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, September 1, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Making a Name for Yourself - Ben & Jerry. With flavor names like Phish Food and Karamel Sutra, Ben & Jerry's Homemade ice cream has built a reputation over the years as a fun-loving company with a unique and creative approach to business. When Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield met in gym class in 1963, they realized that they shared two important qualities: a hatred for running and a love for food. They also agreed that it was no fun being in business just to earn a living--they wanted to enjoy themselves too. So in 1977 they turned to ice cream making by enrolling in a $5 correspondence course to learn the craft. Their recipe was a sophisticated concoction: a blend of fresh Vermont milk, cream and generous portions of whatever ingredients took their fancy. 8-10pm -- Violent Earth - Comets: Prophets of Doom. Comets--these celestial travelers have forever filled us with fear and wonder. Lurking in the furthest reaches of our solar system, they come close to Earth as they orbit our Sun. Could something as destructive as comets hold the key to life? Are the building blocks of carbon-based life forms frozen inside? Might they contain information about the creation of our solar system? At the conclusion of two spectacular NASA missions that sent spaceships to rendezvous with these mysterious objects, we examine the scientific and historical record of comets, including man's reaction to them. Did a comet lead the Wise Men to Bethlehem? Did they foretell the death of kings, the destruction of civilizations? How did Halley's Comet provide Isaac Newton with the clues for his theories of gravity? Finally, what comprises this "dirty snowball" and how can we protect ourselves if headed on a collision-course with one? 10-12am -- Quest for Dragons - A spirited exploration of the history, science, and legend of the world's most notorious beast--the dragon, the best-known creature that never was. Throughout history, dragons influenced wars, science, art, and religion. They appear in almost every culture and many still believe in dragons. How could different cultures, isolated by geology and millennia, all invent the same creature? If the dragon is simply the product of our imagination, how could distant peoples, with no knowledge of each other, all invent the same beast? One of the reasons dragons are a perennial favorite is that even though they are the ultimate predator and antagonist, it's also fun to identify with them. In the end, we want to be the dragon as much as we may want to slay the dragon. ____________________________________________________ Saturday, September 2, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 6-8pm -- Reel To Real - High Plains Drifter. Movie. A mysterious stranger rides out of the desert and drifts into a small town with a dark secret in the Wild West. Though the town's people are frightened of him, they hire him to protect them from three gunmen who try to kill him. With Verna Bloom, Mariana Hill, Billy Curtis, and Geoffrey Lewis, the western is directed by Clint Eastwood who stars as the vengeance-minded drifter. (1973) 8-10:30pm -- Reel To Real - Pale Rider. Movie. A mysterious preacher rides into a gold mining camp in the California foothills and protects it from a neighboring mining company intent on stealing their claims. Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. With Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Chris Penn, Richard Dysart, Sydney Penny, and Richard Kiel. (1985) 10:30-11pm -- Wild West Tech: Revenge Tech. It's said revenge is a dish best served cold, but in the Wild West, it was often served with a heaping helping of technology. From a liver-eating madman bent on avenging the death of a loved one to a teenage girl who switched her gender to exact vengeance on her husband's murderer, technology made a uniquely brutal form of frontier justice possible. Host David Carradine guides viewers through the most grizzly stories of score-settling the West ever saw. ____________________________________________________ Sunday, September 3, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Mega Disasters - New York City Hurricane. What would happen if a Category 3 Hurricane were to hit New York City? With an awesomely high storm surge and intense winds attacking one of the most heavily populated and economically vital locations in the world, the potential for massive destruction is almost unprecedented. We explore the less-known but extensive history of previous northeast hurricanes--especially the "Great Hurricane" of 1938--in order to create empirical evidence that a storm of this size is not science fiction but a very real possibility in the near future. We'll also explore the scientific nature and origins of hurricanes and get an overview of some of the engineering changes that are taking place in the field of hurricane damage prevention. Using computer animation, models, and recreations the story concludes with a jaw-dropping view of what a storm like this might look like from inside the Big Apple. 8-9pm -- Lost Worlds - Knights Templar. They defended the Holy Land through bloodshed and prayer. Founded in the 12th century, these Christian warrior monks reigned supreme for nearly 200 years before suffering a spectacular fall from grace. Tried for heresy, they were disbanded and their Grand Master burned at the stake. We'll search behind the legend for their lost world. We recreate the city they knew as Tortosa--now hidden among modern homes in the Syrian city of Tartus. We reveal secrets of their headquarters at Temple Mount in Jerusalem, with magnificent underground vaults that could stable 1,000 horses. And we visit the circular church in London built to resemble the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the site of the Templar's mysterious initiation rites. We bring to life the hilltop fortress that Lawrence of Arabia called "the finest castle in the world", and return to the Mediterranean island where the Knights Templars made their last stand against Moslem enemies. 9-10pm -- Lost Worlds - Atlantis. Field investigators using the latest research, expert analysis, and cutting-edge technology take us back to ancient Greece, to a peaceful island that exploded with devastating force. But, at the dawn of the 20th Century, the remains of a palace were discovered on the island of Crete, preserved beneath volcanic ash. Could the ruins be home to the ancient civilization of Atlantis? Our investigators find that a Cretan palace and a town on Santorini are linked by unique engineering of their buildings. Rebuilding towns, temples, and the palace of Atlantis as described by Plato, we reveal the majesty and mystery of this lost world. The builders of the original palace achieved a level of engineering excellence not matched for centuries. With its massive scale, complex water-management systems, and sparkling gypsum walls, the engineering of this extraordinary palace connects it to Plato's descriptions of Atlantis. 10-11pm -- Lost Worlds - Secret Cities of the A-Bomb. In 1939, a group of scientists--Albert Einstein among them--warned FDR of the possibility that Hitler's Germany might be close to producing an atomic bomb. Roosevelt issued an order--the US had to be the first to develop an atomic bomb and within three years they were well on their way to creating a hidden world of secret cities and classified nuclear facilities. Six decades later, we return to the once-classified sites where the course of history was decided. In top secret cities and nuclear facilities, we uncover and rebuild this lost world in three top-secret cities in isolated parts of Tennessee, New Mexico, and Washington State. This was to be the most costly and labor-intensive engineering program ever undertaken. Using classified material, eyewitness testimony, and cutting-edge graphic technology, we recreate the secret world of the Manhattan Project. ____________________________________________________ Monday, September 4, 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 - The Pacific Bermuda Triangle. While the Bermuda Triangle is a well-known area of strange phenomenon in the Atlantic, there is another, more treacherous triangle in the Pacific off the coast of Japan known as the "Dragon's Triangle". This dangerous ocean triangle has reportedly claimed hundreds if not thousands of ships, airplanes, and submarines since the first written reports in the 13th century. Could these lost vessels be the result of bad oceanic conditions or possibly something more mysterious? We'll get to the bottom of this unsolved world mystery. Interviews include Dr. Joann Stock, Caltech; Joseph Nagy, UCLA; Takuji Wasda, University of Tokyo; and Japanese UFO experts Junichiro Nirasawa and Junichi Yaoi. 9-10pm -- Lost Worlds - The Real Dracula. In a country torn by bloody civil war, a young man seizes power. In his native tongue, he is called Dracula. This is not the vampire, Count Dracula, but a real historical figure: a Romanian prince. Dracula was a warlord who became known all across Europe for both his breathtaking courage and his terrifying cruelty. But he also left an enduring legacy. Not just in blood, but also in brick, mortar, and stone. He constructed palaces. He founded the city that was to become his country's capital. He also built one of Eastern Europe's most breathtaking mountaintop castles. Now, with state-of-the-art computer animation, we'll bring Dracula's lost world back to life: his birthplace in the fortified town of Sighisoara; the gothic splendor of Transylvania's Bran Castle; the sumptuous palace of Targoviste; and the real castle Dracula, Poenari. 