NOTE: We are listing both EST/Pacific Time and individual television ratings.
All rated [G] or [PG] unless noted. [NR] = Not Rated or news-related program.
February-March, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Canning
It's the unsung essential of modern life. Canning is the method of a
preserving and packaging food, without which civilization would never
have ventured beyond the local food supply. It changed the way the
world eats and revolutionized the food industry. There are self
heating and self cooling cans, microwaveable cans, ozone safe aerosol
cans and cans that store nuclear waste. We will explore where canning
has been, where it is now and where it is going in the future.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Batteries
Mixtures of metals and caustic chemicals that make our tech, tools and
toys surge with energy. Visit the world's most powerful battery in
Fairbanks, Alaska--13,760 hulking cells humming with 5,000 volts
(Don't touch it!) ready to help the city survive power outages. Then
it's off to Energizer's mammoth North Carolina production facility to
see how machines churn out one million D-cells every day. 6,831
batteries are packed in the sleek Tesla Roadster, a new electric
sports car that can speed from 0 to 60 in just 4 seconds. Let's take a
ride. And your own car battery? We'll show you the ingredients that
manufacturers pour into it--from sulfuric acid to a substance aptly
called "mud". And we don't forget nanobatteries--those microscopic
marvels that may some day power nanorobots. That Fantastic Voyage of a
submarine in the human blood stream is suddenly a plausible reality.
9-10pm -- Shockwave - 08 - Shockwave
The crew of the Alaskan Monarch is stranded in the freezing tide of
the Bearing Sea--an iceberg has snapped the rudder. The rescue that
ensues will become one of the most dramatic in Coast Guard history.
Watch as daredevil Kangaroo Kid attempts to jump a twenty foot high
riverboat on a quad runner with a ramp that is only eight feet high.
Then a vengeful man uses a bulldozer to plow down a small town in
America's heartland. Will the National Guard be called in to take it
out with an anti-tank missile? Next, a navy aviator's ejection seat
malfunctions and he's stuck half out of the cockpit as his jet is
coming in for landing. Finally, a home video camera rolls as a family
is trapped in the worst fire in the history of Southern California.
10-11pm -- History of Sex - The 20th Century.
A sensual, extensive series that looks at what sex has meant to the
development of civilization--and what the development of civilization
has meant to sex. From the first latex condom in the 1920s to the
birth of the Pill in the 1960s, sexuality evolved at a rapid pace in
the 20th century. How will sex change in the 21st century?
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Saturday, February 2, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - The Doomsday Clock.
Developed in 1947 as an image to symbolize urgency in the Cold War and
the threat of nuclear disaster, the mission of the Doomsday Clock has
expanded to include non-nuclear global security issues. Maintained by
the Board of Directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, it's
based at the University of Chicago. In response to world events, they
move the clock's minute hand closer to or away from
midnight--doomsday. In this hour, we cover the clock's history, its
effectiveness, and its critics.
8-9pm -- UFO Files - UFOs of the 70's
The 1970s were one of the most active periods of UFO sightings. The
most famous sightings of the decade are recalled and up-to-date
information on the closest of encounters is provided. From Delphos,
Kansas to Roswell, New Mexico, explore the mysterious and the unknown,
and meet those who claim to have seen UFOs, or were even abducted by
aliens. Is the truth out there?
9-10pm -- UFO Files - Hangar 18: The UFO Warehouse
What happens when a UFO crashes? Some experts claim that the UFO
wreckage and even the pilots are transported to a top-secret facility
in Dayton, Ohio called "Hangar 18" located on Wright Patterson Air
Force Base. Declassified Government documents prove that the "disk"
from the famous Roswell event and fragments of other mysterious
crashes were shipped to Wright Patterson. Hear stories involving
elected officials, UFO researchers, and former base employees, some of
whom are going on the record regarding "Hangar 18." They spin a tale
of flying saucer debris, alien bodies, cryogenic chambers and a vast
underground network that may hold the secrets to the UFO mystery. Is
there a conspiracy to hide UFO evidence from the highest branches in
the U.S. Government, or is it all just a myth?
10-11pm -- UFO Files - Deep Sea UFOs: Red Alert.
In this hour, we'll dive deeper into the ongoing mystery of
USOs--Underwater Submerged Objects--UFOs that have reportedly been
witnessed going into and out of Earth's oceans. The show features a
dive into the Santa Catalina Channel near Los Angeles to search for
trace evidence of a 1992 USO event--a detailed account of the USS FDR,
a magnet for USO and UFOs from the early 1950s until its
decommissioning in the 1970s, with at least eight major sightings.
Australia's famous Tully Water-Crop Circle Case is explored, as well
as many other astounding and recent USO cases from the US and the
world. Interviews include USS FDR veterans Chet Gruisinsky and Harry
Jordan, USO researcher Dr. Stephen Greer, and Australian UFO expert
Bill Chaulker.
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Sunday, February 3, 2008
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7-8pm -- MonsterQuest - American Werewolf
The werewolf is a centuries-old legend based on myth, not a real
animal. However, local eyewitnesses in Wisconsin and Michigan report
seeing a dogman--a tall hairy man-beast. Professional hunters and
trackers armed with tranquilizer guns will be deployed in an area of
recent sightings to find this creature. For the first time polygraphs
and hypnosis will be used on eyewitnesses with astonishing results.
One-part history, one-part science and one part monster, discover the
truth behind legendary monsters.
8-10pm -- Banned from The Bible -
In a 2-hour special, we scrutinize ancient writings that didn't "make
the cut" in the battle to create a Christian Bible in the new
religion's first few centuries. Biblical archaeologists and scholars
examine why they were left out and if others might yet be found.
Beginning with the little-known Life of Adam and Eve, we also peruse
the Book of Jubilees, the Book of Enoch, the Gospel of Thomas, the
Protevangelium of James, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Nicodemus,
and the Apocalypse of Peter.
10-11:30pm -- Sex in the Bible -
From erotic poetry to sinful sex, we'll explore the uncensored Bible.
Discover scriptures brimming with lustful tales like King Solomon's
700 concubines, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Jesus and the adulteress. Dr.
Ruth Westheimer and other experts discuss a Bible where passion and
sexual deviancy live alongside the quest for the Holy. (90-minute
version)
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Monday, February 4, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Diamond Mines.
Half a mile below the earth's surface, men mine for rough diamonds--a
pure carbon substance. Brilliant when cut and polished, they are
marketed as the most precious gem in the world. From the earliest
mines of the 4th century BC to today's technological wonders in South
Africa, we explore the history and technology of the diamond mine.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Pacific Coast Highway.
For 25 years, construction crews dug, blasted, tunneled, and bridged
their way up America's West Coast along the California, Oregon, and
Washington shoreline to build the Pacific Coast Highway. Historians,
road and bridge engineers, and experts relate this story of
perseverance, primal machines, convict labor, and engineering
brilliance as we tour its scenic route. And we look at the latest
technologies used to keeping it running despite floods, earthquakes,
tsunamis, and landslides.
9-10pm -- Cities of the Underworld - A-Bomb Underground
Tokyo, Japan is a city straight out of the future, above ground... and
below. We'll go beneath the busy streets to see the latest technology
that will save the city from the many natural disasters ready to
strike. From there, we head back in time to World War II to see how
Hiroshima's underground offered protection from the most powerful
bombs... and get an inside look at the secret life of the Ninja. Don
Wildman hosts.
10-11pm -- Ancient Discoveries - Ancient Super Navies
Using the latest scientific techniques to solve the greatest mysteries
of the ancient world's naval technology, our team of modelmakers,
underwater detectives and elite naval commandos are investigating
legends that speak of lethal, high explosive grenades... covert
underwater attack equipment... and highly toxic biological warfare.
Their life-threatening experiments will forever transform our
understanding of antiquity's greatest naval inventions.
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Tuesday, February 5, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Gold Mines.
Around the world and across the eons, gold stands as a symbol of
power, wealth, and love. The quest for the yellow metal took men
across oceans, into the depths of the Alaskan winter, and miles
beneath South African earth. This is the story of the hunters of the
precious metal and their methods for extracting it.
8-9pm -- The Universe - Dark Matter
Scientists have no idea what it is, but Dark Matter and Dark Energy
make up 96% of the Universe. Dark Matter is everywhere. It passes
through everything we know on earth at billions of particles every
second, yet no one has ever gotten a direct detection of this
mysterious dark substance. An even more bewildering force is Dark
Energy, which is rapidly pushing apart our Universe. Discovered only
ten years ago, scientists are struggling to comprehend its unusual
characteristics and answer the ultimate question; what is the fate of
our Universe? Using cutting-edge computer graphics watch as the
universe is brought down to earth.
9-10pm -- The Universe - Space Travel
When man finally broke free of the Earth's gravitational pull the
dream of traveling to other planets became a reality. Today scientists
are proposing a bizarre array of technologies in the hope of traveling
faster through space: from space craft sporting sails that catch laser
beams, to propulsion engines powered by a bizarre entity known as
anti-matter. Finally explore the science behind the seemingly fanciful
notion of warp-drive and a theoretical particle that can travel faster
than light.
10-11pm -- Mega Disasters - Alien Infection
Could an alien infection cause an epidemic on earth? Some experts
believe that spacecraft returning from Mars could bring back a harmful
sample or comet dust falling into our atmosphere could cause
pandemics. One astronomer believes that the Influenza of 1918, which
killed between 50-100 million people, was one such outbreak and that
another "infection" could decimate the world's population.
Astrobiologists are now poised to bring Mars samples back to earth to
examine them in a Bio 4 level safety lab. In a hypothetical future
disaster scenario, track how comet dust would seed the earth with a
virulent virus. Quarantine measures don't work and panic ensues.
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Wednesday, February 6, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Metal.
They constitute the very essence of the modern world; the cadence of
our progress sounds in the measured ring of the blacksmith's hammer.
From soaring skyscrapers and sturdy bridges to jet planes and rockets,
metals play a key role. Our journey begins before the Bronze Age and
takes us into the shiny future when new metal structures--engineered
at a molecular level to be stronger, lighter, and cheaper--shape human
progress, as they have since man first thrust copper into a fire and
forged a tool.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Fast Food Tech
Can fast food get any faster? Fast food joints in the US pull in $150
billion dollars in annual sales. Their mantra is "fast, consistent,
and inexpensive." Learn how they grow it, process it, freeze it, ship
it, track it, fry it, flip it and pack it. Watch as hundreds of
burgers, fries and shakes fly across counters and drive-thru windows
at Carl's Jr., Jack in the Box, Wendy's and McDonald's. Visit a
potato-processing plant for the scoop on how fries are made and learn
how Taco Bell's founder developed the fast-food hard shell taco. Find
out what the future holds for fast food technology.
9-10pm -- MonsterQuest - Sasquatch Attack?
Does Canada have its own Bigfoot? Owners of a fly-in fishing cabin
report attacks by an unknown creature. Can DNA tests on blood and
tissue from the alleged beast reveal its true identity? The test
results will surprise you. One-part history, one-part science and one
part monster, discover the truth behind these beasts and take a
scientific look at legendary creatures around the world. The best
evidence available will be examined, from pictures and video, to hair
and bones. Scientists will be brought in to tell viewers what the
evidence reveals. Ultimately the evidence will reveal the truth....or
in some cases continue the mystery.
10-11pm -- UFO Hunters - The UFO Before Roswell
Six "doughnut-shaped aircraft" were spotted off the coast of Maury
Island, WA one week before the reported UFO crash in Roswell, NM.
Harold Dahl and his son witnessed the aircraft dancing in unknown form
and one spewing white-hot fragments over the water and beach. The
falling debris killed Dahl's dog. The military was informed and two
Air Force intelligence officers arrived in Tacoma, conducted
interviews and collected the remaining wreckage. The officers departed
from McCord Field but their plane lost communication and crashed near
the town of Kelso. Now our team has located the crash scene and
together with an archeologist, will scour the debris field and analyze
the evidence.
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Thursday, February 7, 2008
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7-8pm -- 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!
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - 90's Tech
The dot com decade opened up the information superhighway and for the
first time, people could shop, search, and surf online with the click
of a mouse. Take a trip back to the end of the 20th century and the
beginning of today's trendy technologies and see how the gadgets we
can't live without all started in the 90s. Learn about the science of
creating an Internet search engine and explore how virtual pet toys
were born.
9-10pm -- Gangland - 04 - Behind Enemy Lines
A gritty, true-life series exposing the world of history's most
notorious and dangerous gangs.
10-11pm -- Cities of the Underworld - A-Bomb Underground
Tokyo, Japan is a city straight out of the future, above ground... and
below. We'll go beneath the busy streets to see the latest technology
that will save the city from the many natural disasters ready to
strike. From there, we head back in time to World War II to see how
Hiroshima's underground offered protection from the most powerful
bombs... and get an inside look at the secret life of the Ninja. Don
Wildman hosts.
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Friday, February 8, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Silver Mines.
It was called the "mother lode", a deposit of silver so massive that
it would produce $300-million in its first 25 years of operation,
establish Nevada as a state, and bankroll the Union Army in the Civil
War. Named after an early investor, we'll see how the Comstock Lode,
discovered near Virginia City, proved to be a scientific laboratory
from which vast improvements in mining technology and safety were
pioneered, including innovations in drilling, ventilation, drainage,
and ore processing.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Truck Stops
Catering to more than twenty million truckers, truck stops are bigger
and better than ever. These mega-pit stops are essential to the trucks
and truckers that haul eight billion tons of freight annually. Tour
the world's largest truck stop that offers fuel, food, parking,
private showers, a movie theater, a dentist office, and a barbershop.
