NOTE: We are listing both EST/Pacific Time and individual television ratings. All rated [G] or [PG] unless noted. [NR] = Not Rated, news-related program.Thursday, April 1, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - The Maginot Line The Maginot Line, a defensive string of forts with enfilading firepower, was built by France between WWI and WWII. Conceived by Minister of War Andre Maginot, it was meant to forestall another German invasion until troops could arrive. But the French began to think of the line as a substitute for manpower. When Belgium declared neutrality and exposed France's flank, Germany was able to sidestep the line. We'll visit the "impregnable" line's forts, observation turrets, and underground railroads. 8-9pm -- Time Machine - Blizzards: Whiteout! When those deadly winter snowstorms hit, they cut off communications, deplete food and fuel supplies, and sometimes set the stage for anarchy! Join us for a journey through four deadly storms: the 1888 blizzards that hit Nebraska and New York City; and the 1967 and 1979 snowstorms that enveloped Chicago. 9-10pm -- History Alive - Snowbound: The Curse of the Sierra The mountains called the Sierra Nevada are among the most picturesque in the U.S.--tourists marvel at the snow-capped peaks while skiing at Lake Tahoe. But the Snowy Mountains have also produced disasters, including the 1846 Donner Party tragedy that led to cannibalism and the 1982 avalanche that buried Anna Conrad alive for five days. 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - Icebreakers They are the toughest ships in the water, plowing headlong into 1 of nature's hardest obstacles. Modern icebreakers can smash through 10-foot thick ice sheets without stopping, allowing scientists and commercial shipping access to some of earth's most inhospitable spots. Join our bone-chilling journey as we patrol the Great Lakes on the USCG Cutter Makinaw and traverse the infamous Northwest Passage on the maiden voyage of the USCG Healy, the newest Polar Class Icebreaker in the U.S. Fleet. ____________________________________________________ Friday, April 2, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Prisons "All hope abandon, ye who enter here!" This sentiment has permeated the masonry and clanging bars of prisons built throughout the ages. We'll see how the philosophy and architecture of today's American prisons emerged from the sewer cells and castles and dungeons of ancient Rome, medieval Europe, and 18th-century England. 8-10:30pm -- Movies in Time - Escape from Alcatraz Movie. The story of Frank Morris, the only man ever to escape from Alcatraz, the notorious Federal maximum-security prison built on an island off San Francisco's coast and surrounded by shark-infested waters. Clint Eastwood plays Morris, who plots his escape with incredible patience and ingenuity under the watchful eyes of the haughty warden, played by Patrick McGoohan. Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau co-star as two of Clint's best pals in the slammer. (1979) 10:30-12am -- Time Machine - Street Gangs: A Secret History For nearly 400 years, street gangs have bullied their way across the American landscape. Fueled by immigration and the desire to live the American dream, street gangs have evolved from groups of petty criminals to ruthless multi-million-dollar drug cartels. We'll see how the need for a sense of belonging has driven many into the open arms of gangs. (90-minute version) ____________________________________________________ Saturday, April 3, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 6-8pm -- Movies in Time - Jesus of Nazareth, Pt. 2 Movie. Jesus (Robert Powell) grows up to become a prophet, healer, and spiritual leader, and his teachings and miracles begin to draw large crowds and a number of followers. When he travels to Jerusalem, he's greeted with suspicion by the local Jewish temple, where the rabbis view him as a threat. With Anthony Quinn, Laurence Olivier, and James Mason. (1977) 8-10pm -- Movies in Time - Jesus of Nazareth, Pt. 3 Movie. Beautiful location filming in Jordan lends authenticity to director Franco Zeffirelli's reverent depiction of the life of Christ. Zeffirelli diligently provides the sociopolitical background that gave rise to Jesus's (Robert Powell) following and the crisis of belief that he caused within the people of Israel. (1977) 10-12am -- Movies in Time - Jesus of Nazareth, Pt. 4 Movie. Jesus (Robert Powell) is on the road to Calvary, and Part 3 paints an unforgettable picture of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection three days later. With Anne Bancroft as Mary Magdalene, Rod Steiger as Pontius Pilate, Peter Ustinov as Herod the Great, Ernest Borgnine as the Centurion, Ian McShane as Judas Iscariot, and Stacy Keach as Barabbas. Directed by Franco Zeffirelli. (1977) ____________________________________________________ Sunday, April 4, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Dead Reckoning - Blood Spatter Blood spatter evidence first came to prominence in the murder trial of Dr. Sam Sheppard. We see how it has developed since 1955, and helped solve two Washington State cases. When Kimberly Wilson was found strangled, police went to tell her family--and stumbled upon the bodies of her father, mother, and sister, with blood splattered throughout the home. And when reporters for a Bainbridge Island paper discover blood dripping from their ceiling, police find the body of a brutally beaten woman. 8-9pm -- True Crime - Murder in Greenwich Join Mark Fuhrman as he recounts the danger that lurked beneath the pristine surface of Greenwich, Connecticut--a danger that resulted in a crime of passion on a cold October night in 1975. The former LAPD detective began his own investigation into the murder of 15-year-old Martha Moxley after coming across a top-secret private report on the cold case and discovered evidence that he felt clearly implicated the now-convicted Michael Skakel. 9-10pm -- True Crime - Donnie Brasco Life in the belly of the beast known as the Mafia is tough, violent, and unrelenting. For FBI Agent Joe Pistone, it was a world he was destined to confront and conquer. Posing as jewel thief Donnie Brasco, he infiltrated the secretive and deadly mob and lived among two of New York's most infamous crime families--the Bonannos and the Colombos. The former federal agent, still living under secret identity, recounts his terrifying and fascinating 6-year journey through the world of organized crime. 10-10:30pm -- Mail Call - #48 At ease, Private! R. Lee Ermey is your commanding officer in this weekly series that answers viewers' questions about military methods and technology with practical demonstrations by military experts. Viewers go on the frontlines, to foreign lands, and into basic training as Lee demonstrates the hows and whys behind weaponry, military hardware, vehicles, and jargon. It's a glimpse of military life and history that civilians rarely see. 10:30-11:30pm -- Tactical to Practical - Survival Training/People in Space/Explosives: #9 Survival in war isn't just about dodging bullets, but keeping alive in extreme conditions. Explorers and adventurers also face life-threatening situations. Hunter Ellis tests new high-tech gadgets for your next adventure. Once a Cold War battleground, today's space race sees super-rich dreamers competing to launch space tourism--with $10-million in prize money at stake! Then, Hunter examines explosives--from the military to avalanche control, diamond mining, special effects, and fireworks. ____________________________________________________ Monday, April 5, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Military Movers The challenge: Move millions of soldiers and tons of cargo halfway around the world and into the thick of action. How? Use the biggest ships, the widest planes, and the strongest trucks. Today, military planners move men and equipment further and faster than ever. The United Sates Transportation Command, answering to the Department of Defense, runs military transport like an efficient private shipping and travel agency. From the Civil War to US Transcom, we track the development of military logistics. 