10-11pm -- Digging for the Truth - Stonehenge Secrets Revealed. Stonehenge is one of the most famous and mysterious structures in the world. Now, host Josh Bernstein investigates the origins of Stonehenge and the prehistoric world that surrounded it. From the depths of a 5,000-year-old copper mine to an ancient quarry from which the stones were carved, Josh deploys the latest archaeological evidence to reveal who built this great monument. Then, using prehistoric technology as his guide, he reveals how it was built, and why! ____________________________________________________ Tuesday, September 5, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Combat Training. Sign up at the ultimate survival school, where soldiers learn to kill or be killed, and learn how 21st-century warriors are training today for the battlefields of tomorrow. We follow combat training throughout history, reviewing survival skills and psychological tools--from ancient Rome to World Wars One and Two--and learn how modern training is enhanced by advanced technology and computer simulation. 8-10pm -- Violent Earth - Meteors: Fire in the Sky. Meteors, comets, and asteroids cross the solar system to offer clues about our planet and universe. Can they destroy civilizations? Did they wipe out the dinosaurs? Have they brought life to our planet? And when will the next one hit? Aided by elaborate animation and live-action footage, we learn what these mysterious space rocks really are and imagine what likely happened 65-million years ago, when an object plowed into the Yucatan Peninsula. We see how certain spectacular meteor falls advanced our understanding of what they are and the danger that they pose. We talk to leading experts--astronomers and geologists including David Levy and Carolyn Shoemaker, co-discoverers of the Shoemaker-Levy comet that fell into Jupiter in 1994. And we talk to NASA scientists about recent missions to asteroids and comets and speculate on ways to move Earth-threatening asteroids and comets out of our way. Because it isn't a question of if but when the next deadly impact will take place. 10-11pm -- Mega Movers - Lost & Found. In Pennsylvania, our movers must lift an historic 1938 diner out of a building that has covered it for more than 50 years. But moving the cherished landmark unscathed will pose quite a challenge for everyone involved. Meanwhile, a determined mining historian must rescue a gigantic 1923 steam shovel that has been hidden high up in the Colorado Rockies. Will 30 years of sludge and rugged terrain stop this move before it even begins? ____________________________________________________ Wednesday, September 6, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - The Junkyard. It's the place where one man's trash is truly another man's treasure. Enter the strange and mysterious world of the junkyard, where many pieces actually do add up to a whole. Uncover how junkyard operators create order out of seemingly random piles of junk. 8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Commercial Fishing. Battered and fried or simply raw--seafood is a popular dish, no matter how you serve it. Americans consume more than 5-billion pounds yearly, an order that takes more than a fishing rod to fill and worries conservationists. We follow the fish, the fishermen, and the science trying to preserve fisheries for future generations--from ancient ships on the Nile to a modern technologically sophisticated factory trawler on the Bering Sea to the University of New Hampshire's open-ocean aquaculture research project. And we witness a wide variety of fishing methods--from gillnetting and longlining to lobster trapping. Hop aboard and sail through time and around the globe as we explore the harsh conditions of life at sea and experience firsthand one of history's deadliest jobs. Brace yourself and feel the ice-cold, salt spray on your face as we explore commercial fishing! 9-10pm -- Modern Marvels - Bathroom Tech. From tub to toilet to toothpaste, here's 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 luxurious 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. 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - Water. It's nature's precious elixir--so powerful it can carve our landscape, yet so nurturing it can spawn life and support its intricate matrix. And it's the only substance on Earth that can exist in three separate forms at the same temperature--liquid, solid, and gas. We take it for granted, yet compared to other natural compounds, it's a genuine oddity. We'll paint a vivid portrait of this common entity that's anything but as we explore water's multidimensional character--from its place in the $10-billion bottled water industry to its critical role in a Canadian nuclear reactor. We watch it flow from huge irrigation machines that have revolutionized American agriculture, blast 200 miles into space from a newly discovered geyser on one of Saturn's moons (via computer animation), coaxed from the clouds by chemical injection, captured by innovative "fog-catchers", and cascade with artistic flair from compressed air jets at the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas. ____________________________________________________ Thursday, September 7, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - More Doomsday Tech. The second deadly hour examines more threats--both natural and manmade--that may endanger civilization. From the far reaches of space to tiny viruses, doomsday sources are many. But so are technologies used to keep doomsday at bay. Asteroids of significant size have hit our planet before and likely will again. Asteroid hunters demonstrate the Near Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) program and methods being developed to destroy earth-aimed asteroids. Then, it's onto bioterrorism's sinister technologies--how highly virulent agents like smallpox and plague can be weaponized. Next, an ex-hacker turned cyber-security expert shows how vulnerable the nation's computers are to cyberterror. Finally, we visit the controversial world of biotechnology. Could genetically engineered crops backfire? Does a brave new world of genetically selected beings loom in our not-so-distant future? 8-9pm -- Where Did It Come From? - Ancient Greece: Modern Ship Building. Modern warships, cargo, and container ships are the cutting edge of maritime technology. But 2,500 years ago, no one dominated shipbuilding like the Greeks. We travel to Greece for a firsthand look at how their maritime expertise evolved. We examine a reproduction of the Greek warship called a trireme. A 3-D CGI reproduction captures the grandeur of the gigantic cargo ship the Syracusia. Host Michael Guillen demonstrates an Archimedean Screw--designed to pump water out of a ship's hold. He also demonstrates Archimedes' most famous discovery: the principle of buoyancy, a key component in any shipbuilding process. In England, we investigate the Antikythera device. After decades of study, historians have concluded that it was actually a celestial computer that tracked the movement of the Sun, Moon, Mars, Venus, Mercury, and a handful of stars. And on the Greek island Kalymnos, we learn how sponge diving evolved into the lucrative business of salvage diving. 9-10pm -- Decoding The Past - The Other Nostradamus. He predicted WWII, the deaths of US Presidents, and the turmoil of the 1960s. He prophesied that Israel would become a state 15 years before the event and foretold the Great Depression. Many of his visions seemed to pass unfulfilled, but are now proven accurate. His name is Edgar Cayce, and to many, he's known as the other Nostradamus. Throughout the 1930s and `40s, Cayce was a well-known American figure, reputed for his "healing abilities" as well as his prophecies. Cayce's predictions are documented in the transcriptions of his readings, which he gave until his death in 1945. Join us as we examine his life and prophecies. 10-11pm -- American Eats - Beer. Whether light, dark, bottled, tapped, great tasting, or less filling America loves beer--20% of the world's beer is brewed here. As old as civilization and pre-dating bread, we'll take a look at beer's history in the US. Believe it or not, the Mayflower was on its way to the Hudson River Valley but dropped anchor in Plymouth because of shortages in provisions--including "beor" ale. By the 1800s, Germans were bringing different beer-making recipes and know-how. And by the turn of the 20th century, brewers were taking advantage of new technologies such as artificial refrigeration, pasteurization, and transportation. But breweries had to survive the Prohibition until 1933 when it ended and beer was back on tap. After WWII, the aluminium can made beer drinkers happy because it now fit neatly in the fridge. There are currently 1,500 US breweries with a growing number of micro-breweries that have revived many old recipes and giving beer drinkers more choice. ____________________________________________________ Friday, September 8, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Inventions of War. Arising from the horrible carnage, deprivation, and suffering caused by war is a countless array of everyday items--from hairbrushes to microwaves--that directly descend from wartime innovations. Wartime research and development have revolutionized communication, transportation, and medicine. From Spam to nuclear power to hairspray and cell phones, life as we know it ironically owes a lot to war. We'll follow the day-to-day life of an ordinary woman and see the influence of war on her life. 8-9pm -- World War III? Beyond Lebanon - This special examines the history behind the recent war in Lebanon and the potential for this regional crisis to erupt into a global conflict. We analyze how Hezbollah's alliances with Syria, Iran, and other countries, along with Israel's close ties to the United States, could help propel what began as a border skirmish into World War III. 9-10pm -- The Man Who Predicted 9/11 - In 2001, Rick Rescorla was the 62-year-old head of security at the Morgan Stanley Bank situated high up in the South Tower at the World Trade Center. Rescorla was convinced that Osama Bin Laden would use jet planes to try and destroy the World Trade Center. Long before September 11th, he developed an evacuation plan for the bank, hugely unpopular amongst the city whiz kids who worked there who thought he was mad. His evacuation plan however ultimately saved 3,000 of their lives. Rescorla's plan was put into effect after the first jet hit the North Tower--even though WTC managers were instructing everyone to stay in the buildings. When the second jet hit the South Tower, he averted panic and organized a rapid evacuation. Rescorla went back inside to help those injured and trapped get out. He was still inside when the building collapsed. His body was never found. 