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06/02/2003
8:00 Mail Call. Marine Weapons Training/Greek Phalanx/MiG- 29/Hellcat Tank Destroyer/Civil War Gear/Dazzle Paint.
Host R. Lee Ermey travels to the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Training Center at Camp Pendleton, California, where Marines fire at a video screen with "virtual" versions of their normal weapons. Other topics include: the ancient Greek phalanx, an almost invincible infantry formation; the Russian MiG-29, the fastest front-line jet; the U.S. M-18 Hellcat tank destroyer, the fastest WWII tracked vehicle; Civil War cavalrymen gear; and dazzle paint, a type of nautical camouflage. CC [TV PG]
8:30 Conquest. Swords of the Musketeers.
The classic cut-and- thrust of the Hollywood movies had a basis in reality. The cup- hilt rapier, with its light and flexible blade, did not require a left-hand dagger for defense. This was the sword of the French Musketeers and of the Spanish Conquistadors-the most feared swordsmen in Europe. Our team shows how the art and sport of fencing began with this weapon, and compares the reality of the weapon with the myth of its use. Hosted by actor and fight master Peter Woodward. CC [TV PG]
9:00 Wake Island: The Alamo of the Pacific.
It's a true life story of survivors on a desert island--one that helped change the course of W WII! Within hours of the 1941 Pearl Harbor Attack, about 1,600 U.S. marines and civilians found themselves under surprise attack from Japan on a tiny Pacific Island. We take six survivors of the siege of Wake Island back to the scene of their heroic stand. They retrace those days in which they suffered eventual capture, beatings, executions of colleagues, and imprisonment-- yet survived to tell their story. CC [TV G]
11:00 Tora! Tora! Tora!.
Explores the filmmakers' struggle to create a detailed account of the days and hours leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, painting an accurate, though sometimes controversial, picture of America in the process. Released in 1970, the film was Darryl F. Zanuck's brainchild and represented both Japanese and American points of view. With dramatic interviews with Pearl Harbor survivors, exclusive interviews with Japanese pilots who participated in the attack, and behind-the scenes footage. CC [TV PG]

06/03/2003
8:00 Deep Sea Detectives. The Rohna Disaster: WWII's Secret Tragedy.
When the HMT Rohna sank in 1943, it marked the greatest loss at sea of U.S. Army personnel in WWII: 1,015 soldiers, 3 Red Cross workers, and 120 ship's crew perished. Yet the U.S. government never revealed the truth about the disaster, in part to hide Germany's missile capability, and also to keep secret the deplorable conditions onboard and lack of lifeboats. After the recent release of documents under the Freedom of Information Act, we unveil a military debacle kept under wraps for decades. CC [TV G]
9:00 Sex in World War II. The Pacific Front.
These are the untold stories of war-swept under history's rug...until now! Stroll down the streets of the busiest redlight district in the Pacific Theater of War, Hotel Street in downtown Honolulu, where 200 enterprising women made millions serving the United States during wartime. CC [TV 14]
10:00 The Exterminator.
In a raging war for control of Earth, occupying forces buzz and skitter, with some out to draw blood! Termites, mosqu itoes, rats, mice, ants, and cockroaches have spread damage, disease, and death for millions of years. As we trace pest control from ancient humble beginnings to Medieval Black Plague, from billion-dollar pesticide business to holistic Integrated Pest Management, we meet the foot soldier in the battle between man and bug-- today's high-tech and ecologically aware exterminator. CC [TV G]
11:00 Infamous Murders. A Question of Doubt.
Examines three cases where a question of doubt remains to this day. First, we delve into the disappearance of Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa. Was he abducted and murdered? Next, we review the case of 21-year-old Bella Wright, whose crumpled body was found near a bicycle in the village of Leicestershire, England, in 1919. The accused man was acquitted, but doubts linger. Finally, we look at the classic "wrong man" case--Dr. Sam Sheppard, who stood trial in 1954 for the brutal murder of his wife. CC [TV PG]
11:30 Infamous Murders. Deadly Kidnappings.
Examines kidnappings that went horribly wrong. In 1932, aviator Charles Lindbergh's world fell apart when his 20month-old son was snatched from his nursery. In 1969, 55-year-old Muriel McKay disappeared from her London home. Though her kidnappers, who had confused her husband with his boss Rupert Murdoch, were eventually caught, her body was never found. Then, we examine the "Black Panther" case, when wanted murderer Donald Neilson kidnapped 17-year-old heiress Lesley Whittle in rural England. CC [TV PG]

06/04/2003
8:00 One Hour over Tokyo: The Doolittle Raid.
They are called the Doolittle Raiders, a band of 80 World War II airmen who volunteered for a top-secret mission into enemy territory. Designed to retaliate for the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the mission, if successful, would give the United States badly needed hope. In the end, it changed the course of the war. Led by Jimmy Doolittle, during one hour over Tokyo, his Raiders became American heroes. We'll meet up with the remaining 28 Raiders at their 2001 reunion and hear th eir stories. CC [TV G]
9:00 Sex in World War II. The European Front.
Go undercover behind the European Theater of War as we reveal true stories about sexual liaisons between U.S. servicemen and the women of Great Britain and Europe. We'll see how the French Resistance used brothels to hide downed Allied airmen from the Nazis, and meet the most successful female spy of WWII, who used her body and wits to change the course of the war. We also take a peek at a topsecret U.S. Army brothel in Monrovia, Liberia. CC [TV 14]
10:00 High Tech Sex.
Join us for a walk on the wild side of the history of sexual enhancement and contraception-- from Cleopatra's box of buzzing bees to 17thcentury condoms to Internet sex and 21stcentury holographic pornography! In an explicit exploration of the aphrodisiacs, drugs, contraceptives, toys, and cyber- tech innovations that have ushered in a brave new world of modern sexuality, we talk to sexologists and historians for ribald romp behind the bedroom's closed doors. CC [TV 14]
11:00 Breweries.
From Pilgrim brew masters to early commercial ventures to today's monolithic corporations, we'll imbibe American beer's long history, focusing on the commercial brewing industry that developed in the 19th century and continues to today. We'll also taste social experiments from the past, like the Temperance Movement and Prohibition, to see how they left scars on the industry and continue to influence sobriety today. CC [TV G]

