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.Friday, December 1, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-7:30pm -- Our Generation - Death of the Counterculture: Charles Manson The savagery of the murders that Charles Manson and his followers committed in Los Angeles and Hollywood became a focal point for America's mistrust of the counterculture of the 1960's. The brutality of Manson and his followers would forever alter public opinion against the counterculture. Our resident historian Steve Gillon tells the stories of the unforgettable events that defined the Baby Boomer generation and changed the world. 7:30-8pm -- Mail Call - SS Lane Victory: #70. R. Lee Ermey is underway in San Pedro, California onboard the SS Lane Victory--the only fully operational WWII-era victory ship in the world. Lee highlights the role of the Merchant Marine and Navy Armed Guard in WWII and how they formed the vital link between "Rosie the Riveter" and "GI Joe"--shipping millions of tons of materiel and supplies across the Atlantic and Pacific. To demonstrate the ship's role, Lee and his jeep are sealifted by a WWII-era crane from shore onto the ship. From the anti-aircraft gun mount on the SS Lane Victory, the Gunny introduces a story about SWORDS, the military's new fully-armed robot warrior that is being deployed on the battlefield right now. And Lee takes a look back to the Navajo Code Talkers--Native Americans who developed an unbreakable secret code to keep radio communications safe during WWII. 8-9pm -- The Lost Evidence - 16 - Operation Market Garden September 17th 1944. 20,000 elite troops descend from the skies into Nazi occupied Holland in a massive airborne assault. In this dramatic race against time, an armored relief force has to fight through sixty miles of enemy defenses and reach the British paratroopers at Arnhem bridge before their 48 hour deadline runs out. The British paratroopers, known as "Red Devils", have orders to hold their positions. This fight would become legendary as they refused to surrender after being surrounded by the German Army. For the first time Aerial reconnaissance photographs taken at the time have now been layered over a 3 dimensional map to create a CGI "model" of the battle allowing the viewer to track the fighting, step by step, from the air. Individual stories of courage and heroism can be placed in the exact location where they took place. 9-10pm -- Shootout - Raid on Bataan Death Camp With the American fleet still smoldering in Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attack the Philippines. Thousands of American GIs and their Filipino allies are surrounded on the Bataan Peninsula. The American-led force finally surrenders, only to be subjected to the horrors of the Bataan Death March. Three years later the American military return to the shores of the Philippines on a secret mission to liberate 500 Allied prisoners still languishing behind the barbed wire of the Cabanatua death camp. Captain Bob Prince and Lt. Robert Andersen were there, and they take us shot-by-shot through one of the most daring lightning raids in history. 10-11pm -- Dogfights - 09 - Hell Over Hanoi You're in the cockpit with some of the fiercest dog fighting ever seen in Vietnam! These pilots fight in a supersonic world, and split second decisions determine life or death. American F4 Phantom pilots Fred Olmsted and Dan Cherry take on the famed MiG-21--the most feared threat in the sky. Steve Ritchie, becomes a dog fighting legend as an Air Force Ace. First-hand accounts, rare archival footage and original shooting will supplement the remarkable computer graphics. ____________________________________________________ Saturday, December 2, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Harvesting 2. In America's orchards and farm fields, the constant struggle between hand labor and mechanization has produced dozens of efficient and sometimes bizarre harvesting methods. We'll learn the secrets of the orchard manager and his ladder crew as they check fruit pressures and barometric readings. We'll visit California's largest fruit packing house and try to keep up with 10-fruit-per-second conveyors. Then we're off to the corn fields of Nebraska and the cranberry marshes of central Wisconsin. Finally, we'll go underground to the world's largest mushroom farm where the harvest takes place in limestone caverns that run some 150 miles. From fruit tree picking platforms to cranberry beaters and corn pickers, we constantly strive to speed the harvest. 8-9pm -- Save Our History - Godspeed to Jamestown In 1607, the sailing ship Godspeed played an important role in American history; she was one of three ships that carried settlers to the Jamestown colony. We follow the construction of a full size replica of the three-masted ship commissioned by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. Host Steve Thomas guides viewers through the 18-month process, from the laying of the keel to her first days at sea, exploring the combination of old world craftsmanship and modern technology used to put the ship together. When Godspeed is ready to take her first sail into the cold waters of Penobscot Bay, we get to see the ship in all its glory, learn about conditions on the original voyage, and ponder the courage of those who set sail 400 years ago. 9-11pm -- Race to the South Pole - Part 1. It's been called "the worst journey in the world," the race to the South Pole between British Royal Navy Captain Robert F. Scott and Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. It began in 1911 and ended in 1912, with tragedy for one man and victory for another. Today, two teams, selected from among the world's greatest adventurers, will recreate the race. Using only the skis, sledges, and navigation devices available to the original expeditions, wearing the same clothing, and eating the same food, the modern teams will test history. The teams arrive in Greenland where they will have just two weeks to familiarize themselves with their 1911 equipment and train their sled dogs. Both teams will leave at the same time and follow parallel courses with 99 days to reach their goal and return. With the playing field leveled, the two teams will answer questions that have intrigued historians for decades. Was it leadership, or simple luck, that made the difference? Part 1 of 2. ____________________________________________________ Sunday, December 3, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Beyond Top Secret - There is "Top Secret" and then there is "Beyond Top Secret" -- ultra clandestine classifications with names like "Polo Step" and "Gray Fox." This special will take viewers on a fascinating journey inside the U.S. Government's most secret operations, all of which occurred in the last 20 years, and including the secret operations that went into the first days of the invasion of Iraq. We'll look at intelligence programs, anti-terrorist strike forces, black ops, eaves-dropping technology and advanced weapons systems. 8-10pm -- Inside the Volcano - For four billion years, volcanoes have impacted life on earth. Empires have been destroyed, civilizations decimated. We'll travel to volcanic spots around the world made infamous in history--from the volcanic islands of Greece to the towering mountains of Italy; from the long ridges of Iceland to the eruptive volcanoes of Indonesia; and of course here in the United States, from the mountainous Cascades range in the Pacific Northwest to the hotspots over Hawaii. This is a breathtaking journey across time and across continents. Using cutting-edge computer graphics, we journey into the magma chambers of the volcano, sinking deep underneath the earth's crusts--a perspective rarely accorded to viewers. 10-12am -- American Vesuvius - On August 25th, 79 AD, two of the Roman Empire's most promising cities, Pompeii and Herculaneum, were flash-frozen in time as Mount Vesuvius erupted destroying all life in its path. Noted paleontologist, archaeologist, and forensic physicist Charles Pellegrino is the author of Ghosts of Vesuvius, a fascinating look at this ancient volcanic eruption. Pellegrino uses the emerging science of forensic archaeology to decipher clues and gather evidence that helps him reconstruct the final moments of the victims. Using the same forensic techniques, he undertakes an investigation of the ruins of the World Trade Center. By processing evidence and interviewing witnesses, he illustrates dramatic physical parallels between Vesuvius's eruption and the collapse of the Twin Towers. His scientific exploration results in an array of startling connections between the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum and the man-made devastation at Ground Zero of our own Vesuvius. ____________________________________________________ Monday, December 4, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - 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! 8-9pm -- UFO Files - Alien Encounters Beginning in the 1960s, thousands of UFO landings, flyovers and collisions have left scientific evidence behind for study. These events have become known in the field of UFOlogy as the "trace cases." There are over 3,000 documented UFO physical trace cases and they have occurred in over 90 countries around the world. From impressions in the dirt, burned or broken vegetation and trees to scientific abnormalities that have yet to be explained, "trace cases" offer up some of the most convincing evidence of the UFO reality. Join us as we reveal what could possibly be evidence of "alien encounters." 9-10pm -- Engineering an Empire - The Persians The Persian Empire was one of the most mysterious civilizations in the ancient world. Persia became an empire under the Cyrus the Great, who created a policy of religious and cultural tolerance that became the hallmark of Persian rule. Engineering feats include an innovative system of water management; a cross-continent paved roadway stretching 1500 miles; a canal linking the Nile to the Red Sea; and the creation of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Mausoleum of Maussollos. The rivalry between Persia and Athens led to a 30-year war known as the Persian Wars, the outcome of which helped create the world we live in today. Peter Weller hosts. 