10-11pm -- Grounded on 9/11 - In response to the attacks on September 11, 2001, the FAA orders all planes out of the air. US and Canadian air traffic controllers face a calamity of epic proportions--how to safely re-route and land 6,500 planes carrying close to a million people. For individual air traffic controllers, the work is chaotic, intense, and deceptively simple: pick a new route for each flight; radio instructions to turn; listen for pilot confirmation; hold traffic to keep airways from overcrowding. From Cleveland, Ohio to Gander, Newfoundland, controllers on September 11th searched for alternate airports to land large jets even as their traumatized colleagues stream back from break rooms after watching the attacks on TV. ____________________________________________________ Saturday, September 9, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Levees From collapsing floodwalls in New Orleans to high-tech mechanical storm surge barriers in Europe, we'll explore the 2,500-year history of keeping rivers and tides at bay by erecting levees. To get a lesson on how levees are built and why they fail, we'll climb atop Sacramento, California's crumbling river levees to see evidence of erosion that portends a New Orleans-level disaster. In stark contrast are the ingeniously engineered levees and dikes holding back tidal waters in the Netherlands. Their success inspired other mechanized flood barriers on both the River Thames outside London and one currently under construction near the sinking city of Venice, Italy. We'll also take a look at the hard lessons learned when levees are breached. In New Orleans, we'll see what the US Army Corps of Engineers is doing to protect the Crescent City from future hurricane seasons. 8-9pm -- Mega Disasters - West Coast Tsunami. What would happen if a massive earthquake and tsunami were to strike the West Coast of the United States? Experts say it could easily match the catastrophic 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in scale and might. A 700-mile stretch of coast, from northern California to southern British Columbia lies just off the extremely volatile Cascadia Subduction Zone. Many seismologists say that after more than 300 years of massive pressure build-up, it is likely to erupt in the not too distant future. And it has happened in the past. Geologists have discovered evidence of a massive tsunami that struck the Pacific Northwest in 1700--as powerful as the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004. Hundreds of thousands of lives are at stake. We'll talk to emergency planners, seismologists, and other researchers who are trying to get a handle on when Cascadia will blow, and what--if anything--we can do to minimize the disaster. 9-11pm -- The World Trade Center - On September 11, 2001, terrorists did the unthinkable when they flew two fuel-loaded jetliners into the World Trade Center. The Twin Towers' physical height and symbolic stature made them the perfect target. They were remarkable achievements in architecture, construction, and technology. In this 2-hour profile, we look at how the WTC was constructed and talk to representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers, New York's Office of Emergency Management, FEMA, and DNA experts about the aftermath. ____________________________________________________ Sunday, September 10, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Grounded on 9/11 - In response to the attacks on September 11, 2001, the FAA orders all planes out of the air. US and Canadian air traffic controllers face a calamity of epic proportions--how to safely re-route and land 6,500 planes carrying close to a million people. For individual air traffic controllers, the work is chaotic, intense, and deceptively simple: pick a new route for each flight; radio instructions to turn; listen for pilot confirmation; hold traffic to keep airways from overcrowding. From Cleveland, Ohio to Gander, Newfoundland, controllers on September 11th searched for alternate airports to land large jets even as their traumatized colleagues stream back from break rooms after watching the attacks on TV. 8-10pm -- 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. 10-11pm -- The Revolution - 01 - Boston, Bloody Boston. Relive the drama in this exciting documentary series that explores the founding of the United States. The opening episode dramatizes the controversies and conflicts leading to war--the Stamp Act riots, Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, and Battles of Lexington and Concord. A Continental Congress is convened and we are introduced to some of the major political players involved in the rebellion, including Samuel Adams, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Hutchinson, as well as England's King George III and British General Thomas Gage. ____________________________________________________ Monday, September 11, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- The Man Who Predicted 9/11 - In 2001, Rick Rescorla was the 62-year-old head of security at the Morgan Stanley Bank situated high up in the South Tower at the World Trade Center. Rescorla was convinced that Osama Bin Laden would use jet planes to try and destroy the World Trade Center. Long before September 11th, he developed an evacuation plan for the bank, hugely unpopular amongst the city whiz kids who worked there who thought he was mad. His evacuation plan however ultimately saved 3,000 of their lives. Rescorla's plan was put into effect after the first jet hit the North Tower--even though WTC managers were instructing everyone to stay in the buildings. When the second jet hit the South Tower, he averted panic and organized a rapid evacuation. Rescorla went back inside to help those injured and trapped get out. He was still inside when the building collapsed. His body was never found. 8-9pm -- The Miracle of Stairway B - It is perhaps the single most amazing story of 9/11--the story of how 12 firefighters, three office workers, and a Port Authority cop lived through the devastating collapse of the North Tower, survived for hours under half-a-million tons of debris and were rescued when all hope seemed lost. We reveal the chain of uncanny coincidences and bizarre events that enabled these individuals to stay alive when so many were dying all around them. We tell their interlocking stories from the time they woke on 9/11, to the moment they were finally reunited with their families. In doing so, we also tell the bigger story of the heroic efforts of the firefighters to save lives--and of the 2,700 men and women who never made it home. 9-10pm -- Lost Worlds - Braveheart's Scotland. At the end of the 13th century, Scotland was a country under attack. Defeat seemed inevitable. But from nowhere emerged a man who became Scotland's greatest hero--William Wallace, commonly known as Braveheart. Rising from obscurity in a violent age, he became an inspirational leader and national symbol of patriotism and survival. Now, new research allows us to journey back to his world. Traveling down secret pathways that still lie beneath Scotland, we rediscover a surprisingly sophisticated culture that hasn't been seen for 700 years--a world Braveheart died to protect. Uncovering the mysteries beneath Eldersie, we reveal the town that gave rise to the Guardian of Scotland. Restoring the Castle of Lanark to its former glory, we visit the place where he sought revenge for the murder of his wife. And rebuilding Stirling Bridge, we relive Wallace's famous battle against the English army--a turning point in the history of Scotland and the life of its champion. 10-12am -- Countdown to Ground Zero - A gripping, dramatic look, with the most recently released materials, at the extraordinary events of September 11th, 2001...not just this infamous day in history, but also how this day came to be through the dramatic stories of people whose lives converge at a moment when history turns. We'll recount the story of Al Qaeda's agents as they plan and execute the most deadly strike on the US since Pearl Harbor. It's also the story of the men and women who were attacked in the World Trade Center, and of the heroic rescuers who risked everything to save those trapped inside the doomed Twin Towers. And finally, it's also a political action thriller. It portrays FBI agents and counterterrorism experts in the months leading up to the attack as they desperately try to convince key players in both the Clinton and Bush administrations of the dangers of Al Qaeda and the possibility of a deadly attack on US soil. ____________________________________________________ Tuesday, September 12, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Plumbing: The Arteries of Civilization. Each day, billions of gallons of water flow through cities into homes and back out again in a confusing mess of pipes, pumps, and fixtures. The history of plumbing is a tale crucial to our survival--supplying ourselves with fresh water and disposing of human waste. From ancient solutions to the future, we'll plumb plumbing's depths. 8-9pm -- Violent Earth - Rogue Waves. Join us for the amazing story of one of nature's most terrifying forces. With striking visuals from ships in storm-tossed seas, the special presents dramatic tales of rogue wave disasters throughout history, and explores the astonishing scientific discoveries surrounding this deadly phenomenon. Aided by mind-blowing CGI footage from the motion picture Poseidon by Wolfgang Petersen, director of The Perfect Storm, we reveal the awesome power of this ocean menace as it really is--a monster rising from the deep! 9-10pm -- Mega Disasters - American Volcano. The 1980 Mount St. Helens' eruption alerted the world to the dangers of an explosive volcano in the Cascade Range. The fiery blast that killed every living thing within a 25-mile radius and unleashed the biggest landslide in recorded history. Now, Mount Rainier, 60 miles east of Seattle, threatens an even greater loss of life and property. This 14,000-foot peak holds more ice and snow than all other volcanoes in the Cascade Range combined. Even a small eruption at Rainier could unleash a debris mudslide that would entomb several towns in the valley below. Tens of thousands of people are in grave danger. Geologists say that it's not a question of if Rainier, an active volcano, will erupt...but when. Experts have mapped out the hazard zone and engineered a sophisticated warning system. But when Rainier blows, the window for evacuation is small. As we'll see, people must have an efficient evacuation plan, or else the loss of lives will be incredible. 