06/05/2003
8:00 Cain and Abel: A Murder Mystery.
Biblical brothers' bonds are broken by murder in Eden in one of the most chilling accounts in the Old Testament. Journey back to the Land of Nod, where the guilt-ridden fugitive was banished, and find out how Cain lived out his days. CC [TV G]
9:00 Sex in World War II. The Home Front.
Penetrating stories of men and women who fought the war at home, including a very candid interview with former U.S. Army Private Hugh Hefner. >From "patriotutes" to "pin-ups" and airplane "nose art", this is the hush-hush side of WWII that is seldom discussed. We also delve into the sexual exploits of young John F. Kennedy, who audaciously dated an alleged Nazi spy, and reveal how the FBI spied on their most intimate moments. CC [TV 14]
10:00 Magnets.
We played with them as children, but the world of magnets isn't kid's stuff! The pervasive magnet serves as the underpinning for much of modern technology. They can be found in computers, cars, phones, VCRs, TVs, vacuum cleaners, the washer and dryer, the ubiquitous refrigerator magnet, and even in an electric guitar! On the cutting edge of technology, scientists experiment with a variety of magnets. Magnets' amazing forces of attraction and repulsion may take us to the far reaches of outer space. CC [TV G]
11:00 Infamous Murders. Bizarre Murders.
Looks at three strange murders and possible motives. In 1974, in Amityville, New York, 6 members of the Defeo family were shot to death while in bed. Sole survivor and eldest son Ronald confessed--the motive money. In 1985, mountain gorilla researcher Dian Fossey was hacked to death at her Rwandan research center. Probably killed by poachers, her murder remains unsolved. In 1982, the head of Italy's largest privately owned bank was found hanging from a London bridge. Was Robert Calvi really a suicide? CC [TV PG]
11:30 Infamous Murders. Deadly Doctors.
Examines three cases of deadly doctors. In 1933, Chicago Dr. Alice Wynekoop was convicted of murdering her daughter-in- law. Imprisoned for 25 years, a lie detector test later suggested her innocence. Next, find out if Dr. John Bodkin Adams, accused of benefiting from the deaths of 132 of his wealthy English patients, got away with murder. Finally, we investigate Britain's greatest serial killer--Dr. Harold Shipman, who may have killed as many as 1,000 female patients between 1992 and 1999. CC [TV PG]

06/06/2003
8:00 Hitler's Perfect Children.
In 1935, S.S. head Heinrich Himmler established the Lebensborn Foundation, with a goal of preserving and protecting "pure German blood", w here blond-haired, blue-eyed Aryan women were mated with S.S. soldiers or men of documented "racial purity". Lebensborn homes were also set up in most occupied countries, particularly Norway, and Aryanlooking children were kidnapped from occupied countries like Poland. We see how these people, bred to rule the world, have for the most part led shattered lives. CC [TV PG]
9:00 Sex and the Swastika.
During WWII, the Allies used information on the secret sex lives of Nazis to try and bring down the Third Reich. We reveal a secret government department that broadcast false German news stories featuring lurid sex practices of top Nazis, and uncover a report that claims Hitler had perverted sexual relationships with women. CC [TV PG]
10:00 The Atlantic Wall.
Join us for an exploration of the Nazi construction called the Atlantic Wall--3,000 miles of shore fortifications along occupied European coastline. We'll highlight the logistics of construction, types of fortifications, weapons, and obstacles in the wall used by the Germans. We also detail the Allied DDay invasion. CC [TV G]
11:00 Shark Attack 1916.
The summer of 1916 saw a series of shark attacks along New Jersey's shore; four met death in the jaws of the New Jersey man-eater before the attacks stopped. Using recreations, archival film, and interviews with historians, experts, and those who lived through the terror, we revisit the trauma and see if the sharks could come again.
Was this the inspiration for Jaws? CC [TV G]

06/07/2003
8:00 The Last Mission.
Meet Jim Smith, a B-29 radio operator who flew in WWII's final mission. On August 14,1945, en route to Japan's last oil refinery, B-29s from the 315th Bomb Wing flew over Tokyo, causing a blackout. On the ground, a group of rebellious Japanese military officers began a coup d'etat, and tried to find and destroy a recording slated to broadcast the next day- -Emperor Hirohito announcing surrender. See how the air strike unwittingly collapsed the coup, saved Tokyo from nuclear strike, and ended WWII. CC [TV PG]
10:00 Hiroshima: The Decision to Drop the Bomb.
An investigation, based on newly released documents, into President Truman's controversial decision to drop the A-bomb. Concludes that the real reason the U.S. dropped the bomb was to intimidate the Soviet Union. CC [TV PG]
11:30 Great Blunders in History. Japan's Mistakes at Midway.
A look at the Imperial Japanese Navy's greatest blunder after Pearl Harbor itself. At Midway, everything went wrong-- the wrong aircraft were armed first, torpedoes were fitted incorrectly, and the wrong planes were sent up at the wrong time! CC [TV G]

06/08/2003
8:00 Sink the Bismarck!
This 2-hour documentary joins the world's greatest sea chase as the British pursue the pride of the German navy, the battleship Bismarck. Features interviews with Ted Briggs, survivor of the Hood, which was sunk by the Bismarck, the Bismarck's senior surviving officer, and the only U.S. military man to participate in the WWII chase. CC [TV PG]
10:00 Mail Call. Trebuchet/Troop Headcounts/BAR/Smart Bombs/Modern Parachutes/Boomerangs.
R. Lee Ermey, the sergeant in "Full Metal Jacket", answers viewers' mail about the armed forces. In this episode, we learn how a trebuchet, or catapult, was used by medieval armies; how many troops are in a platoon, a company, and a division; the history of the Browning Automatic Rifle; how smart bombs work; the types of parachutes used by today's paratroopers; and how the weapon version of a boomerang was used. CC [TV PG]
10:30 Tales of the Gun. Naval Guns.
Perhaps one of the greatest expressions of weapons, naval guns first encouraged nations to develop the concept of "sea power". From sail, to steam, to steel, the warships of the world exist for one purpose-to overpower the enemy at sea. Step aboard as we test the mighty force of enormous guns at sea. (Half-hour version) CC [TV G]
11:00 The Color of War. Thunderbolts: The Conquest of the Reich.
In the last months of WWII, General Hap Arnold, head of the U.S. Army Air Force, ordered the making of a color film on his forward strike crews, particularly the P-47 Thunderbolts fighter groups flying close air support to the army's infantry and armor units. From March 1 to May 8, 1945, 16 camera crews shot 86 hours of film. But after the war, General Arnold decided not to release the footage. We tracked down four original pilots from the 362nd Fighter Group who narrate the story we see on the screen. CC [TV G]