10-11pm -- Lost Worlds - Palenque. Today we venture to Palenque, a great Mayan city deep in the Mexican jungle, abandoned for over a thousand years. Mysterious tombs, palaces, and temples covered by creepers have remained hidden from the world for centuries. But how was this gigantic metropolis built and what purpose did the temples and palaces serve? As the clues are gathered, we reveal the Mayan obsession with astronomy, sacrifice and shamanism and how this influenced the building of their structures and discover how their unique stone carvings documented their civilization more thoroughly than any other Mesoamerican culture. We also explore the secret tombs of their kings that have remained hidden for more than 1,500 years. As we rebuild the city, wall by wall, building by building, the result is an historically accurate and stunningly beautiful vision of an ancient city. ____________________________________________________ Tuesday, December 5, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Copper. It transports electricity, water, and heat. Our bodies can't survive without it, yet it can kill microbes in minutes. It brings music to our ears and beauty to our eyes. We'll delve into all of copper's impressive traits, history, and how it's mined. This versatile red metal's most famous attribute is its ability to conduct electricity--copper wires connect and energize the world. And it's revolutionizing the electronics industry by enabling ever-shrinking computer chips. It's also formed into plumbing pipes to convey water and is the metal of choice for beautiful roofs and sculptures. It doesn't only look good--it sounds great too. A visit to a bell foundry reveals why bronze, a copper alloy, has been used to make music for hundreds of years. In myriad shapes and for innumerable uses, copper figures prominently in our world. 8-10pm -- Violent Earth - Little Ice Age: Big Chill. Not so long ago, civilization learned that it was no match for just a few degrees drop in temperature. Scientists call it the Little Ice Age--but its impact was anything but small. From 1300 to 1850, a period of cataclysmic cold caused havoc. It froze Viking colonists in Greenland, accelerated the Black Death in Europe, decimated the Spanish Armada, and helped trigger the French Revolution. The Little Ice Age reshaped the world in ways that now seem the stuff of fantasy--New York Harbor froze and people walked from Manhattan to Staten Island, Eskimos sailed kayaks as far south as Scotland, and two feet of snow fell on New England in June and July during "the Year Without a Summer". Could another catastrophic cold snap strike in the 21st century? Leading climatologists offer the latest theories, and scholars and historians recreate the history that could be a glimpse of things to come. Face the cold, hard truth of the past--an era that may be a window to our future. 10-11pm -- Man, Moment, Machine - Da Vinci & the Handgun. February 18, 1563: Orleans, France. An assassin lies in wait for his victim. In the killer's hand is a deadly new weapon, a machine that can destroy lives in a flash. He hopes to strike a blow for religious freedom. His weapon is an invention from the master of art and engineering, Leonardo da Vinci. It is a device so fearsome that European rulers move to ban it. In the hands of this assassin it will eliminate the Duke of Guise and raise the stakes in France's long and blood civil war. ____________________________________________________ Wednesday, December 6, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Bulletproof. How do you stop a speeding bullet? From body armor to armored cars and trucks, we review the history of the race between the bullet and a successful way to stop it. It's not exactly easy to design material that can catch gunfire traveling up to 3,000 feet per second. We'll look at little-known advances like bulletproof layering hidden in walls, futuristic smart materials that "remember" how to stop a bullet, and a system that deploys a shield within milliseconds when it detects an oncoming round. 8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - 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 some day take us to the far reaches of outer space. 9-10pm -- Modern Marvels - Heavy Metals. They are elements that occupy a select portion of the periodic table and are so essential to America's economic and military might that they are stored in the National Defense Stockpile in case of all-out war. We plan a riveting visit. Some of the vital heavy metals that we survey include copper, uranium, lead, zinc, and nickel. We also take a look at superalloys--consisting of steel combined with chromium, cobalt, and dozens of other heavy metals--that resist corrosion and perform increasingly elaborate functions. From Earth to space, from cosmetics to vitamins, in a million different ways, heavy metals are here to stay! 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - Engineering Disasters 20 In March of 2005, the BP Refinery in Texas City, Texas, suffered a series of explosions that decimated a large portion of the facility and killed 15 workers. Discover how a series of mechanical malfunctions and a disregard for safety led to one of the worst industrial accidents in the United States. Then we'll document the unusual series of events that caused American Airlines flight 587 to fall from the sky. What happened in Times Beach, Missouri, when a local waste hauler oiled down dusty roads with oil that was laced with dioxin? Next we'll look at what went wrong with NASA's Skylab in 1974 and finally we'll examine the fire that destroyed the gas company, Praxair, in June of 2005. Interviews with survivors help complete the picture. ____________________________________________________ Thursday, December 7, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Stealth and Beyond: Air Stealth. They are the swarthy eagles of the sky, the sleek sharks of the sea, the invisible warriors of the battlefield. Join us for a 3-part look at the stealth aircraft, ships, and soldiers of today, yesterday, and tomorrow. This hour highlights past, present, and future advances in stealth military aircraft. Features footage of the F-117 Nighthawk, B-2 Spirit Bomber, and the Air Force's newest fighters, the F/A-22 Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and talks to test pilots and flight engineers. 