Look at how 18-wheelers can power up their rigs with a high tech
parking lot hookup called IdleAire; complete with heat, air
conditioning, a telephone line, a computer with high speed internet,
and of course satellite TV. We'll also see how 30,000 gallon
underground diesel storage tanks are manufactured. And we'll weigh and
inspect a truck while it's barely slowing down. In an interview with
Willie Nelson, we'll explore one of the most unique truck stops in the
United States and the revolutionary fuel it sells: biodiesel.
9-10pm -- Shockwave - 09
Nothing makes for more exciting television than seeing history
captured as it happened, whether by home video, cell phones,
surveillance systems, or the occasional lucky news cameraman. This new
groundbreaking series taking the best raw footage of catastrophic,
headline-making events from all over the world and using the latest in
graphics technology to dissect the video, revealing astonishing 3-D
views and explanations for what really happened. From the catastrophic
bridge collapse in Minneapolis to the explosion aboard the USS
Forrestal, we take an in-depth look at the stories behind the
headlines and introduce you to the people who conquered tragedy with
their incredible human spirit.
10-11pm -- The History of Sex - From Don Juan to Queen Victoria.
This part of our sexual sweep through history covers the intensely
romantic (Don Juan, Casanova) and the darkly perverse (Marquis de
Sade),
then moves on to the 19th century with its quirky views. It is
the era of Queen Victoria, yet mail-order pornography takes off. We
also reveal carnal kinks of the Pilgrims and Puritans.
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Saturday, February 9, 2008
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6:50-8pm -- Band of Brothers - Crossroads.
Capt. Winters (Damian Lewis) leads a contingent of Easy Company men on
a risky mission over a Dutch dike that results in a "turkey shoot" of
fleeing Germans, and is promoted to Battalion Executive Officer,
leaving Easy Company in the hands of Lt. "Moose" Heyliger (Stephen
McCole). After moving back off the line to France, Lt. Nixon (Ron
Livingston) insists that Winters take a break and see Paris. But when
Winters returns, news comes in of a massive German counterattack in
the Ardennes Forest.
8-10pm -- 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.
10-12am -- 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.
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Sunday, February 10, 2008
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7-8pm -- Gangland - Root of All Evil
A gritty, true-life series exposing the world of history's most
notorious and dangerous gangs.
8-10pm -- The Kennedy Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy -
No other murder in history has produced as much speculation as the
assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Forty years after he was
fatally shot, more than 70 percent of polled Americans believe there
was a conspiracy and that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone. In this
2-hour special, ABC News Anchor Peter Jennings takes a fresh look at
the assassination, the evidence, the various and many theories, and an
exact computer simulation of the famous Abraham Zapruder film that
offers surprising results.
10-11pm -- UFO Hunters - The UFO Before Roswell
Six "doughnut-shaped aircraft" were spotted off the coast of Maury
Island, WA one week before the reported UFO crash in Roswell, NM.
Harold Dahl and his son witnessed the aircraft dancing in unknown form
and one spewing white-hot fragments over the water and beach. The
falling debris killed Dahl's dog. The military was informed and two
Air Force intelligence officers arrived in Tacoma, conducted
interviews and collected the remaining wreckage. The officers departed
from McCord Field but their plane lost communication and crashed near
the town of Kelso. Now our team has located the crash scene and
together with an archeologist, will scour the debris field and analyze
the evidence.
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Monday, February 11, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Nuts
Pintsized as a pea or big as a bowling ball, nutritional, durable, and
versatile, nuts have been a staple of the human diet since time began,
and archaeological evidence places them among our earliest foods. For
that, the ancients worshiped them. And because they were relatively
non-perishable, nuts sustained the imperial armies of Rome and China,
the royal navies of England and Spain, and the native tribes that
roamed the American wilderness. Today, we think of nuts as mere
snacks, but in a poignant segment, we feature how a peanut product is
used by organizations like UNICEF to reverse malnutrition in starving
children in less than four weeks. And a powder ground from walnut
shells cleans everything from ship hulls to the Space Shuttle. From
ancient traditions of tree-picking and hand-gathering to today's
powerful machine shakers, sophisticated irrigation techniques, and the
latest bio-science, we'll provide a spread of history that's just as
smooth as your peanut butter!
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Acid
It is the most widely produced chemical in the world and possibly the
most dangerous. Take a look at the many uses of acid. See how the
military harnesses acid to make the explosive "Comp B-4." Visit a
sulfuric acid plant to see how acid can take the stain out of
stainless steel and learn how it can be mixed to dissolve precious
metal. At the Heinz vinegar plant discover why acid's sour taste is
sweet. Finally, learn how acid loving bacteria in Yellowstone National
Park may hold the key to a biological industrial revolution and meet a
mad scientist who will demonstrate how acid can hollow out a penny and
turn a hot dog to sludge!
9-10pm -- Cities of the Underworld - Vietnam
Be careful where you walk--history's afoot! See a Vietnam that you've
never seen before. During the Vietnam War the media flooded the world
with images of soldiers and jungles. What wasn't seen were the
tunnels, caves and passageways. Join host Don Wildman as he discovers
the massive CuChi tunnel system that gave soldiers the upper hand to
the super-bunkers and secret caves used as shelters.
10-11pm -- Ancient Discoveries - Ancient Super Ballistics
We reveal how the science and technology of ballistics actually dates
back thousands of years to the ancient world. Using state of the art
forensic techniques and the world's leading firearms experts, this
groundbreaking show reveals the accuracy, power and range of ancient
bullets, rockets and bombs.
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Tuesday, February 12, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Cold Cuts
They're the meat in our sandwiches and slices of American pop culture.
Take a look behind the deli counter to reveal the secret ingredients
in boloney. Watch a master sausage maker craft salami, and pile it on
at Carnegie Deli with their famous mile-high pastrami sandwich. We'll
construct exotic cold cuts made of pig head parts and livers, make the
cut with the best meat slicers, past and present and see how to make
turkey out of tofu. And don't forget that olive loaf for the holidays.
Served cold and cut with precision. Pureed, pounded, and poured, it's
time for a taste of cold cuts.
8-9pm -- The Universe - Astrobiology
Does life exist on other planets? Astrobiology is a visionary new
science that searches for life in space by combining the disciplines
of astronomy, biology and geology. How did life evolve on Earth? What
will life look like on other planets? These and other pertinent
questions will be answered by a diverse group of scientists. Viewers
will visit the Pilbara region of West Australia where the oldest
evidence of life on Earth has been discovered. Travel to the moons of
Jupiter and Saturn to test a theory that life could exist in the
clouds of Venus. Finally, watch as experiments are done to see if life
exists on exoplanets, earth-like planets beyond our solar system.
9-10pm -- The Universe - Supernovas
A stellar explosion, the supernova is the sensational death of a star.
It can shine as bright as 100 billion Suns and radiate as much energy
as the Sun would emit over 10 billion years. Jets of high-energy light
and matter are propelled into space and can cause massive Gamma Ray
Bursts and emit intense X-ray radiation for thousands of years.
Astronomers believe that this process creates the very building blocks
of planets, people and plants. Meet the world's leading Supernova
hunters, and take a look at recorded supernovas throughout history.
10-11pm -- Mega Disasters - New York Earthquake
Most people don't think of New York City as earthquake country, but it
has been shaken by significant quakes in 1737 and 1884. Picture a busy
midweek morning in the heart of Manhattan and hundreds of thousands of
commuters are on their way to work. Suddenly the ground shakes
violently, and a deafening roar thunders through the city. The beaches
turn to quicksand, high-rise buildings sway and elevators strand
thousands. Take a look at the effects an earthquake would have on New
York and its infrastructure--and the havoc it could wreak on the city.
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Wednesday, February 13, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Cheese
From cheddar to brie, Parmesan to blue, take a look at both ancient
techniques and new technologies behind some of the world's most
popular cheeses. Visit the cow pastures of Wisconsin to the giant
cheese factories of California to discover how cheese is made. Travel
through history from the Roman Empire's diversity of cheeses to the
19th Century birth of industrial cheese. And yes, we'll answer that
eternal question, "Why does Swiss cheese have holes?"
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - George Washington Carver Tech.
One of the 20th century's greatest scientists, George Washington
Carver's influence is still felt. Rising from slavery to become one of
the world's most respected and honored men, he devoted his life to
understanding nature and the many uses for the simplest of plant life.
His scientific research in the late 1800s produced agricultural
innovations like crop rotation and composting. Part of the
"chemurgist" movement that changed the rural economy, he found
ingenious applications for the peanut, soybean, and sweet potato. At
Tuskegee Institute, Dr. Carver invented more than 300 uses for the
peanut, while convincing poor farmers to rotate cotton crops with
things that would add nutrients to the soil. A visionary, Carver
shared his knowledge free of charge, happy in his Tuskegee laboratory
where he could use his gifts to help others.
9-10pm -- MonsterQuest - Giant Squid Found?
Is the legend of the Kraken, a tentacled beast as large as a whale,
based on myth or a real creature? Take an expedition to the Sea of
Cortez, Mexico where fishermen regularly claim to encounter large
schools of giant squid. Watch as squid expert Scott Cassel uses lures
with built-in cameras in an attempt to video a Kraken-sized squid
1,000 feet below the ocean. What Cassel and his team discover will
make history. One-part history, one-part science and one part monster,
discover the truth behind legendary creatures.
10-11pm -- UFO Hunters - USOs
In 1990 a pilot flying his small plane off Catalina Island spotted an
object just below the surface of the water which enveloped his plane
with a bright light, freezing his controls. His next recollection was
waking in the hospital with NTSB and LA County Sheriff personnel. His
cousin was killed in the crash. Our team will use high-tech sidescan
sonar and deep sea magnetometers to search and dive for the wreck and
analyze the evidence. Eyewitness accounts, scientific experimentation,
documents recently released through the Freedom of Information Act and
footage that has never been seen on television is used to piece
together compelling evidence of UFO phenomena.
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Thursday, February 14, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Candy.
It pulls, stretches, bubbles, hardens, crunches, and melts! We eat
about 7-billion tons of it yearly. We're talking about Candy--loved by
kids and savored by adults. Candy-making evolved from a handmade
operation to high-tech mass production. Nowhere is that more apparent
than at Hershey's. On a tour of their newest production facility, we
learn how they process the cocoa bean. At See's Candy, we see how they
make their famous boxed chocolates--on a slightly smaller scale than
Hershey's. We get a sweet history lesson at Schimpff's Confectionery,
where they still use small kettles, natural flavors, and hand-operated
equipment. Then, we visit Jelly Belly, purveyors of the original
gourmet jellybean. Saltwater-taffy pullers hypnotize us on our
sweet-tooth tour; we gaze at extruders making miles of licorice rope;
and watch as nostalgia candy bars Abba-Zaba and Big Hunk get packaged.
And in this sugary hour, we digest the latest sensations--gourmet
chocolates and scorpion on a stick!
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - The Pig
It is said that the pig is as smart as a three-year-old human. The
pancreas, heart valve and intestines of the pig have been transplanted
into human bodies, yet the primary use of the pig is for food. Watch
the pig transform into bacon, ham, ribs and sausage, using a high tech
water knife, at Burger's Smokehouse in Missouri. Then Chef Chris
Cosentino re-creates old world dishes from pig parts and culinary
artisans attempt to duplicate long-vanished pork specialties like
prosciutto and acorn-fed pigs.
9-10pm -- Gangland - 01 - American Gangster
A gritty, true-life series exposing the world of history's most
notorious and dangerous gangs.
10-12am -- The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre -
February 1929: Al Capone takes on "Bugs" Moran in a battle for
Chicago's underworld. Then: a burst from a Tommy gun and only one boss
remained. Rare films and recreations offer the inside dope on
organized crime's greatest mass murder. Narrated by Paul Sorvino.
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Friday, February 15, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Milk
Got milk? Billions of pounds of milk are consumed worldwide on a daily
basis. Milk is the basis for its own food group, and has been around
since the dawn of mammals. Visit a farm with a milking parlor that
looks more like a cow merry-go-round. Learn what pasteurization is
really all about, and even milk a yak. Find out what those active
cultures in yogurt are and discover if milk truly makes the body good.
Wait until you discover just how many types of cows there truly are.
8-9pm -- 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!
9-10pm -- Shockwave - 10
Nothing makes for more exciting television than seeing history
captured as it happened, whether by home video, cell phones,
surveillance systems, or the occasional lucky news cameraman. This new
groundbreaking series taking the best raw footage of catastrophic,
headline-making events from all over the world and using the latest in
graphics technology to dissect the video, revealing astonishing 3-D
views and explanations for what really happened. From the catastrophic
bridge collapse in Minneapolis to the explosion aboard the USS
Forrestal, we take an in-depth look at the stories behind the
headlines and introduce you to the people who conquered tragedy with
their incredible human spirit.
10-11pm -- The History of Sex - From Don Juan to Queen Victoria.
This part of our sexual sweep through history covers the intensely
romantic (Don Juan, Casanova) and the darkly perverse (Marquis de
Sade),
then moves on to the 19th century with its quirky views. It is
the era of Queen Victoria, yet mail-order pornography takes off. We
also reveal carnal kinks of the Pilgrims and Puritans.
10-11pm -- Caligula: Reign of Madness -
Caligula ruled the Roman Empire fewer than four years, and was only 28
when assassinated by officers of his guard in 41 AD. His reign was a
legendary frenzy of lunacy, murder, and lust. Between executions, he
staged spectacular orgies, made love to his sister, and declared
himself a living god. Join us for a look at this devoted son,
murderer, pervert, and loving father whose anguished life was far more
bizarre than the myth that surrounds him.
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Saturday, February 16, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Engineering Disasters 21
A steam pipe explosion rocks New Yorkers on a summer day in Midtown
Manhattan. Boston's Big Dig highway project suffers a major setback
when sections of a tunnel ceiling fall onto the roadway. Rush hour in
Minnesota turns deadly, as a bridge plunges into the Mississippi
River. An air show in Mannheim, Germany comes to a tragic end when a
Chinook helicopter crashes along the Autobahn killing 46 people. A
tanker truck explodes on an Oakland freeway overpass, causing the
structure to collapse. And a mud volcano near a natural gas drilling
site erupts in Indonesia, leaving villages buried 16 feet deep. We'll
explore what engineering and structural failures caused these events,
and the changes the catastrophes have wrought.