06/09/2003
8:00 Mail Call. LAV/Landing Craft/Doughboy/OPFOR/Chain Mail/Military Salute.
R. Lee Ermey answers viewers' mail about what the armed forces. This week, Ermey rides along with the Marines in an LAV, or Light Armored Vehicle. He finds out why landing craft don't sink when their ramps come down, what the WWI term "Doughboy" means, who our troops train against (the OPFOR, or "Opposing Force"), how to make medieval chain mail, and how the military salute developed. CC [TV PG]
8:30 Mail Call. Deuce and a Half/Vietnam Gun Truck/WWII Household Fat/Missile Silos/C-17 Loadmaster/Scottish Kilts.
What is a WWII "Deuce and a Half"? What's a "Vietnam Gun Truck". Did the U.S. really use household fat to make explosives in WWII? How do missile silos work? What's the latest transport aircraft? Did Scottish soldiers really wear kilts in battle, and who did the Germans call the "Girls from Hell" in WWI? R. Lee Ermey dips into his viewers' mailbag and sends these questions out to military experts in the field for answers and brief demonstrations. CC [TV PG]
9:00 Blood from a Stone.
In 1988, Yaron Svoray began covertly searching the forest hills outside an ancient walled village along the French-German border, hunting for a treasure in uncut diamonds buried in a foxhole by two American GIs in 1945--a treasure that carried a curse. During Yaron's 10-year hunt, he tracked the diamonds from South African mines to European diamond centers, from ghettos to death camps--and experienced something far greater and life altering than the riches that motivated his quest. Based on his book. CC [TV PG]
11:00 Secret Plunder: GI Looters.
When U.S. troops overran Germany, they found a maze of tunnels filled with tons of gold bars, foreign currency, and priceless works of art. Much of this treasure disappeared. We'll see how some officers and GIs confiscated "souvenirs" worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and the subsequent investigation that led to their arrests. CC [TV G]

06/10/2003
8:00 Deep Sea Detectives. The Mysteries of Devil's Triangles.
Join us as we explore and explain some of the most mysterious spots on earth-- Devil's Triangles--where an unusual number of unexplainable tragedies occur time and again. We'll visit the Bermuda Triangle, which has swallowed up ships, planes, and people, and the more deadly Great Lakes Triangle, where ghost ships are said to routinely sail. CC [TV G]
9:00 UFOs: What You Didn't Know. UFOs in the Bible.
Journey back through time into the mysterious world of UFOs as revealed through ancient biblical texts. Through intensive reinterpretation of early religious documents, researchers believe that they have found evidence of ancient UFO activity. From Elijah's flying "chariots of fire" to Ezekiel's "wheels within wheels in the sky", and even the enigmatic aerial phenomenon leading Moses during the Exodus, we put a modern perspective on the writings of the Bible in the context of UFOs. CC [TV G]
10:00 James Bond Gadgets.
His movies are legend, his women beautiful, and his toys the best in the world. Whether James Bond is foiling villains in space-age flying machines or eavesdropping on his enemies with ultra-sophisticated spy gear, British Secret Agent 007 is always guaranteed to have the most outrageous and wonderfully creative gadgets ever to grace the silver screen. Bond had it all. But as we see in this exclusive look at his gadgets, it takes a lot to save the world!
Visit the James Bond movies page. CC [TV PG]
11:00 Infamous Murders. Evading Justice.
Examines three serial killers who seemed to have evaded punishment: the Green River Killer, who attacked prostitutes in Seattle in the early 1980s; the Zodiac Killer, who terrorized San Francisco in the 1960s, committing a spate of random killings and sending chilling notes to a local newspaper, each signed with a different symbol of the Zodiac; and Jack the Stripper, a murderer who preyed on prostitutes in London in the 1960s, strangling them and leaving their naked bodies in public places. CC [TV PG]
11:30 Infamous Murders. Victims of Jealousy.
Delves into three crimes of passion, where jealousy and obsession turned to murder: the shooting of Scarsdale Diet millionaire Dr. Herman Tarnower by headmistress Jean Harris, his lover of 14 years; the murder of former Playmate of the Year, 20-year-old Dorothy Stratten, by her husband Paul Snider; and the case of the woman who became the last to be hanged in Great Britain--Ruth Ellis, who killed her lover David Blakely outside a tavern in London in 1955. CC [TV PG]

06/11/2003
8:00 Seven Minutes That Stunned the Navy.
A thoughtful investigation of the 1988 Vicennes incident, when a high-tech U.S. cruiser shot down an Iranian passenger plane, killing 290 passengers. Is it possible that an Iranian airliner was being used as a weapon? CC [TV PG]
9:00 UFOs: What You Didn't Know. UFO Hot Spots.
For those who study the UFO phenomenon, "UFO Hot Spots" are those places around the globe known for a long history of UFO sightings and reports. >From Brazil to Mexico, from Washington State to Florida, multiple witnesses, including air traffic controllers and even the military, confirm that something unexplained is repeatedly happening in the night sky. Tales of alien abductions, bizarre and chilling photographs of UFOs, and hours of videotape all abound as we search for UFO Hot Spots. CC [TV G]
10:00 More Bond Gadgets.
He's everyone's favorite spy, the man with a woman in every port and a gadget in every pocket! No villain is too strong, no situation too tough for His Majesty's Secret Agent, thanks to his wits, cunning, and the best toys on the silver screen. History Channel cameras travel from the Arizona desert to the British countryside to find the best Bond gad gets-- including amazing footage from inside the cockpit of the world's smallest jet and rare home movies taken on the underwater set of "Thunderball". CC [TV PG]
11:00 True Crime. Serpico.
February 3, 1971--New York City cop Frank Serpico is shot in the face at a Brooklyn tenement. It marks the bitter, brutal end of a career spent battling the forces of corruption within the NYPD. After joining the police department, Serpico soon discovered that his biggest enemy was not murderers, drug dealers, or armed robbers, but the NYPD itself. Features interviews with Frank Serpico and Peter Maas, legendary author of the true-crime classic in his last oncamera interview before his death. CC [TV PG]