8-9pm -- Engineering an Empire - Russia. At the height of its power the Russian Empire stretched across 15 times zones, incorporated nearly 160 different ethnicities, and made up one sixth of the entire world's landmass. What started as a few small principalities was shaped into an indomitable world power by the sheer force of its leaders. However, building the infrastructure of this empire came at an enormous price. As Russia entered the 20th century, her expansion reached critical mass as her rulers pushed progress at an unsustainable pace and her population reacted in a revolution that changed history. From the Moscow Kremlin, to the building of St. Petersburg, we will examine the architecture and infrastructure that enabled the rise and fall of the Russian Empire. 9-11pm -- Decoding The Past - Seven Wonders of the World. The Great Pyramid of Giza, Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Colossus of Rhodes, Temple of Artemis, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Pharos of Alexandria. Of the Seven Wonders, only the Great Pyramid remains. Why did ancient scholars select these sites? What can the crumbled remains say about those who built them? ____________________________________________________ Friday, December 8, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-7:30pm -- Our Generation - Duck & Cover: The Cold War The Boomer Generation was the first to live with the real threat of mutually assured destruction. From the beginning of the cold war and Sputnik to the hair-raising reality of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the potential of nuclear proliferation became a way of life. Growing up with the knowledge that, at a touch of a button, millions of people could be killed was one of the most formative experiences for young Boomers. Our resident historian Steve Gillon tells the stories of the unforgettable events that defined the Baby Boomer generation and changed the world. 7:30-8pm -- Mail Call. 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. 8-9pm -- The Lost Evidence - 13 - Monte Cassino In the winter of 1943, an allied army of nearly 300,000 men invades Italy. Mussolini has surrendered, but Hitler and his feared paratroop regiments refuse to give up. At Monte Cassino, 60 miles south of Rome, the Allied forces under the command of General Harold Alexander come face to face with the fanatic defenders of Hitler's Third Reich. Will the sixth century monastery of Monte Cassino, now home to the Germans, become a casualty of war? Over the next six months more than a hundred thousand allied troops will be killed and wounded. Aerial reconnaissance photographs taken at the time have now been layered over a 3-D contour map to create a CGI "model" of the battles. For the first time these original high-resolution images allow the viewer to track the battles from the air. Individual stories of courage and heroism can be placed in the exact location where they took place. 9-10pm -- Shootout - Tet Offensive It's the most desperate shootout of the Vietnam War. During the early morning hours of January 31, 1968, North Vietnamese communist troops launch a surprise attack on dozens of towns and villages across South Vietnam. They hope the bold offensive will spur a nation-wide uprising in the south and push U.S. forces from Vietnam. U.S. troops beat back the assault and hundreds of the communist fighters are killed. From remote jungle crossroads to the streets of Saigon, average Americans, under attack, display incredible courage and make sacrifices to save their buddies. The impact will be felt in the consciousness of the American public itself. We use unique visual graphics and interviews with survivors to complete the story. 10-11pm -- Dogfights - 07 - The Zero Killer It's 1943 and the skies over the Pacific are filled with the infamous Japanese Zero fighter. They are decimating all American aircraft; no allied plane can match Japan's deadliest fighter plane. The American Navy rushes to deploy a new fighter to take on the unstoppable Zero...the F6F Hellcat. The Zero has met its match. Now, you're in the cockpit with legendary dogfighters Robert Duncan, Hamilton McWhorter and Alex Vraciu, whose epic dogfights blazed a new chapter in the annals of aerial warfare. We recreate famous battles using state of the art computer graphics. Viewers will feel like they're in the battle, facing the enemy. Rare archival footage, first-hand accounts and original shooting will supplement the remarkable computer graphics. ____________________________________________________ Saturday, December 9, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Engineering Disasters 20 In March of 2005, the BP Refinery in Texas City, Texas, suffered a series of explosions that decimated a large portion of the facility and killed 15 workers. Discover how a series of mechanical malfunctions and a disregard for safety led to one of the worst industrial accidents in the United States. Then we'll document the unusual series of events that caused American Airlines flight 587 to fall from the sky. What happened in Times Beach, Missouri, when a local waste hauler oiled down dusty roads with oil that was laced with dioxin? Next we'll look at what went wrong with NASA's Skylab in 1974 and finally we'll examine the fire that destroyed the gas company, Praxair, in June of 2005. Interviews with survivors help complete the picture. 