make.
"Megastructures: The Channel Tunnel" (Science and Technology, Middle and High
School, National Geographic Channel, 9-10 pm ET, 6-7 pm PT) This is a
documentary about the most expensive railway tunnel ever built-a product of
endless surveying, giant boring machines, and a massive gamble. The Channel
Tunnel connecting England and France is now huge success, but there was a time
when it was the tunnel nobody wanted.
"Extreme Engineering: Cooper River Bridge" (Science and Technology, Middle
and High School, Discovery Channel, 9-10 pm E/P) The construction site of
the longest cable-stay bridge in the continent is Charleston, South Carolina.
When finished, this $530 million bridge, with its 500-foot diamond-shaped towers
and a ribbon of eight-lane road will be among the world's most stunning
structures. As this documentary shows, before it can make that claim,
contractors face extreme challenges, not the least of which are storms and
hurricanes. Another problem is that the world's biggest container ships pass
daily through this choke point on the Cooper River. To accommodate them,
engineers designed the massive bridge with just two towers for support and with
enough clearance to let these behemoths pass through safely, even at high tide.
Thursday, September 23
"Wide Angle: Most of the News That's Fit to Print" (Geography, World History,
High School, PBS, 9 - 10:00 pm E/P) This is a documentary about the young
reporters of Iran's leading reformist newspaper. Founded less than a year ago
and already Iran's fourth-largest daily, "Shargh" has quickly built a loyal
readership among Iran's intellectuals, opinion makers, politicians and the
young. Its reporters and editors struggle to report the news without incurring
the "blade of censorship." More about journalism in Iran at http://www.pbs.org/wideangle
Friday, September 24
"Command Decisions: Viet Nam - The Tet Offensive" (Geography, World History,
High School, History Channel, 9:30-10 pm E/P) This program is part
documentary, part interactive game. It also explains an aspect of a war fought
more than over 30 years ago that's being talked about in the current
Presidential Campaign. On the first day of a Tet (lunar New Year) truce in
January 1968, North Vietnamese forces launched a surprise attack, their biggest
offensive of the war, attacking 80 cities, towns, and military bases in South
Vietnam. U.S. General Westmoreland makes a difficult decision. Instead of
bombing the cities, U.S. troops move from "house to house, street to street,"
fighting the enemy up close. Part documentary, part interactive game, viewers
join Westmoreland as he battles North Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap. For
another version of this event log on to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/107ts.html
"Nuestra Herencia HispanaHispanic" ("Our Hispanic Heritage") (Middle and High
School, Discovery en Espanol Channel, 9-10 pm E/P) Este documental muestra
las m??ltiples facetas del escritor brasile??o Paulo Coelho, escritor de "El
Alquimista". Sus libros, con temas profundos, transcenden barreras de cultura y
lengua. Coelho cuenta su propia historia a trav??s de varias entrevistas. Website http://enespanol.discovery.com/
(This documentary portrait shows the multiple faces of Brazilian author Paulo
Coelho, whose work, "The Alchemist," was number-one on the best-seller lists of
29 countries. His books, with their profound themes, transcend cultural and
language barriers. Coelho tells his own story, visiting with friends, relatives,
writers, admirers and international celebrities)
Note "The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream" is available in English
and Spanish your library. Here is some information about it, from a School
Library Journal review of Young Adult fiction: "This simple, yet eloquent
parable celebrates the richness of the human spirit. A young Spanish shepherd
seeking his destiny travels to Egypt where he learns many lessons, particularly
from a wise old alchemist. The real alchemy here, however, is the transmuting of
youthful idealism into mature wisdom. The blending of conventional ideas with an
exotic setting makes old truths seem new again. This shepherd takes the advice
Hamlet did not heed, learning to trust his heart and commune with it as a
treasured friend. Enjoyable and easy to read, this timeless fantasy validates
the aspirations and dreams of youth."
Saturday, September 25
"Awakening Giants: Russia" (Geography/Current History, High School, CNBC
Channel, 6:30-7 pm ET, 3:30-4 pm PT) This is the initial episode of a
four-part feature series focusing on China, India, Russia and Brazil, countries
that will help shape the future of the global economy. Programs will show how
leaders in these countries manage economic growth, balancing it with needs of
workers. Russia has been one of the hottest and most volatile economies in the
world in recent years. Moscow is home to more millionaires than any city in the
world. Free-market reforms have made the pull of Russia as enormous as its vast
oil and gas reserves. How did state-owned-enterprises move toward capitalism?
How did new entrepreneurs adjust after the currency crash of 1998? How can the
government steer the country toward stability? (India airs on October 2, China
on October 9 and Brazil on October 16)
Sunday, September 26
"Nature: Dogs: The Early Years" (Natural History, Middle and High School,
PBS, 8-9 pm E/P) This program outlines the childhood of 'man's best
friends' - how people choose them, how they choose people and their struggle to
fit into the world of humans.
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