Some broadcast and cable programs contain material included in the public school curriculum and on standardized examinations. Here are home viewing suggestions for November 22-28, 2004.

This week's Media Hour is cancelled in observance of Thanksgiving. Because of some technical problems last week (I moved my office around and couldn't get the internet back!), I missed the meat of our Thanksgiving discussion, so I'll probably do a double-session next week or something. We'll see... meanwhile, enjoy the shows!

Also, I think I'll start offering clams to those folks who come to the Media Hour and can show they really did watch the featured program(s) -- and they'll get to come down on stage at the beginning of the hour, too!

What's the Media Hour? Watch the show(s)-of-the-week, jot down some ideas, then come and talk about them with me and other citizens (including other City Workers, if they're available). We get together at the Greek Theater (next to City Hall), every Saturday morning at 9 a.m., Whyville Time. (Whyville Time is now the same as Pacific Standard Time.) You'll find that the Theater makes discussions pretty easy, since City Workers are able to direct people's movement and behavior, when we need to, and it makes everyone's chat bubbles overlap a little less than other rooms.

Monday, November 22

"They Made America: The Gamblers" (Economics, High School, PBS, 9-11 p.m. E/P) The final episode of this PBS series about innovators is about airlines and toys. Every passenger flying across continents today can thank Juan Trippe, the founder of Pan Am. He's the man who brought the world into the jet age in the late 1950s by pushing Boeing and Pratt & Whitney to design a plane that would carry 200 people over the Atlantic Ocean in less than seven hours. The 707 made the world smaller, but it was an 11-inch plastic doll, Barbie, that would become one of America's most powerful symbols abroad. Created by Ruth Handler in 1959, Barbie is now sold in 150 countries at a rate of two dolls per second.

Tuesday, November 23

"Totally Wild: Coral Reef" (Natural Science, Middle and High School, National Geographic Channel, 7:30-8 p.m. E/P) This documentary shows how some aquatic predators miss out on catching their prey, and also show how fragile newborn creatures survive in underwater reefs.

"NOVA: Ancient Refuge in the Holy Land" (Ancient History, Middle and High School, PBS, 8-9 p.m. E/P) The setting of this documentary is a cave perched high in a canyon near the Dead Sea where archaeologists made a startling discovery in 1960: a bag containing letters written on papyrus nearly 2,000 years ago. The letters were written by one of the great figures of Jewish history, the rebel Bar-Kokhba. Biblical scholars returned to the cave with the latest archaeological techniques, hoping to find more traces of Bar-Kokhba's epic struggle. Instead, they came up with tantalizing new finds that lead to a radical and controversial theory. Try your hand at translating a 2,000-year-old cave document from Greek into English by logging on to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/scrolls.

"Frontline: Secret History of the Credit Card" (Math and Economics, High School, PBS, 9-10 p.m. E/P) This documentary addresses the fact that he average American family today carries 10 credit cards. Credit card debt and personal bankruptcies are now at an all-time high. With no legal limit on the amount of interest or fees that can be charged, credit cards have become the most profitable sector of the American banking industry. The program examines how the credit card industry became so pervasive, so lucrative and so politically powerful. More info at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/credit. Also log onto http://washingtonpost.com/liveonline to discuss the program with producer Lowell Bergman on Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. ET, 8 a.m. PT.

Wednesday, November 24

"Murder Unsolved: Alexander the Great" (Ancient History, Archaeology, Discovery Channel, 8-9 p.m. E/P) This documentary looks into one of the strangest mysteries of ancient times, the suspicious death of history's most extraordinary leader, Alexander the Great. Experts attempt to decipher if his early death at age 32 was caused by disease, excessive drinking or even murder.

Thursday, November 25

"Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead" (English Literature/Drama, High School, Sundance Channel, 1:30-3:30 p.m. E/P) This is a strange-but-funny movie version of playwright Tom Stoppard's even stranger modern comic reinterpretation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. The story is told from the point of view of two minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Tim Roth and Gary Oldman play the clueless pair of the title, who have unwittingly stumbled into a world of intrigue unfolding at Elsinore castle. Alas, they have no idea why they are there or even who they are, though they do have a curious fascination with fate. Richard Dreyfuss costars as the leading performer of the traveling players. Available on video!

Friday, November 26

"Dateline NBC Presents Tom Brokaw -- Eyewitness to History" (Current History, Middle and High School, NBC, 9-11 p.m. E/P) This news special includes interviews with Mikhail Gorbachev, President George Bush, Sr., General Norman Schwarzkopf, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and other newsmakers. The program explores the most important events and social trends of the last 40 years, focusing on Brokaw's eyewitness role as reporter and anchor. Brokaw also recounts behind-the-scenes stories on the major news events that had a large impact on his career -- from the 1968 election to the war in Iraq.

Saturday, November 27

"Plymouth Adventure" (American History, Middle and High School, TCM - Turner Classic Movie Channel, noon-2 p.m. ET, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. PT) This Oscar-winning movie shows what happened to the Pilgrims on their voyage to the New World. It was not all sweetness and light on the trip; it was more like "Survivor". Available on video.

"Standing In The Shadows Of Motown" (Music Education, High School, Sundance Channel, 9-10:50 p.m. E/P) This is a documentary about the Funk Brothers, the in-house band at Motown Records. They backed up countless hits by the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations and many other groups. Inspired by Allan Slutsky's book of the same name, it tells the story of the signature musicians who set the distinctive Motown rhythm in some of the most beloved hits of the '60s and early '70s. TV rated PG.

Sunday, November 28

"Masterpiece Theatre: Pollyanna" (English Literature, Elementary, Middle and High School, PBS, 9-11 p.m. E/P) This is a movie version of Eleanor H. Porter's children's classic about an orphan who teaches grown-ups how to look on the bright side. Eleven-year-old Georgina Terry stars as the dogged devotee of the "glad game," a charming -- if maddening -- contest to find something about everything to be glad about.

"Virtual History: Plot to Kill Hitler" (World History, High School, Discovery Channel, 9-11 p.m. E/P) In this documentary about WWII, computers have been used to make actors look like leaders of the nations engaged in the struggle. On July 20, 1944, when assassins struck at Adolph Hitler in Germany, Franklin Roosevelt in the U.S. suffered a stroke. To allow viewers to experience the events of this day visually, archival footage and radical innovations in the field of computer graphic imaging have been combined to re-create events as though there were actual newsreel cameras there at the time. Leading historians have worked with the production team, paying meticulous attention to detail and accuracy in all elements of the program. In addition to U.S. and German leaders, Churchill and Stalin are also shown on that day.