8-10pm -- Race to the South Pole - Part 2. While Roald Amundsen and his team relied exclusively on sled dogs, Robert F. Scott believed that his quest would be "more nobly won," if his men did it with their own pulling power. Relying on man-hauling to pull sledges loaded with weeks of supplies, food, and gear drained Scott's men and may have contributed to their failure. The Norwegians, after over one month on the ice, have become a model of efficiency, while the British struggle to pull sledges weighing upwards of 800 pounds each through deep, wet snow. The team leader, Bruce Parry, must send two men home to mimic Scott's final party to the Pole. Finally, the Norwegian team races home, but the British will be lucky to finish at all, especially as the horrors of man-hauling, malnutrition, and physical pain, plague their team. One of the modern British team members even begins to suffer injuries much like one of his historical counterparts. 10-12am -- Alaska: Big America - Alaska--a land of extremes. Its size is staggering--nearly 600,000 square miles, or more than twice the size of Texas. Its vast distances, extreme weather, imposing landscape--all helped shape its history and the lives of those who come under its spell. Our 2-hour special heads to far-flung corners of the 49th State to hear compelling stories of life in the bush--from Russian expeditions in the 1700s to building of the Alcan Highway to the WWII Battle for the Aleutian Islands and 1959 statehood. ____________________________________________________ Sunday, December 10, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - 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. 8-10pm -- Alaska: Dangerous Territory - For generations, Alaska has exerted a powerful pull as the place to head for a job like no other; work that promises the adventure of a lifetime, the chance to strike it rich, and the very real prospect of never making it back alive. Plying their trades on America's last frontier, soldiers, Coast Guard crewmen, bush pilots, and truckers all work for the same boss from hell: a dangerous territory full of the most inhospitable weather and extreme terrain on earth. Even today, Alaska boasts four of the country's top 10 most dangerous jobs. We'll feature dramatic stories of four killer jobs from the last 150 years of Alaskan history and experience what it takes to survive and thrive in this intense and harsh climate by riding along with today's workers and hearing from old-timers who forged the way. And we'll weave in the traditions, technology, and tools that can mean the difference between life and death in Alaska's killer jobs. 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - Snow It is the bane of every suburban parent and the joy to every school kid. Born in a swirling storm cloud through a process called nucleation, the characteristics of snow flakes are threatened by pollution trapped in the clouds. We'll travel two miles into the sky, where scientists study the inner workings of clouds while perched high on a mountaintop at the Storm Peak Laboratory. Then we'll head to the finest ski resorts in Colorado to discover how they manage the snow on their slopes and how snowmaking really works. These resorts also reside in one of the most avalanche-prone regions of the world. Despite best efforts of experts, avalanches still occur. Discover the new technology that gives rescuers a critical assist to quickly find skiers buried alive when the beauty of snow quickly turns to terror. We'll also go to Buffalo, New York the "Blizzard Capital of America" to watch how a TV Weatherman forecasts blizzards and warns his viewers to prepare for the onslaught. ____________________________________________________ Monday, December 11, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - More Snackfood Tech. They crunch; they ooze; they crackle; they pop--mmmmm, yeah! Soft drinks, donuts, meat snacks, popcorn, and gum. What's your weakness? From the handmade treats of the earliest civilizations to hi-tech mass production, these snacks are borne of man's need to feed his cravings. Join us for an hour-long tasty treat as we examine the history of snackfoods and check out how they are made today. 8-9pm -- UFO Files - New UFO Revelations: China's Roswell. Legends from China tell of 716 mysterious stone discs, known as "The Dropa Stones". Some believe the stones hold secrets about ancient contact with extraterrestrials. Discovered in a cave in 1938, each 12" disc contains a double spiral of tiny hieroglyphs that are said to contain the historical record of an alien race called the Dropa that crash-landed in an isolated region of China 12,000 years ago. The story of the Dropa Stones is an amazing tale filled with mystery, deceit, and conspiracy, and today, skeptics and true believers wage an ongoing battle over what they are, what they mean, and if they even exist at all. Regardless, the Dropa Stones continue to consume the imaginations of scientists, journalists, historians, UFO buffs, and stargazers in general. 9-10pm -- Engineering an Empire - China. For over 4000 years, the world's greatest empires have come and gone--only China has survived the test of time. Century after century, China's regal emperors mobilized immense peasant armies to accomplish engineering feats unparalleled in human history. Among the groundbreaking innovations were the world's longest canal and a naval fleet mightier than all those of Europe combined. However, none can compare to the colossal 4,000-mile wall that stands as the most ambitious construction project ever built. From such heights came spectacular death spirals, as dynasty after dynasty, consumed by vanity and greed was stripped of power by the people it had ruled. Peter Weller hosts. 