8-9pm -- Shockwave - 07
Watch as a magician dangling over a river in a straight jacket is set
on fire as the burning platform above him collapses. See footage of
the infamous Sioux City plane crash and listen to an interview with
the pilot who was highly decorated for his heroism on that terrible
day. Then a pilot loses control of his plane when a parachute opens
prematurely and the chute snags on the tail of the plane. Next, a high
tech crime fighting robot provides pictures of a four day standoff
between a crazed gunman and Kentucky police. Finally the camera is
rolling as two contractors are caught in a massive landslide in
Portland, Oregon.
9-10pm -- Shockwave - 08
The crew of the Alaskan Monarch is stranded in the freezing tide of
the Bearing Sea--an iceberg has snapped the rudder. The rescue that
ensues will become one of the most dramatic in Coast Guard history.
Watch as daredevil Kangaroo Kid attempts to jump a twenty foot high
riverboat on a quad runner with a ramp that is only eight feet high.
Then a vengeful man uses a bulldozer to plow down a small town in
America's heartland. Will the National Guard be called in to take it
out with an anti-tank missile? Next, a navy aviator's ejection seat
malfunctions and he's stuck half out of the cockpit as his jet is
coming in for landing. Finally, a home video camera rolls as a family
is trapped in the worst fire in the history of Southern California.
10-11pm -- Shockwave - 09
Watch as a derailed train whose cars are loaded with toxic chemicals
explodes like a rocket in the Illinois countryside. Then a paramedic
rushing to help a wrecked driver at the Daytona International Speedway
is hit by another racecar, thrown 30 feet in the air and then hit
again by the same car. Can eight people fit into a life raft built for
four when their perfect fishing day turns into a nightmare? Relive the
day Matt "Kangaroo Kid" Coulter tried to jump his 40 horsepower "quad"
over a huge riverboat. Finally a Delta ll rocket explosion in Cape
Canaveral,
Florida results in huge chunks of burning metal raining
down on the launch pad and surrounding areas.
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Sunday, February 17, 2008
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7-8pm -- The Universe - The End of the Earth: Deep Space Threats to Our Planet
Asteroids, comets, gamma ray bursts and the sun all combine to make
the Earth a dangerous place to live. NASA's top brass and other
scientists are arming themselves with the latest technology to
pre-empt an apocalyptic attack. Watch and investigate bizarre, and
terrifying apocalyptic scenarios and the ways that scientists are
racing against the clock to develop technology to defend our planet.
8-10pm -- Life After People -
Explore the tantalizing question of whether all the remnants of
mankind will eventually disappear from our planet. What would happen
to the earth if humans ceased to exist? Would ocean life flourish, the
buffalo return to the Great Plains and our skyscrapers yield to the
wear and tear of time. Visit the ghostly villages surrounding
Chernobyl, which were abandoned by humans after the nuclear disaster
in 1986 and then travel to the remote islands off the coast of Maine
to search for traces of abandoned towns that have vanished from view
in only a few decades. Learn from experts in the fields of
engineering, botany, ecology, biology, geology, climatology and
archeology as they provide answers for many thought provoking
questions.
10-11pm -- The Universe - Space Travel
When man finally broke free of the Earth's gravitational pull the
dream of traveling to other planets became a reality. Today scientists
are proposing a bizarre array of technologies in the hope of traveling
faster through space: from space craft sporting sails that catch laser
beams, to propulsion engines powered by a bizarre entity known as
anti-matter. Finally explore the science behind the seemingly fanciful
notion of warp-drive and a theoretical particle that can travel faster
than light.
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Monday, February 18, 2008
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7-8pm -- The Presidents - 1865-1885.
During America's Age of Reconstruction, from Andrew Johnson (Lincoln's
vice president) to Chester A. Arthur, the ruptured nation faced the
difficult task of rebuilding a union after four years of civil war and
a presidential assassination. This period was also known as the era of
"The Ohio Generals"--three of the five presidents featured in this
hour were generals in the Civil War, all from the state of Ohio.
Defining moments include the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson (by a
margin of one, the Senate voted not to convict him), the triumphant
ascendancy of Ulysses S. Grant, the back-room politics of Rutherford
B. Hayes, the unrequited aspirations of James Garfield, and the civil
service reforms of Chester A. Arthur.
8-9pm -- Star Wars Tech -
Take a look at the technology shown throughout the six Star Wars films
and examine their viability through the eyes of cold hard science.
Could a Death Star really be built? Can you build an army of clones?
What is 3-D imaging, and where the can you get a Light Saber? Travel
to a galaxy far, far away to answer all of these questions and more.
9-11pm -- History of the Joke -
Join comedian Lewis Black in his provocative quest for the secret
ingredients of a great joke. Black discovers living history among
America's greatest joke tellers, including George Carlin, Shelley
Berman,
Robin Williams, Robert Klein, Kathleen Madigan, Penn and Teller,
Kathy Griffin, and Dave Attell; and he looks to the future of
joke-telling, with jokes and interviews from over 50 standup comedians
working today. Black's hilarious journey uncovers where jokes come
from, what inspires comedians to get into comedy, the nature of
laughter, improv, the dirty joke and the role of truth in comedy.
Black recounts what it takes to tell the perfect joke.
____________________________________________________
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Tobacco.
Discovered around 18,000 years ago, tobacco was first cultivated in
the Andes between 5000 and 3000 B.C. At a modern tobacco farm in North
Carolina, a farmer will show us how the crop is harvested and cured
and we'll visit the Fuentecigar plantation in the Dominican Republic.
While tobacco has brought pleasure to countless smokers the world
over--it has sent millions to an early grave. In an interview with the
Surgeon General, we will explore this leading public health issue. The
show will also look at smokeless methods of consumption as well as
explore the use of nicotine replacement therapy.
8-9pm -- The Universe - Secrets of the Sun
It is a fireball in the sky, a bubbling, boiling, kinetic sphere of
white hot plasma, exploding and erupting. Its size is almost
unimaginable--one million Earths would fit within its boundaries. In
this violence is born almost all the energy that makes existence on
Earth possible, yet, its full mysteries are only now beginning to be
understood. From Sun spots to solar eclipses, solar flares to solar
storms, the birth of the sun to its potential death, discover the
science and history behind this celestial object that makes life on
Earth exist.
9-10pm -- The Universe - Constellations
A constellation is a group of stars that are connected together to
form a figure or picture. These star pictures help organize the night
sky and provide a useful tool for astronomers even today. Explore some
of the 88 official constellations and learn about some of the
highlights of each--like the star that's due to go supernova in the
constellation Orion. Discover the 13th zodiac sign that no one talks
about, and find out why Polaris, the North Star, will one day have to
surrender its title.
10-11pm -- Mega Disasters - Mega Drought
Recent warming trends in seawater and air temperature point to a
possible mega drought in the next thirty to fifty years. Could we be
facing a replay of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s on an even bigger scale?
Scientists working with government authorities are highly cognizant of
the need to conserve. Is it too late? Jump ahead to a scenario seventy
years into the future--a twelve-year drought has left the country
unstable and economically depressed. Cities across the west lie
abandoned, states fight over limited water supplies and we are now
dependant on other nations for food. Society has devolved into a
desperate battle for survival as individuals fight over the scarce
resource.
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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Taxidermy.
It began as a tool used by prehistoric man to attract animals to the
hunt. Over time it became an invaluable study aid for the natural
scientist and a popular hobby for hunters and fishermen. Join us for a
tantalizing look at the history of taxidermy, the craft of preserving
animal skins and using them to recreate a still life of the animal as
it appeared in life. We also check out fiberglass reproduction, which
is gaining popularity as fish and game regulations become stricter.
Finally, we examine human subjects in taxidermy. Using the very latest
process of plastination, the once taboo science and art of preserving
and displaying human corpses, now draws crowds in Europe, Asia, and
the US, proving the age-old practice continues to mesmerize us!
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - The Butcher.
In a carnivorous world, a butcher is a necessary link in the food
chain, carving a carcass of unsavory flesh into mouthwatering cuts. We
trace the grisly trade's evolution--from yesteryear's
butcher-on-every-corner to today's industrial butcher working on a
"disassembly" line. We tour the infamous remains of the Chicago
Stockyards,
where Upton Sinclair, Clarence Birdseye, and refrigeration
changed butchering forever; witness high-speed butchering; and travel
to a non-stop sausage factory. And if you're still squeamish, a USDA
inspector offers the lowdown on HACCP--the country's new system of
checks and balances on everything from quality grading to E coli,
Salmonella, and Mad Cow Disease. Finally, we visit the last bastion of
old-school butchering--the rural custom butcher, who slaughters,
eviscerates, skins, and cuts to his customer's wishes.
9-10pm -- MonsterQuest - Birdzilla
Native Americans have long revered huge birds called Thunderbirds.
There was a rash of giant bird sightings in Illinois, Texas and Alaska
back in the 1970's. A giant bird with a 15-foot wingspan allegedly
attacked a small child in Illinois. Could there really be a giant bird
or is it mass hysteria? Take a scientific journey and follow the many
eyewitnesses' accounts across the country and examine the most
compelling evidence. One-part history, one-part science and one part
monster, discover the truth behind legendary monsters.
10-11pm -- UFO Hunters - Crash and Retrieval
In 1947 an unknown object approaching US air space at great speed and
a civilian craft out of El Paso were heading towards each other when
they disappeared from radar. At the crash site near Coyame, the
Mexican government beat the U.S. to the scene and loaded the wrecked
UFO onto a flatbed truck. When the U.S. military arrived the Mexican
convoy was found ambushed and the military personnel killed. The UFO
craft was taken by the U.S. military to an unknown location. Our team
goes to Mexico in search of the plane crash site where they hope to
recover evidence. Then in August of 2007, in the Mexican towns of
Ciudad de Valles and Xilitla, reports of "a silver object falling from
the sky," and "a fireball coming down over a tree," were called into
the Center for Control. Our team will interview the witnesses who have
collected evidence, including an officer who risked his career to tell
the story, and visit sites where the area has been burned.
____________________________________________________
Thursday, February 21, 2008
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7-8pm -- History's Mysteries - Ship of Gold.
In 1857, en route to New York from California, the steamship Central
America vanished in a killer storm off North Carolina's coast, taking
with her 400 passengers and nearly 21 tons of gold bullion. Here is
the story of the worst US peacetime sea disaster, and how high-tech
treasure hunters recovered her fortune over 130 years later.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Mountain Roads.
Join our journey along monumental feats of engineering that preserved
America's natural wonders while paving the way towards her future.
Travel the Donner Pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, site of a dark
chapter in US history. Today, crews use the latest technology to keep
I-80 open during the worst winter storms. Enjoy the view while
traveling to the summit of Pike's Peak in Colorado, inspiration for
America the Beautiful. The "Going-to-the-Sun-Road" slices through
Montana's majestic Glacier National Park, crossing the Continental
Divide
and allowing motorists unsurpassed views of mountain scenery.
Outside Denver, the Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel, carved through
mountain rock, united eastern and western Colorado. And the
Blue Ridge Parkway, which took 52 years to complete, snakes through large, scenic
swatches.
9-10pm -- Gangland - 06 - Kings of New York
A gritty, true-life series exposing the world of history's most
notorious and dangerous gangs.
10-11pm -- Cities of the Underworld - A-Bomb Underground
Tokyo, Japan is a city straight out of the future, above ground... and
below. We'll go beneath the busy streets to see the latest technology
that will save the city from the many natural disasters ready to
strike. From there, we head back in time to World War II to see how
Hiroshima's underground offered protection from the most powerful
bombs... and get an inside look at the secret life of the Ninja. Don
Wildman hosts.
____________________________________________________
Friday, February 22, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Overseas Highway.
A spectacular roadway nearly 120 miles long, the Overseas Highway
links mainland Florida with the Florida Keys, and contains 51 bridges,
including the Seven-Mile Bridge. A boat was the only mode of travel
from Miami to Key West until oil tycoon Henry Flagler completed his
railroad line in 1912. After a 1935 hurricane destroyed 40 miles of
track, the scenic highway was built using Flagler's bridges. A
$175-million refurbishment that ended in 1982 resulted in today's
remarkable Overseas Highway.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Most Shocking
It strikes without warning and kills in an instant. We fear its might
even as we use it to save a life. Explore the electric shock in its
numerous forms. Visit a modern day taser factory, uncovering the
history behind these devices. Deconstruct a lightening bolt, which can
travel up to 100,000 miles per second, and listen to the shocking
tales from survivors of lightening strikes. From fences to eels, to
the electric chair, we reveal the jolting truth about the electric
shock.
9-10pm -- Shockwave - 11
Nothing makes for more exciting television than seeing history
captured as it happened, whether by home video, cell phones,
surveillance systems, or the occasional lucky news cameraman. This new
groundbreaking series taking the best raw footage of catastrophic,
headline-making events from all over the world and using the latest in
graphics technology to dissect the video, revealing astonishing 3-D
views and explanations for what really happened. From the catastrophicbridge collapse in Minneapolis to the explosion aboard the USS
Forrestal,
we take an in-depth look at the stories behind the
headlines and introduce you to the people who conquered tragedy with
their incredible human spirit.
10-11pm -- Ancient Discoveries - Ancient Super Ballistics
We reveal how the science and technology of ballistics actually dates
back thousands of years to the ancient world. Using state of the art
forensic techniques and the world's leading firearms experts, this
groundbreaking show reveals the accuracy, power and range of ancient
bullets, rockets and bombs.