10-11pm -- Mega Movers - America Moves. In America's heartland, few structures are as iconic as the country barn and the local church. In Nebraska, our team attempts to transport an historic gothic horse barn to a new farm. Working in sub-zero temperatures, they'll have to maneuver the massive structure through 26 miles of extremely narrow, unpaved country roads to reach their destination. And in Texas, a 115-year-old church has to be cut into five pieces before being relocated to a new spot two miles away. Will our Mega Movers be able to reassemble this cherished chapel and preserve it for future congregations? ____________________________________________________ Wednesday, September 13, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- 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. 8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Shovels. From a prehistoric sharpened digging stick to today's $15-million monster machines, our journey for the ultimate shovel begins in California's borax mines, where the P&H 4100 uses advanced electronics, brute strength, and savvy operators to excavate 170-ton chunks in a single scoop. We travel back to 1835, when William Otis set off an American digging frenzy with his patented steam shovel. And at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, we kick the legs of NASA's latest Mars Lander: Phoenix. This stationary probe has a robotic arm with a shovel scoop designed to dig into the soil, locate ice, and analyze its properties. Back on Earth, the Hitachi Corporation's 200-ton hydraulic humanitarian shovel is designed to locate and explode landmines in Third-World countries. 9-10pm -- Modern Marvels - Drilling. Spiraling deep into the ground...driving holes through solid rock...rotating, hammering, and scraping its way through whatever it may encounter...whether it's earth or ice, steel or stone, nothing can stand in its way! This episode penetrates the world of drilling and explores various types of drilling's colorful histories. From drilling for water in the New Mexico desert to searching for oil in the Gulf of Mexico, we'll show you how it's done. The program features the quest to drill the deepest hole ever and the scientific drill ship expected to perform the feat, and also looks at drills used to recover ice cores that will unearth thousands of years of climate history. We also examine the latest and greatest tunnel boring machines, robotic drills, and handheld power drills. Finally, we check out laser drills--both large and small--including a drill that can bore a hole a fraction of the diameter of a human hair. 10-11pm -- 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. ____________________________________________________ Thursday, September 14, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Household Wonders. Reviews the revolution in home improvement and glimpses the kitchen of tomorrow. Included: the development of the stove, sewing machine, refrigerated air, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, toaster, and mixer. 8-9pm -- Where Did It Come From? - Ancient Rome: The Rise of Apartments. The state of the art in high-rise living, New York City's Time Warner Center features all the amenities: a health club, restaurants, dry cleaners, top notch security, and citywide views. But high-rise, high-density living isn't new. Romans were living in high-rise apartments 2,000 years ago. Host Michael Guillen travels to Rome and its ancient seaport of Ostia where a number of them still exist. He illustrates many similarities we share with the ancient Romans including health clubs and dry cleaners. Food of all kinds was available at restaurants called thermopelia. As for the apartment complexes, some were as high as seven stories but building with un-reinforced concrete limited their height. We travel to Bath, England for an appreciation of the brilliantly designed Roman baths. Michael shows how ancient dry cleaners, known as fullers, cleaned garments with human waste. And the Los Angeles Fire Department helps demonstrate the Roman fire pump. 9-10pm -- Decoding The Past - Playing Cards and the Occult. Playing cards are an everyday object used for gambling and game playing the world over. But the familiar deck of cards conceals hidden meanings that have links to secret societies and the occult. Why are there four suits and why hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs? What is the significance of the picture cards? What is the meaning of the symbolism of the Tarot? We look beneath the surface of the playing card and reveal an intriguing journey from their much disputed roots in China, Persia, and Egypt. And we uncover the secrets of card design, investigating rumored Masonic links and the way the design has changed to mirror the cultures and beliefs of the people who used them through the ages. What emerges is an extraordinary story that reveals the mysteries and meanings of the humble playing card--a history that is intimately entwined with the occult, voodoo, and man's fascination with mystical beliefs. 10-11pm -- American Eats - Cereal: History in a Bowl. Move over pancakes, step aside bacon! Cereal is arguably the true breakfast king, a $9-billion industry with an indisputable place in pop-culture history. Full of surprise, nostalgia, and fascinating facts, our special celebrates the colorful--and crunchy--saga of a distinctly American breakfast. We see how a Presbyterian minister-turned-health-food-fanatic--Sylvester Graham, of "Graham cracker" fame--turned his countrymen from fried pork breakfasts to grain- and bran-heavy diets in 1824. We reveal the rivalries, tricks, and accidents that turned cereal into a breakfast sensation. And we examine the amazing feats of marketing used to promote the product--from creating iconic characters for packaging, to ingenious prizes that drove consumers to the shelves in droves. ____________________________________________________ Friday, September 15, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Bathroom Tech. From tub to toilet to toothpaste, here's 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 luxurious 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. 8-10pm -- Dog Fights - Ever imagine what it would be like to participate in the most historic air battles of all time? Imagine no more. This special puts viewers in the cockpit to recreate four famous air battles, using computer graphics, animation, firsthand accounts, and archival footage to make these thrilling and dangerous dogfights all too real. Each segment begins with an introduction to a pilot as we learn of the conflict he is engaged in, the history and technology of the aircraft that he flies, and the mortal enemy he must face. Then comes the moment of contact with the enemy--the fight begins! Experience a computer-generated recreation of the aerial battle as the voice of the pilot plays out this life and death combat. 10-11pm -- Weird Weapons - The Axis. Between 1939 and `45, the world was locked in a nightmare struggle of unprecedented ferocity. When the smoke from WWII cleared, bizarre stories emerged of extraordinary armaments dreamt up by both sides' most inventive minds--weird weapons unlike anything before. New ways of bringing destruction to the enemy were born of desperation and wild imagination. And in a world gone mad, nothing seemed too strange to try. Axis powers tested a strange range of weapons: a vortex cannon designed to tear wings off aircraft, an assault rifle that could shoot round corners, a death ray that could boil people alive, and most bizarre of all, an army in space. ____________________________________________________ Saturday, September 16, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Engineering Disasters 19. Examine one of the most mysterious maritime tragedies, when the sturdy Edmund Fitzgerald suddenly sank on a stormy night in November 1975; and unlock the mysteries of the rudder problems behind two Boeing 737 crashes--a 1991 United flight and 1994 US Air flight. Then, we take viewers inside one of the most dangerous but least-known nuclear disasters in US history--a meltdown at a secret government facility in 1959. We also travel to an oil storage facility where nearly 4-million gallons of diesel fuel suddenly flowed out as the storage tank cracked and catastrophically unzipped from top to bottom. Finally, we take a "close look" at microscopic structures causing gigantic problems in the electronics industry--tin whiskers, as they are known by researchers, that spontaneously grow from pure tin coatings on electronic boards and microchips. 8-11pm -- Reel To Real - Windtalkers (2002 movie) World War II drama about Navajo Indians trained to use their native language as code to help US Marines battling the Japanese in the Pacific. Nicolas Cage plays a Marine with difficult orders: Protect the life of one of the Navajos, but kill him if he's about to be captured to protect the code. With Adam Beach, Christian Slater, and Noah Emmerich. ____________________________________________________ Sunday, September 17, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Mega Disasters - American Volcano. The 1980 Mount St. Helens' eruption alerted the world to the dangers of an explosive volcano in the Cascade Range. The fiery blast that killed every living thing within a 25-mile radius and unleashed the biggest landslide in recorded history. Now, Mount Rainier, 60 miles east of Seattle, threatens an even greater loss of life and property. This 14,000-foot peak holds more ice and snow than all other volcanoes in the Cascade Range combined. Even a small eruption at Rainier could unleash a debris mudslide that would entomb several towns in the valley below. Tens of thousands of people are in grave danger. Geologists say that it's not a question of if Rainier, an active volcano, will erupt...but when. Experts have mapped out the hazard zone and engineered a sophisticated warning system. But when Rainier blows, the window for evacuation is small. As we'll see, people must have an efficient evacuation plan, or else the loss of lives will be incredible. 