8-9pm -- True Crime - A Sniper in the Tower For 96 minutes, on a brutally hot day in Austin in 1966, 25-year-old Charles Whitman fired at will from a perch 231 feet above ground, terrorizing the University of Texas campus below. After killing his mother and wife, Whitman hauled a trunk full of weapons up to the 28th floor of the university tower and shot 45 people--bringing the death toll to 16--before police killed him. Based on Gary M. Lavergne's riveting book, we see how the murders spawned debates that still plague America. 9-10pm -- True Crime - Fire Lover The story of John Orr--one of California's most respected arson investigators, who became over time, one of the state's most prolific serial arsonists. In 2002, master crime writer Joseph Wambaugh trained his sights on John Orr and his terrible spree. His novel "Fire Lover" brings home the reality of the crime and the criminal behind it. We'll look at Orr's crimes--millions of dollars of property damage and the deaths of four people--and how the smallest of clues eventually led to his capture. 10-12am -- Ku Klux Klan: A Secret History - Kneeling before a flaming cross, Klansmen and women take part in their sacred bonding, showing how secrecy and ritual aid the hooded order in a campaign for white supremacy. From its birth in 1866's Reconstruction South to a 1996 rally, this chronicle of hate talks to Julian Bond, Morris Dees Jr., the Grand Dragon, and Imperial Wizard. ____________________________________________________ Tuesday, April 6, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Pyramids: Majesty and Mystery Standing majestically for centuries, the world's great pyramids have long inspired and mystified scholars. Leading experts and historians explore the engineering genius that created some of the largest structures on the planet. From ancient Egypt to Central America, we visit these technological masterpieces. 8-9pm -- True Crime - Blow Wild parties, beautiful women, and never-ending drugs--all part of the high life enjoyed by master drug smuggler George Jung in the 1970s. Handsome, charismatic, and adventurous, Jung and his partner Carlos Lehder revolutionized the cocaine trade, making--then losing--tens of millions of dollars along the way. Author Bruce Porter recounts the story of the ultimate party-boy, George Jung--from early drug-running days to the Colombian drug cartels and the despair of America's crack epidemic. 9-10pm -- True Crime - The Westies Hell's Kitchen, New York City. In the mid-1970s, one neighborhood gang raised mayhem to the level of sheer blood sport with a specialty in execution by dismemberment. The Westies, an Irish-American gang led by Jimmy Coonan, terrorized the West Side of Manhattan for 20 years--until Coonan's second in command, Mickey Featherstone, turned state's star witness in one of New York's biggest racketeering trials. Author T.J. English weaves together the story of their deadly alliance and gangland terror. 10-11pm -- Wild West Tech - Execution Tech Journey back to the days when justice was swifter than a saloon girl on a Saturday night and examine the horrors of human design that brought terror to the Old West. Sheriffs and judges, desperate to stop the growing onslaught of outlaws, needed grisly technologies to punish and deter murderers, rapists, and rustlers. Join the crowd of onlookers who gathered at the grisly gallows to witness a man gaining infamy at one end of the rope--and sometimes, immortality at the other. ____________________________________________________ Wednesday, April 7, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Chesapeake Bay Bridge & Tunnel Named one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern age, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel connects Virginia proper with its easternmost landmass. Stretching 17 miles across the historic Chesapeake Bay, the structure represents a man-made boundary between the Bay and the Atlantic. The structure includes two two-lane highways supported mostly by trestles, four man-made and one natural island, two truss bridges, and two revolutionary sunken tube tunnels. 8-9pm -- The Guilty Men: An Historical Review - Three distinguished historians examine America's fascination with the JFK assassination, and critique the credibility of the theory that Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was involved in the assassination and the way the theory was presented in The History Channel program "The Guilty Men." 9-10pm -- Modern Marvels - Egyptian Pyramids Constructed as tombs for the ancient pharaohs, over 100 pyramids remain in Egypt. Built during a span of well over 1,000 years, they stand as cultural and engineering marvels of staggering proportions. But many things about these monuments, including the exact methods used to construct them, remain tantalizingly obscure. Travel back in time as we investigate their evolution--from the earlier mastaba to the Step Pyramid, Bent Pyramid, and of course, the magnificent necropolis at Giza. 10-11pm -- Easter Week Programming - Bible Tech Arguably the most influential book ever written, the Bible provides a glimpse into the origins of ancient technology and its use to withstand the elements, build great structures, wage war, and conserve precious water. We examine the technological plausibility of biblical structures and machines--including the Tower of Babylon, the Temple of Jerusalem, ancient bronze and iron forging, and shipbuilding skills that might have been employed to build Noah's Ark. ____________________________________________________ Thursday, April 8, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Gasoline Traces the history and evolution of the world's most important fossil fuel. Without gasoline, modern life would grind to a halt. Americans use about 360-million gallons of gas every day. And though most of us could not function without gas, very few understand what it really is, how it is made, what all those different octane numbers really mean, and how researchers developed cleaner burning gasoline. All these questions will be answered as we look at the history of this "supreme" fuel. 8-9pm -- Stories from the Hall of Fame - Golf An exploration of the lives and career highlights of five Hall of Fame golfers: Payne Stewart, Ben Hogan, Seve Ballesteros, Babe Didrikson-Zaharias, and Billy Casper. Hosted by Pro Golfer Tom Lehman from the Golf Hall of Fame, we bring to life the unforgettable matches, memorable plays, dramatic upsets, and controversies. Viewers also learn interesting facts about the Golf Hall of Fame and the history of the institution that preserves the sport and enshrines its greatest players. 9-10pm -- Easter Week Programming - The Trial of Jesus Shockingly little is known, historically, about the trial and execution of Jesus. What actions resulted in his death? Who was responsible for his trial and sentencing? How did his ministry pass down through the ages? Why do most biblical scholars insist that the gospel account can't be true? Through literary detective work, historical art imagery, and commentary from respected biblical scholars, we bring First-Century Judea to life--a land of messianic messengers in a time of revolution. 