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Saturday, February 23, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - World's Sharpest
It's time to slice and dice! Take a cutting-edge look at the most
amazing blades in the world, from the legendary sword of the samurai
warrior with an edge sharp enough to sever a man's arm in a single
swipe, to industrial shredder blades capable of gobbling anything from
a sofa to a fridge, to the precision slicing power of lasers and
plasma.
8-10pm -- Hillbilly: The Real Story -
The two-hour special, hosted by celebrity Billy Ray Cyrus, brings
these mythic people to life through stories that span 300 years.
Outcast immigrants, war heroes, isolated backwoodsmen, hard working
miners, fast moving moon shiners, religious warriors, musicians and
statesmen make up the rugged cast of characters.
10-12am -- Andrew Jackson -
Andrew Jackson was the first "common-man" President. Orphaned at 14,
he became a lawyer with no formal education, an Army General with no
military experience and President without being rich. Jackson survived
the nation's first Presidential assassination attempt, defeated the
British in the Battle of New Orleans and passed the controversial
Indian Removal Act which resulted in the death of nearly 10,000
Native Americans. His portrait on the $20 bill conveys an image of
passion, strength and confidence, but most historians will admit that he was
often a cruel man.
____________________________________________________
Sunday, February 24, 2008
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7-8pm -- Shockwave - 11
(see 9pm last Friday)
8-9pm -- UFO Hunters - The UFO Before Roswell
Six "doughnut-shaped aircraft" were spotted off the coast of Maury
Island, WA one week before the reported UFO crash in Roswell, NM.
Harold Dahl and his son witnessed the aircraft dancing in unknown form
and one spewing white-hot fragments over the water and beach. The
falling debris killed Dahl's dog. The military was informed and two
Air Force intelligence officers arrived in Tacoma, conducted
interviews and collected the remaining wreckage. The officers departed
from McCord Field but their plane lost communication and crashed near
the town of Kelso. Now our team has located the crash scene and
together with an archeologist, will scour the debris field and analyze
the evidence.
9-10pm -- UFO Hunters - USOs
In 1990 a pilot flying his small plane off Catalina Island spotted an
object just below the surface of the water which enveloped his plane
with a bright light, freezing his controls. His next recollection was
waking in the hospital with NTSB and LA County Sheriff personnel. His
cousin was killed in the crash. Our team will use high-tech sidescan
sonar and deep sea magnetometers to search and dive for the wreck and
analyze the evidence. Eyewitness accounts, scientific experimentation,
documents recently released through the Freedom of Information Act and
footage that has never been seen on television is used to piece
together compelling evidence of UFO phenomena.
10-11pm -- UFO Hunters - Crash and Retrieval
(see 10pm last Wednesday)
____________________________________________________
Monday, February 25, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - The M-16.
The most powerful assault rifle ever used in combat, the M-16 became
the symbol of our lost war--Vietnam--and can easily be called
America's most unloved gun. Yet, 30 years after its introduction, it
stands as a potent icon of U.S. military strength worldwide. We'll
explain how it almost ended up on the scrap heap!
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - The World's Biggest Machines.
Join us for a look at the biggest, heaviest, tallest, longest, meanest
machines on the planet! We'll see what these monsters do and how they
operate, and how they're designed and assembled. Machines investigated
include the largest draglines, excavators used in mining; the biggest
dump truck; a front-end loader with an 80-ton bucket and the largest
tires of any vehicle; the cruise ship Voyager of the Seas; a
240-foot tall wind generator; and a fusion reaction machine the size
of a football field.
9-10pm -- Cities of the Underworld - Viking Underground
Dublin, Ireland is much more than a city full of pubs and pints. Pagan
burial tombs, subterranean defense tunnels, and mysterious burial
crypts line the underground below the rolling hills. Even an
underground river runs through the heart of the city where you'd least
expect to find it.
10-11pm -- Ancient Discoveries - Ancient Death Machines
Military innovation is consistently at the cutting edge of
technological advances. Almost all technology on the planet today owes
its origins to inventions driven by one purpose--war. From apocalyptic
skyscraper siege machines to ancient landmines and flamethrowers which
had the potential to extinguish hundreds of lives in minutes, most of
today's lethal weapons owe their origins to the inventors of the
ancient world.
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Tuesday, February 26, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Pirate Tech.
Bold, cunning, and audacious, pirates are a breed of fighting men and
women who have terrorized the high seas since before recorded history.
At the height of their power in the 1700s they literally influenced
the fate of nations when they became embroiled in the rivalry between
England and Spain. This special will visit maritime museums and
shipwreck sites, utilize walk-and-talk demonstrations of fire arms,
swords, and navigation instruments to help spotlight the innovations
pirates brought to maritime technology. Includes a look at how many
pirates modified their ships to make them faster and more powerful.
The History Channel's real-life Pirates website
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Trucks.
Icons of the open road, trucks form the backbone of the construction
and transportation industries. The facility to handle nearly any load
and the ability to deliver goods almost anywhere make trucks integral
to modern life. From 18th-century steam-powered carriages to
tomorrow's computerized trucks, it's a long haul you'll enjoy!
9-10pm -- The Universe - Unexplained Mysteries
Delve into the myths, misconceptions, truths and amazing mysteries of
our unique universe. Could life exist on Mars? Is time travel possible
and does Einstein's theory of relativity support it? Is there a
companion dark star to our sun and could it pose a threat to earth?
Learn about the spark that lit the big bang. Take a journey from
science fiction that predicted all these things, to the scientific
reality of what they mean to us in the ever-changing universe.
10-11pm -- Mega Disasters - Super Swarms
The locust is one of the most destructive and dreaded life forms on
Earth. American pioneers faced the largest swarm of locusts ever
recorded. The 1,800 mile long and 110 mile wide cloud of insects ate
their way through the heartland and blocked the sun for five days.
Famine ensued, and thousands faced starvation. According to recent
studies, the possibility of such a swarm returning to the United
States is very likely. The destruction would be unimaginable.
____________________________________________________
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Howard Hughes Tech.
An in-depth look at the technology conceived or developed by America's
first billionaire. A passionate aviator, Howard Hughes built and flew
planes that broke speed records, and developed war machines, spy
aircraft, and commercial airliners. Despite the impressive heights
reached by his technological empire, his health and mental well-being
were fragile. During his last years, he wasn't seen publicly or
photographed, rarely left the hotel suites he occupied, and was
terrified of germs. But when Hughes died in 1976, he left a huge
legacy in aviation and technology. When we board an airliner, view TV
via satellite, or marvel at America's military might, we might do well
to remember the risk-taker who flew faster than his peers and was at
heart an aviator obsessively dedicated to both the art and science of
flight.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Chesapeake Bay Bridge & Tunnel.
Named one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern age, the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel connects Virginia proper with its
easternmost landmass. Stretching 17 miles across the historic
Chesapeake Bay, the structure represents a man-made boundary between
the Bay and the Atlantic. The structure includes two 2-lane highways
supported mostly by trestles, four man-made and one natural island,
two truss bridges, and two revolutionary sunken tube tunnels.
9-10pm -- MonsterQuest - Bigfoot
Bigfoot has been sighted in Washington State more than any other place
on earth. Join an all-female expedition as they try to lure a Bigfoot
within range of their cameras. The 1967 Patterson footage will be
reexamined using digital microscopes that could reveal details that
might prove if the beast is real or a hoax. One-part history, one-part
science and one part monsters, discover the truth behind legendary
monsters.
10-11pm -- UFO Hunters - Military vs. UFOs
In 1956, an object was detected over the North Sea heading toward
Bentwaters RAF base--a base with nuclear weapons. Two Venom fighters
made contact with the object, but their weapons and electrical systems
were rendered useless. Both ground crew and base radar witnessed the
event. In January 1980, British and American soldiers stationed at
NATO/RAF bases near Rendlesham Forest observed a mysterious object in
the sky. Listen to a dramatic audio recording of the event made by
USAF Colonel Charles Halt. Was there a cover-up about these events
involving the military and intelligence agencies? Former British
Minister of Defense spokesman Nick Pope will provide the British
government's response. Hear eyewitness accounts and see footage that
has never been seen on television that piece together compelling
evidence of UFO phenomena.
____________________________________________________
Thursday, February 28, 2008
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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 -- Modern Marvels - Superhighways
Millions of drivers travel the world's superhighways each year. See a
multi-billion dollar expansion project in Houston, Texas where a
stretch of superhighway is being widened to 20 lanes. Take a ride atop
the High-Five, a 12-story, five-level interchange that's become the
latest Dallas tourist attraction. Then it's off to China's 28,000-mile
National Trunk Highway System. Discover how a single distracted driver
can cause a major traffic jam. Finally, play a cutting-edge video game
that's training emergency personnel how to unclog a clogged
superhighway.
9-10pm -- Gangland - 05 - Race Wars
A gritty, true-life series exposing the world of history's most
notorious and dangerous gangs.
10-11pm -- Ancient Discoveries - Ancient Super Navies
Using the latest scientific techniques to solve the greatest mysteries
of the ancient world's naval technology, our team of modelmakers,
underwater detectives and elite naval commandos are investigating
legends that speak of lethal, high explosive grenades... covert
underwater attack equipment... and highly toxic biological warfare.
Their life-threatening experiments will forever transform our
understanding of antiquity's greatest naval inventions.
____________________________________________________
Friday, February 29, 2008
____________________________________________________
7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Titanic Tech.
Welcome aboard the luxury liner Titanic, the world's largest ship and
pride of the White Star Line. Watertight compartments and a
steel-plated hull render it all but unsinkable. Nearly every
technological breakthrough of the previous 50 years is employed
onboard, providing comfort and safety for passengers and crew. But
none of this will matter on April 15, 1912, when the ship bears down
on an iceberg on her maiden voyage, sinking within hours with more
than 1,500 lives lost. Learn the details of her construction and how
the achievements of technology may have masked her vulnerabilities.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Runways.
What do you think about when you gaze out the window as your plane
takes off? Probably not about the least heralded part of our
infrastructure--airport runways. But runways play a vital role as the
backbone of aviation. They're where rubber meets road and land gives
way to sky. Did you know that airports like JFK train falcons to keep
little birds from becoming a hazard to the big, shiny birds? Join us
for an engrossing look at the brawny concrete and asphalt runways that
make aviation possible.
9-10pm -- Shockwave - 12
Nothing makes for more exciting television than seeing history
captured as it happened, whether by home video, cell phones,
surveillance systems, or the occasional lucky news cameraman. This new
groundbreaking series taking the best raw footage of catastrophic,
headline-making events from all over the world and using the latest in
graphics technology to dissect the video, revealing astonishing 3-D
views and explanations for what really happened.
10-11pm -- Battle 360 - Call to Duty
Aircraft Carrier USS Enterprise, destined to become the most decorated
ship of World War II, was the only carrier to be front and center in
every major sea battle in the Pacific. The Enterprise and her crew
engaged in some of the fiercest battles ever seen, marked by intense
firepower, instinct and a 360-coordination between the carrier, the
destroyers, the aircraft above and the submarines below. Follow the
Enterprise and its men from the start of the war through to the last
battle.
____________________________________________________
March 2008
Saturday, March 1, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Superhighways
Millions of drivers travel the world's superhighways each year. See a
multi-billion dollar expansion project in Houston, Texas where a
stretch of superhighway is being widened to 20 lanes. Take a ride atop
the High-Five, a 12-story, five-level interchange that's become the
latest Dallas tourist attraction. Then it's off to China's 28,000-mile
National Trunk Highway System. Discover how a single distracted driver
can cause a major traffic jam. Finally, play a cutting-edge video game
that's training emergency personnel how to unclog a clogged
superhighway.
8-12am -- Wyatt Earp -
Movie. Kevin Costner stars in this sweeping biopic that looks at the
life of the famous gunslinger and lawman. All of the places and events
that made Earp a frontier legend are here--his days in Dodge City and
Tombstone, the Gunfight at the OK Corral, his friendship with the
dentist and gambler Doc Holliday, and his close relationship with his
brothers. Costner gives a sharp portrayal of the complex Earp, and
he's supported by a terrific cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Michael
Madsen, and Gene Hackman. (1994)
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Sunday, March 2, 2008
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7-8pm -- Decoding The Past - Doomsday 2012: The End of Days
There are prophecies and oracles from around the world that all seem
to point to December 21, 2012 as doomsday. The ancient Mayan Calendar,
the medieval predictions of Merlin, the Book of Revelation and the
Chinese oracle of the I Ching all point to this specific date as the
end of civilization. A new technology called "The Web-Bot Project"
makes massive scans of the internet as a means of forecasting the
future... and has turned up the same dreaded date: 2012. Skeptics
point to a long history of "Failed Doomsdays", but many oracles of
doom throughout history have a disturbingly accurate track record. As
the year 2012 ticks ever closer we'll speculate if there are any
reasons to believe these doomsayers.
8-10pm -- Quest for the Lost Ark -
The existence and location of the Ark of the Covenant has remained one
of the most enduring mysteries in archaeology. Professor Tudor Parfitt
from London's School of Oriental and African Studies will reveal where
he believes the Ark is. Parfitt is well-known for discovering that the
Lemba tribe in Zimbabwe is one of the lost tribes of Israel. Follow
this global quest-detective as he decodes ancient texts and pieces
together clues. Ultimately he builds a picture of what he thinks the
Ark looks like and where it is. The journey takes viewers through
Israelite wars, Philistine shrines, Solomon's Temple and Africa to the
final, critical clue which led Parfitt to its current location.
10-12am -- Banned from The Bible II -
Take another look at ancient texts that were edited out of the Bible.
Are they the missing links to Christ's true teachings, or heretical
attempts to rewrite history? Explore the kabalistic stories of angels
and demons disavowed by orthodox leaders, and the apocalyptic visions
and the sexual imagery that were barred from the Old Testament. Why
was Peter's account of a "Lord of The Rings"-style battle of wits and
magic repressed by Rome? With discoveries being made all across the
world--in caves, ruined temples, ancient libraries and
monasteries--these tantalizing fragments continue to be found and
debated. Are they heresy or hidden truth?
