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the ancient world on television               April 12-18, 2004
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All times Eastern

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n.b. official descriptions are provided by the respective
networks' websites

Apologies for missing last week ... time and evil routers simply
did not allow!
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Monday, April 19
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4.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Rome: Power and Glory: The Cult of Order
dna

10.15 p.m. |HISTU| The Holy Grail
Rennes le Chateau is a small village in the Pyrenees of Southern
France. It's a quiet place until tourists arrive hunting its secrets.
According to legend, the Knights Templar brought the Holy Grail here
for safekeeping. Those who come on pilgrimage think the Grail is very
different than history records. Was it proof of marriage between
Jesus and Mary Magdalene? Did it verify their bloodline survived?
Permission has been granted to dig in Rennes le Chateau...and history
or legend is about to change. [check start time]

11.15 p.m. |HISTU| The Search for Noah's Ark
The great flood that destroyed the world except for Noah, his
family, and herd would probably be dismissed as legend--if not for
other ancient evidence suggesting the presence of a once-massive
flood. Instead, the search for Noah's Ark continues to this day--one
of the most controversial searches for one of the largest items
described in the Bible. We'll examine evidence of those who claim to
have found proof of the Ark, and visit Mt. Ararat and other targeted
sites for the landing of the Ark. [check start time]
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Tuesday, April 20
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7.00 p.m. |HINT| Mysteries of the Bible: Pilot, Pt. 1
Explores people and events described in the Bible to ask: Did these
people really exist and did these incidents happen? Can they be
confirmed by natural phenomena? Includes the parting of the Red Sea,
the Lost Ark of the Covenant, David and Goliath, the Lost Tribes of
Israel, and others.
 
7.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Lost Treasures of the Ancient World: Egypt
dna

8.00 p.m. |HISTC| Egypt Eternal
Obsessed with their mortality, ancient Egyptians built glorious
monuments to ensure everlasting life. While many incredibly still
stand, countless more are buried under the heat and sand of the
desert. Their mysteries, secrets and treasures, clouded by the dust
of ages, wait to be rediscovered. Venture under the sands and into
the tombs of Egypt's lost aristocracy -- the noble class who served
the Pharaohs.

8.30 p.m. |DCIVC| Meet The Ancestors: The Tomb That Time Forgot
dna

9.00 p.m. |HISTC| Unwrapping The Mummy
In Manchester, England, scientists are performing a unique
examination of an ancient Egyptian mummy. It is the mummy of a
noblewoman and chantress from Luxor named Asru, and a new autopsy of
her body reveals startling insights into the everyday lives of the
ancient Egyptians.

11.00 p.m. |HISTU| The Real Spartacus
Long before Stanley Kubrick's film starring Kirk Douglas, Spartacus
had unwittingly become a mythological icon of resistance against
oppression worldwide. We'll look at the real Spartacus, focusing on
his struggle against Roman forces, his time as a gladiator, and his
role in the infamous slave revolt against Rome in 73 BC, which
convulsed the great empire for 2 years before the uprising was put
down and 6,000 slave rebels were crucified along 150 miles of the
Appian Way.
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Wednesday, April 21
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5.30 p.m. |DCIVC| Archaeology: Bells of Bronze Age
dna

7.00 p.m. |HINT| Mystical Monuments of Ancient Greece 
A look at the Parthenon, Acropolis, and the Agora. Pericles, herald
of the Golden Age, commissioned tremendous monuments dedicated to
Athena, protectress of the city. Was their real purpose to promote a
new brand of politics called democracy, or to serve as a platform for
a brutally intense cult? We also visit the city's marketplace. 
 
8.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Secrets of Ancient Empires: First Beliefs
dna

9.00 p.m. |HINT| Quest for Immortality 
The year--1922. Beneath the sands of Egypt, Howard Carter prepares
to breach the final barrier between the modern world and the most
coveted prize in archaeology--the tomb of the Boy-King, Tutankhamun,
intact and untouched for thousands of years. Join us as we probe the
enduring legacy of the pharaohs in this Emmy Award-winning series
narrated by Sam Waterston. Features dramatic reenactments, location
footage, and recent archaeological discoveries to help reconstruct
the ancient past.
 
9.00 p.m. |DISCC| Mysterious Hanging Coffins in China
China's leading explorers have been trying to save the last vestiges
of a society that buried their dead in coffins hanging off the side
of limestone cliffs; pollution, encroaching urbanization and grave
robbers threaten to destroy these artifacts.