10-11pm -- Easter Week Programming - The Real Pontius Pilate: The Man Who Killed Christ Posterity can be a heavy burden. In the 19th year of Emperor Tiberius's reign, a local disturbance occurred in Judea--an obscure province of the Roman Empire. But for this incident, Pontius Pilate's name might shine through history in a positive light. Who was this biblical bogeyman? As we strip away the mythology, a vivid portrait emerges of a flesh-and-blood Roman faced with the unenviable task of maintaining order by exercising brutal pragmatics. Pilate's story remains without rival. ____________________________________________________ Friday, April 9, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Axes, Swords and Knives Blade implements have been a part of civilized man's arsenal since the Paleolithic Age, when sharp tools were chipped off of flint or obsidian. But with the discovery of metallurgy, people were able to forge stronger, more versatile blade implements. We visit an axe-throwing contest in Wisconsin for an introduction to the least subtle of the blade tools. Then we visit a swordsmith and an experienced swordfighter who work in traditional methods from ancient sources, and review the history of knives. 8-10pm -- Easter Week Programming - Banned from the Bible In a 2-hour special, we scrutinize ancient writings that didn't "make the cut" in the battle to create a Christian Bible in the new religion's first few centuries. Biblical archaeologists and scholars examine why they were left out and if others might yet be found. Beginning with the little-known Life of Adam and Eve, we also peruse the Book of Jubilees, the Book of Enoch, the Gospel of Thomas, the Protevangelium of James, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Nicodemus, and the Apocalypse of Peter. 10-11pm -- Easter Week Programming - Heaven and Hell From the beginning of recorded history, people from all over the world have believed in an afterlife. In Christianity, the powerful images of heaven and hell--fire and brimstone, harps and halos--have shaped Western thought for thousands of years. What does the Bible tell us about everlasting punishment and eternal life? Join us on a biblical journey as we explore the origins of heaven and hell and the symbols that represent them. ____________________________________________________ Saturday, April 10, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- The Alamo - Myth meets history, legend meets reality, and the roads converge in 1836 at San Antonio de Bexar and its round, ruined mission house. Host Josh Binswanger and our resident historian Steve Gillon sit down with Dennis Quaid (General Sam Houston), Billy Bob Thornton (Davy Crockett), and Jason Patric (James Bowie), stars of the 2004 release, to discuss the historic background of the event, their characters, and whether or not "The Alamo" weighs in as History or Hollywood. 8-11pm -- Movies in Time - Midway Movie. Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, and Robert Mitchum head an all-star cast in this epic WWII drama depicting America's first major victory against the Japanese in the Pacific. Near the tiny Island of Midway, an outnumbered U.S. Navy defeats a massive Japanese flotilla, turning the tide of the Pacific Theater. (1976) ____________________________________________________ Sunday, April 11, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- The Bible Code: Predicting Armageddon - The Bible Code: Predicting Armageddon Is there a prophetic, highly accurate code locked within the Bible that outlines past and future events? Does the Code contain hidden messages about people like Napoleon, Einstein, and Hitler, and key world events like WWII, the Kennedy brothers' assassinations, and 9/11? More frightening are references to future events--including Earth's impending end. We take a balanced look through the eyes of Code supporters and critics and let viewers determine its accuracy in predicting the future. 8-9pm -- Easter Week Programming - As we delve further into the provocative theory that a code exists in the Bible outlining past and future events, we learn how the code works from supporters and examine supposed examples of precise messages. And we hear from critics who present compelling arguments that the code is merely a statistical anomaly. We uncover how military and intelligence organizations interact with the code, and compare the code with other sources of biblical prophecy. 9-10:25pm -- Band of Brothers - Currahee They were ordinary men, swept up in the most extraordinary conflict in history. With the eyes of the world upon them, they found their greatest source of strength in each other. From Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, this is the story of Easy Company--an elite team of U.S. paratroopers whose WWII exploits are as incredible as they are true. Part 1 begins on June 4, 1944, in England, as Lts. Richard Winters (Damian Lewis) and Lewis Nixon (Ron Livingston) reflect on the past that led them to D-Day. 10:25-10:55pm -- Mail Call - #49 At ease, Private! R. Lee Ermey is your commanding officer in this weekly series that answers viewers' questions about military methods and technology with practical demonstrations by military experts. Viewers go on the frontlines, to foreign lands, and into basic training as Lee demonstrates the hows and whys behind weaponry, military hardware, vehicles, and jargon. It's a glimpse of military life and history that civilians rarely see. 10:55-12am -- The Real Band of Brothers - True story of one of the Army's most distinguished divisions, the 101st, which was formed in WWI, becoming the 101st Airborne in WWII. The 101st participated in D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, guarded black students in Little Rock, and was renamed the 101st Air Cavalry in Vietnam to mark the transition from parachutes to helicopters. ____________________________________________________ Monday, April 12, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Nuclear Subs The most priceless jewels in the arsenals of a handful of countries, some nuclear submarines carry more firepower than all the bombs dropped in history. Since the 1950s, these lethal steel sharks have been a cornerstone of U.S. defense policy. The Cold War launched an underwater race for supremacy with the Soviet Union. The result: engineering miracles, which roam 70% of the earth's surface, providing deterrence to enemies, intelligence about adversaries, and an abiding sense of dread. 8-8:30pm -- Mail Call - Fastest Army Vehicle/Uncle Sam/Tank Destroyers/Anti-Tank Rifle/Dive Bomber/Sea Dart: #47 R. Lee Ermey pits his trusty Jeep against the Army's nitro-burning dragster "Sarge" at an Arizona speedway; finds out if a real guy posed for the original Uncle Sam recruitment poster; reviews the evolution of Tank Destroyers; demonstrates a Boys .55 Caliber anti-tank "elephant gun" using a Spam tower as his target; finds out what caused the screaming noise when dive bombers attacked; and digs into his Fabulous Flops File to examine the Sea Dart--America's attempt to put a jet fighter on water skies. 