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Monday, March 3, 2008
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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 -- Modern Marvels - The Lumberyard.
At the center of the American Dream is the home--and at the center of
its creation or renovation is the lumberyard. We'll explore the
options lumberyards provide for builders and renovators--from natural
to engineered woods. We'll show how plywood and pressed woods are
made, trace exotic woods to jungle and desert, visit a special
lumberyard that deals in recycled and antique woods, and go on an
underwater expedition as divers locate ancient logs buried in the
Great Lakes and New Zealand. We'll see how 50,000-year-old ancient
Kauri wood is "mined" from a bog and is now all the rage among those
who live in mansions and travel on yachts. From the lowly 2-by-4 used
to build a tract home, to a reclaimed set of historic planks used to
make a million-dollar bar in a 5-star hotel, this eye-opening program
hits the nail right on the head.
9-10pm -- Cities of the Underworld - Hitler's Last Secret
Prague is a city cloaked in mystery, with an underground to match.
Medieval castles line the streets and hide dark dungeons deep below
them. From quarries where Hitler may have stored his most powerful
secret weapon to mines that doubled as Communist slave camps, Prague
has surprising stories to tell. Join host Don Wildman as he reveals
the technological marvels that allowed the construction of one city
upon another--literally.
10-11pm -- Ancient Discoveries - Ancient Chinese Super Ships
The master shipbuilders of the Far East created the most deadly
warships of ancient times in their quest for supremacy of the seas.
Uncover the extraordinary ingenuity of the ancient engineers whose
innovations would take shipbuilding to new heights and create some of
the largest and most fearsome navies of the ancient world.
____________________________________________________
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
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7-8pm -- 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.
8-9pm -- The Universe - Supernovas
A stellar explosion, the supernova is the sensational death of a star.
It can shine as bright as 100 billion Suns and radiate as much energy
as the Sun would emit over 10 billion years. Jets of high-energy light
and matter are propelled into space and can cause massive Gamma Ray
Bursts and emit intense X-ray radiation for thousands of years.
Astronomers believe that this process creates the very building blocks
of planets, people and plants. Meet the world's leading Supernova
hunters, and take a look at recorded supernovas throughout history.
9-10pm -- The Universe - Cosmic Collisions
It's been said that our universe is a cosmic shooting gallery. Gravity
is moving everything around and things are bound to collide.
Astronomers are attempting to understand how these collisions occur in
the dark recesses of space. Learn about collisional families, which
are clusters of comets and asteroids; planetary collisions; mass
extinction impacts involving asteroids and comets; stars collisions;
and galaxy cluster collisions. Cutting-edge computer graphics are used
to bring this series down to earth as the heavens yield their greatest
secrets.
10-11pm -- Mega Disasters - L.A.'s Killer Quake
It has been a century since the infamous 1906 San Francisco earthquake
and Californians live with the knowledge that it's only a matter of
time before they're hit again. Los Angeles is the second most populous
city in America. If an earthquake hit directly beneath downtown LA,
scientists believe that tens of thousands would be killed. Just how
would the city respond to a 7.5 magnitude quake? Take a look at how
well the emergency responders could cope. A CGI worst-case scenario
will show the incredible damage and destruction that would cripple one
of the most important cities in the world.
____________________________________________________
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Jet Engines.
Strap on a parachute and soar through the saga of jet propulsion,
which radically transformed our world since inception in WWII--from
the Nazi's first jet-powered aircraft to the US F-22 jet fighter, from
the Concorde to tomorrow's scram-jet, a hypersonic transport plane
that switches to rocket power outside earth's atmosphere!
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Logging Tech.
When Paul Bunyan cried "Timber!", he never foresaw today's
cutting-edge, controversial industry that feeds a ravenous,
lumber-crazy world--a world striving to protect nature while devouring
it. Come into the woods to see how he-men and hi-tech combine forces
to topple 4-billion trees annually; journey to 19th-century America,
when lumberjacks cut a legend as large as the timber they felled; and
travel with a tree from stump to sawmill and learn its non-wood
uses--from aspirin to film to toothpaste!
9-10pm -- MonsterQuest - Mutant Canines
Something strange is killing Fido. In 2006, a number of pets were
killed in Maine and Minnesota by a beast locals describe as a
mutant--one of these creatures was hit by a car. The body of this
strange looking creature will be DNA tested to see what it really is.
Two expeditions will be launched to trap other dog killers still at
large. One-part history, one-part science and one part monster,
discover the truth behind legendary monsters.
10-11pm -- UFO Hunters - Cops vs. UFOs
UFOs sightings are more common among police offices than you might
believe and many have witnessed things they can't explain. Travel the
U.S. and abroad to hear first hand accounts from seasoned, decorated
police officers who have had unbelievable, but substantiated UFO
encounters. Follow a team from UFO Magazine as they open their files
and investigate UFO cases around the world.
____________________________________________________
Thursday, March 6, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - The World's Fastest.
Perhaps no field has experienced the revolution in velocity more
acutely than transportation. We look at five blazingly fast
technological marvels that have pushed the speed limits to the very
edge, each with its own unique and dramatic history: the world's
fastest production car (Sweden's Koenigsegg CCR); the world's fastest
train (the Maglev in Shanghai); the world's fastest boat (The Spirit
of Australia); the world's fastest roller coaster (the Kingda Ka) and
the fastest thing on earth (the Holloman High Speed Test Track), used
to test highly sensitive equipment for many branches of the government
and commercial clients.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - World's Strongest III
Witness some mind-blowing feats of strength starting with the world's
most powerful elevators--one lifts fighter jets, the other lifts a
giant stage filled with acrobats. Discover the world's strongest tire
and the monster mine machine it rolls with. Take a 35-foot drop on the
world's strongest mountain bike. See the world's strongest land
transport vehicle that carries the Space Shuttle. Finally mix some
drinks or chop a telephone into dust with the biggest and strongest
home blender you've ever seen.
9-10pm -- Gangland - Basic Training
A gritty, true-life series exposing the world of history's most
notorious and dangerous gangs.
10-11pm -- Ancient Discoveries - Ancient Death Machines
Military innovation is consistently at the cutting edge of
technological advances. Almost all technology on the planet today owes
its origins to inventions driven by one purpose--war. From apocalyptic
skyscraper siege machines to ancient landmines and flamethrowers which
had the potential to extinguish hundreds of lives in minutes, most of
today's lethal weapons owe their origins to the inventors of the
ancient world.
____________________________________________________
Friday, March 7, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Racetrack Tech.
A look at the "science of safety" as applied to Indy or NASCAR racing.
From tires to roll-cages to hood flaps, we examine the incredible
technology that's helping prevent crashes and enabling drivers to
survive the inevitable ones. See how today's innovative minds
digitally reconstruct crashes and design new technology that keeps
pushing the limits of racing. The drivers may grab the glory, but they
wouldn't dare get behind the wheel if it weren't for the guys in white
lab coats. (1-hour version)
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Saws
Sink your teeth into the razor sharp world of saws. Cut across the
centuries to discover how the Egyptians arduously sawed stone as
compared to modern saws that slice through limestone like butter. Saws
have been used as instruments of torture and tools for surgery. They
are imperative for construction, salvage, demolition, and they even
make music. Whether they have teeth of steel, carbide or diamond, you
will be on the cutting edge of successful sawing.
9-10pm -- Battle 360 - Call to Duty
Aircraft Carrier USS Enterprise, destined to become the most decorated
ship of World War ll, was the only carrier to be front and center in
every major sea battle in the Pacific. The Enterprise and her crew
engaged in some of the fiercest battles ever seen, marked by intense
firepower, instinct and a 360-coordination between the carrier, the
destroyers, the aircraft above and the submarines below. Follow the
Enterprise and its men from the start of the war through to the last
battle.
10-11pm -- Battle 360 - Vengeance at Midway
Destined to become the most decorated ship of World War II, USS
Enterprise and sister carriers Yorktown and Hornet, turn the tide of
the Pacific War. In just a few violent days in the waters off Midway
Island, the American carrier fleet pulverizes the Imperial Japanese
Navy. Enterprise helps secure one of America's first victories in
World War II.
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Saturday, March 8, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Axes, Swords and Knives.
Blade implements have been a part of civilized man's arsenal since the
Paleolithic Age, when sharp tools were chipped off of flint or
obsidian. But with the discovery of metallurgy, people were able to
forge stronger, more versatile blade implements. We visit an
axe-throwing contest in Wisconsin for an introduction to the least
subtle of the blade tools. Then we visit a swordsmith and an
experienced swordfighter who work in traditional methods from ancient
sources, and review the history of knives.
8-10pm -- How the Earth Was Made -
From a once seething, hellish mass of molten rock to the world that
inhabits life today, take a rollercoaster ride through the entire
history of Planet Earth. Its 4.5 billion year epic, a story of
unimaginable timescales, earth-shattering forces, incredible life
forms, radical climates and mass extinctions. Discover how the
continents were formed, canyons were carved, and why the world's
animals live where they do.
10-12am -- Life After People -
Explore the tantalizing question of whether all the remnants of
mankind will eventually disappear from our planet. What would happen
to the earth if humans ceased to exist? Would ocean life flourish, the
buffalo return to the Great Plains and our skyscrapers yield to the
wear and tear of time. Visit the ghostly villages surrounding
Chernobyl, which were abandoned by humans after the nuclear disaster
in 1986 and then travel to the remote islands off the coast of Maine
to search for traces of abandoned towns that have vanished from view
in only a few decades. Learn from experts in the fields of
engineering, botany, ecology, biology, geology, climatology and
archeology as they provide answers for many thought provoking
questions.
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Sunday, March 9, 2008
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6-8pm -- Last Stand of The 300 -
After Custer, Thermopylae is the most famous last stand in history. In
a narrow pass in Northern Greece, seven thousand Greek soldiers await
an onslaught of epic proportions. They will soon face the largest
fighting force ever assembled--the war machine of the mighty Persian
Empire, estimated at over a million men. The Greeks are led by three
hundred of the most ferocious warriors of the ancient world--the
Spartans. Their leader is the fearless King Leonidas, who after this
battle would be catapulted into legend. When it is over, every Spartan
in the pass will have sacrificed his life for freedom. Creating a
fresh visual style and using new technologies we will dramatically
recreate the significant events that lead to Thermopylae and the clash
of arms.
8-10pm -- Journey to 10,000 BC -
Discover the thrilling real story of life on earth in prehistoric
times. Viewers will go back in time to when early humans are just
starting to inhabit North America and huge climate fluctuations cause
a mini-Ice Age. The saber tooth cat, the giant ground sloth and the
woolly mammoth are suddenly becoming extinct. How does man survive?
Travel to early archaeological sites in North America and watch as
scientists uncover fossilized bones, ancient homes and weapons of
stone. State-of-the-art green-screen computer animation re-creates the
great mammoth hunts of the time.
10-11pm -- Ax Men - 01 - Ax Men
Logging has been called North America's most dangerous job. From
individual loggers working with saws and axes to high-powered
mega-mills, today's lumber industry is a fusion of ancient tradition
and modern technology. Follow a season of a team of logging camps
located in the remote, isolated forests of northwest Oregon. Visit
with larger than life characters, many of whom are members of logging
families that go back generations. See how an elite group of loggers
battle the elements--and each other--to race against the clock and
earn as much money as they can before the season ends.
____________________________________________________
Monday, March 10, 2008
____________________________________________________
7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Oil Tankers.
The biggest moving objects ever built by man, oil tankers dominate the
world's waterways, both in size and numbers. Upwards of 10,000 strong,
the world tanker fleet's vast number results from the modern,
insatiable thirst for oil. We'll dig into the history of oil
transport--from Civil War days to the critical WWII years and
invention of the supertanker in the 1950s. And we examine the
financial impact of modifying these steel leviathans to prevent future
catastrophic environmental disasters.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Strange Weapons
Modern arsenals have become much more sophisticated than bullets and
bombs. Discover microwave-like rays that can be fired at the enemy and
make them feel like they're being burned alive and laser weapons,
mounted on trucks and airplanes that can blow missiles out of the sky.
Some of the newest non-lethal weapons include a B.B. machine gun that
can fire 150 pain-causing pellets a second and a flashing device
nicknamed "the pukelight" that may make you lose your lunch. Finally
examine ancient weapons that include a cutlery set containing hidden
pistols and Ninja hand claws that would put the X-Men's Wolverine to
shame.
9-10pm -- Cities of the Underworld - Maya Underground
Belize was the nerve center of the ancient Mayan civilization.
Hundreds of ruins dot the landscape and reveal clues to bloody
rituals, advanced architecture and a belief in an unforgiving
underworld of Mayan gods. Host Don Wildman ducks beneath the jungles
of Belize to uncover burial tombs, sacrificial altars, ritualistic
caves and the literal entrances to the Mayan underworld.
10-11pm -- Ancient Discoveries - Ancient New York
New York's towering skyline and world-leading technology have made it
the ultimate city, yet breathtaking new discoveries reveal that the
blueprints for this megametropolis were in fact laid thousands of
years ago. From brutal bloodsports staged in ancient Madison Square
Gardens to Times Square-style celebrations at a gigantic neolithic
calender, you are about to discover that everything you thought you
knew about the Big Apple comes from our distant forefathers.
____________________________________________________
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
____________________________________________________
7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Gas Tech.
Gas--it makes a balloon go up, cooks our food, and fills our lungs.
But this invisible state of matter does far more, and has a very
visible impact on the world. We follow natural gas from well tip to
stove top and trace its use from 3rd century BC Chinese salt producers
to modern appliances. Next, we investigate the most plentiful gas in
the universe--hydrogen--which may also prove to be the most powerful.