10-11pm -- Lost Worlds - The First Christians. A team of field investigators using the latest research, expert analysis, and cutting-edge graphic technology take us back to the aftermath of Jesus's crucifixion when barely a hundred of his followers survived. Yet within a few decades, Christianity had spread around the Mediterranean and across the Roman Empire. The man responsible once persecuted Christians but underwent a conversion and gave his life to spreading the gospel. We revisit places that were first to hear St. Paul's message and were altered forever. From his birthplace, the port of Tarsus where a mixture of Roman and Jewish culture helped form him, we follow the systems of trade and transport that helped him travel 20,000 miles. And in Cappadocia in the Turkish desert, we find evidence of how the new religion reached a mysterious community of cave-dwellers. These persecuted Christian communities sought refuge by literally heading underground. Our investigators enter the vast subterranean cities they built. ____________________________________________________ Tuesday, December 12, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Doomsday Tech 1. Doomsday threats range from very real (nuclear arsenals) to controversial (global warming) to futuristic (nanotechnology, cyborgs, and robots). Despite the Cold War's end, we live under the shadow of nuclear weapons, arms races, and accidental launches. Next, we stir up a hotter topic--the connection between global warming and fossil fuels--and ask if they're cooking up a sudden, new Ice Age. And we examine 21st-century technologies that typify the dual-edged sword of Doomsday Tech with massive potential for both creation and destruction--nanotechnology (engineering on a tiny scale), robotics, and cybernetics. We witness amazing applications in the works, wonder at the limitless promise, and hear warnings of a possible nano-doomsday, with tiny, out-of-control machines devouring everything around them. 8-10pm -- The Russian Navy - In the late 1600's, Tsar Peter the Great created a modern Russian navy virtually from scratch. Traditions grew through Russian Naval victories over the Swedes in 1721 and over the Turks in 1788--with the assistance of America's naval hero, John Paul Jones. In the 1960's and 70's, the forceful and innovative leadership of Admiral Sergi Gorshkov created a fleet that threatened the United States and nearly tipped the balance of power in the Cold War. Shot on location, with access to archival footage, we will explore the history of Russia's extraordinary warships and submarines, its remarkable leaders, and the tragic defeats and stunning victories that shaped the Russian Navy. 10-11pm -- Man, Moment, Machine - The Red Baron & The Wings of Death. April 1917: the most feared pilot of World War I is at the controls of the best fighter plane of the day. A 24-year-old legend at the top of his game, Manfred von Richthofen is up against a new generation of enemy aircraft designed to break the supremacy of the German Albatros, the Sopwith Triplane. It will demand all of the Red Baron's considerable skill just to survive. ____________________________________________________ Wednesday, December 13, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Money 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 -- Modern Marvels - Brewing. It's one of the world's oldest and most beloved beverages--revered by Pharaohs and brewed by America's Founding Fathers. Today, brewing the bitter elixir is a multi-billion-dollar global industry. Join us for an invigorating look at brewing's history from prehistoric times to today's cutting-edge craft breweries, focusing on its gradually evolving technologies and breakthroughs. We'll find the earliest known traces of brewing, which sprang up independently in such far-flung places as ancient Sumeria, China, and Finland; examine the surprising importance that beer held in the daily and ceremonial life of ancient Egypt; and at Delaware's Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, an adventurous anthropologist and a cutting-edge brewer show us the beer they've concocted based on 2,700-year-old DNA found in drinking vessels from the funerary of the legendary King Midas. 9-10pm -- Modern Marvels - Distilleries. From water and grain...to mash...still...vat...barrel and bottle--the distilling of alcoholic spirits is a big business and near-sacred religion. Its acolytes eye the color, swirl the glass, inhale the bouquet, sip, then ponder their ambrosia. What's your pleasure? Bourbon, Scotch, Rum, Gin, Vodka, or Tequila? We trace the history of distilling from the one-man/one-still tradition to the Voldstead Act of 1920 that devastated American distilleries to the mega-sales and high-volume distillery of today. 