06/12/2003
8:00 Engines.
Story of the development of engines and motors, with particular emphasis on the ones that have profoundly changed society. Beginning with the steam engine, we see how it was developed, how it works, and how it led to the Industrial Revolution. We review the electric motor, internal combustion engine, jet engine, and rocket engine, and conclude with a look at futuristic engine technologies, including hydrogen-powered cars and microtechnology engines so small that they fit on the tip of a finger. CC [TV G]
9:00 UFOs: What You Didn't Know. When UFOs Arrive.
It's all hush-hush as we track a secretive global paper trail, delving into government plans on how to deal with other- planet visitors. Searching historical records, we find that protocols are in place-- from the U.S. military's JANAP- 146 reporting requirements to France's Cometa files, from Chapter 13 of the FEMA Fire Officer's Guide to Disaster Control titled "Enemy Attack and UFO Potential", to a now repealed federal law titled "Extraterrestrial Exposure". CC [TV G]
10:00 Gadgets.
Close cousins to machines and tools, gadgets are mechanical or electronic devices that make life a bit easier. While they don't always fall into clear categories, we know one when we see one. We'll view the craziest, cleverest, and most brillian t gizmos, meet the oftenquirky gadgeteers, and glimpse gadgetry of the future. CC [TV G]
11:00 Infamous Murders. Gangland Murders.
During the 1920s and '30s, violent crime flourished in America. Gangsters dominated the streets and corruption permeated every level of society. Rival gangs fought for supremacy in a never- ending cycle of violence. We review the ruthless careers of Chicago "King of Crime" Al Capone, who engineered the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre; the ambitious Lucky Luciano, responsible for killing more than 20 people; and bank robber, murderer, and public enemy number one, John Dillinger. CC [TV PG]
11:30 Infamous Murders. Murdered on Duty.
Murdering a police officer on duty is considered particularly brutal and fellow officers will not rest until the killer is apprehended. We look at three such examples. In 1993, Katherine Anne Power was charged with killing Officer Walter H. Schroeder, a crime that had taken place 23 years earlier when she was a radical student at Boston's Brandeis University. Next, we examine the 1966 murders of Officers David Wombwell, David Head, and Gregory Fox in London, and Officer Raymond Purdey in London in 1959. CC [TV PG]

06/13/2003
8:00 UFOs: Then and Now? Cause for Alarm.
Studies some of the most disturbing UFO sightings, including: a 4-day extravaganza in 1952, when UFOs cruised the skies over the White House; sightings in 1967 near a secret U.S./Canadian submarine detection base; controversial events at the U.K./U.S. air base at Bentwaters, England; and the military's Test Area 51 in Nevada. CC [TV G]
9:00 Roswell: Final Declassification.
In 1947, a strange object fell from the sky near Roswell, New Mexico, and controversy brewed over what it really was. In November 2001, we convened a team of experts at the National Archives for an exclusive first look at the top-secret government files of the UFO incident. We unveil the remaining classified files--11 boxes with 17 notebooks of declassified files, photos, transcripts and audiota pes of dozens of witnesses, and 22 films and videos--in a definitive statement on the 50- year-old mystery. CC [TV G]
10:00 More Gadgets.
A salute to the tools and toys that have stood the test of time--from the Zippo lighter to the Palm Pilot, the 21st century's first great gadget. As we focus on the technology behind familiar gadgets, we see the subtle ways they have changed our lives. Other items include the flashlight, transistor radio, safety razor, and the metronome. We also go behind the scenes at Herbst-LazarBell, a cutting-edge industrial design firm, and Gadget Universe, a fledgling retailer trying to topple the Sharper Image. CC [TV G]
11:00 Digi-Tech.
DVD, CD, PDA, HDTV, PVR-they are the ultimate in "gotta have it" gadgets and gizmos and "to die for" technology that populate a digital world of acronyms. We trace digital technology back to the early 1940s and the first high-speed electronic computer used to calculate cannon trajectory charts for new artillery in WWII, and look at the rapidly approaching future in places such as MIT's Media Lab, where tomorrow's technologies are being developed today. CC [TV PG]

06/14/2003
8:00 Blood from a Stone.
In 1988, Yaron Svoray began covertly searching the forest hills outside an ancient walled village along the French-German border, hunting for a treasure in uncut diamonds buried in a foxhole by two American GIs in 1945--a treasure that carried a curse. During Yaron's 10-year hunt, he tracked the diamonds from South African mines to European diamond centers, from ghettos to death camps--and experienced something far greater and life altering than the riches that motivated his quest. Based on his book. CC [TV PG]
10:00 The Big Red One (Movie)
This great war movie stars Lee Marvin as a tough sergeant leading his "wetnose" young troops through World War II. Based on the real life war experiences of director Samuel Fuller. With Mark Hamill and Robert Carradine. (1980) CC [TV PG]

06/15/2003
8:00 Godfathers.
A 2-hour panoramic and global overview of the phenomenon known as Cosa Nostra--from the mass immigration of Italians to the U.S. at the end of the 19th century up to the arrests in 2000 on the New York Stock Exchange, where the Mafia was laundering money. What becomes evident in a chain of stories depicting the most renowned "godfathers" is their uncanny ability to act as political representatives of an illegal state within the legal state and to exploit major cycles and crises throughout history. CC [TV PG]
10:00 Mail Call. Medieval Weapons/Lewis Gun/Carrier Pigeons/Gliders in Combat/Anti Tank Missile/Ejection Seats.
What were some of the wickedest medieval weapons? What is a WWI Lewis gun? How were carrier pigeons used during WWI and WWII? Were people really crazy enough to use gliders in combat? How does the TOW (tube- launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missile system) anti-tank missile work? How do ejection seats work? Shot on location, R. Lee Ermey sends these questions out to military experts in the field for answers and brief demonstrations. CC [TV PG]
10:30 Tales of the Gun. U.S. Guns of World War II.
An examination of the weapons that battled through surf and snow, dense jungle and choking dust...the guns of the American GI. Though WWII introduced instruments that pierced the dark and weapons that released the power of the atom, the infantryman's guns were designed decades before; but in dependability they were unequaled. (Half-hour version) CC [TV G]
11:00 Gangster Guns.
During the 1920s and '30s in big cities and small towns alike, they earned a fierce reputation in a blaze of bullets. They were the best friends of criminals such as John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, Al Capone, and Bonnie and Clyde. Handle their Colt 45s and 38s, Tommy guns, Whippets, and Browning automatic rifles as we uncover the stories of gangster guns.

06/16/2003
8:00 Mail Call. Self-Propelled Artillery/Matchlock Musket/Airships/Blue Angels/Pirate Weapons/Depth Charges.
If self-propelled artillery is much more maneuverable than towed artillery, why isn't all artillery self-propelled? How does a matchlock musket work? Did the U.S. Navy really use airships as floating aircraft carriers? How does the Navy select pilots for their elite precision flying team, the Blue Angels? What type of weapons did pirates use? How do depth charges work? R. Lee Ermey and military experts in the field answer these questions with brief demonstrations. CC [TV PG]
8:30 Conquest. Air Combat.
Though the newest form of personal warfare is less than a century old, the basics of air combat have changed little since the first soldiers of the sky soared through the air in WWI. Actor and fight master Peter Woodward trains as a fighter pilot at the Air Combat USA School in Fullerton, California, using the latest flight simulator technology and aided by top military pilots. His challenge--prepare for a dogfight to be waged in a fighter plane over the Pacific Ocean against a deadly opponent. CC [TV PG]
9:00 Giants: Friend or Foe.
Giants appear in every culture throughout history. From David and Goliath to Paul Bunyon to Andre the Giant, they've wrestled gods, conquered empires, and inspired heroes to rise in stature. Why are we average-sized humans so fascinated with larger-than-life characters? In a cyclopean 2-hour special, we consider the origins of these colossal creatures by exploring folklore and legends worldwide, and examining scientific evidence of their existence. CC [TV PG]
11:00 Circus Freaks and Sideshows.
Join us for a trip through the bizarre world of midgets, giants, tattooed ladies, and other human curiosities as we trace the colorful history of a distinctly American form of entertainment--the circus sideshow. From the 1840s, when P.T. Barnum exhibited Tom Thumb, to the last remaining shows struggling to survive at New York's Coney Island, we learn the truth behind the sideshow adage that freaks are not born, but rather created, as performers share their memories of the magical midway. CC [TV PG]