We also experience the cryogenic world of industrial gasses--what they
do and where they come from--as we travel to the British Oxygen
Company's Braddock Air Separation Plant to see how they freeze
millions of tons of oxygen and nitrogen. And at the Bush Dome Helium
Reserve in Texas, we learn why the US government sits atop 36-billion
cubic feet of the stuff. Finally, we look inside the colorful world of
gas and neon lights. So lay back, breathe deep, and count backwards
from 10...
8-9pm -- The Universe - Constellations
A constellation is a group of stars that are connected together to
form a figure or picture. These star pictures help organize the night
sky and provide a useful tool for astronomers even today. Explore some
of the 88 official constellations and learn about some of the
highlights of each--like the star that's due to go supernova in the
constellation Orion. Discover the 13th zodiac sign that no one talks
about, and find out why Polaris, the North Star, will one day have to
surrender its title.
9-10pm -- The Universe - Colonizing Space
Space colonization is no longer the fodder of science fiction, it is
becoming a reality. Examine the efforts underway to establish a human
colony on Mars, including how they plan to grow food, recycle
wastewater and introduce greenhouse gases to revive the red planet and
make it more habitable for humans. Cutting-edge computer graphics are
used to bring the universe down to earth to show what life would be
like on Mars, and to imagine what kind of life forms might evolve in
alien atmospheres.
10-11pm -- Ax Men - 01 - Ax Men
Logging has been called North America's most dangerous job. From
individual loggers working with saws and axes to high-powered
mega-mills, today's lumber industry is a fusion of ancient tradition
and modern technology. Follow a season of a team of logging camps
located in the remote, isolated forests of northwest Oregon. Visit
with larger than life characters, many of whom are members of logging
families that go back generations. See how an elite group of loggers
battle the elements--and each other--to race against the clock and
earn as much money as they can before the season ends.
____________________________________________________
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
____________________________________________________
7-8pm -- 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.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - World's Sharpest
It's time to slice and dice! Take a cutting-edge look at the most
amazing blades in the world, from the legendary sword of the samurai
warrior with an edge sharp enough to sever a man's arm in a single
swipe, to industrial shredder blades capable of gobbling anything from
a sofa to a fridge, to the precision slicing power of lasers and
plasma.
9-10pm -- MonsterQuest - Lions in the Backyard
Mountain lions do occasionally attack humans, and when they do it
makes headlines across the country. However, it has been reported that
people are seeing something else--attacks by large black cats.
Pictures and law enforcement encounters prove a big black cat is out
there, while it resembles a mountain lion, there is no such thing as a
black mountain lion. From Texas to Minnesota to West Virginia, follow
the eyewitness accounts and physical evidence of these demon cats.
Bones from a carcass that eyewitnesses claim was a huge black cat will
be put to the DNA test. One-part history, one-part science and one
part monsters discover the truth behind legendary monsters.
10-11pm -- UFO Hunters - The UFO Before Roswell
Six "doughnut-shaped aircraft" were spotted off the coast of Maury
Island, WA one week before the reported UFO crash in Roswell, NM.
Harold Dahl and his son witnessed the aircraft dancing in unknown form
and one spewing white-hot fragments over the water and beach. The
falling debris killed Dahl's dog. The military was informed and two
Air Force intelligence officers arrived in Tacoma, conducted
interviews and collected the remaining wreckage. The officers departed
from McCord Field but their plane lost communication and crashed near
the town of Kelso. Now our team has located the crash scene and
together with an archeologist, will scour the debris field and analyze
the evidence.
____________________________________________________
Thursday, March 13, 2008
____________________________________________________
7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Lube Job.
From chariot wheels of ancient Egypt to hard disks in a computer to
the wheels on a Mars rover, machinery can't function without
lubricants. And in today's technology, there are a mind-boggling
number of friction points that must be lubed, and a staggering number
of lubricants-- petroleum motor oils that keep car engines from
burning up, synthetic greases that stay put in the zero gravity of
space, and solid coatings that prevent eggs from sticking to a pan.
We'll see how this marvel of chemistry works and how it's used.
Peering into the future, we'll behold a power generator that employs
air as a lubricant, trains using magnetic levitation, which eliminates
any need for lubrication, and bio-engineered vegetable oils that
promise to take humanity back to one of its very first lubricants.
From helping medieval windmills spin, to allowing robotic arms on
planetary rovers to move, lubricants are crucial to the advance of
technology and literally keep the wheels of progress turning.
8-9pm -- Ax Men - 01 - Ax Men
Logging has been called North America's most dangerous job. From
individual loggers working with saws and axes to high-powered
mega-mills, today's lumber industry is a fusion of ancient tradition
and modern technology. Follow a season of a team of logging camps
located in the remote, isolated forests of northwest Oregon. Visit
with larger than life characters, many of whom are members of logging
families that go back generations. See how an elite group of loggers
battle the elements--and each other--to race against the clock and
earn as much money as they can before the season ends.
9-10pm -- Gangland - 14 - Maniacal
A gritty, true-life series exposing the world of history's most
notorious and dangerous gangs.
10-11pm -- Cities of the Underworld - Hitler's Last Secret
Prague is a city cloaked in mystery, with an underground to match.
Medieval castles line the streets and hide dark dungeons deep below
them. From quarries where Hitler may have stored his most powerful
secret weapon to mines that doubled as Communist slave camps, Prague
has surprising stories to tell. Join host Don Wildman as he reveals
the technological marvels that allowed the construction of one city
upon another--literally.
____________________________________________________
Friday, March 14, 2008
____________________________________________________
7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Oil.
From the first well in Pennsylvania to the gushing Spindletop and
modern supertankers, the story of oil is the story of civilization as
we know it. We'll take a look at the ingenious and outrageous men who
risked everything for "black gold" and unimaginable wealth.
8-9pm -- 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.
9-10pm -- Shockwave - 13 - Shockwave
Nothing makes for more exciting television than seeing history
captured as it happened, whether by home video, cell phones,
surveillance systems, or the occasional lucky news cameraman. This new
groundbreaking series taking the best raw footage of catastrophic,
headline-making events from all over the world and using the latest in
graphics technology to dissect the video, revealing astonishing 3-D
views and explanations for what really happened. From the catastrophic
bridge collapse in Minneapolis to the explosion aboard the USS
Forrestal, we take an in-depth look at the stories behind the
headlines and introduce you to the people who conquered tragedy with
their incredible human spirit.
10-11pm -- Battle 360 - Jaws of the Enemy
In the summer of 1942, the American Navy is on the offensive and the
first strike is in the Solomon Islands, north of Australia. USS
Enterprise supports the first American invasion of World War II as
U.S. Marines storm ashore at Guadalcanal. The Japanese strike back
with a vengeance and in a hellish slugfest the Enterprise suffers her
worst battle damage yet.
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Saturday, March 15, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - The Colosseum.
Nothing symbolizes the Roman Empire at its height or Rome in
magnificent ruins more than the Colosseum. Built in 70 AD, it seated
80,000 people, boasted a retractable roof, underground staging
devices, marble seating, and lavish decorations. It still serves as
the prototype for the modern stadium. The complexity of its
construction, the beauty of its architecture, and the functionality of
its design made it the perfect place for massive crowds to congregate
for the bloody spectacles it contained.
8-10pm -- Journey to 10,000 BC -
Discover the thrilling real story of life on earth in prehistoric
times. Viewers will go back in time to when early humans are just
starting to inhabit North America and huge climate fluctuations cause
a mini-Ice Age. The saber tooth cat, the giant ground sloth and the
woolly mammoth are suddenly becoming extinct. How does man survive?
Travel to early archaeological sites in North America and watch as
scientists uncover fossilized bones, ancient homes and weapons of
stone. State-of-the-art green-screen computer animation re-creates the
great mammoth hunts of the time.
10-12am -- The Universe - Beyond the Big Bang
The universe began with a massive expansion, billions and billions of
years ago, and it continues to expand with every passing second. The
idea that the universe, and man's very existence, began with a "Big
Bang" is no longer a topic of debate among most scientists--it is
essentially taken as fact. How has man come to this conclusion, and
how has our knowledge evolved so that we can recreate the very first
seconds of our universe and all that has developed since? Interviews
with the world's leading physicists and historians are woven together
with animated recreations and first-person accounts to explain
concepts such as the formation of galaxies, the creation of elements
and the formation of Earth itself.
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Sunday, March 16, 2008
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7-8pm -- Mega Disasters - Earthquake in the Heartland.
Could a killer earthquake strike America's heartland? If history
proves true, the answer is yes. The 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquakes
(centered in southeast Missouri) rank as some of North America's most
catastrophic natural disasters. Stretching more than 160 miles, a
system of earthquake faults lurks beneath the Mississippi River basin,
loaded and ready to erupt. And it's happened before. Pioneer residents
of New Madrid, Missouri were thrown from their beds in the early hours
of December 16, 1811 when an estimated 8-point earthquake hit. But it
wasn't just one event. Multiple shocks were experienced over the next
three months--the largest caused the Mississippi to flow backwards. No
earthquake sequence has lasted so long, produced so many shocks, nor
created such astonishing phenomena on land and water. The New Madrid
Fault remains a seismically active area and experts expect a repeat.
The only question is when...
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Alaskan Fishing
The Alaska Ocean is the largest factory-fishing boat in the US fleet.
The crew's mission: hunt down, catch and process 300 tons of Alaskan
Pollock each day on the unforgiving waters of the Bering Sea. We
travel with them on the last voyage of a long and grueling season. The
crew reveals the inner workings of one of the most sophisticated and
complex vessels afloat. It is half fishing boat, half floating
factory, processing and flash freezing Alaskan Pollock as fast as its
crew can catch it. To meet their seasonal quota of Pollock, the crew
must overcome obstacles of weather, mechanical dangers aboard the
sea-tossed ship and the wiliness of the fish themselves. Captain Scott
Symonds takes us inside the amazing ultra-modern world of high stakes
commercial fishing where a wrong decision on his part can cost not
just the season's catch, but also the lives of his crew.
9-10pm -- Ax Men - 01 - Man vs. Mountain
Deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, rugged men make their
living doing one of the deadliest jobs in the world... logging. Their
mission is to retrieve timber perched on mountainsides too steep to
access with machines, but it's no easy task. Plagued by mechanical
failures, relentless weather, and unpredictable terrain, these brave
men risk their lives retrieving the timber with which we built our
country. Meet four companies trying to survive each day. Pihl
Logging--a rag-tag group of loggers based in Vernonia, Oregon.
Gustafson Logging--a close-knit crew working one of the most dangerous
jobs in the region. J.M. Browning--the best of the best. Stump Branch
Logging--the young guns with a lot to prove. These are the Ax Men.
10-11pm -- Ax Men - 02 - Risk and Reward
Just days into the fall logging season, the Ax Men are already being
put to the test. J.M. Browning races to meet a big deadline. Stump
Branch Logging tempts fate by jury-rigging their old equipment. The
Gustafson Company races Mother Nature as they attempt to build a road
to access their logging site. Father teaches son the lessons of
logging as the men of the Pihl Company haul in the forest's cash crop.
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Monday, March 17, 2008
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7-8pm -- 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.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Whiskey
Known to Irish monks as "water of life", visit some of the world's
finest distilleries to see how each country brews this thousand-year
old spirit. Jack Daniels tells the secret of charcoal filtering, Jim
Beam shows its premium bourbons and the art of blending is revealed at
Canadian Club Whiskey. Cross the Atlantic to get the real deal at
Jameson's Distillery in Midleton, Ireland and in Scotland discover why
smouldering peat gives Glenlivet its character. Meet some of the
people who are lucky enough to sample whiskey for a living. Cheers!
9-10pm -- Cities of the Underworld - Mob Underground
Chicago was once a playground for mobsters and corrupt politicians. It
wouldn't be the third largest city in the U.S. today if it weren't for
the shady dealings that went on just beneath its streets. From vice
dens and top-secret railroad lines to sunken shipwrecks and the spark
that created the A-Bomb, host Don Wildman unearths the true history of
the Windy City.
10-11pm -- Ancient Discoveries - 12 - Machines of the Gods
Gods and religion played an extremely important role in antiquity. The
problem with so many religions being worshipped by the Greeks and
Romans was how would the priests of these temples pay for their
upkeep? Great scholars such as Philon, Ctesibius and Heron were
patronized by the temples to create "magic". In return, they created
intriguing and mind blowing objects. It was a heavy mix of religion
and science. One of the most famous illusions was found in Alexandria
at the temple of Serapis, where an iron chariot was suspended in mid
air. It appeared to be the work of the gods.
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Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Da Vinci Tech.
Nearly 500 years after his death, Leonardo da Vinci still intrigues
us. Most people think of him as a great artist, but he was also a
remarkable scientist and inventor. His love of mechanics was
unparalleled and he filled his notebooks with pages of incredible
machines--from weapons of war to "Ships of the Skies", from submarines
and scuba suits to robots and an analogue computer...even contact
lenses and alarm clocks! How did a 15th-century man envision such
modern innovations? If we follow his plans, would any of his designs
work? We need wonder no more. With recent technological advances and
new materials, we're the first generation able to bring Leonardo's
drawings to life--to learn whether his "mechanical dreams" were
workable plans. We explore the fascinating intersection of his art,
science, and engineering marvels, and use them to offer insight into
this "Genius of Geniuses", who remains as elusive as Mona Lisa's
smile.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Candy.
It pulls, stretches, bubbles, hardens, crunches, and melts! We eat
about 7-billion tons of it yearly. We're talking about Candy--loved by
kids and savored by adults. Candy-making evolved from a handmade
operation to high-tech mass production. Nowhere is that more apparent
than at Hershey's. On a tour of their newest production facility, we
learn how they process the cocoa bean. At See's Candy, we see how they
make their famous boxed chocolates--on a slightly smaller scale than
Hershey's. We get a sweet history lesson at Schimpff's Confectionery,
where they still use small kettles, natural flavors, and hand-operated
equipment. Then, we visit Jelly Belly, purveyors of the original
gourmet jellybean. Saltwater-taffy pullers hypnotize us on our
sweet-tooth tour; we gaze at extruders making miles of licorice rope;
and watch as nostalgia candy bars Abba-Zaba and Big Hunk get packaged.