8-10pm -- Sahara - A certain mystique lingers in its very name. It's a haunting and hostile arena with a past as captivating as its landscape. In this desert blanketing 11 nations in Northern Africa, nature has crafted a world of mesmerizing desolation and across its scorching sands humanity has dared to carve history. Our cameras explore a land of mirage and myth--from a mountain fortress of ancient freedom fighters to a vast stadium filled with gladiators' gore to the vibrant chaos of a camel auction to the fabled metropolis of Timbuktu. Historians chronicle how a devastating climate change turned a lush savanna into the world's harshest desert. The Sahara...sinister and seductive, mythic and mysterious...as tantalizing and elusive as a mirage. 10-11pm -- The Revolution - #2 - Rebellion to Revolution. Rebellion escalates into war with the Battle at Bunker Hill. The Continental Congress establishes an army and appoints George Washington as Commander-in-Chief. But Washington faces nearly insurmountable obstacles in turning the motley militias into a battle-ready army. When the Continental Army surrounds British troops that occupy Boston, Britain sends additional troops and its three best generals--William Howe, John Burgoyne, and Henry Clinton--to take over command in the insurgent colonies. The Continental assault from Dorchester Heights forces the British and Loyalists to evacuate the city. ____________________________________________________ Monday, September 18, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Future Tech. A paper-thin, wall-sized holographic television...a car that runs on processed seawater...an army of robotic killing machines...outer-space luxury resorts and a cleaning droid controlled by your mind? Buckle-up for safety as we race into the near future--where fantasy becomes fact. There have always been visionaries, futurists, and dreamers predicting the world of tomorrow--flying cars, space-station colonies, and android personal assistants. But time has proven the fallacy of many of their predictions. So what future technology can we realistically expect? With the help of 3D animation, we present some pretty far-out predictions and take you to various research labs to see working prototypes of these technologies in their infancy. Join us on a rollicking ride through the entertainment room, down the road, over the battlefield, through the mind, out in space, and into the future, where science fiction becomes science fact. 8-9pm -- UFO Files - Deep Sea UFOs. Join us for a detailed examination of the little-known phenomenon of USOs, or "Unidentified Submerged Objects", an advanced type of UFO that can operate just as efficiently in water as in the atmosphere. These supposed otherworldly vessels have been reported, some believe, as far back as ancient Egypt. Others believe that USOs were reported by Alexander the Great and Christopher Columbus, and might even involve the lost city of Atlantis. Highlights include the 1967 "Shag Harbour Incident", a government-documented USO crash off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, and a trip to the area around Laguna Cartegena in Puerto Rico, a reported hotbed of USO activity. Interviewees include the US Navy's Bruce Maccabee, UCLA's Kathryn Morgan, as well as USO and UFO experts Stanton Friedman, Bill Birnes, and Preston Dennett. 9-10pm -- 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. 10-11pm -- Digging for the Truth - The Da Vinci Code: Bloodlines. Josh Bernstein searches for solid evidence behind the controversial theory laid out in Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code. Brown's theory claims that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and that she conceived a child. It also suggests that the bloodline continues--unbroken--to this day. Josh shows what's true and what's clearly make-believe in Dan Brown's bestseller. From musty libraries to ancient churches, Josh's unique quest leads him to seek the DNA evidence that might prove or disprove one of the most sensational claims in modern history. Most remarkably, he'll orchestrate the first ever DNA test on a Merovingian royal to find out if the story of a divine bloodline stretching back to Jesus and Mary Magdalene could possibly be true. ____________________________________________________ Tuesday, September 19, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Extreme Gadgets. Join us for an exploration of the technological innovations that have made extreme sports a reality. The world's best extreme athletes, designers, manufacturers, and engineers explain and demonstrate why the gadgets, gear, and technology of these sports have captured the public's imagination and revolutionized the sporting industry. Sports covered include surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, in-line skating, street luge, wakeboarding, sport climbing, BMX biking, and sky surfing. (1-hour version) 8-9pm -- Violent Earth - Biblical Disasters. The world of the Bible was one beset by terror, when disasters of truly biblical proportions ravaged humanity. It was a time of global flooding, fiery destruction, plagues, earthquakes, killer epidemics, and famine. Are these biblical accounts fact or fiction? We'll explore new and controversial evidence as we seek to learn how ancient disasters may provide valuable insight for a modern world besieged by similar catastrophes. 9-10pm -- Mega Disasters - California's Katrina. The floods that destroyed so much of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina showed how fragile levee systems can be. Now, experts believe a devastating flood could also strike Sacramento. The levees that are supposed to protect the area from two rivers could fail and a 250-mile area could become an inland sea. By revisiting the Katrina disaster, we witness what happens when a city floods. A catastrophic failure of the Sacramento levee system would be similar to the New Orleans disaster, but it could be worse. If those levees fail, thousands of lives would be in jeopardy and the devastation could extend beyond the Sacramento delta. A levee break would suck in salt water from the San Francisco Bay, fouling California's water supply and destroying one of the world's most important agricultural areas. 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - BBQ Tech. An old-fashioned style of cooking, barbecue has evolved into a modern food craze and spawned a multi-billion dollar industry. We digest famous barbecue cook-offs and visit long-established barbecue restaurants like Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, where the huge grills and taste thrills of true barbecue are more popular than ever. At home, three out of four US households own a grill. After WWII's end, the phenomenon of backyard barbecuing swept the nation, thanks to inexpensive and mass-produced grills, including the kettle-shaped Weber. Our tour of Weber's modern factories shows how they keep pace with demand by manufacturing more choices than ever, including portable mini-grills. We also examine the variety of fuels available for the savory selection of spicy sauces and rubs. Join us as we devour the mouthwatering flavors of BBQ in this episode. ____________________________________________________ Wednesday, September 20, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Hoover Dam. The task was monumental: Build the world's largest dam in the middle of the desert, and tame the river that carved the Grand Canyon--all in seven years! When the Hoover Dam was completed in 1935, it was the largest dam in the world. We'll reveal how this engineering wonder of the world was conceived and built. 8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Renewable Energy. In the young 21st Century, two realizations are dawning on the world's population: we are hopelessly dependent on petroleum, which is only going to get more expensive; and global warming, caused mainly by our burning of fossil fuels, will impact civilization in ways that we're only beginning to grasp. Stepping in to fight both of these massive problems are the rapidly evolving technologies that harness renewable energy. We will see how air, water, earth, and fire are transformed into clean, reliable sources of heat, electricity, and even automobile fuel. We'll take an in-depth look at the most proven and reliable sources: solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels, and tidal power. From the experimental to the tried-and-true, renewable energy sources are overflowing with potential... just waiting to be exploited on a massive scale. And unlike fossil fuels, they'll always be there. 9-10pm -- Modern Marvels - Horsepower. Buckle up for a rip-roaring ride through the world of extreme horsepower. Experience the fastest accelerating cars on earth. Find out how horsepower was first coined as a marketing tool for the steam engine in the early 1800s and meet the horsepower police--the Society of Automotive Engineers who test today's most powerful car engines. Feel the amazing power of Unlimited Hydroplane racing as 3-ton boat-beasts careen across water at speeds of over 200 miles per hour. Journey to the bowels of an enormous container ship where the world's most powerful diesel engine provides over 100,000 horsepower. At the Hoover Dam, watch as it harnesses the enormous power of water. Explore the 80,000 horsepower pumping units at the Edmonston Pumping Plant that delivers 2-billion gallons of water a day to thirsty Californians. And sit behind the steering wheel of a new generation of hybrid cars that boast 400-horsepower yet get 42 miles per gallon of gas. 