www.whyville.net Nov 1, 2001 Weekly Issue



MediaWiz
Staff Writer

What's On!

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What's On!


MediaWiz
Times Writer

Ever wonder where radio stations came from? Or how Cleopatra rose to power? Or maybe who makes the fastest cars on Earth?

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

Friday, November 2
    National Geographic Today
    America '01

Saturday, November 3
    Thouroughbreds

Sunday, November 4
    Royal Diaries: Daughter of the Nile
    Jane Goodall: Chimps in Crisis

Monday, November 5
    American Roots Music: This Land Is Your Land

Tuesday, November 6
    Russia's Nuclear Warriors
    Scientific American Frontiers: Alien Invasion

Wednesday, November 7
    The Quest for Noah's Flood
    Robo-Critters

Thursday, November 8
    Enzo Ferrari

Friday, November 2

"National Geographic Today" (National Geographic Channel, 7-8 p.m. E/P) There was a time, believe it or not, when ordinary people couldn't listen to the radio. No headsets. No boomboxes. But that was before Frank Conrad set up the first commercial radio station in his garage back in 1920 in Pittsburgh. Today's the anniversary of that event and this show celebrates it. (What are you creating your garage? A mini-computer? No, that's already been done. Try a tele-porter.)

"America ' 01" (ABC, 8-9 p.m. E/P) This initial episode of a newsmagazine intended to report on changes in the American way of life since September 11 covers the role of women in combat -- as they talk about it during their current training as members of the Tenth Mountain Division. Also, survivors of the New York and Washington attacks and sailors on an a combat aircraft carrrier are profiled.

Saturday, November 3

"Thoroughbreds" (A&E Channel, 8-9 p.m. E/P) This documentary in a series entitled "Behind Closed Doors With Joan Lunden" examines thoroughbred horseracing (probably the most exciting two minutes in all of sport). Meet the people who buy, breed, train and race these high-energy, high spirited animals.

Sunday, November 4

"Royal Diaries: Daughter Of The Nile" (HBO,2:30-3 p.m. ET, 11:30 a.m. - noon PT) This live action program for younger viewers tells the story of Cleopatra as a young girl. In 57 B.C. she fought to help her father, the Pharaoh, retain his crown when he was challenged by an angry populace and even his own eldest daughter. It's based on the Scholastic Book, "Cleopatra VII: Daughter Of the Nile, Egypt 57 B.C."

"Jane Goodall: Chimps In Crisis" (MSNBC, 8-9 p.m. ET, 5-6 p.m. PT) This is a documentary about mankind's closes living relative, the chimpanzee, and the fight to save them from extinction where they live in the wilds Africa. There are fewer than 2,000 left alive in their principal habitat in Tanzania, despite Dr. Goodall's 40-year struggle to protect them. But she has new allies today, including Nelson Mandela, Yolanda King (daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King) and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Monday, November 5

"American Roots Music: This Land Is Your Land" (PBS, 10-11 p.m. E/P) This episode of PBS' current documentary miniseries about the development of American musical genres -- including folk, gospel, blues, bluegrass -- describes the process of commercialization of these kind of music -- in movies, TV, radio and records.

Tuesday, November 6

"Russia's Nuclear Warriors" (PBS, 8-9 p.m. E/P) This is a "Nova" documentary about the soldiers and scientists who are in control of Russia's nuclear missiles. Despite low pay and the tedious existence these men and their families must live with, they are motivated by a strong sense of responsibility for the ultimate power of destruction at their fingertips.

"Scientific American Frontiers: Alien Invasion" (PBS, 9-10 p.m. E/P) This is a documentary about animals, plants and insects that wreak havoc when introduced into areas of the world with no natural defenses against them. Examples shown are the gypsy moth, brown tree snake and Asian longhorn beetle, as well as a breed of soil fungus that's carried on trade winds out to sea and ruins undersea coral reefs.

Wednesday, November 7

"The Quest for Noah's Flood" (PBS, 8-10 p.m. E/P) (This National Geographic documentary about undersea archaeology was originally scheduled to run weeks ago but was re-scheduled to this week accommodate current-events programming last month.) Recent exploration of the bottom of the Black Sea where evidence of human activity has been discovered possibly provides a basis for the biblical story of Noah. Dr. Robert Ballard (who found the Titanic), the scientist in charge of the project shown in this program thinks he may have found remnants of a civilization that perished 7000 years ago in a catastrophic flood.

"Robo-Critters" (The Learning Channel, 10-11 p.m. E/P) This documentary points out that the first line of commercially sold artificial life forms is not really going to be humanoid in appearance but will probably look and act like animals. Already, inventors have created lifelike snakes, spider-like creatures and other animal-like devices to test various idea of motion, interactivity and appearance. Your next pet may come with a hard drive.

Thursday, November 8

"Enzo Ferrari" (A&E, 8-9 p.m. E/P) This episode of the "Biography" series is about the man whose name is synonymous with the fastest, most exotic automobiles on earth. (There are ideas in this show relative to Whyville projects such as the Warp Wagon). Born in 1898, he wanted to be an opera singer but some brilliant hiring agent got him work at Alfa Romeo and he re-engineered one of their model of cars to compete in high speed races. In 40 years of racing, machines built to his specifications won more than 5,000 races. This program is followed at 9 p.m. by a "Biography" episode on the life and work of Ferdinand Porsche, the German engineer who was one of Ferrari's principal competitors.

 

 

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