Sunday, Sept. 21
9-11 p.m. E/P

National Geographic Channel

Subjects: Science and World History

Middle and High School

"Neanderthal Code"

This documentary reports on what scientists are learning about the evolution of our species and the extinction, or possibly even absorption, of modern humans' immediate predecessor. It features the groundbreaking work of the Neanderthal Genome Project, an international effort to decipher the Neanderthal genetic code. The program joins scientists as they extract and employ DNA from recovered fossils to see if the same genetic material still exists in humans today, revealing evidence - including the remains of a small child from nearly 25,000 years ago - that suggests our modern gene pool might contain vestiges of what has long been considered a subhuman species.

Sunday, Sept. 21
10-11 p.m. ET, 7-8 p.m. PT

CNBC

Subjects: US History and Economics

Middle and High School

"Saving General Motors"

General Motors is the quintessential American industrial icon, a symbol of U.S. manufacturing might for nearly a century, a Dow component and the country's largest car company. For decades, its divisions have produced many of the best known and most popular vehicles ever made, from the most pedestrian Chevrolets to the flashiest Buicks and Cadillacs, to today's ubiquitous SUV's and pickup trucks. Today, GM - like American manufacturing itself - is challenged by low-cost and high-quality foreign competition, burdened with bland products, and staggered by crushing labor and retiree costs. Market share over the past decades has plummeted; new GM products are attracting ever fewer buyers, and much of its present portfolio is based on gas-guzzling SUV's and trucks, a strategy that could prove disastrous as fuel prices continue to rise. Can GM turn itself around? Could GM actually fail? What would that look like? This documentary goes inside GM to show how it is fighting for survival. We watch as designers and engineers race to roll out the new Camaro. We profile a GM dealership, to see how the company's struggles play out on the showroom floor and in the salesman's pocket. We see how this most American of companies is ironically far stronger overseas than in its home market, and travel to China, where Buick is a prestigious brand. We meet and follow GM's top executives as they attempt to steer the company away from obsolescence - and disaster.

For information about this program log on http://www.cnbc.com/id/25349480

Monday, Sept. 22
9-11:30 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: US History

Middle and High School

"AMERICAN EXPERIENCE - Part 1 - 'The Presidents Reagan: Lifeguard'"

When he left the White House in 1988, Ronald Reagan was one of the most popular presidents of the century - and one of the most controversial. A failed actor, Reagan became a passionate ideologue who preached a simple gospel of lower taxes, less government and anti-communism. One by one, his opponents underestimated him; one by one, Reagan surprised them, rising to become a president who always preferred to see America as a "shining city on a hill." Part 2 airs in this timeslot Tuesday, September 30. TV Rated PG

For information about this program log on http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex

Tuesday, Sept. 23
9-10 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: US History

Middle and High School

"NOVA 'Monster of the Milky Way'"

Astronomers are closing in on the proof they've sought for years that one of the most destructive objects in the universe - a supermassive black hole - is lurking right in the center of our own galaxy. Could it flare up and devour our entire galactic neighborhood? This documentary investigates mounts a mind-bending investigation into one of the most bizarre corners of cosmological science: the truth about black holes. From supernova to event horizon, the dark secrets of supermassive black holes are revealed through stunning computer-generated imagery, including an extraordinary simulation of what it might look like to fall into the belly of such a beast. TV-G

For information about this program log on http://www.pbs.org/nova

Wednesday, Sept. 24
8-9 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: Science and Health

High School

"A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SPECIAL: Killer Stress"

Stress. It's always been there to save our lives. It's what made us run from predators and enabled us to take down prey. But today, humans are turning on that same stress response to deal with mortgages, difficult bosses, teenagers and traffic jams. Some of us are wallowing in corrosive hormones; for the first time, scientists can reveal just how measurable and dangerous that exposure can be. In this documentary MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient and Stanford University neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky searches for answers to why stress seems to be killing us. TV-PG

Wednesday, Sept. 24
9-10 E/P

CNBC

Subjects: Science and World History

Middle and High School

"The Hunt For Black Gold"

This documentary follows the flow of oil from the moment it comes on line, into the supertankers, into the refineries and finally pumped into the consumer's gas tank. It moves from Alaska's North Slope all the way to the Gulf of Mexico - critical areas in the national oil debate. It raises tough questions of the men who run the most profitable companies in the history of the United States: Why there was such a dramatic and historic spike in gas and oil prices over the past year? Do the American oil giants feel responsible for the ripple effect of staggeringly high prices? And what the American consumer can expect down the road? The program addresses the issue of global thirst: which countries consume the most crude --- you might be surprised. It looks at the peak oil theory: How much oil is left? Is the planet running dry? Some of the foremost experts say yes. In a rare sit down interview with one of the highest paid men in the oil business, ConocoPhillips CEO James Mulva, CNBC reporter Maria Bartiromo asks about feeding global thirst, finding oil in troubled spots around the globe and delicately balancing the relationships with leaders in Venezuela, Russia, Iran, Libya and China and what's at stake when those relationships fail. And finally, the alternatives. The special looks around the corner at renewables. Which ones are viable and how are the oil giants positioned to deal with the inevitable transformation?

For information about this program log on http://www.cnbc.com/id/26334704/site/14081545/

Thursday, Sept. 25
8-9 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: Science

Middle and High School

"The Works: Robots"

They can crawl up walls, swim underwater and investigate bomb threats. Robots are making the coffee in your kitchen and keeping your office parking lot secure at night. This documentary shows how artificial intelligence which can create things, smart houses that anticipate our desires and automate the functions of our-day to-day life. TV-PG

Friday, Sept. 26
7-8 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: US History and Science

Middle and High School

"Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project"

At 5:30 a.m., July 16, 1945, scientists and dignitaries awaited the detonation of the first atomic bomb in a desolate area of the New Mexico desert aptly known as "Jornada del Muerto" (Journey of Death). Dubbed the Manhattan Project, the top-secret undertaking was tackled with unprecedented speed and expense--almost $30-billion in today's money. In this documentary Los Alamos scientists and engineers relate their trials, triumphs, and dark doubts about building the ultimate weapon of war in the interest of peace. (This 1945 event has been dramatized in the latest "Indiana Jones" movie.) TV-PG

Friday, Sept. 26
9-11 p.m. ET, 6-8 p.m. PT

PBS

Subjects: US History

Middle and High School

"DEBATES 2008: Special Report"

Jim Lehrer, of PBS' Newshour, moderates the first presidential debate between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama. Live from the University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi.

For information about this program log on http://www.pbs.org/vote2008/

Saturday, Sept. 27
10 p.m.?midnight ET, 7-10 p.m. PT

TCM

Subjects: Literature

Middle and High School

"Tom Sawyer"

This is a dramatization - with songs - of Mark Twain's classic American bad boy. He sails the Mississippi with his friend Huck Finn after their supposed deaths. Most of the famous episodes from the novel are included in the film Aunt Polly's board fence gets whitewashed, Huck and Tom visit the cemetery with the dead cat, and of course Tom and Becky get lost in the cave. But this time they don't find a dead Injun Joe; they get chased by a live Native American - making for a high speed chase to wrap up the movie, TV-PG

For information about this program log on http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070814