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - Tea After water, tea is the second most popular drink in the world. It has been around as a drink for 5000 years, and 6 billion pounds of tea are harvested annually. We begin with a trip to the Lipton's plant in Suffolk, VA., where state of the art machines crank out 24 million teabags a day, and then its off to the only tea plantation in the US, the 127 acre Charleston Plantation in South Carolina. We'll follow the flow of tea from England to the Colonies, where a tea tax precipitated the Boston Tea Party, and chronicle the brief but glorious age of the Clipper Ships, speed craft that brought tea from China to London in less than 100 days. Big news in the 20th century for the tea trade includes the emergence of herbal, powdered, iced and decaf teas. Tour the Celestial Seasonings plant in Boulder Colorado, and then visit a boutique tea garden where expensive teas sell for upwards of $30 a pot. Is it true that the best Darjeelings can bring in hundreds of dollars an ounce? ____________________________________________________ Thursday, December 14, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - 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. 8-9pm -- Engineering an Empire - Britain: Blood and Steel At its pinnacle, the British Empire spanned every continent and covered one quarter of the Earth's land mass. Through the centuries, the rulers of this enormous powerhouse used extraordinary engineering feats to become an industrial and military titan, loaded with riches. Some of their many pioneering accomplishments include the world's first locomotive, a superhighway of underground sewers, the imposing and grand Westminster Palace, and the most powerful and technically advanced navy in the age of sail. Using cutting edge CGI, we'll take a look at the key leaders of the British Empire--and explore the mark each left on society. Peter Weller hosts. 9-10pm -- Decoding The Past - Secrets of Kabbalah The study of Kabbalah has become a multimillion-dollar celebrity endorsed empire, however historians and religious scholars argue that the Kabbalah of Hollywood's elite is a pale imitation of the centuries-old mystical practice. The true Kabbalah is a great and complex philosophy rooted in thousands of years of history. Travel back in time to understand the true roots of Jewish mysticism. Followers believe that by studying Kabbalah, one has the potential to understand God, the soul, the structure of the universe, the afterlife, and even the meaning of human existence. We'll trace the roots of Kabbalah, learn what it means to master Kabbalah and finally, we'll attempt to explain the ancient, complex code that believers say demonstrates Kabbalah's long-hidden connection to the Bible. 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - 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 17th-century condoms to Internet sex and 21st-century 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. ____________________________________________________ Friday, December 15, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7:30-8pm -- Mail Call. 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. 8-9pm -- The Lost Evidence - 20 - Stalingrad On August 23rd 1942, 330,000 men of the German 6th Army smashed through Soviet defenses outside the city of Stalingrad. For 162 terrible days the Soviet defenders of Stalingrad make the Germans pay in blood with savage hand to hand combat in a maze of ruined factories, shops and apartment blocks. Outnumbered and outgunned the Red Army suffer appalling losses, but by clinging to their positions they draw the Germans into a trap from which there will be no escape. For the first time, extraordinary aerial reconnaissance photographs actually taken during the course of the battle are combined with the latest in computer technology to create a 3D model of the city. With archive film, dramatic re-enactments and powerful eye witness testimony, we tell the incredible story of the epic battle that turned the entire course of WWII. 9-10pm -- Shootout - The Big Red One The First Infantry Division, a.k.a. Big Red One, is the oldest and best division in the U.S. Army. These warriors fought more campaigns than any other U.S. division in World War Two. Elements of the division experienced action during the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Civil War and fired the first American shots in World War I. Decorated veterans of World War II will take the viewer back to the tense battlefields of El Guettar, North Africa, Troina, Sicily, Normandy (Omaha beach) France and their final shootout at the Falkenau concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. 10-11pm -- Dogfights - 06 - The Last Gunfighter Skilled fighter pilots Paul Speer and Phil Wood, tackles the fierce North Vietnamese MiG over the killing skies of Vietnam. They fly the U.S. Navy's top fighter, the F8 Crusader. In one of the longest, gut-wrenching dogfights on record, Lt. Commander Richard Schaffert--out of missiles and with his guns jammed--takes on a lethal MiG-17 and the best enemy pilot he's ever faced. His only chance lies with the amazing capabilities of the F8 Crusader, "the last gunfighter." Using state of the art computer graphics, viewers will feel like they're in the battle, facing the enemy. ____________________________________________________ Saturday, December 16, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 6:30-8pm -- Vietnam: Homecoming - In June 2005, over 250,000 Vietnam veterans gathered in Branson, Missouri for "Operation Homecoming", a reunion 35 years in the making. It is believed to have been the largest reunion ever for Vietnam veterans. For many, it was their last visible opportunity to mend the invisible wounds of the war. Many veterans had complex and mixed feelings about attending the reunion. We talk with three of these veteran families in search of answers. It is a journey that brings them face to face with each other, the past that has been lost, and a future that is unknown. 