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - Freight Trains. They are the life blood of the American Economy, transporting 1.8 billion tons of freight each year, carrying everything from crops, to consumer electronics, cars to chemicals, not to mention coal and just about any other item that you can think of. This program will take you to what is considered the greatest freight transportation system in the world, the Union Pacific's Bailey yard--a pit stop for much of the nation's freight on its journey across the continent. We'll also explore the history of freight transportation from its humble beginnings as tramways in mines to complex system of rails that stretches to every corner of the nation. ____________________________________________________ Thursday, September 21, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Great Inventions. Join us for a survey of the world's greatest inventions in which we examine the wheel, steam engine, railroad, automobile, airplane, printing press, electric light, wireless telegraph, telephone, TV, and computer. Then, travel back in time to the labs, candle-lit offices, and garages to see how these marvels were created. 8-9pm -- Where Did It Come From? - Ancient Egypt: Iconic Structures. Iconic structures are apparent: the Empire State Building, St. Louis Arch, Space Needle, and Statue of Liberty. But their roots go back over 5,000 years to ancient Egypt. Entry to a glorious afterlife and worship of the gods led Egyptians to build some of the world's most impressive structures. We travel to Egypt to see how such monumental masterpieces as the Great Pyramid, Library at Alexander, Temple of Karnak, Sphinx, and the obelisks were built using only primitive tools and brute labor. Host Michael Guillen demonstrates how ancient Egyptians might have leveled 13 acres of ground to within two inches before building the pyramids. He offers an explanation as to how a 100-foot long obelisk made of a single slab of granite was raised. And he commissions an engineering study to determine what the Great Pyramid would cost to build today. 9-10pm -- Decoding The Past - Heaven: Beyond the Grave. Heaven has influenced politics, decided the course of nations, become the obsession of learned scholars, and inspired countless works of art. Most of all, the promise of heaven has determined how people have lived their lives...and how they've died. Through interviews with religious scholars and leaders, we explore the concept of heaven and its rich history. We trace the evolution of the idea of an afterlife--from ancient Egypt, through Renaissance writers and artists whose work it inspired, to the uniquely American vision that traveled across the sea on the Mayflower--and explore other religious views of heaven. Our experts also tackle the difficult subject: Can only those who accept Jesus Christ be admitted to heaven? What of the virtuous of other religions? Will they be excluded because they aren't Christian? Our experts discuss this delicate question, reflecting on the idea that perhaps a heaven as we know it waits for each of us on the other side of death. 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - Cities of the Underworld. Istanbul is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic and exotic cities in the world. Once the capital city of three of the world's most powerful empires--The Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman--its strategic location made it the perfect spot for empires to rise, fall...and rise again. Today Istanbul's residents are walking on top of remnants of these fallen civilizations...literally. Taxis drive over parts of Constantine's Lost Great Palace; children play on cobblestone streets concealing a massive Byzantine dungeon; a high school sits on a 3rd century wall leading to the bowels of a 100,000 seat ancient Roman Hippodrome; and basement's of old Ottoman homes lead to subterranean tunnels and secret cisterns. Join host Eric Geller as he leaves the buzz of the city streets behind and follows the pull of the past. Teamed with leading archeologists and experts, Eric peels back the layers of the past--to reveal a hidden history that hasn't seen the light of day for ages. ____________________________________________________ Friday, September 22, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- 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. 8-9pm -- Godfathers of Havana - If Castro and his Cuban communist compadres had not thrown the corrupt Batista government and US Mafia out of Havana in 1958, the Mob wouldn't have needed to develop Las Vegas as the ultimate City of Sin. Havana was a tropical paradise fueled by rum, rhumba, and gangsters. Join us as we expose a network of extraordinary corruption and the formation of a brutal criminal state on America's doorstep. Visited by the most celebrated Hollywood stars, top Mafia bosses, presidents, and politicians, this was a city of glitzy casinos, luxurious clubs, exotic dancing girls, and endless nights. Havana was at the crossroads of the Mafia-controlled narcotic super-highway before the Cuban Revolution took down the corrupt, Batista government. 9-10pm -- Cannibalism: Extreme Survival - Cannibalism never fails to evoke strong reactions. Often, cannibal tales recall starving people eating the dearly departed out of desperation and an ingrained will to survive. But there's an even darker side. Sometimes people go beyond eating those who have died and kill comrades for the flesh on their bones. The consequences can be severe--from imprisonment to ostracism to madness. We delve into three stories of cannibalism. The first is about four British sailors in the 1800s stranded at sea in a dinghy after the yacht they were on sank. Next, we delve into a classic cannibal horror tale of a prisoner at Sarah Island, a remote penal hellhole in Tasmania in the 1820s, who escaped with other prisoners. And we look at a WWII story set among Japanese troops on New Guinea. 10-11pm -- Cannibals #2 - Cannibalism evokes an image of uncivilized people roasting enemies over a fire. But the reality is that even the most civilized humans have resorted to cannibalism. And there's new evidence that some of Europe's first humans had a taste for their own kind of flesh. Usually cannibalism occurs as a last resort--people being pushed to do the unthinkable in order to survive. And while there's little doubt that it occurred, survivors struggle to conceal the truth or simply deny it happened. Was it a practice accepted by societies long ago? We also investigate the recent discovery of Neolithic bones in England that show signs of cannibalism--a discovery that shocked experts and horrified many since some bones belonged to newborns. Our three tales of cannibalism suggest that those who ate human meat are far from alone. Secrecy, denial, even pride, are emotions that accompany the act of eating human flesh. But how do we handle the truth behind the act? ____________________________________________________ Saturday, September 23, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Sewers. A simple flush and it's forgotten. But haven't you secretly wondered where it all goes when we go? Join us as we explore this less-than-polite topic, and examine the network of underground pipes and tunnels that carries human waste and excess storm water away. From ancient Rome's pristine sewage-conveying systems, through the disease-spreading, out-the-window system of Europe in the Middle Ages, and into the progressive sanitation engineering of the 19th and 20th centuries, we go with the flow of sewage history. And we sift through the flotsam and jetsam of our cities' sewer systems and delve into the sewers of Paris, Boston, and Los Angeles to study waste management's evolution. We meet a sewer diver (and his robotic counterpart) who inspects and ensures the efficient operation of the conduits; decipher the myths about "treasures" and creatures found in the murky depths; and find out exactly where it goes, how it gets there, and how we've learned to use it to our benefit. 8-9pm -- Save Our History - Victorian Reborn. To commemorate their 60th anniversary, Lowe's home improvement store teams up with The History Channel to restore the McCubbins-McCanless House of Salisbury, North Carolina. Built in 1891 on land that cost just a dollar, the 2½ story Queen Anne Victorian was based on designs created by Southern architect George Barber, whose firm still operates. Over a century of weather and wear have ruined this once magnificent home, but with the help of Lowe's, we will donate the cost of restoration to the Historic Salisbury Foundation that will oversee the reconstruction process. This program, hosted by Steve Thomas, will document the revival efforts covering every facet of the home--from the foundation, plumbing, electrical, and landscaping to the masonry work on the four chimneys. 9-11:30pm -- Reel To Real - Patriot Games. (1992 movie) CIA operative Jack Ryan is back, and this time he's out to stop Irish terrorists from assassinating British royals and killing his own family. Harrison Ford stars in the suspenseful thriller based on the Tom Clancy novel. Co-stars Anne Archer, Patrick Bergin, and Sean Bean, and directed by Phillip Noyce. ____________________________________________________ Sunday, September 24, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Mega Disasters - Windy City Tornado. Chicago is known as the "Windy City", but many believe a tornado can't strike a downtown filled with massive high-rise skyscrapers. It's a dangerous misconception. In 1967, a destructive high-speed tornado screamed along a 16-mile path through the south Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn and all the way to Lake Michigan. Had the path been just 10 miles to the north, the twister would have punched its way right into the Loop. The city's emergency officials say it bluntly: "Chicago is at high risk for tornadoes." In 1967, 33 people died. In the future, how many more will be at risk? Will the city's skyscrapers survive? It happened before, it can happen again. We'll revisit the '67 disaster, restage it using state-of-the-art computer animation, and simulate how Chicago might hold up in the face of current catastrophe. 