06/17/2003
8:00 Deep Sea Detectives. Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes.
The Great Lakes cover 95,000 square miles, and the remains of over 6,000 shipwrecks cover their floors. Most are caused by violent storms with towering waves and destructive winds. We study one of the most nasty tempests, the "November Witch", responsible for 273 deaths in 1913, and the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. CC [TV G]
9:00 Mouthpiece: Voice for the Accused.
Frank Ragano. After 30 years defending Mafia bosses like Santo Trafficante and Carlos Marcello, and being one of Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa's personal attorneys, Frank Ragano walked away. It wasn't easy-- Ragano was the invisible link between the mob, corrupt politicians, crooked businessmen, and powerful labor leaders. Unwittingly, he may have even delivered the murderous message that resulted in JFK's assassination! Narrated by Bruce Cutler, John Gotti's former attorney, we also talk to his wife and son. CC [TV PG]
10:00 Sex in the 20th Century. The Century Turns On.
The 20th century revealed changes in America's sexuality that no floor-length skirt could hide. We follow the rising hemlines and racing heartbeats as electricity lit our cities and love lives in this often amusing and always fascinating history of shifting sexual values. British psychologist Havelock Ellis's groundbreaking research revealed that sex was "natural and pure and good," and Margaret Sanger began a 50-year crusade to legalize birth control. CC [TV 14-S]
11:00 Infamous Murders. Murder in Cold Blood.
Murder in cold blood, without explanation or reason, is the worst kind of murder as we see in the three cases examined here. First, we look at the murders of at least 24 local drifters, mostly Mexican immigrants, in California by Juan Corona, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1971. Then, we see how Dennis Nilsen, sentenced to life in 1983, murdered at least 15 young gay men in London. Finally, we look at the horrific Atlanta Child Murders and the conviction of Wayne Williams in 1982. [TV PG]
11:30 Infamous Murders. Inheritance Killers.
In 1985, Steven Benson, a 33-year- old Florida businessman, was arrested for the murder of his mother, his nephew, and the attempted murder of his sister. In September 1985, at his parents' farmhouse in the Essex countryside of England, Jeremy Bamber was arrested for the murder of his parents, his sister, and her twin 6-year- old sons. Finally, we look at the murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez by their two sons, Lyle and Erik. What links all of these heinous crimes? Inheritance! CC [TV PG]

06/18/2003
8:00 Cover Up: Attack on the USS Liberty.
On June 8, 1967, the intelligence ship USS Liberty, stationed off the Sinai Peninsula during the Six-Day War, was attacked by unmarked jets and later by unmarked torpedo boats. In all, 34 men were killed and 171 wounded. Deep into the attack, the captain and crew realized that the aggressor was their ally, Israel, who claimed they couldn't identify the ship as American. We examine crewmembers' contentions that the attack was intentional and that both governments covered up the true details. CC [TV PG]
9:00 Mouthpiece: Voice for the Accused.
Samuel Leibowitz. A 4-part series profiling the colorful careers and courtroom tactics of famous criminal defense attorneys-- mouthpieces for the 20th century's most notorious crime figures. Meet Samuel S. Leibowitz, who defended 140 men against charges of first-degree murder and won 139 acquittals! Though Leibowitz successfully defended Al Capone five times, he won international fame defending the Scottsboro Boys for no fee and later became a judge. Narrated by Bruce Cutler, John Gotti's former attorney. CC [TV PG]
10:00 Sex in the 20th Century. Passion's Coming of Age
In his 1928 book "Why We Misbehave", Dr. Samuel Schmalhausen described a new generation of Americans who were all too eager to sever ties with their Victorian predecessors. Goodbye floor- length dresses, chaperones, and stuffy mores. Hello petting parties, flappers, and Sigmund Freud! We'll cover the Roaring '20s, the Great Depression, and World War II, and see the radical effects they wrought on how Americans thought about sex. CC [TV 14-S]
11:00 The History of Sex. From Don Juan to Queen Victoria.
This part of our sexual sweep of history covers the intensely romantic (Don Juan, Casanova) and the darkly perverse (Marquis de Sade), then moves on to the 19th century with its quirky views. It is the era of Queen Victoria, yet mail-order pornography takes off. We also reveal carnal kinks of the Pilgrims and Puritans. CC [TV 14]

06/19/2003
8:00 David Greenglass: Twice a Traitor.
On June 19, 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for passing secrets of the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. In their trial, the primary witness against Ethel was her brother, David Greenglass. Greenglass was also convicted of spying and sentenced to prison, but he was released in 1960. Now, he's finally telling his side of the story. This is David Greenglass's extraordinary story, including the shocking revelation that he lied on the stand and sent his own sister to the electric chair! CC [TV G]
9:00 Mouthpiece: Voice for the Accused.
James LaRossa. A sophisticated, dapper perfectionist, James LaRossa is recognized as "dean of mob lawyers" and has represented many New York mob bosses, including Paul Castellano and Vincent "The Chin" Gigante. His greatest performance was as lead counsel in the 1985-86 "Commission Case", where the bosses of eight crime families were indicted. Rudolph Guiliani, the U.S. Attorney who led the federal team, explains how the case came about and how the defense fought the government onslaught. Bruce Cutler narrates. CC [TV PG]
10:00 Sex in the 20th Century. Make Love, Not War.
Men and women who had embraced the carnal liberties allowed during war returned home to find a breeze wafting through their bedrooms. We explore the tumultuous 1950s and '60s, which began with a cold war and ended with a sexual revolution. In the 1950s, America tried to turn back the sexual clock, and when Alfred Kinsey revealed that 50% of polled women had sex before marriage, the Rockefeller Foundation withdrew his funding. But the arrival of "the pill" in 1960 would change all that. CC [TV 14-S]
11:00 Infamous Murders. Society Murders.
Looks at three brutal killings in the highest echelons of society. In 1955 in Long Island, wealthy racehorse owner William Woodward was shot and killed by his wife who claimed she mistook him for a prowler. Was it really an accident? In 1974, British aristocrat Lord Lucan disappeared on the same night his children's nanny was murdered in the home of his former wife. Did he mistake the nanny for his wife? And we look at the 1943 murder of Sir Harry Oakes in the Bahamas, which remains unsolved. CC [TV PG]
11:30 Infamous Murders. Deadly Ladies.
Examines three examples of women who proved just as capable of heinous crime as a man! First up, Kate Barker, better known as Ma, who led a gang of bank robbers and kidnappers until killed in a fierce firefight with the FBI in 1935. Then, we examine the case of Velma Barfield, found guilty in 1978 of murdering her fiance by poisoning him with arsenic. She confessed to killing four others the same way before execution. Finally, we look at the trial and execution of pickax murderer Karla Faye Tucker. CC [TV PG]