And in this sugary hour, we digest the latest sensations--gourmet
chocolates and scorpion on a stick!
9-10pm -- The Universe - Mars: The Red Planet
It has been fifty years since man first ventured into space, but the
greatest secrets are yet to be revealed. Mars is the planet in our
solar system most similar to Earth despite otherworldly features such
as the largest volcano in the Solar System. Rumors of life on Mars may
be substantiated as NASA orbiters and rovers discover new evidence of
frozen water just beneath the rusty soil. Did alien life exist there?
As Earth reels with the effects of global warming, Mars becomes the
most likely candidate for eventual human habitation. Cutting-edge
computer graphics are used to show what life would be like on Mars,
and to imagine what kind of life forms might evolve in alien
atmospheres.
10-11pm -- Ax Men - 02 - Risk and Reward
Just days into the fall logging season, the Ax Men are already being
put to the test. J.M. Browning races to meet a big deadline. Stump
Branch Logging tempts fate by jury-rigging their old equipment. The
Gustafson Company races Mother Nature as they attempt to build a road
to access their logging site. Father teaches son the lessons of
logging as the men of the Pihl Company haul in the forest's cash crop.
____________________________________________________
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
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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.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Alaskan Fishing
The Alaska Ocean is the largest factory-fishing boat in the US fleet.
The crew's mission: hunt down, catch and process 300 tons of Alaskan
Pollock each day on the unforgiving waters of the Bering Sea. We
travel with them on the last voyage of a long and grueling season. The
crew reveals the inner workings of one of the most sophisticated and
complex vessels afloat. It is half fishing boat, half floating
factory, processing and flash freezing Alaskan Pollock as fast as its
crew can catch it. To meet their seasonal quota of Pollock, the crew
must overcome obstacles of weather, mechanical dangers aboard the
sea-tossed ship and the wiliness of the fish themselves. Captain Scott
Symonds takes us inside the amazing ultra-modern world of high stakes
commercial fishing where a wrong decision on his part can cost not
just the season's catch, but also the lives of his crew.
9-10pm -- MonsterQuest - Gigantic Killer Fish
Are monster fish lurking in freshwater lakes and rivers? From the
Arctic Circle to the Amazon, follow an expedition to find the biggest
and nastiest giant fresh water fish, from catfish large enough to
swallow children whole to trout as large as a boat. Scientists will
deploy giant lures and underwater cameras in a search for monster
fish. One-part history, one-part science and one part monster,
discover the truth behind legendary monsters.
10-11pm -- UFO Hunters - Reverse Engineering
Reverse engineering is a common practice used by private industry and
the government as a means to keep up with or surpass the competition.
Has the US military derived various forms of technology, including
stealth technology, from downed UFO's? Are we competing with
extra-terrestrial beings using their downed craft as the genesis for
advances in modern technology? Follow a team from UFO magazine as they
investigate the possibility that the technology providing us with
fiber optics, night vision and the microchip, just to name a few, were
derived from wreckage obtained from Roswell and other UFO crash sites.
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Thursday, March 20, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - The Autobahn.
Imagine a superhighway designed for speed...thousands of miles of
roadway unhindered by limits of any kind. Buckle up for safety as we
take you for the ride of your life when we explore the fascinating
history and current reality of the world's fastest freeway. The
number-one works project of the Third Reich, the Autobahn was known as
Adolf Hitler's Road until Germany's defeat in WWII. Reconstructed and
extended to more than four times its original size, it became a symbol
of the New Germany.
8-9pm -- Gangland: Aryan Brotherhood -
The Aryan Brotherhood has the distinction of being the deadliest gang
in American history. They kill for hire or for free. They kill people
who steal their drugs or those that owe them money. Maintaining the
culture of terror that has solidified their power is their primary
goal. Drugs, gambling, liquor and inmate prostitution earns them
millions. From their beginnings in San Quentin Prison in 1964 to
current trials of sixteen members in Los Angeles, discover the
ultra-violent world that has largely gone unnoticed by the general
public for the last forty years.
9-10pm -- Gangland - 15 - Deadly Triangle
A gritty, true-life series exposing the world of history's most
notorious and dangerous gangs.
10-11pm -- Cities of the Underworld - Viking Underground
Dublin, Ireland is much more than a city full of pubs and pints. Pagan
burial tombs, subterranean defense tunnels, and mysterious burial
crypts line the underground below the rolling hills. Even an
underground river runs through the heart of the city where you'd least
expect to find it.
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Friday, March 21, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - B-2 Bomber.
In any battle, the key to victory is the ability to strike the enemy
without them knowing what hit them. Within the US arsenal one such
weapon can go into harm's way, deliver 40,000 pounds of either
conventional or nuclear bombs, and slip away unobserved--the B-2
Stealth Bomber. With its origins in single-wing experimentation in
Germany in the 1930s, the B-2 was developed under a cloak of secrecy.
But when that cloak was lifted, the world was awed by what stood
before them. Able to fly over 6,000 miles without refueling, it can
reach whatever target the US military wants to attack and deliver its
awesome array of laser-guided weapons with pinpoint accuracy. Using
state-of-the-art technology, including over 130 onboard computers, and
shrouded by a mantle of stealth, it's undetectable by any radar.
8-9pm -- Sinking a Destroyer -
In this one hour special, Air and Naval forces team up to test weapons
with a live fire attack on a modern day destroyer.
9-10pm -- Shockwave - 02 - Shockwave
Witness one of the best stunt pilots in the world slam into the ground
at 300 miles an hour and a massive oil tank explosion puts a
firefighter on the frontline facedown in the flames. Next, residents
of St. George Utah watch as a 3-foot-wide stream turns into a
300-foot-wide raging river that claims dozens of homes. Watch as the
installation of a water tower in New Providence Iowa turns into the
tower of terror as the crane collapses sending hundreds running for
their lives. A Montana sheriff attempts to talk a distraught man out
of setting off a bomb, but the whole thing literally blows up in his
face. Finally, learn how a cigarette ignited one of the biggest
explosions in US History at the PEPCON rocket fuel plant in Henderson,
Nevada.
10-11pm -- Battle 360 - Bloody Santa Cruz
Part two of the deadly saga of the Solomons plays out at the Santa
Cruz Islands. In one terrible day of vicious combat, Enterprise loses
her sister ship USS Hornet and suffers dozens of casualties as bombs
nail her flight deck. When the smoke clears, Enterprise is the only
American carrier left in the Pacific. For the U.S. Navy at Santa Cruz,
survival becomes the ultimate battle.
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Saturday, March 22, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Domed Stadiums
The domed structure is one of the earliest forms of shelter--from
African mud huts to frozen igloos to holy shrines and cathedrals. As a
design concept, the shape represents the community under the canopy of
heaven; as a technological device, the dome is the most efficient way
of controlling an internal environment. And today, as we see here,
engineers have enlarged and transformed the ancient concept to build
some of the world's most spectacular structures--domed sports
stadiums.
8-10pm -- Quest for the Lost Ark -
The existence and location of the Ark of the Covenant has remained one
of the most enduring mysteries in archaeology. Professor Tudor Parfitt
from London's School of Oriental and African Studies will reveal where
he believes the Ark is. Parfitt is well-known for discovering that the
Lemba tribe in Zimbabwe is one of the lost tribes of Israel. Follow
this global quest-detective as he decodes ancient texts and pieces
together clues. Ultimately he builds a picture of what he thinks the
Ark looks like and where it is. The journey takes viewers through
Israelite wars, Philistine shrines, Solomon's Temple and Africa to the
final, critical clue which led Parfitt to its current location.
10-12am -- The Protestant Reformation -
It was the point at which Europe left the medieval world and entered
the modern one resulting in the greatest forced movement of population
in Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire. Spurring the development
of both modern nationalism and modern democracy The Protestant
Reformation shattered the authority of the traditional Church. Without
it there would have been no scientific Revolution and no
Enlightenment. See how the seeds of dissent put forth by a single
individual blossomed into a spiritual, intellectual and Cultural
Revolution that forever changed the shape of religion.
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Sunday, March 23, 2008
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7-8pm -- Ax Men - 02 - Risk and Reward
Just days into the fall logging season, the Ax Men are already being
put to the test. J.M. Browning races to meet a big deadline. Stump
Branch Logging tempts fate by jury-rigging their old equipment. The
Gustafson Company races Mother Nature as they attempt to build a road
to access their logging site. Father teaches son the lessons of
logging as the men of the Pihl Company haul in the forest's cash crop.
8-10pm -- Crucifixion -
Throughout history, crucifixion has been one of the cruelest and most
excruciating ways to die. Approximately 500 years before the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Persian King Darius crucified
political opponents and both Alexander the Great and Caligula used
crucifixion as a means of punishment and entertainment. Watch as a
team of forensic experts reconstruct a 2000-year-old body using the
only physical evidence of a crucifixion ever discovered. Modern day
footage will show real crucifixions that take place in the
Philippines. Recreations will be used along with extensive CGI
animation and CSI forensic-style graphics to illustrate the different
types of crucifixion techniques throughout history and how it
eventually kills its victim.
10-11pm -- Ax Men - 03 - Storm Season Strikes
As a storm closes in on the Oregon coast, the Ax Men race to stay one
step ahead. Jesse continues to push the J.M. Browning crew to meet its
looming deadline, while muddy roads trap trucks on their way to the
Stump Branch site. Robby battles for control of the Gustafson crew.
Pihl Logging feels the effects of the slumping lumber market.
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Monday, March 24, 2008
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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 -- Modern Marvels - Bread
Bread. It's the basic source of nourishment for half the world. Bake
it, roast it, slice it, toast it--it's a wonder that three simple
ingredients, flour, water and salt, can be transformed into so many
different shapes and tastes. From baguettes to pita, from corn bread
to flour tortillas, every culture finds a way to make it and bake it.
9-10pm -- Cities of the Underworld - Prophecies from Below
The ancient world was shaped by people who believed they foresaw the
will of God. Jerusalem is at the heart of all their fiery prophecies.
From the outcome of bloody wars to the birth of saviors, Jerusalem has
been at the center of prophetic revelations. Join host Don Wildman as
he peels back the layers of this sacred subterranean landscape to
uncover an ancient escape route, a secret bullet factory, and the
birthplace of Jesus. He sets out to find the truth behind Jerusalem's
most mysterious and enduring prophecies, the people who foretold them
and what was left behind... underground.
10-11pm -- Ancient Discoveries - Mega-Structures of the Deep
Our modern day landscapes are littered with the remains of ancient
superstructures. Now, cutting edge archaeology is beginning to reveal
that this century's most exciting discoveries actually lie at the
bottom of the ocean.
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Tuesday, March 25, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Snackfood Tech.
Extruders, molds, in-line conveyor belts. Are these machines
manufacturing adhesives, plastics, or parts for your car? No, they're
making treats for your mouth--and you will see them doing their
seductively tasty work in this scrumptious episode. First, we visit
Utz Quality Foods in Hanover, Pennsylvania, that produces more than
one million pounds of chips per week, and Snyder's of Hanover, the
leading US pretzel manufacturer. Next, we focus on the world's largest
candy manufacturer, Masterfoods USA, which makes Milky Way, Snickers,
Mars, and M&Ms, and take a lick at the world's largest lollipop
producer, Tootsie Roll Industries. And at Flower Foods' Crossville,
Tennessee plant, an army of cupcakes rolls down a conveyer belt. The
final stop is Dreyer's Bakersfield, California plant, where 20,000 ice
cream bars and 9,600 drumsticks roll off the line in an hour.
8-9pm -- The Universe - Unexplained Mysteries
Delve into the myths, misconceptions, truths and amazing mysteries of
our unique universe. Could life exist on Mars? Is time travel possible
and does Einstein's theory of relativity support it? Is there a
companion dark star to our sun and could it pose a threat to earth?
Learn about the spark that lit the big bang. Take a journey from
science fiction that predicted all these things, to the scientific
reality of what they mean to us in the ever-changing universe.
9-10pm -- The Universe - Saturn: Lord of the Rings
Are the rings of Saturn a real celestial phenomenon or merely a cosmic
Illusion? Technology allows the experts to get closer to the furthest
planet visible to the naked eye. Old questions are answered and new
ones arise. Does Saturn hold the key to Earth's weather and will one
of its moons supply us with all the oil we'll ever need? Cutting-edge
computer graphics are used to show what life would be like on other
planets and to imagine what kinds of life forms might evolve in alien
atmospheres.
10-11pm -- Ax Men - 03 - Storm Season Strikes
As a storm closes in on the Oregon coast, the Ax Men race to stay one
step ahead. Jesse continues to push the J.M. Browning crew to meet its
looming deadline, while muddy roads trap trucks on their way to the
Stump Branch site. Robby battles for control of the Gustafson crew.
Pihl Logging feels the effects of the slumping lumber market.
____________________________________________________
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Corn
Why is corn the largest agricultural crop in the world? Corn has fed
the masses from ancient times to this day. Corn is not only a
vegetable and a cereal grain; it is a commodity as well. Visit
Lakeside Foods in Reedsburg, Wisconsin and see how tons of corn are
harvested and canned within hours. Then it's off to VeraSun Energy in
Charles City, Iowa, to discover how corn is converted into fuel. Take
a look to our past and you will understand that without corn we
probably wouldn't be here.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Carbon
It is the chemical basis of all known life and yet this simple element
is also the foundation of modern technology. Carbon burns hotter, cuts
deeper, insulates more thoroughly and absorbs more fully than any
other material. See why carbon is the key both in heavy-duty
industries, as well as in tools like the graphite pencil, the charcoal
water filter, and the diamond saw blade. Watch how carbon fiber, a
material stronger than steel and lighter than fiberglass, is made into
the fuselage of a new Boeing 787. Discover why "activated charcoal" is
the material of choice for absorbing everything from toxic heavy
metals in your drinking water to funky odors in your shoes.