8:30-9pm -- The Color of War - Into the Breach Peter Coyote narrates a compelling journey into WWII through the eyes of those who lived it, completely in color! When the U.S. was propelled into war on December 7, 1941, Europe had been torn by war for over two years. In America, the small professional armed forces that began the war were quickly replaced by draftees--civilians thrown "into the breach" after barely three months of training. We see how these fresh-faced conscripts became battle-hardened warriors. (Half-hour version) 9-10:05pm -- Band of Brothers - Day of Days Planes carrying thousands of paratroopers cross the English Channel into French airspace, where German flak causes the pilots to drop them in a less than safe and organized fashion. Lt. Winters (Damian Lewis) lands alone in a field, soon joined by John Hall (Andrew Scott), a private from another company. Executive producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg bring to life renowned WWII historian Stephen Ambrose's nonfiction book about an Army rifle company that parachuted into France on D-Day. 10:05-11:05pm -- Deep Sea Detectives - U-Boats in the Gulf! In Summer 1942, with the U.S. at war in Europe and the Pacific, few Americans knew that the war raged in their own backyard. Dozens of Hitler's U-boats had penetrated the Gulf of Mexico, sinking merchant vessels and oil tankers. Of all the U-boats that attacked the Gulf, only one rests at the bottom of the sea--the U-166. Experience the excitement of the first thorough investigation into the wreckage since discovery in 2001 and learn of the technological advances that made its identification possible. ____________________________________________________ Tuesday, April 13, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Disaster Technology An examination of the historical development of technological tools that help science mitigate nature's fury. It's a survival story that begins with comprehending the force of disaster. As environmental calamities unfold, viewers witness the urgency for change that each crisis compelled and innovations designed to lower death tolls. 8-9pm -- Deep Sea Detectives - B-29 In 1948, a B-29 Superfortress took off from California on a research mission carrying a strange piece of scientific equipment--the Suntracker. But when the plane crashed into Lake Mead, Nevada, the Suntracker was lost. And all records saying what it was or what the plane was studying were also lost. Now, archaeologists from the National Park Services' Submerged Resources Center explore the wrecked bomber, submerged under 200 feet of water, and learn that it was at the forefront of Cold War science. 9-10:20pm -- Band of Brothers - Carentan After regrouping in the town of Angoville-au-Plain, Easy Company tries to capture the town of Carentan. Two days after D-Day, some members of Easy Company are still lost and alone in Normandy, including Pvt. Albert Blithe (Marc Warren), who finds the rest of the unit just in time to help take Carentan, which Allied armor from Utah and Omaha beaches need in order to link up. Later, the company returns to England, but celebrations are short-lived when news comes that they'll be moving out again. 10:20-11:20pm -- Wild West Tech - Military Tech Featuring expert demonstrations, we focus on technologies used by the U.S. military after the Civil War in the western frontier, and show how some of the greatest advancements laid the groundwork for America's hi-tech future. We spotlight such stories as the Wagon Box Fight in 1867, when 26 soldiers and six civilians fought off 800 mounted Sioux warriors using the new Springfield-Allin breechloading rifle, and Pancho Villa's raid, which ushered in the era of motorized vehicles into the U.S. military. ____________________________________________________ Wednesday, April 14, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Tailgating At stadiums nationwide, thousands of football fans come together to show team spirit, eat incredible food, and join the community of tailgating. We journey around the U.S. to legendary tailgating colleges like Penn State, the University of Miami, and Louisiana State University, and visit the home-team parking lots of the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles. We taste the food, meet the spectators, and reveal the evolution of tailgating--from horse and buggy to tricked-out RV. 8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Inviting Disaster #4 Based on the popular book, this episode explores historical building collapses--from ancient pyramids to the Cathedral at Beauvais to Kansas City's Hyatt Regency--and demonstrates that clear warning signs often existed, but were ignored. We also examine the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York. Author Jim Chiles believes that designers and engineers must better prepare for all potential disasters--by understanding existing risks, they can prepare for the unknown, like terrorism. 9-10:15pm -- Band of Brothers - Replacements Fresh replacements join Easy Company in time for a massive paradrop into German-occupied Holland. The Dutch townspeople of Eindhoven welcome them as liberators, but when Easy and a cluster of British tanks move into a nearby town, a superior German force inflicts many casualties and forces a retreat. As they move onto another assignment in Holland, Capt. Winters (Damian Lewis) laments the retreat, and Capt. Nixon (Ron Livingston) thinks that the ambitious Allied operation seems to have failed. 10:15-11:15pm -- Modern Marvels - The Power Grid The largest manmade machine ever created, the electric power grid traverses the nation from California to Maine, Florida to Washington State. This huge complex of power plants, substations, and transmission lines continually supplies power to millions of customers. In an electrifying hour, we explore the grid's origin, from Edison's Pearl Street Station in New York to the post-WWII "Golden Age" to deregulation and restructuring that directly impacted California's energy crisis in the 21st century. ____________________________________________________ Thursday, April 15, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - The Tool Bench: Hand Tools Well over 2-million years before modern man evolved, his primitive ancestors were making tools. The ability to extend the hand and strengthen the arm is considered one of the keys to human evolution. Join us as we nail down the history of hand tools, and look at a new generation of computer-designed, high-tech hand tools. 8-9pm -- The Bible Code: Predicting Armageddon - The Bible Code: Predicting Armageddon Is there a prophetic, highly accurate code locked within the Bible that outlines past and future events? Does the Code contain hidden messages about people like Napoleon, Einstein, and Hitler, and key world events like WWII, the Kennedy brothers' assassinations, and 9/11? More frightening are references to future events--including Earth's impending end. We take a balanced look through the eyes of Code supporters and critics and let viewers determine its accuracy in predicting the future. (bet they don't mention MonsterVision movie The 7th Sign) 9-10:10pm -- Band of Brothers - Crossroads Capt. Winters (Damian Lewis) leads a contingent of Easy Company men on a risky mission over a Dutch dike that results in a "turkey shoot" of fleeing Germans, and is promoted to Battalion Executive Officer, leaving Easy Company in the hands of Lt. "Moose" Heyliger (Stephen McCole). After moving back off the line to France, Lt. Nixon (Ron Livingston) insists that Winters take a break and see Paris. But when Winters returns, news comes in of a massive German counterattack in the Ardennes Forest. 10:10-11:10pm -- Tactical to Practical - Non-Lethal Weapons/Wired War/Need for Speed: #12 Former Navy fighter pilot and series host Hunter Ellis discovers how non-lethal military equipment developed for peacekeeping duties is now used in civilian settings, including the debilitating audio weapon, Hypersonic Sound. Then, he sees how warfare has entered the wired age with digital technology that provides a clear and continuous picture of the battlefield, and how the Internet began as a military system. And, we profile the fastest military and civilian craft on the land and in the water. ____________________________________________________ Friday, April 16, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Landmines A major battlefield weapon since the American Civil War and the stuff of nightmares ever since, the civilian toll from landmines remains immense. Inflicted by an enemy that can't be seen, landmines are littered throughout 64 countries, making life a game of Russian Roulette for two-thirds of the world's poorest nations. Featuring an interview with Jerry White, co-founder of Landmine Survivor's Network, who lost a leg due to a landmine in Israel. 