It's back to school week for a lot of people, so I thought I'd do a couple shows related to the topics of school, learning, and hidden fears, lol!

Check out Freshman Year, a series about real high school freshmen in California; a CNN special about parents keeping tabs on their kids with info on a webpage; and a TCM show about studying movies to find their hidden meanings -- and how often it involves fear of something, like homework!

Watch the shows and let me know what you think!
Email me, the MediaWiz of Whyville!

Friday, August 31

"Freshman Year" (HBO Family Channel, 7-7:30 p.m. ET, 4-4:30 p.m. PT) Broadcast on a relatively new cable channel, this is the premiere episode of a 14 week documentary series about ninth graders who are beginning high school, filmed at Chatsworth High School in California's San Fernando Valley. Some of these teens could be role models, others will make you cringe. Some might cause you to recall that wicked saying about people with some sort of neurosis, "They're just like you and me, only more so."

Saturday, September 1

"Homocide: Life On the Streets -- Lessons In Law" (Court TV Network, 4-4:30 a.m. E/P) Despite the horrendous hour and scary title of this documentary, it's really meant for students to view. Part of a series on Court TV about choices and consequences, this show is about bullying in school and how it can get the perpetrators in trouble with the law. The crazy hour is because it's a special broadcast aimed at teachers who have VCR's and want to capture the show to show to their classes.

"Science & Technology Week: Student-Tracking Software" (CNN 1:30-2 p.m. ET, 10:30-11 a.m. PT) Yes, schools are now using software to let parents check up on their kid's attendance, academic and disciplinary records by consulting a website.

Sunday, September 2

"The Most" (History Channel, 10-11 p.m. E/P) This documentary magazine rubs you nose in the fact that we're in America -- where statistics, size, price and all sorts of numerical characteristics probably mean more to us than whether something is actually a good idea. So this episode selects our most toxic town, our most combustible river, our first naval mutiny and our most famous gold discovery (which ruined the man involved).

Monday, September 3

"National Geographic Explorer: Sky Shooter" (CNBC, 8-9 p.m. E/T) Here's how they get spectacular close-up movie footage of skydivers hanging onto one another in a circle or refraining from opening their parachutes until the very last minute. The main story in this episode of "Explorer" explains how aerial cinematographer Tom Sanders uses small wings attached to his jump suit to stabilize his body during his free-fall filming sessions covering these skydivers and skyboarders.

"School: The Story of American Public Education" (PBS, 9-11 p.m.) Picking this show is sort of like suggesting that a fish watch a documentary about water, but take a peek at it anyway. It's about the origins of America's school system -- probably something you didn't know much about -- and see if you think things were better for kids in years past or whether you are luckier to be alive today. If you find stuff in the show that's amazing or shocking and want more info, log on to www.pbs.org/publicschool The second half of the documentary can be seen Tuesday night at 9 p.m. E/P.

Tuesday, September 4

"Hidden Values" (Turner Classic Movies, 8-9 p.m. ET, 5-6 p.m. PT) This documentary will help you analyze movies by showing you how to pry out their hidden meaning. The program picks apart scenes from several movies from the 1950's which touch on ideas such as fear of science, fear of unusual political ideas, fear of organized crime and adult fear of youths. The documentary will be followed on the same channel by a movie, "Rebel Without A Cause", made in 1955 and staring the legendary James Dean. (Think Leonardo Di Caprio, with more charisma and more Attitude.) It will provide you a good way to practice your newfound analytical skills.

"Air Shows" (History Channel 8-9 p.m. E/P) In terms of attendance numbers, outdoor exhibitions featuring supersonic jets, antique airplanes and Blue Angels-type aerobatics are second only to baseball as America's favorite family event. This documentary goes behind the scenes to show how these events really work.

Wednesday, September 5

"48 Hours: Silent Killers" (CBS 10-11 p.m.E/P) The title of this program may be a little hyped up. It's not about ninjas or paramilitary invaders. It's about mold. You'll learn how it's become an increasing health threat wherever we live, travel or work. And the person sounding the alarm in this case is none other than Erin Brokavich -- the real one -- who exposed the industrial polluters in the famous court case that was turned into a movie. In this documentary she's fighting a toxic enemy -- mold -- in her own home and alerting us to what might be a problem in ours.

Thursday, September 6

"Edison, The Man" (Turner Classic Movies, 4-6 p.m. ET, 1-3 p.m. PT) This movie is based on the life of Thomas Edison. You see him inventing all kinds of neat stuff -- you know, like light bulbs, movies, sound recordings. But you also see him having trouble getting people to buy the stuff. They thought the light bulbs would burst into flame and the movies and records were the work of the devil.