9-10pm -- MonsterQuest - Swamp Beast
Are the vast swamps of Louisiana and Florida hiding a beast? The
locals believe so and call it, "The Swamp Creature." It is said to be
7-feet tall with red hair and a rotten egg smell. The beast even has a
nickname--The Skunk Ape. For the first time, bloodhounds will be used
to track the elusive creature, and sexual ape pheromone chips will be
used to guide the bloodhounds to their prey. Scientists will be
brought in to tell viewers what the evidence reveals. One-part
history, one-part science and one part monster, discover the truth
behind legendary monsters.
10-11pm -- UFO Hunters - UFO Vortexes
There are locations all over the globe -- like the Bermuda Triangle --
where the Earth's energies result in a preponderance of mysterious
activity. The team travels to Sedona, Arizona, long known for strange
phenomena, to interview witnesses to unexplained sightings of lights
and objects in the skies. Here they explore the concept of vortexes,
which are places on the Earth's surface where lines of energy meet.
They link these spots to the Sedona sightings and other incidents,
like the Hudson Valley UFO flap of the 1980s. Later, Tim and Jeff
consult an astrophysicist who suggests that inter-dimensional travel
via Vortexes may be entirely possible under Einstein's Theory of
Relativity.
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Thursday, March 27, 2008
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7-8pm -- 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.
8-9pm -- Gangland - Blood Oath
A gritty, true-life series exposing the world of history's most
notorious and dangerous gangs.
9-10pm -- Gangland - 16 - Biker Wars
A gritty, true-life series exposing the world of history's most
notorious and dangerous gangs.
10-11pm -- Cities of the Underworld - Mob Underground
Chicago was once a playground for mobsters and corrupt politicians. It
wouldn't be the third largest city in the U.S. today if it weren't for
the shady dealings that went on just beneath its streets. From vice
dens and top-secret railroad lines to sunken shipwrecks and the spark
that created the A-Bomb, host Don Wildman unearths the true history of
the Windy City.
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Friday, March 28, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - The Butcher.
In a carnivorous world, a butcher is a necessary link in the food
chain, carving a carcass of unsavory flesh into mouthwatering cuts. We
trace the grisly trade's evolution--from yesteryear's
butcher-on-every-corner to today's industrial butcher working on a
"disassembly" line. We tour the infamous remains of the Chicago
Stockyards, where Upton Sinclair, Clarence Birdseye, and refrigeration
changed butchering forever; witness high-speed butchering; and travel
to a non-stop sausage factory. And if you're still squeamish, a USDA
inspector offers the lowdown on HACCP--the country's new system of
checks and balances on everything from quality grading to E. coli,
Salmonella, and Mad Cow Disease. Finally, we visit the last bastion of
old-school butchering--the rural custom butcher, who slaughters,
eviscerates, skins, and cuts to his customer's wishes.
8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - Cold Cuts
They're the meat in our sandwiches and slices of American pop culture.
Take a look behind the deli counter to reveal the secret ingredients
in boloney. Watch a master sausage maker craft salami, and pile it on
at Carnegie Deli with their famous mile-high pastrami sandwich. We'll
construct exotic cold cuts made of pig head parts and livers, make the
cut with the best meat slicers, past and present and see how to make
turkey out of tofu. And don't forget that olive loaf for the holidays.
Served cold and cut with precision. Pureed, pounded, and poured, it's
time for a taste of cold cuts.
9-10pm -- Shockwave - 03 - Shockwave
A television news helicopter loses control over Brooklyn, New York,
breaks into pieces and crash lands onto a rooftop. Everything is
caught on tape. Watch as an Iowa cameraman and his brother find
themselves rescuing their neighbors as a twister rips apart 40 homes.
Next, disaster strikes as a Navy bomb is fired from a fighter...and
hits another Navy plane. Then, as his family watches, a farmer
bulldozes a 50-foot-tall silo down on top of himself. Witness one of
the most spectacular accidents in the history of drag racing as a car
hits the rail at 280 miles an hour, explodes into a fireball and
disintegrates. And a fireworks factory explodes in Devon, England as
the entire tiny town takes cover.
10-11pm -- Battle 360 - Death in Iron Bottom Sound
November 1942. For the crew aboard USS Enterprise, the war has never
been more personal. Enterprise is the only battle-ready American
carrier left in the Pacific, and she and her crew are all that stand
in the way of the Japanese. When the Imperial Navy tries to retake
Guadalcanal, it's Enterprise that sends their transports and
destroyers to a watery grave in Iron Bottom Sound.
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Saturday, March 29, 2008
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7-8pm -- Modern Marvels - Baseball Parks
Step up to the plate and play ball as we take you on a tour of those
amazing edifices of the national pastime--baseball stadiums! From the
sandlots and wooden ballparks of the 1800 and 1900s to the monolithic
multipurpose stadiums of today, baseball parks have grown into
technological wonders that pull in and cost millions.
8-9pm -- Save Our History - Written in Bone
Explore the fascinating investigative work of Dr. Doug Owsley, one of
the world's top forensic anthropologists. Dr. Owsley has examined more
than 10,000 skeletons, including those of Jamestown colonists, and has
assisted the FBI and other law enforcement agencies in solving
numerous criminal cases. Watch as Dr. Owsley and his team from the
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History use digital 3D imaging,
scanning electron microscopy, and virtual facial reconstruction, to
analyze 400 year-old skeletons as they search for a cold case homicide
victim, and investigate the identity of a 19th century teenage boy
whose remains were recently discovered at a Washington, DC
construction site.
9-11pm -- Lost Book of Nostradamus -
In 1994, Italian journalist Enza Massa was at the Italian National
Library in Rome when she stumbled upon an unusual find. It was a
manuscript dating to 1629, titled: Nostradamus Vatinicia Code. Michel
de Notredame, the author's name, was on the inside in indelible ink.
The book contains cryptic and bizarre images along with over eighty
watercolor paintings by the master visionary himself. Follow the
investigative trail of how the manuscript was found in the archives
and exactly how it got there. New insight is given into the life of
Nostradamus and his relationship with Pope Urban VIII, who knew about
this manuscript and in whose possession it was for many years.
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Sunday, March 30, 2008
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7-8pm -- Ax Men - 01 - Man vs. Mountain
Deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, rugged men make their
living doing one of the deadliest jobs in the world... logging. Their
mission is to retrieve timber perched on mountainsides too steep to
access with machines, but it's no easy task. Plagued by mechanical
failures, relentless weather, and unpredictable terrain, these brave
men risk their lives retrieving the timber with which we built our
country. Meet four companies trying to survive each day. Pihl
Logging--a rag-tag group of loggers based in Vernonia, Oregon.
Gustafson Logging--a close-knit crew working one of the most dangerous
jobs in the region. J.M. Browning--the best of the best. Stump Branch
Logging--the young guns with a lot to prove. These are the Ax Men.
8-9pm -- Ax Men - 02 - Risk and Reward
Just days into the fall logging season, the Ax Men are already being
put to the test. J.M. Browning races to meet a big deadline. Stump
Branch Logging tempts fate by jury-rigging their old equipment. The
Gustafson Company races Mother Nature as they attempt to build a road
to access their logging site. Father teaches son the lessons of
logging as the men of the Pihl Company haul in the forest's cash crop.
9-10pm -- Ax Men - 03 - Storm Season Strikes
As a storm closes in on the Oregon coast, the Ax Men race to stay one
step ahead. Jesse continues to push the J.M. Browning crew to meet its
looming deadline, while muddy roads trap trucks on their way to the
Stump Branch site. Robby battles for control of the Gustafson crew.
Pihl Logging feels the effects of the slumping lumber market.
10-11pm -- Ax Men - 04 - The Big Hit
Across Northwest Oregon, the Ax Men continue to grind it out. Storm
season arrived with a vengeance--shutting some crews down while others
struggled to stay afloat. Now a bigger storm is brewing. The stalled
housing market's effects are hitting the Ax Men hard. Jobs will be
shut down; men will be put out of work. This week, the housing market
hits home.
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Monday, March 31, 2008
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8-9pm -- Modern Marvels - World's Strongest.
Strength...A powerful word, but what does it mean? How is it measured?
Why are some things simply stronger than others. How strong is a rope,
a tractor, a diamond, a tugboat or even plastic. From Spectra fibre to
Lexan learn where, how and why strength matters to us every day.
9-10pm -- Cities of the Underworld - New York: Secret Societies
Today, New York is the biggest city in the country... but it's got
some dark secrets in its past. It was founded by covert groups,
overrun with gangs and mob bosses, and ruled by secret societies.
This is the true foundation of the city that never sleeps, and host
Don Wildman is headed deep beneath the skyscrapers, taxicabs and
street vendors into a New York that few have ever seen before. From a
hidden Freemason tunnel and secret world of the Sandhogs, to mobster
hideaways and gang escape routes, we're uncovering the secret
societies that built New York--from the underground up.
10-11pm -- Ancient Discoveries - 09 - Mega Machines
In 2004 the American School of Classical Studies in Greece made a
surprising discovery of two limestone coffins which dated back 3000
years. Archaeologist Guy Sanders was not only surprised by the quality
of the sarcophagi but shocked by their size and weight. The coffins
weighed 3 tons, and he concluded that the people of the Geometric
Period must have used massive machines to move them. From the Pharos
of Alexandria to the Parthenon on the Acropolis we will delve into the
world of the ancient heavy engineers, and discover how their machines
were used to build and transport some of the most amazing structures
in Antiquity.
Don't Be A Sucker (1947)
Click Watch Full Movie to see entire 1947 video, narrated by Lloyd Nolan
The History Channel's real-life Pirates Of The Caribbean website including a Mail Call clip of their favorite weapons: click on the pirate ship there to see video
Wild West Tech: Massacres II, on Saturday February 2, 9:00 AM
Execution Tech, on Saturday February 9, 9:00 AM
Shootout Tech, on Saturday February 16, 9:00 AM
The Gunslingers, on Saturday February 23, 9:00 AM
Freak Show Tech, on Saturday March 1, 9:00 AM
Vigilante Tech, on Tuesday March 4, 10:00 AM & 4:00 PM
Mail Call (rated TVPG-L, cc) in 2008, all 30-minute unless noted:
Mail Call: 29 Palms #71, on Sunday February 17, 8:30 AM
Host R. Lee Ermey takes viewers on a tour of the Marine Corps Training Command Center, a.k.a. 29 Palms. It's the largest Marine Corps base in the world and covers half-a-million acres of Southern California desert. The Gunny gives us a short course on 29 Palms' history before engaging in a training exercise called MOUT--Military Operations on Urban Terrain. In a "town" created in the desert to resemble an Iraqi neighborhood, Marines train in street-to-street fighting tactics. Next, he heads to the sea and mounts up on the Marine Corps' newest and most versatile assault vehicle--the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV). And he answers a viewer email asking for a comparison between the Germans fighters and US Marines during World War I. We see both sides' gear and guns and learn how the Marines prevailed against German firepower in the bloody Battle of Belleau Wood--a victory that turned the tide of WWI and earned the Marines the nickname "Devil Dogs".
Mail Call: SS Lane Victory #70, on Sunday March 2, 8:30 AM
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.
Victory At Sea Special DVD Collection
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Considered by many the greatest War Documentary ever made. Over 13,000 hours of footage gathered from the US, British, German
and Japanese navies during World War II were perused in the making of these compelling documentaries
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World's Greatest War Documentary
Features:
* Digitally Remastered for DVD
* 1st Time Available in DVD Format
* Hours & Hours of Documentaries
Narrated by Leonard Graves and set to a score by Richard Rodgers, this program offered a remarkable look at the realities of naval
warfare and the extraordinary challenges faced by the Allies.
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Limited Time offer Order Now
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Nostradamus predicts final war will be between
Christians & Muslims (seen on A&E/History Channel)
R. Lee Ermey (Mail Call) has decided to play something other than a tough drill sgt. (Full Metal Jacket). His latest movie is a prequel to Texas Chainsaw Massacre called "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" as the head of a very strange & lethal family of mutants
For info on UFOs, check out the interview on MonsterVision's Mars Attacks page
Official HistoryChannel.com Homepage
Or find out what happened when with our exclusive History of the World Timeline!
GO TO: HistoryChannel.com/worldtimeline
Episodes of the quirky Northern Exposure are on Hallmark Channel. And episodes of the even quirkier "Twin Peaks" are sometimes on Bravo. Monstervision review & host segments of the Twin Peaks movie "Firewalk With Me."
Fun fact:
According to Ripley's Believe It Or Not, the 800-mile long Aruwimi River, which flows through the Aruwimi Forest in the Congo, was unwittingly named by famous explorer David Livingstone. He asked a native what the name of the river was. The native replied "Aruwimi," which means, "What is he saying?"
In 1942, Adolf Hitler inherited 9,000 acres of grazing land in Colorado from German relatives. The PT Boat of WW2 was based on a blueprint from Andrew Higgins, a bootlegger who had used the speedboat design for rumrunning during Prohibition. And Arlington National Cemetery has four Tomb Of The Unknown Soldiers (WW1, WW2, Korea & Vietnam) but only 3 bodies: identification processes have become so good that all remains returned from Vietnam are eventually identified!
In 1963, ventriloquist Paul Winchell was awarded a patent for the first successful artificial heart. The plastic heart was first tested on a calf, which lived 94 days.
“The soul without imagination is what an observatory would be without a telescope”
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Watch Mail Call every week if you know what's good for you, 
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