8-10pm -- Sharp Shooters - Wild Bill Hickok. John Wesley Hardin. Buffalo Bill. Doc Carver. Annie Oakley. Some of these skillful shots used their talents to survive in a hostile and lawless American West. Others honed their abilities onstage to make a living performing for audiences. But it turns out their legends might be the least accurate thing about these shooters. So famous are these historic gunslingers, it's hard to separate the truth from the myth...until now. We stack up some of today's greatest sharpshooters against the legendary feats of the past. Bill Oglesby, Jerry Miculek, and Tom Knapp demonstrate attempt to recreate famous gun-slinging achievements. We also cast a skeptical eye at many stories culled from newspaper accounts and pulp fiction novels. Along the way, we'll meet some of history's greatest shots. In the process, we might just blow a hole in some of those treasured old legends. So keep your eye on the target, because you won't believe your eyes. 10-11pm -- The Revolution - 03 - Declaring Independence. 1776: Noble ideas and dreams of independence ring out as America is born. However, dark and devastating struggles will quickly challenge these hopes and leave few believing that the glorious cause will survive. Join us as we relive the drama surrounding the birth of the United States in this documentary series. ____________________________________________________ Monday, September 25, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Coal Mines. Coal--the fuel responsible for more than half the electricity used daily. We unearth the amazing technological advances that have led to today's extremely efficient methods--from ancient techniques to the simplistic bell-pit method, from drift mining, surface mining, and strip mining to modern longwall mining, when a massive machine extracts an entire wall of coal in seconds. We go underground with miners in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming, and also address environmental concerns. 8-9pm -- UFO Files - UFOs: Then and Now? Aliens and Contact. On July 11, 1991, thousands across Mexico looked skyward during a total eclipse and were greeted with a wave of UFO sightings. Was this a prelude to imminent contact? Or will humans get to the aliens first? Join us for a review of mankind's efforts to reach out to Extraterrestrial Intelligence as we listen for a cosmic signal that we are not alone! 9-10pm -- Lost Worlds - The Pagans. In the late Stone Age, the pagan people of the British Isles constructed some of the greatest monuments of the ancient world. Fabulous constructions of wood, earth, and stone arose. In this hour, we enter the world of their builders. We travel from the ancient stone villages of the Orkney Islands, off the north coast of Scotland, to Stonehenge, in Southern England. We reveal a startling new theory about the role this extraordinary structure played in the lives of the pagans. With computer animation, we reconstruct the monument as it appeared to them. We then trace a forgotten ancient pathway to Stonehenge's lost twin--Woodhenge, explore the secrets of Silbury Hill, the world's largest man-made mound, and visit Maiden Castle, a fortress that witnessed the pagan world's end. 10-11pm -- Digging for the Truth - The Vikings: Voyage to America. Did the Viking explorers Erik the Red and Leif the Lucky make it all the way across the Atlantic to America 500 years before Columbus? Josh Bernstein sails a Viking ship from Denmark to discover what made the Vikings such masterful mariners. With the ancient Viking sagas as a guide, he embarks on a 4,000-mile journey from Scandinavia to Newfoundland, via Iceland and the wilds of southern Greenland. Along the way, he tracks down the archaeological evidence behind the Viking legends and proves, once and for all, that they really did beat Columbus to become the first Europeans in the New World! ____________________________________________________ Tuesday, September 26, 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 -- Violent Earth - Comets: Prophets of Doom. Comets--these celestial travelers have forever filled us with fear and wonder. Lurking in the furthest reaches of our solar system, they come close to Earth as they orbit our Sun. Could something as destructive as comets hold the key to life? Are the building blocks of carbon-based life forms frozen inside? Might they contain information about the creation of our solar system? At the conclusion of two spectacular NASA missions that sent spaceships to rendezvous with these mysterious objects, we examine the scientific and historical record of comets, including man's reaction to them. Did a comet lead the Wise Men to Bethlehem? Did they foretell the death of kings, the destruction of civilizations? How did Halley's Comet provide Isaac Newton with the clues for his theories of gravity? Finally, what comprises this "dirty snowball" and how can we protect ourselves if headed on a collision-course with one? 9-10pm -- Mega Disasters - Asteroid Apocalypse. Many scientists now believe that a "killer asteroid" wiped out the dinosaurs and 70% of all living things 160-million years ago. How likely is it that a similar event can occur again? In this episode, we explore the catastrophic effects of a 2-kilometer-long asteroid hitting just off the coast of Los Angeles. Using the Chicxulub asteroid impact of 160-million years ago (the one that killed off the dinosaurs), we watch--moment by moment--as the blast annihilates not just Los Angeles, but communities within 100 miles of the coast. A firestorm consumes much of southern California and tsunamis wreak havoc up and down the entire western US coast. The resultant dust cloud covers much of the Midwest, devastating crops for at least a year. Millions of people die from the direct effects of the impact, and millions suffer a famine the likes of which the world has never seen. The good news is that technology has given us the tools to--perhaps--avert such a disaster. 10-11pm -- Mega Movers - Perils in Paradise. When it comes to working in extreme environments, our movers are ready! In this episode, we travel from Florida to Hawaii where our movers confront two different working conditions--both considered danger zones. In Florida, they battle the elements to preserve a hurricane-ravaged beach by moving nearly 3 million cubic yards of sand from the ocean floor to the coastline. In Hawaii, an old plantation house is moved deep into a rain forest on the edge of an active volcano. Join us as we learn the ways the pros who know the conditions get the job done. ____________________________________________________ Wednesday, September 27, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Guns of the Civil War. It was a war in which brother fought brother and battlefields became slaughterhouses. During the Civil War, the country was in the midst of an industrial revolution and developed the most destructive killing machines the world had ever seen. Join us for a test fire of Civil War guns--the first truly modern weapons. 8-9pm -- Test Lab - Will a waterproof watch really work at 300 meters under the sea? How much weight will an elevator hold before it snaps? How many bullets can a Kevlar vest withstand? This special examines the history of product testing, where experts break, pound, smash, crash and disable their products in order to market new inventions or improve the existing ones. 9-10pm -- 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. 10-11pm -- Modern Marvels - Stealth and Beyond: Sea Stealth. It's one thing to make a 60-foot-long jet aircraft seem invisible, but quite another to hide a 400-foot-long warship from the prying eyes of an enemy. In this hour, we explore the challenging world of stealth technology at sea and how modern engineering can make our largest warships appear to be tugboats or fishing vessels. Features exclusive footage of some of the most advanced warships in the world, including the Sea Shadow, DDX Stealth Cruiser/Destroyer, and Arleigh-Burke-class destroyer, plus a glimpse at the future. ____________________________________________________ Thursday, September 28, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Non-Lethal Weapons. They stun, debilitate, immobilize--providing police and peacekeepers with options other than shouting or shooting. From the ancient caltrop--a multi-pointed contraption hurled by foot soldiers into a horseman's path--to sting-ball grenades, electrical shock devices, and sound, light, and energy weapons, we examine non-lethal weapons that disperse crowds and take down criminals. And in a whiff of the future, we see why the government thinks stink bombs might prove useful in the war against terror. 8-9pm -- Where Did It Come From? - Ancient Greece: Weapons of Mass Destruction. An examination of ancient Greek weapons of mass destruction. Host Michael Guillen demonstrates the forerunner of the long-range missile, a ballista--a catapult that could launch a 25 pound missile over a quarter of a mile. Greeks also developed toxic weapons by coating the tips of arrows with poisons ranging from jellyfish, to human waste, to snake venom to poisonous plants. They refined the use of fire as a weapon of terror. Michael introduces us to Professor John Haldon who recreated the weapon known as Greek Fire. Developed by Byzantine Greeks, it closely resembled napalm. The engineering consulting firm Arup tests whether the story of Archimedes' "burning mirror", which reflected sunlight off soldiers shields with deadly effects, was fact or fiction. The episode ends by demonstrating how the "arms race" started with the ancient Greeks, who developed ever more potent weapons of mass destruction to overcome their enemy's defenses. 