06/20/2003
8:00 Wartime Deception.
Within each battle lies an innate mystery: Is your enemy's every move part of an obvious strategy or ingenious trickery? Throughout history, nations have used a multitude of weapons to defeat the enemy. But all the while, one weapon has stayed at the forefront of battle. More than a weapon, it has become an art--the art of deception. >From horses and swords to stealth aircraft and smart bombs, we explore some of the most successful double-dealings in history and their extraordinary consequences. CC [TV G]
9:00 Mouthpiece: Voice for the Accused.
Robert Simone. A dedicated criminal defense lawyer, Robert Simone has paid an enormous price for protecting the constitutional rights of his clients, including the reputed head of the powerful Philadelphia Mafia, Nicodemo "Nicky" Scarfo. But his most important case was when he defended himself against a four-count federal indictment of willfully attempting to evade income tax payment from 1970 to 1980. Find out if he had a fool for a client! Narrated by Bruce Cutler, John Gotti's former attorney. CC [TV PG]
10:00 Sex in the 20th Century. The Politics of Pleasure.
The '70s ushered in a new era of sexual experimentation unlike anything America had ever seen--open marriages, swinging, and pornography were prevalent. But the '80s signaled a shift in thinking, with much of the country suffering a sexual hangover. Herpes helped fuel a carnal backlash, but soon a more deadly disease would grab headlines--AIDS. With the advent of Viagra and President Clinton's tryst with Monica Lewinsky, the '90s proved we're a nation of extremes in sexual expression and repression. CC [TV 14-S]
11:00 Founding Fathers: TWIH.
At Philadelphia's Independence Hall, where the Founding Fathers gathered to sign the Declaration of Independence and frame the Constitution, we take an unflinching look at the men and symbols that shaped America. We discover what drove Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr to engage in a deadly duel, search the Washington Monument for hidden areas, learn how dynamite helped sculpt Mount Rushmore from granite, and find out which Founding Father was technically the first president... CC [TV G]

06/21/2003
8:00 A Century of Silent Service.
Whether fighting tough foes in wars hot and cold, or going against the stark perils of a developing technology, the U.S. Naval Submarine Force has generated a history unique in American arms. The turn of the millennium mark ed its first 100 years. This 2-hour special features an interview with former submariner and President Jimmy Carter and many key Navy experts, testimony from the most colorful of the sub service's Medal of Honor winners, and vintage footage throughout the century. CC [TV G]
10:00 Liberty Ships of WWII
Focusing on a brief but glorious period of American ingenuity, we'll study shipbuilders' response to the demands of WWII. Combining rare National Archive footage with photography shot on vintage ships, we'll see how industrialists transformed the nation's shipyards into mass production facilities in a matter of months. CC [TV G]
11:00 Sex in World War II. The Pacific Front
These are the untold stories of war- -swept under history's rug...until now! Stroll down the streets of the busiest red- light district in the Pacific Theater of War, Hotel Street in downtown Honolulu, where 200 enterprising women made millions serving the United States during wartime. CC [TV 14]

06/22/2003
8:00 Greatest Raids. The Dambusters
On May 15, 1943, 19 Lancaster bombers set off for Germany's industrial heartland, piloted by the brave young men of 617 Squadron, led by Guy Gibson. Using an ultra-secret weapon- -the bouncing bomb--this daring raid was intended to breach the three Ruhr dams and thereby destroy the Nazi war industry. We detail the astonishing concept behind the bouncing bomb, and recreate the raids on each dam, using archive footage to relive the incredible feats of flying and marksmanship of the Dambusters. CC [TV PG]
9:00 Corsair: Pacific Warrior
Its strange bent wings and long nose made the Corsair one of the most distinctive fighter planes. First flown in 1940, it was the world's fastest single-engine fighter, with a diving speed of more than 500 m.p.h. Designed for use on aircraft carriers, it proved too hot to handle during deck landing. Adopted for land use, Marine Corsair pilots decimated the Japanese Air Force in the Solomon Islands. Finally, Corsairs went back to sea and defended the Navy from kamikaze attack. CC [TV G]
10:00 Mail Call. Anti-Tank Rocket/Bazooka/HQ Tour/Tactical Operations Center/Downed Pilots Rescue/21-Gun Salute
R. Lee Ermey heads to the range with the Marines to demonstrate the bazooka's replacement--an AT-4 shoulder-mounted anti- tank rocket--and finds out how the bazooka got its name. After a tongue-in-cheek tour of Mail Call Headquarters, we learn how commanders stay in touch with the battlefield at a Tactical Operations Center, a mobile command post for the computer age. We meet Air Force Pararescuemen, who rescue downed pilots behind enemy lines, and discover the origin of a 21-gun salute. CC [TV PG]
10:30 Tales of the Gun. Guns of the Sky
Hop into the cockpit for a daring century- long ride through the history of aircraft weaponry--from the very first handgun fired from a biplane. (Half-hour version) CC [TV G]
11:00 The Color of War. Homefront
The millions of combatants in the various armed services of WWII bore the brunt of the devastating war, but the civilian populations of the countries involved also endured their share of hardship and sacrifice. We see how they bravely shouldered their duties and suffered overwhelming burdens as their homelands were embroiled in "total war". WWII comes alive through a moving tapestry of letters, diaries, color film and photographs unearthed from archives and personal collections. Peter Coyote narrates. CC [TV PG]