8-9pm -- Snipers - Snipers: Stalk and Kill Meet the ultimate hunters in a deadly game where the quarry shoots back--U.S. Army snipers. Experts of stealth and stalking, they can kill with a single shot from nearly a mile, or creep within yards of an enemy target remaining virtually invisible. Starting with American snipers in the Revolutionary War and ending with 21st-century snipers and the latest technology at the U.S. Army Sniper School, we review the history of these marksmen who train to become the "most hated men on the battlefield." 9-10:20pm -- Band of Brothers - Bastogne In the dead of winter, in the forest outside of Bastogne, Belgium, Easy Company struggles to hold the line alone, while fending off frostbite and hunger. An overwhelmed Medic Eugene Roe (Shane Taylor), on edge and close to combat exhaustion, finds friendship with a Belgian nurse (Lucie Jeanne). Easy spends a miserable Christmas in the trenches, but is buoyed after hearing news that General McAuliffe met the German Army's demand for surrender with the defiant answer: "Nuts!" 10:20-12am -- Barbarians - From the 9th Century BC through the 14th Century AD, barbarian hordes on horseback thundered across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Who were these barbarians who lived and died by the sword? Shot in film on location, we examine the conquests of the Vikings, Goths, Mongols, and Huns, and also their cultures, leaders, and roles in shaping history. ____________________________________________________ Saturday, April 17, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-7:30pm -- Extreme History with Roger Daltrey - Surviving the Lewis & Clark Expedition Roger Daltrey, lead singer of the legendary rock band The Who and avid history buff, braves the mountain wilderness as we recreate the most famous expedition in U.S. history. Roger heads to the wilds of Montana to find out just how Lewis and Clark survived their epic quest. From buffalo tongue to beaver tail, Roger samples their culinary delights and fashions an impossibly heavy canoe. Complete with shooting and skinning, it's a down and dirty look at how two American legends pulled off a miracle! 7:30-8pm -- Mail Call - Amphibious Assault Vehicle/Jeep/Battering Ram/Urban Warfare/Ball Turret Gunner/Nose Art: #24 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 WWII airplanes? R. Lee Ermey sends these viewers' questions to military experts in the field for explanations and short demonstrations. 8-9pm -- Days That Shook the World - Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand/Last Day in Hitler's Bunker Two great global conflicts defined the 20th century. The First World War began with a single bullet, fired by a young Serbian nationalist, killing Archduke Ferdinand; the bullet that Adolf Hitler fired into his head finally brought World War Two to a close. Just two bullets, fired less than 31 years apart, gave birth to the modern world--for better or worse. Dramatic reconstruction and archival film help explore the complex sequence of events that led to these two historic days that shook the world. 9-10:25pm -- Band of Brothers - The Breaking Point Having thwarted the Germans at Bastogne, Belgium, an exhausted Easy Company must now take the nearby town of Foy from the enemy. Several are killed and wounded in fierce shelling, compounded by the incompetence of their new commander, Lt. Dike (Peter O'Meara), about whom Winters (Damian Lewis) can do nothing. Easy takes Foy, but at an enormous cost. 10:25-12am -- We Stand Alone Together - This documentary, executive-produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, tells the remarkable story of "Easy Company" (the men in "Band of Brothers") in their own words. Featuring recent interviews with the real-life company members, whose deeds are dramatized in the miniseries, combined with rare and archival photographs and film footage. ____________________________________________________ Sunday, April 18, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 5-8pm -- Movies in Time - The Boys from Brazil Movie. An inexperienced Nazi hunter (Steve Guttenberg) stumbles onto a top-secret Nazi meeting in Paraguay in the late 1970s. Led by the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele (Gregory Peck), who experimented on twins in concentration camps, the group is planning to create the Fourth Reich. Initially dismissed by aging Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman (Laurence Olivier), when a series of mysterious murders begins, he decides to investigate and uncovers a sinister plot. Based on Ira Levin's novel. (1978) 8-9pm -- Inside the Great Battles - Iwo Jima This revolutionary series mixes real-life locations, archival battle footage, and 21st-century animation to tell the story of history's greatest conflicts. Unlike other TV war series, there are no historians and no pauses in action. We transport audiences back in time to a front row seat, and go inside the battle as the story unfolds. The pilot episode takes viewers inside the tunnels of Iwo Jima to tell the story of this pivotal WWII battle from both the U.S. and Japanese soldiers' viewpoint. 9-10:15pm -- Band of Brothers - The Patrol Easy Company arrives in an Alsacian town near the German border, and is ordered to send a patrol across the river to take enemy prisoners. Lt. Hank Jones (Colin Hanks), fresh from West Point and eager for combat experience, volunteers to lead, though he must convince a skeptical Winters (Damian Lewis). Also assigned to the patrol is Pvt. David Webster (Eion Bailey), back in Easy after rehabilitation of an injury. While successful, the mission costs a soldier's life. 10:15-11:25pm -- Band of Brothers - Why We Fight Easy Company finally enters Germany to surprisingly little resistance, and relaxes for the first time in months. A patrol in a nearby forest discovers an abandoned Nazi concentration camp, still filled with emaciated prisoners. The local citizenry, unbelievably disavowing knowledge of its existence, is made to clean it up. Suddenly, news arrives from Berlin--Adolf Hitler committed suicide! ____________________________________________________ Monday, April 19, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- The Royal Navy - The Sun Never Sets As WWII begins, England stands alone, paying the price of treaty limitations that allowed Germany and Japan to secretly build more powerful ships. Though England can't spare ships from the Atlantic to pursue the Japanese, after VE Day, her carriers prove decisive elements in the Pacific. After WWII, the Empire and the Royal Navy decline as a world force. But the 1982 Falklands War revives the Navy, and today, its nuclear subs and jump-jet carriers attest to its centuries-old history and tradition. 