9-10pm -- Decoding The Past - The Templar Code: Crusade of Secrecy. For nearly two centuries, the Knights Templar were the medieval world's most powerful order, a fearsome and unstoppable Crusader militia. Then came accusations of unspeakable crimes. Who were the Templars, really? How did they become so powerful, so fast, and why did they fall just as quickly? Evidence hints that the Templars excavated under Jerusalem's Temple of Solomon. What did they find there? Was it, as The Da Vinci Code suggests, the true identity of the Holy Grail--the bloodline of Christ? Or an unimaginable treasure, documented in the Dead Sea Scrolls, buried 1,000 years before Christ's birth? We explore the Templar's origin, how they lived, trained, fought and became a medieval world power, and the suspicious circumstances behind their sudden downfall. Narrated by Ed Herrmann and featuring preeminent Templar authors. 10-11pm -- American Eats - Hot Dogs. Each baseball season, 26-million hot dogs are consumed. A century before mobile phones or portable computers, Americans embraced the ultimate in portable dining--the hot dog, an edible emblem of democracy, accessible to all. Though its origins date back thousands of years before the Constitution, We the People claim the hot dog as a native son--and eat about 70 hot dogs per person, per year! That's 600 a second--supplied by state-of-the-art factories that can churn out as many as a half a million hot dogs a day. The hot dog has its roots in Germany and Austria and didn't become red-white-and-blue until we stuffed it on a bun and put stuff on it. The name "hot dog" is a mystery, though recent studies trace the term back to Yale students commenting on the ingredients of campus sausages. Join us for an appetizing hour as we digest the history of the hot dog--from Nathan's in Coney Island to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair to the Wienermobile and competitive hot dog eating. ____________________________________________________ Friday, September 29, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Bullets. From "safe" bullets that stop hijackers but leave aircraft unscathed to bullets that chain-saw through steel and "smart" bullets computer-programmed to hit a target, this explosive hour examines the evolution of bullets from origin in the 1300s--stones and round lead balls shot from iron and bamboo tubes. Lead balls ruled until 1841 when a conical-shaped bullet changed ammo forever. We learn how to construct a modern cartridge, and at pistol and rifle ranges view demonstrations of modern firepower. 8-10pm -- The Mexican-American War - At a time when immigration reform continues to be one of the most heated topics in political and business circles, this 2-hour special reexamines the controversial war that resulted in the United States taking control of what was nearly half of Mexico's territory. Featuring lavish reenactments, and interviews with both Mexican and American historians to ensure accuracy from both nations' points of view, we convey the story of President James K. Polk's desire to expand US territory to the Pacific Ocean. Hosted by boxing legend Oscar de la Hoya, we also travel to Mexico City to visit the historic Castillo de Chapultepec, where the climactic battle of the war took place, and the Palacio Nacional, the home of Mexico's government. 10-11pm -- Horrors at Andersonville Prison: The Trial of Henry Wirz - An angry peace lay over Washington during the summer of 1865, following the Civil War's end and President Lincoln's assassination. This was the tense atmosphere surrounding the trial and execution of Captain Henry Wirz, commandant of Andersonville Prison, where 13,000 Union POWs perished. In a collision of vengeance and justice, his trial proved a pivotal point in the nation's reconstruction. We illustrate the horrors of the prison camp, the drama of Wirz's trial, and the roles that others--from both South and North--may have played in the Andersonville atrocities. And we see why the controversial trial, one of the nation's first war crime tribunals, created enduring moral and legal notions and established the precedent that certain wartime behavior is unacceptable, regardless if committed under the orders of superiors or on one's own (note: William Shatner's first movie after Star Trek was a 1970 TV-movie about the Andersonville Trial). ____________________________________________________ Saturday, September 30, 2006 ____________________________________________________ 7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Sugar. The sugar industry came of age on the backs of slaves toiling in Caribbean fields, and British desire to control production of sugar and its byproduct, rum. Sugar also played a surprisingly critical part in America's battle for independence. Tour a sugar plantation on Maui, Hawaii to get an inside look at how cane sugar is produced today and learn how the sugar stalks are put through an extensive process of extraction and purification--and how a ton of harvested cane results in 200 pounds of raw sugar. Learn the technology behind creating the sweetener in all of its permutations, including corn syrup, brown sugar, powdered sugar, and cube sugar, and how it's used in candies, soda, and sauces as well as more exotic uses such as in pipe tobacco and processed meat. 8-9pm -- Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way - Marijuana. In a series investigating the history of drug use, we begin our trip tracing the rise of marijuana and synthetic amphetamines. Marijuana, from the Indian hemp plant, has been used worldwide as a source of rope, cloth, and paper; its medicinal qualities were first documented 4,000 years ago in China. But it's best known as the drug of choice of the 1960s. During WWII, US troops were given an estimated 200 million amphetamines to fight drowsiness and battle fatigue, and they're still used to fight depression. 9-10pm -- Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way - Cocaine. Derived from South America's coca leaf, cocaine was touted as a cure-all in the late 19th century and was the secret ingredient in many medicines and elixirs such as Coca-Cola. But cocaine's allure quickly diminished as racism entered the picture--the concept of the "cocaine-crazed Negro" even led police to strengthen the caliber of their guns from .32 to .38. We'll see how, though it was outlawed in 1914, its popularity soared in the 1980s and '90s and gave birth to a deadlier form--crack. 10-11pm -- Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way - Opium, Morphine, and Heroin. An examination of the history of the poppy plant and three of its deadliest derivatives. In ancient times, the poppy was considered divine, but in the 19th and 20th centuries, its addicting and lethal qualities caused unprecedented national outrage, social upheaval, and even sparked two wars. Used by the upper classes as patent medicines, heroin became the bane of society when the working class began to use it. In 1914, Federal law banned heroin and opium, and restricted morphine to medicinal use.
Wild West Tech marathon:
Deadwood Tech.
Saturday September 2 10:00 AM
Saloons.
11:00 AM
Freak Shows 2.
12:00 PM
Biggest Machines in the West.
01:00 PM
Execution Tech.
02:00 PM
The Gunslingers.
03:00 PM
Revenge Tech
10:30 PM
Vices.
@ 11pm
Mail Call:
Bren Gun & Carrier/Special Forces Final Exam/Beasts of Burden/Predator/1st RPV: #52
Tuesday September 05 12pm & 6pm
R. Lee Ermey rolls up to HQ toting a WWII light machine gun, the Bren Gun, and rides in a "Tankette", the armored vehicle that carried the Bren and its 2-man team. At the Army's Special Warfare Center and School, he checks out "Operation Robin Sage", the final exam--a 14-day "war" waged in North Carolina. Lee learns that Green Berets are training to handle pack beasts like camels and donkeys, and looks at the leading remote-powered vehicle, the Predator, and the first RPV, WWII's Weary Willy.
MK-19 Grenade Launcher/PPSH-41/WWII Weasel/Vertijet: # 79
Tuesday September 05 12:30 PM & 6:30 PM
R. Lee Ermey, is back at HQ for a new season of shows jam-packed with gear, gun and guts. First, the Gunny is pitching horseshoes and because "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades," it's the perfect introduction to Lee's trip to Camp Pendleton where he gets some trigger time with the MK-19 grenade launcher. Next, the focus is on Russian tactics and weapons of WWII. Lee shows us the Russian sub machine gun of choice during the campaign, the PPSH-41. Then, it's time for a test drive when a WWII Weasel shows up at HQ. Finally, it's time to dip into the Gunny's Fabulous Flops file for a segment about the Vertijet, America's first vertical take-off jet aircraft.
M-1 Garand Rifle/First Assault Rifle/Jato/Golden Knights Parachute Team/Barrage Balloons
Saturday September 09 11am & Wednesday September 20 12pm
R. Lee Ermey answers viewer questions about the M-1 Garand, the rifle General Patton called "the greatest battle implement ever devised", and demonstrates the world's first assault rifle, the German MP-44. He takes to the sky to explain jet assisted take-off (JATO); offers an eye-popping look at the stunts performed by the Golden Knights, the Army's precision freefall parachute team; explains how barrage balloons protected London during the Blitz; and goes through the alphabet--military style!
Revolutionary War Musket/Jousting/Foxholes: #8
Saturday September 16 11am
Find out how fast a Revolutionary War soldier could fire a musket, the ins and outs of jousting, and how to dig a foxhole.
For 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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August
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April
March
February
January 2006
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From the invention of the electric battery in 1800 to the murdered remains of missing Washington intern Chandra Levy being discovered in a Washington D.C. park*, find out what happened when with our exclusive History of the World Timeline!You might also check out A&E Prime Time listings for this month
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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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