06/23/2003
8:00 Mail Call. Amphibious Assault Vehicle/Jeep/Medieval Battering Ram/Urban Warfare/Ball Turret Gunner/Nose Art
How can the Marines' 26-ton AAV (Amphibious Assault Vehicle) stay afloat? Can a jeep float? How did medieval battering rams work? What types of tactics do the military use for urban warfare? Who were the guys who fired guns from the bubbles underneath WWII bombers? What's the story behind all those pictures of girls and other stuff drawn on the nose of WWII airplanes? R. Lee Ermey sends these viewers' questions to military experts in the field for explanations and short demonstrations. CC [TV 1 4]
8:30 Mail Call. Newest Coast Guard Ship/Carrier Battle Group/Tanks/Sherman Tank/XM-29 Rifle/WWII V-Mail
R. Lee Ermey sends viewer questions to military experts for answers and demonstrations. Go aboard the Coast Guard's latest and greatest--the multi-purpose 47-foot Motor Lifeboat (MLB); find out which and how many ships comprise a carrier battle group; learn why we call a tank a tank and not a toilet, and why the Sherman was considered a deathtrap; get a look at the M-16's replacement, the futuristic XM-29 rifle; and hear how WWII V- mail didn't talk, but kept letters flowing from the front to home. CC [TV PG]
9:00 Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked
Comic books--serious or escapist fantasy?
This 2-hour special shows 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 children. Following the most representative cartoon crusaders and villains, as well as the industry that formed them, 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. The Incredible Hulk has gone from comic book to TV-cartoon, to live-action primetime TV-series, to the new movie. CC [TV G]
11:00 Devil's Island: Hell on Earth
In French Guiana, we unearth the hellish history of the penal colony Devil's Island, final stop for France's incorrigibles and political prisoners from 1852 to 1945. We interview an 82-year-old former prison secretary; actor Richard Dreyfuss, who claims descent from inmate Alfred Dreyfus; and island authority Alexander Miles. CC [TV PG]

06/24/2003
8:00 Deep Sea Detectives. Silent Service: The Boats of WWII.
Meet the U.S. Navy submariners of WWII--hunters who lived under the sea in cramped and claustrophobic quarters as they stalked their victims. We'll see how Navy designers struggled to achieve a submarine design that ultimately proved to be the best underwater craft to fight in the war. Included are stories of the Squalus, whose crew was the first to be rescued from a disastrous sinking, and the Argonaut, th e largest submarine built until the advent of nuclear subs in the 1950s. CC [TV G]
9:00 Nature Tech. Lightning.
A high-tech look at how man has tried to control natural phenomena throughout history. Even with today's technology, when Nature rears her angry head, for the most part, technology hasn't a fighting chance! In this episode of our series examining Nature's deadliest forces, we learn that lightning kills nearly 100 people yearly in the United States and injures hundreds of others. We'll meet the men and women who look for new ways of detection, prevention, and how to save lives when Nature strikes! CC [TV G]
10:00 High Voltage.
Look closely at those tall metal towers that span the country and you might see tiny specks climbing up the soaring steel like spiders on an enormous web. Meet the courageous linemen who erect, string, and repair 250- foot high electrical transmission towers, working with energized power lines that can carry up to 765,000 volts! CC [TV PG]
11:00 Infamous Murders. Murder for Profit.
In 1988, Sacramento police removed a number of bodies from a boardinghouse's backyard. The landlady Dorothy Puente poisoned the deceased and cashed their social security checks. Then, we examine the case of Michael Abdul Malik--Michael X- -who ran illegal moneymaking schemes under the guise of fundraising in Trinidad, and murdered those who got in his way. And a look at John Haigh's unusual money-raising method in 1940s England--meet wealthy people, kill them, and dissolve their bodies in acid! CC [TV PG]
11:30 Infamous Murders. Death in the Country.
In 1950, Carl and Thelma Mosser picked up a hitchhiker on the Texas/New Mexico border. The next day, William Cook killed the couple, their three children, and dog. Between August 1997 and June 1999, nine people were murdered near country railroads in Kentucky, Texas, and Illinois. Rafael Resendez Ramirez, a Mexican drifter, eluded police before finally surrendering. And in France, Gaston Dominici, out to shoot vermin, slaughtered a vacationing Sir Jack Drummond, his wife, and daughter instead. CC [TV PG]

06/25/2003
8:00 Trucks.
Icons of the open road, trucks form the backbone of the construction and transportation industries. The facility to handle nearly any load and the ability to deliver goods almost anywhere make trucks integral to modern life. From 18th-century steam-powered carriages to tomorrow's computerized trucks, it's a long haul you'll enjoy! CC [TV G]
9:00 Ice Road Truckers.
During the harsh winter of Canada's Northwest Territory, remote villages and work camps are cut off from the world. To keep them supplied, a tenacious group of long-haul truckers drive their rigs over hundreds of miles on ice roads cut across the surface of frozen lakes. Sometimes the ice cannot support the heavy rig, and driver and cargo plunge through the ice and sink to the bottom. Hitch a risky ride along with the Ice Road Truckers as they drive headlong into bone- chilling danger. CC [TV PG]
10:00 Dangerous Cargo.
Toxic traffic is everywhere! An average of 800,000 shipments of hazardous materials hit our highways and railways daily. From Wild West wooden crates filled with explosives to hazmat containers of nuclear waste, we shadow dangerous cargo. We ride shotgun on a hazardous material shipment that's tracked by satellites; hunt down the hush-hush "ghost fleet"--trucks carrying classified government materials; and board a Con-Air flight moving another kind of nasty stuff-- dangerous felons! CC [TV G]
11:00 The Big House. Kentucky State Penitentiary.
Called the "Castle on the Cumberland", its inspiring medieval presence is a focal point on the landscape. But this "castle" is really Kentucky's maximum-security prison, reinforced with modern cellblocks and electronic surveillance to keep watch on the state's most dangerous prisoners. We follow an officer on his shift and step inside the "High Security" block that houses the "worst of the worst", and tour death row that's electric chair holds a gruesome national record--7 executions in a single day! CC [TV PG]

06/26/2003
8:00 The Little Big Horn: The Untold Story.
We'll look with fresh eyes at the infamous battle, using over two decades of research by Dr. Herman J. Viola, Curator Emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution, whose close friendship with Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow, grandson of one of Custer's six Crow scouts, afforded him unique access to the Native-American community's insights. CC [TV G]
10:00 Gunslingers.
During America's western expansion, a new breed of man arose- -the gunslinger. Sometimes he wore a badge, sometimes he was an outlaw. But he always had a gun at his side, and the urge to step to the edge and pull the trigger. Wild Bill Hickok, Jesse James, Wyatt Earp. See why the weapons they carried stamped these gunmen's existence. CC [TV G]
11:00 Sex in Wars. The Vietnam War
The Vietnam War affected social change and sexual behavior more than any previous war. After a decade of Cold War hysteria, Americans wanted to have fun, and the introduction of the birth control pill in 1960 meant they could. At the same time U.S. servicemen stationed in Vietnam were lured into the den of Asian eroticism. We talk to men and women from both sides who lived through the conflict and interweave sexual behavior in Vietnam during the war with the sexual revolution evolving in the U.S. CC [TV 14]