8-8:30pm -- Mail Call - Navy SEALs/Frogmen/Kettering Bug/Warthog/Afrika Korps Gear/Jerry Cans: #48 R. Lee Ermey teams up with Navy SEALs to demonstrate their weapons; reviews the history of the Navy's fierce frogmen; and goes back to 1918 to view the world's first cruise missile--the Kettering Bug--designed by Charles Kettering and Orville Wright. At Tallil Air Base in Iraq, he shows why the A-10 Thunderbolt (aka Warthog) is the world's best tank killer, learns about Rommel's Afrika Korps' advanced weapons in WWII, and why gasoline storage containers are called Jerry Cans. 8:30-9pm -- The Color of War - Face to Face Five out of every six men serving in WWII never saw combat, serving instead in the vast support services. But the men who were at the front lived through some of the greatest horrors of the human experience. For them, survival was all--surviving getting to the front, surviving attack, surviving combat. This episode reveals their constant struggle to stay alive. Peter Coyote narrates this compelling journey into WWII through the eyes of those who lived it, completely in color. (Half-hour version) 9-10:15pm -- Band of Brothers - Points Major Winters (Damian Lewis) leads Easy Company into the Bavarian town of Berchtesgaden--once home to top Nazi officers--and receives orders to take the abandoned Eagle's Nest, Hitler's mountaintop fortress. As German officers hand over their weapons, soldiers raid wine cellars and snap up souvenirs. But their elation is short-lived--most of the division faces redeployment to the Pacific Theater. A closing vignette tells what happened to the men of Easy Company after they returned home. 10:15-11:15pm -- Investigating History - Investigating History: The Holy Grail Rennes le Chateau is a small village in the Pyrenees of Southern France. It's a quiet place until tourists arrive hunting its secrets. According to legend, the Knights Templar brought the Holy Grail here for safekeeping. Those who come on pilgrimage think the Grail is very different than history records. Was it proof of marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene? Did it verify their bloodline survived? Permission has been granted to dig in Rennes le Chateau...and history or legend is about to change. ____________________________________________________ Tuesday, April 20, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - U.S. Mints: Money Machines How does America make money--literally? We visit the United States Mint and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving to see the secretive government facilities where our legal tender is generated. With a storied past as tantalizing as the wealth they create, these mints can spit out fortunes in an hour and keep our economy flowing. 8-9pm -- Deep Sea Detectives - Sinking on the St. Lawrence During the Golden Age of Ocean Travel, millions safely crossed the Atlantic. But on May 28, 1914, the Canadian passenger liner Empress of Ireland steamed outbound on the St. Lawrence toward Liverpool. Around 2 a.m., as the coal carrier Storstad traveled inbound, the ships were engulfed in fog and collided. In 14 minutes, the Empress sank, taking 1012 people with her. Deep Sea Detectives John Chatterton and Michael Norwood head to Canada, where they think the truth waits to be found. 9-10pm -- Tactical to Practical - Super Ships/Armored Cars/Simulators: #13 Host Hunter Ellis looks back at key ships that served in both World Wars, goes onboard modern military vessels, examines the biggest civilian ships afloat--Super Tankers--and gets an in-depth look at the Navy's newest aircraft carrier. Armored vehicles first rolled into battle in WWI--now fearful celebrities or worried Average Joes get peace of mind from personal armored cars. And we see how simulators have developed since WWII, and meet a hobbyist who creates his own flight simulator. 10-11pm -- Wild West Tech - Hunting Tech The Wild West was a vast and bountiful frontier, filled with animals, fur … and opportunity. The men who kept up with the latest advances in technology had a big advantage as they tried to tame the West. Whether it was a change in beaver trap production, a new method of making skinning knives, or increases in the power and accuracy of buffalo rifles, the tools of the hunter shaped the story of the West. On WILD WEST TECH: HUNTING TECH, we look at the evolution of hunting tools and weapons, and how advances in technology made the unthinkable -- the near-extinction of the bison -- a reality. ____________________________________________________ Wednesday, April 21, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Niagara Power An exploration of the rich history of one of the world's greatest technological achievements--the harnessing of power from Niagara Falls. From the "War of the Currents", a battle between geniuses Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, to the Robert Moses Plant, primed to take the powerhouse into the 21st century, we highlight its story. 8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Engineering Disasters 4 Engineering disasters can result in personal tragedy, national humiliation, and economic ruin. But buried within their wreckage lie lessons that point the way to a safer future. The fire at the Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel, the collapse of Seattle's Lacey V. Murrow Floating Bridge, the car that spurred creation of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, and the flaw that grounded the first commercial jet are among the engineering disasters that led to improvements in design and safety. 9-10pm -- Modern Marvels - Failed Inventions Join us for a salute to the dreamers and schemers who brought the world an odd assortment of flawed ideas--like flying, swimming, and jet-powered automobiles, flying rocket belts, and radium-filled clothes that promised to inflate the owner's sagging love life! And we explore the minds of the off-kilter geniuses who thought up these off-the-mark concepts. Some tinkerers' musings were merely ahead of their time and deemed flops during the inventor's lifetime, but others were just plain bad! 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - Bathroom Tech From tub to toilet to toothpaste, we tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the most used and least discussed room in the house. From the first home bathrooms in ancient India, Roman latrines, and bizarre Victorian-era bath contraptions, to modern luxury master bathroom suites, we trace the history of bathing, showering, and oral hygiene. And we reveal the messy truth about what was used before toilet paper--brainchild of the Scott Brothers of Philadelphia--and why astronauts wear diapers. ____________________________________________________ Thursday, April 22, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Cattle Ranches From the 19th century's legendary cattle drives to the million-acre ranch kingdoms that sprang to life with the end of the Open Range to 21st-century techniques that include artificial insemination, embryo transplants, and genetic engineering, we review the history of cattle ranching. We'll ride herd with modern cowboys as they twirl ropes and brand calves, and look to the cattle ranch of the future, where cloning will produce the ideal meat-producing steer with a consistently juicy, low-fat carcass. 8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - American Steel: Built to Last For over a century, the U.S. steel industry was a powerful symbol of the nation's industrial might. Steel helped explode the stock market into an overnight powerhouse, and transformed a country of farmers and merchants into a country of visionary builders. But America's domination of the market would meet new challenges in the 1970s. 9-10pm -- Modern Marvels - The World's Biggest Machines Join us for a look at the biggest, heaviest, tallest, longest, meanest machines on the planet! We'll see what these monsters do and how they operate, and how they're designed and assembled. Machines investigated include the largest draglines, excavators used in mining; the biggest dump truck; a front-end loader with an 80-ton bucket and the largest tires of any vehicle; the cruise ship, The Voyager of the Seas; a 240-foot tall wind generator; and a fusion reaction machine the size of a football field. 