8-9pm -- The Private Voice of Hitler - Everyone knows the public archive footage of Hitler. But most of it is silent. What was he saying? What did he sound like when he was having a conversation rather than shouting his beliefs to his followers? Special computer technology enables us for the first time to lip-read the silent film. Using a unique sound recording of Hitler never previously broadcast, we can, put his words into his mouth. The result will add texture and depth to our understanding of a man about whom millions of words have been written--but whom we have never heard just talking. Footage includes film shot by Eva Braun, sequences filmed by Nazi cameramen, and a secret sound recording made in 1942 by radio engineer Thor Damen. 9-11:30pm -- Reel To Real - U-571 (movie) World War II submarine thriller about a group of American sailors who try to pull off a daring scheme to steal Enigma, the Germans' top-secret coding device--a scheme that has only a small chance of succeeding and a big chance of getting them killed. Stars Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, and David Keith. (2000) ____________________________________________________ Sunday, December 17, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Beyond The Da Vinci Code - Part 2. In this 2,000-year journey through time, we examine the histories and mysteries of the Holy Grail lore--both from the perspective of the believers and from skeptics, letting the viewers reach their own conclusions. 8-10pm -- The Passion: Religion and the Movies - Cinema's relationship with religion has always been explosive. The Church had an iron grip on how the bible was interpreted until the film industry came along. Filmmakers soon began to test the limits of acceptability when it comes to interpreting the stories central to Christianity with films like Monty Python's Life of Brian and The Last Temptation of Christ. These films coincided with the rise of the religious right in America and their sustained protest killed the religious movie for over a decade. It was only with Mel Gibson's success with The Passion of the Christ that suddenly Hollywood realized there was a huge potential audience. Interviews with some of the key players at the heart of the controversy such as Mel Gibson, Martin Scorsese, Willem Dafoe, and Terry Gilliam help reveal the truth behind who really controls the imagery of the bible. 10-11pm -- Behind The Da Vinci Code - Before Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code, there was Holy Blood, Holy Grail, written by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln, that is known for its revelation of the possibility of a sacred bloodline continued by Jesus and Mary Magdalene. It was their research on which Brown based much of his novel. Now, 30-some years since they wrote their last follow-ups, Henry Lincoln continues to investigate the source of the story. In this special, the man who launched the whole story breaks his silence, allowing viewers to unlock his secrets and addressing critics who say the whole thing is a hoax. We also explore the connection to the Knights Templar. ______________________________________________________ Monday, December 18 8pm UFO Files: UFOs in the Bible. TVPG 9pm Engineering An Empire: Napoleon: Steel Monster 10pm Lost Worlds: Jesus' Jerusalem. Tuesday, December 19 8pm Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way:LSD, Ecstasy and the Raves. TVPG 9pm Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way:Cocaine. 10pm Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way:Opium, Morphine, and Heroin. Wednesday, December 20 8pm Modern Marvels: Bible Tech. TVPG 9pm Modern Marvels: Christmas Tech 10pm Modern Marvels: Walt Disney World. Thursday, December 21 8pm Special: Sodom and Gemorrah : TVPG 9pm Decoding The Past: The Spear of Christ 10pm Modern Marvels: Candy. Friday, December 22 8pm Dogfights #9 - Hell Over Hanoi TVPG 9pm Shootout: Afghanistan's Deadliest Snipers 10pm Dogfights #3 - MiG Alley Saturday, December 23 8pm 9pm 10pm Vampires Secrets TVPG V-S Sunday, December 24 8pm Biblical Disasters: Biblical Disasters (2 hour docu) TVPG 10pm Bible Battles: Bible Battles. Monday, December 25 8pm UFO Files:Area 51: Beyond Top Secret TVPG 9pm Engineering An Empire: The Byzantines 10pm Modern Marvels: Snackfood Tech Tuesday, December 26 8pm Last Days on Earth (2 hour docu) TVPG 10pm Siberian Apocalypse TVPG Wednesday, December 27 8pm Countdown to Armageddon (2 hour docu) TVPG V 10pm Decoding The Past: Mayan Doomsday Prophecy Thursday, December 28 8pm Meteors: Fire in the Sky (2 hour docu) TVPG 10pm Comets: Prophets of Doom :Comets: Prophets of Doom. TVPG Friday, December 29 8pm Hell, The Devil's Domain (2 hour docu) TVPG V 10pm Dogfights #8 - Death of the Japanese Navy 11pm The Antichrist: Part 1 Saturday, December 30 8pm Nostradamus: 500 Years Later (2 hour docu) TVPG 10pm Last Days on EarthSorry, no complete listings received for 2nd half of month yet
no episodes scheduled Mail Call, rated TVPG-L | cc: Friday, December 22 12pm Mail Call: Army Air Ambulance/1st Special Service Force/Johnson Rifle/MiG-15 vs. F-86/P-59: #46 Saturday, December 23 10am Mail Call: #83 Saturday, December 23 10am Mail Call: DOD Firefighter/USMC Martial Arts Training/Little David: #82 Friday, December 29 12pm Mail Call: Submarine: #50For info 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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* 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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