06/27/2003
8:00 Greatest Raids. Commandos in Norway
By the summer of 1940, Britain stood alone against Germany. Winston Churchill demanded a plan of harassment, with raiding forces landing on the coasts of occupied Europe. Thus the Commandos were born, and nowhere were they more successful than on Norway's long rocky coastline. After they liberated the Lofoten Islands, raids followed in Spitzbergen and Vaagso, fueling Hitler's fear that the Allies would invade Norway and causing him to redirect troops that could have been better used elsewhere. CC [TV PG]
9:00 M1 Abrams: Supertank!
Join us as we penetrate the history of the world's most sophisticated tank--the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank. In the most radical departure in U.S. tank design since WWII, the Supertank combines speed, heavy protective armor, and a fearsome 120mm main gun. In February 1991, the new and unproven Abrams tank was rapidly deployed on the frontline of Operation Desert Storm. Using night vision and laser targeting, the M1 Abrams tank destroyed the cream of Saddam Hussein's armored Republican Guard. CC [TV G]
10:00 Camouflage.
From ancient hunters' camouflage to computer-generated digital pattern uniforms, we uncover the past, present, and future of deception through disguise. During an ambush exercise by U.S. Marines, we learn that camouflage came from natural coloration and patterns of flora and fauna. The art of military camouflage took off in WWI with the use of the airplane, when the French learnt to hide from "eyes in the sky". It's a world of shadows and smoke, where even cities disappear through disguise. CC [TV G]
11:00 Sin: TWIH.
Get ready to repent as Josh Binswanger heads to Sin City--Las Vegas--for an hour devoted to historical iniquity. Were the ancient residents of Pompeii sex fiends? Was Alfred Packer, sole survivor of a party of prospectors, a cannibal? How was it possible for a con artist to sell the Eiffel Tower - twice? Was Blackbeard a pirate or a legal privateer? Was Great Britain on the wrong side in the Opium War? And talk about gluttony! England's William the Corpulent was so fat that he exploded soon after death. CC [TV G]

06/28/2003
8:00 Secret Passages.
Join our voyeuristic 2-hour voyage into a hidden world of adventure, mystery, and danger as we investigate secret passages. Stops include: a 19th-century trading post in Wisconsin that boasts 9 secret passages and an underground tunnel; a maze of volcanic rock tunnels and caves in California where a band of Native Americans held off the cavalry; a stop on the Underground Railroad in Wisconsin; and a thriving subterranean community built by Chinese railroad workers beneath Pendleton, Oregon. CC [TV G]
10:00 Giants: Friend or Foe.
G iants appear in every culture throughout history. From David and Goliath to Paul Bunyon to Andre the Giant, they've wrestled gods, conquered empires, and inspired heroes to rise in stature. Why are we average-sized humans so fascinated with larger-than-life characters? In a cyclopean 2-hour special, we consider the origins of these colossal creatures by exploring folklore and legends worldwide, and examining scientific evidence of their existence. CC [TV PG]

06/29/2003
8:00 Punishment.
The definition and exercise of criminal punishment has changed dramatically during the course of history. >From execution by wild animals during ancient Greek and Roman times, to religious torture during the Inquisition using the most perverse instruments ever devised, to the cruel and unusual punishments meted out by many nations to this day, we trace the often ironic history of man's perverted and creative attempts to bring about a more humane society. CC [TV 14]
10:00 Mail Call. Unmanned Aircraft/Bogey/1st Combat Helicopter/Forward Observers/Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Knife
If unmanned aircraft are so good, why do we need pilots? Travel with R. Lee Ermey to Edwards AFB for a look at the latest in experimental planes. See how Scottish kids, afraid of the Bogey Man, gave rise to the pilot term for unidentified aircraft. Watch the first combat helicopter, the U.S. YR-4B, flown in WWII by Lt. Carter Harman in Burma. See how forward observers direct artillery fire, and join Ermey as he demonstrates the Fairbairn-Sykes commando knife on his favorite target--a watermelon! CC [TV PG]
10:30 Tales of the Gun. Big Guns
Marvels of technology and spectacular in their sheer power, big guns have shaped the nature of warfare for centuries. Though of humble origins, they evolved into some of the biggest and most complicated machines of destruction ever made. Put in your earplugs as we fire the Parrot, Big Bertha, Gustav, and Atomic Annie, among others. (Half-hour version) CC [TV G]
11:00 The Color of War. The Price of War
Even as WWII raged on, another, more desperate, battle was being waged just behind the front lines...a battle to save lives. The victories and losses of this crusade are the stories of the price of war. The fact that so many servicemen lived to tell the tale is a testament to the brave medical personnel who fought daily against death. WWII comes alive through a moving tapestry of letters, diaries, color film and photographs unearthed from archives and personal collections. Peter Coyote narrates. CC [TV 14]

06/30/2003
8:00 Mail Call. Tank/Gatling Gun/Samurai Sword
R. Lee Ermey, who played the sergeant in Full Metal Jacket, applies his gruff sense of humor in this half-hour series that answers viewers' mail about what the armed forces were, and really are, like! Shot on location, Ermey reads the questions on air and then sends them out to military experts in the field for answers and brief demonstrations. In this episode, he finds out how to steer the WWII tank M5A1 (the Stuart); how fast a Gatling gun can fire; and why the samurai sword is so powerful. CC [TV PG]
8:30 The Hunt for the Lost Squadron
A team of U.S. adventurers hunts for a lost treasure on an Arctic glacier--a squadron of WWII fighter planes that disappeared after crash-landing in Greenland in 1942. Their quest to solve this historic mystery spans 20 years and demands heroic vision and innovative new technology, but also puts the team's lives in constant danger, destroys friendships, ends marriages, and causes individual financial ruin. It's a story of obsession, commitment, and the high cost of accomplishing the extraordinary. CC [TV PG]
10:00 Private Jets
From today's ultra chic, state-of-the-art private jets to Lockheed's 1957 Jetstar, this 2-hour special investigates the history, the luxury, and technology of America's corporate jets. We meet a few of the men and women who pioneered them--Bill Lear, Clyde Cessna and his nephews, Walter and Olive Beech. Actor Michael Dorn of Star Trek fame explains what it takes to buy a previously-owned jet. And, we see the latest in kit jets and look into the new must-have of the super rich--jets the size of commercial airliners. CC [TV G]

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May 2003

December 2002

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* Congressman Gary Condit (D), who reportedly told police he'd had an affair with Levy, is no longer considered to be a suspect in the case. Condit lost his bid for re-election in the Democratic Primary of 2002.

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