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - The Tool Bench: Power Tools The history of civilization could easily be measured in terms of our ability to make, use, and improve tools--an activity that is at least 4-million years old! At the tip of our toolmaking timeline are power tools. We'll examine today's power tool industry, which is booming thanks to more powerful, lighter, and quieter cordless tools. ____________________________________________________ Friday, April 23, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Greatest Raids - Search & Rescue in the Balkans In June 1995, two U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter-bombers were enforcing the U.N. no-fly zone over Bosnia when they were engaged by Surface to Air Missiles from Serb territory. One was hit and Captain Scott O'Grady ejected. For five days, he evaded Serb forces until a fellow pilot picked up a faint signal from his emergency beacon. This is the story of his spectacular rescue by an elite Air Force and Marine Corps pilot rescue unit, a helicopter-borne force that picked up O'Grady deep behind enemy lines. 8-9pm -- Greatest Raids - The Fall of Fort Eben Emael As WWII began, a series of supposedly impregnable fortresses protected Belgium from invasion. At dawn on May 10, 1940, Germany conducted history's first glider-borne assault against Fort Eben Emael. Despite powerful guns and heavy armor, the Belgians neglected to defend the roof--where nine flimsy, fabric-covered gliders landed and disgorged 71 paratroopers. Using computer graphics, archive footage, and reconstruction shot in the passageways and tunnels, we examine how the fortress fell so easily. 9-10pm -- Greatest Raids - German Commerce Raiders The lifeblood of every nation, trade becomes more vital than ever during war. Twice in the 20th century, the German Navy nearly defeated Great Britain by throttling her sea-lanes. In both World Wars, submarines proved the deadliest threat. But Germany also used a combination of disguised armed merchant vessels and surface warships of the Kriegsmarine to sink Allied commercial shipping. While U-boats battled under the seas, German surface commerce raiders wreaked havoc on the Allies in WWI and WWII. 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - Garage Gadgets Handy around the house? You will be after this history of the household garage. From lawn care products to snow removal and outdoor cooking, the garage gadgets for do-it-yourselfers have evolved over the decades to meet the ever-changing challenges of maintaining a home. With a typical garage as our starting point, we'll explore the uncommon histories behind some common garage items such as the lawn mower, string trimmer, leaf blower, barbecue grill, and more. ____________________________________________________ Saturday, April 24, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 6-8pm -- Movies in Time - Fail Safe Movie. (B&W) In this remake of the classic Cold War nail-biter, first broadcast live on CBS, tensions climb to a fever pitch when an American bomber is accidentally ordered to drop a nuclear warhead on Moscow. Can it be stopped before it's too late? Directed by Stephen Frears, the star-packed cast includes Richard Dreyfuss as the President and George Clooney as Colonel Jack Grady, commander of the pilot group, Noah Wyle, Brian Dennehy, Sam Elliott, Hank Azaria, Harvey Keitel, and Don Cheadle. (2000) 8-10:30pm -- Movies in Time - Dirty Harry Movie. Clint Eastwood stars as Harry Callahan, a take-no-prisoners San Francisco cop in one of the best and most controversial films of the 1970s. Callahan squares off against the psychotic killer Scorpio, who kidnaps a girl and buries her alive, demanding $200,000 in ransom. The film took the law-and-order side in an era when the rights of criminals were being expanded. With Harry Guardino and Reni Santoni. (1971) 10:30-11:30pm -- Modern Marvels - Hardware Stores Join us for a nuts-and-bolts look at the history and evolution of those places that hold our world together. From the local blacksmith to Home Depot, it's the story of nails, screws, mollybolts, duct tape, and superglue. We visit one of the oldest hardware stores in America, Placerville True Value, and wander the aisles of the mega-giants. As we chronicle the rise of the hardware "Big Box" superstores, we also see how the mom-and-pop local hardware stores still manage to survive. ____________________________________________________ Sunday, April 25, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- History's Mysteries - Crop Circle Controversy The puzzling formations known as crop circles have appeared worldwide throughout history. In the Middle Ages, they were called "witch" or "pixie" circles, and a 1678 woodcut, the "Mowing Devil", depicts one thought to be Satan's work. But in the 1980s, the phenomenon escalated, with dozens of crop circles popping up in England and other countries. When two Englishmen claimed they had perpetrated the hoax, many felt the riddle was solved. And yet, more have materialized. We explore the mystery. 8-9pm -- 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. 9-10pm -- Flying Pyramids Soaring Stones - How did the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids and lift obelisks? These spectacular feats of engineering defy explanation. Theories about ropes, ramps, ingenuity, and brute force abound. Even aliens have been credited. But no definitive answer to this enigma exists. Now, an extraordinary new theory is being tested. Expert sailors, Egyptians used wind power on the Nile. Could they also harness the power of the wind on land and use land sails, or kites, to help lift heavy stones? 10-10:30pm -- Mail Call - Submarine: #50 R. Lee Ermey goes "underway" with the Navy's Pacific Fleet onboard the nuclear attack submarine USS Salt Lake City. He demonstrates diving, steering, and sonar--submarine basics; gets his hands on the torpedoes and Tomahawk missiles that put the "attack" in a nuclear submarine; and gets as close as he can to the heart of a nuclear sub--its reactor. At program's end, Lee eats chow with the crew, after learning that the USS Salt Lake City just won the Navy's award for Best Chow on any submarine. 10:30-11pm -- Tales of the Gun - The Magnum It's known as the most powerful handgun in the world, made famous by Clint Eastwood in the "Dirty Harry" movies. But its origins stretch back more than a century to the Indian Wars of the American West and African safaris, where hunters stalked big game. Join us for a review of the history of the biggest, baddest gun available today--unlimited firepower at the pull of a trigger! ____________________________________________________ Monday, April 26, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - 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. 8-8:30pm -- Mail Call - 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division: #49 As part of our "Band of Brothers" week, The History Channel devotes an entire show to the gear and guys of "Easy Company". Shot in a "You Are There" style, R. Lee Ermey hosts in a vintage jumpsuit, supported by a team of paratrooper reenactors using and demonstrating the real gear, weapons, and medical evac used during the Invasion of Normandy and through to the end of WWII. 8:30-9pm -- The Color of War - Air War Of all the assignments a serviceman might undertake in WWII, flying seemed to offer the greatest promise of glory. What was not initially apparent was that flying would become the most dangerous job of the war. A flyer had less chance of survival than any other serviceman in any other branch of the military. Peter Coyote narrates this compelling look at the air war through the eyes of those who lived it, with rare color footage and interviews with Army Air Corps and RAF veterans. (Half-hour version) 9-10:25pm -- Band of Brothers - Currahee They were ordinary men, swept up in the most extraordinary conflict in history. With the eyes of the world upon them, they found their greatest source of strength in each other. From Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, this is the story of Easy Company--an elite team of U.S. paratroopers whose WWII exploits are as incredible as they are true. Part 1 begins on June 4, 1944, in England, as Lts. Richard Winters (Damian Lewis) and Lewis Nixon (Ron Livingston) reflect on the past that led them to D-Day. 10:25-11:25pm -- Investigating History - Investigating History: Billy the Kid He was the Old West's most infamous desperado, yet we actually know little about his short life--and more important--his death. Now, New Mexico has reopened the investigation into Billy the Kid's crimes and mysterious death in 1881. Did Sheriff Pat Garrett kill him or fake the death and allow his friend to escape? We talk to those involved in the investigation, including Governor Bill Richardson, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist N. Scott Momady, and historian Robert M. Utley to unravel the mystery. ____________________________________________________ Tuesday, April 27, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Observatories: Stonehenge to Space Telescopes From Stonehenge to the Hubble Telescope, man has always been a species of stargazers. Unforgettable film footage and expert accounts reveal the facts of astronomy's most mind-boggling discoveries. 8-9pm -- Deep Sea Detectives - Death by Human Torpedo During WWII's final stages, the U.S. established what it believed was safe anchorage in a Western Pacific lagoon called Ulithi Atoll. But on the morning of November 20, 1944, an explosive attack by one of Japan's new secret weapons sent a refueling ship, the USS Mississinewa, to the bottom of the lagoon along with 53 sailors. By 2001, nearly every major U.S. WWII shipwreck had been found except for the Mississinewa. This is the story of the efforts to locate the last mystery shipwreck of WWII. 9-10pm -- Tactical to Practical - Winter Warfare/Optics/Gliders: #14 Hunter Ellis looks at the history of winter warfare--a tradition of fighting, surviving, and traveling in snow and ice that created commandos in Norway, Sweden, and Germany, and later, the U.S. 10th Mountain Division--and at the billion-dollar winter sports industry. Next, we see how guns sights make it possible for military and law enforcement snipers to do their jobs as we examine their gear and techniques. Then, we look at the first stealth fighters--gliders--and into their likely future in space. 10-11pm -- Wild West Tech - Western Towns Out of hundreds of western towns, a handful survived through technological ingenuity to become icons of the Old West. We discuss why certain areas were chosen for settlement, how the towns sprang up, their construction, water supplies, sanitation, and protection against Indian attack. We learn the layout, which included saloons, dance halls, general stores, undertakers, cemeteries, and of course, jails and court houses. And we discover how the Wild West advertised to lure homesteaders to the frontier. ____________________________________________________ Wednesday, April 28, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Satellites Strong enough to survive their fiery launch into orbit, sophisticated enough to provide life-saving images or relay tens of thousands of phone calls at the same time. By monitoring weapons systems and troop movements, these "eyes in the sky" may be the difference between security and annihilation. From the futuristic visions of a British sci-fi writer to creations of a German rocket designer for the Nazi war machine to the Cold War technological race, we review the satellites that link our world. 8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Engineering Disasters 3 When design flaws fell projects the cost is often exacted in lives as we see in this look at engineering disasters. Why did the Tower of Pisa begin to lean by as much as 17 feet; what caused the first nuclear accident in 1961 in Idaho; what killed three Soyuz 11 cosmonauts aboard the world's first orbiting space station; how did a winter storm destroy the Air Force's Texas Tower Radar Station, killing 28; and what errors led to NASA's loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter and the Mars Polar Lander? 9-10pm -- Modern Marvels - Engineering Disasters 5 Examines some of the most notorious engineering failures of recent years and asks what went wrong and what we learned from them. We take viewers to the southern coast of Louisiana, where a misplaced oilrig caused an entire lake to be sucked into an underground salt mine; review the 1972 Buffalo Creek dam disaster; revisit the Exxon Valdez oil spill; see how radio and TV antenna towers collapse with alarming regularity; and look at the collision of two California icons--freeways and earthquakes! 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - Engineering Disasters 6 An in-depth look at the modern era's most complex, deadly, and controversial engineering failures. With the aid of 3-D animation, forensic experts, and footage of disasters, we seek to understand what went wrong and how mishap led to remedy. Stories include: the Marines' AV-8 Harrier "Jump Jet"; the Ford Explorer/Firestone rollovers; fire on the Piper Alpha offshore oilrig; derailment of a high-speed train in Germany; and computer errors that brought the world to the brink of accidental nuclear war. ____________________________________________________ Thursday, April 29, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Spy Technology Espionage has been used for at least the last 4,000 years. And where there are spies, you find gadgets! We focus on the last 100 years of cloak and dagger technology--from early code-breaking computers to satellite reconnaissance--and take a look at the James Bond-type gadgets of the Cold War. 8-11pm -- Movies in Time - Midway Movie. Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, and Robert Mitchum head an all-star cast in this epic WWII drama depicting America's first major victory against the Japanese in the Pacific. Near the tiny Island of Midway, an outnumbered U.S. Navy defeats a massive Japanese flotilla, turning the tide of the Pacific Theater. (1976) ____________________________________________________ Friday, April 30, 2004 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Medical Imaging: The Voyage Inward The story of medical imaging, the technology that allows us to see inside the human body, is full of amazing stories. Learn how X-rays were discovered in 1895, completely by accident; how ultrasound was developed to locate enemy submarines; and how the CAT Scan might never have been built if it weren't for The Beatles! 8-9pm -- 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 mph. 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. 9-10pm -- B-52: Stratofortress - For nearly half a century, one bomber has dominated the skies. With a maximum speed of 650 mph, a range of over 8,000 miles, and ability to drop a massive 70,000 pounds of bombs, it's the most lethal bomber in the world. This is the dramatic story of the race to produce the first intercontinental jet bomber and the success of the B-52--from the Cold War to its use in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. The B-52's projected combat life is until 2045--no other bomber comes close to this record. 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - F-18 Hornet One aircraft in the U.S. arsenal best typifies the will to win. Using the latest and most sophisticated computerized technology, the F-18 Hornet is now one of the foremost fighters of the 21st Century. Once a plane that nobody wanted, today it's the principal Navy and Marine fighter-attacker--with a flick of a switch, it transforms from bomber to fighter. Interviews with pilots and crews, combined with archive film and color reenactments, take you inside the cockpit of this multi-role aircraft.For more on UFOs, check out the interview on MonsterVision's Mars Attacks page
Watch Mail Call every week if you know what's good for you, scumbag,
hosted by R. Lee Ermey of Full Metal Jacket
(movie available on video and DVD)
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