10.00 p.m. |DCIVC| The Human Race: The Gods of Our Fathers
dna

10.00 p.m. |HINT| Time Team: Kemerton, Worcestershire 
Tony Robinson (Baldrick on "Blackadder) and the Time Team unlock the
secrets of an entire Iron Age village in Malvern Hills in
Worcestershire, England, and roping in some local oxen, they learn to
plough the same way as did our ancestors--and all in three days!
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Thursday, April 22
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3.30 p.m. |DCIVC| Living Stones: Hatchepsout
dna

4.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Sheba's Greatest Treasure
dna

9.00 p.m. |DISCC| Prophets: Seers of the Future
Examine the gift of prophecy, from ancient Greek oracles and Mayan
shaman, to legendary seers like Nostradamus and Edgar Cayce, to
modern prophets and the U.S. military's remote viewing program.
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Friday, April 23
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6.00 p.m. |HISTU| Japan's Mysterious Pyramids
Most historians and archaeologists maintain that civilization as we
know it began about 5,000 years ago with the emergence of the
earliest Egyptian dynasty. But, a small yet persuasive number of
scientists believes that a highly advanced civilization, nearly twice
as old, flourished during the last Ice Age. Solid evidence of this
10,000-year-old civilization is difficult to produce, but some feel a
recent discovery off the coast of a tiny Japanese island, Yonaguni,
may be the proof they seek.

7.00 p.m. |HINT| Marco Polo: Journey to the East 
Chronicles the life of the adventurer whose 25-year journey through
Asia and China launched the Age of Exploration and brought the
wonders of the East to Europe.

7.00 p.m. |DTC| Forever and Ever
Witness Byzantium's end and a cast of characters ranging from Tsars
to Sultans. Observe the continued influence and survival of Byzantium-
-among the most influential cultures in world history. [n.b. DTC is
repeating this whole series beginning tomorrow at 11.00 a.m. if you
miss an episode]

8.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Quest for the Lost Civilization: Ancient Mariners
dna

8.00 p.m. |HINT| Egypt's Great Pharaohs, Pt. 1
A chronicle of the legendary rulers of ancient Egypt and the immense
monuments they built to their own greatness. Their wonders include
the Great Pyramid of Giza, the temples of Karnak and Luxor, and the
treasures of King Tut. [n.b. this series is repeated Sunday afternoon
on the same channel if you miss an episode]

8.00 p.m. |DTC| Building the Dream
Travel from Rome to Byzantium and listen to the stories of
Byzantium's beginnings--the change from the classical pagan world to
a Christian one--the people, architecture and sculpture.
 
9.00 p.m. |HINT| Egypt's Great Pharaohs, Pt. 2
A visit to the newly opened pyramid complex of the Pharaoh Snefru
and the ancient burial ground of Abydos. Explore the lives of the
most powerful kings in history, who were worshipped as gods on earth,
and whose lasting achievements still appear to have been built by
gods.

9.00 p.m. |DTC| Envy of the World
Visit the marvelous material culture of medieval Byzantium--
including everything from ivory and silk to blue fish sauce and
golden bezants. Also, discover how this fabulously rich city was
almost destroyed.
 
10.00 p.m. |HINT| Egypt's Great Pharaohs, Pt. 3 
Akhenaten the Heretic King and Queen Nefertiti rock Egypt to its
foundations, and King Seti the First wages brilliant military
campaigns against Egypt's enemies.

10.00 p.m. |DTC| Heaven on Earth
Examine the period of Iconoclasm, when lethal debates concerning
sacred images were conducted inside Byzantium. Also: the rise of
Islam and the Arabs.

11.00 p.m. |HINT|Egypt's Great Pharaohs, Pt. 4
Cleopatra uses her cunning mix of politics and seduction in a
desperate bid to maintain her power, but fails. With a self-inflicted
fatal snakebite, Cleopatra ends her life and brings to a close the
3,000-year reign of pharaohs.
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Saturday, April 24
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10.00 a.m.|DTC|Secrets of the Colosseum
Visit the ruins of this massive triumph of Roman building and
engineering for clues to its ingenious design. Built in a remarkably
short span of 10 years, the structure combined travertine stone,
iron, concrete, brick and lava rocks from nearby Vesuvius.
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Sunday, April 25
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6.00 p.m. |DISCU| The History of Mistresses
The role of the mistress in society has changed over centuries. Meet
the most famous and influential paramours, from Cleopatra to Monica
Lewinsky, and discover why some of these women became prominent and
powerful while others were abused and discarded.

7.00 p.m. |HINT| Quest for Immortality   
The year--1922. Beneath the sands of Egypt, Howard Carter prepares
to breach the final barrier between the modern world and the most
coveted prize in archaeology--the tomb of the Boy-King, Tutankhamun,
intact and untouched for thousands of years. Join us as we probe the
enduring legacy of the pharaohs in this Emmy Award-winning series
narrated by Sam Waterston. Features dramatic reenactments, location
footage, and recent archaeological discoveries to help reconstruct
the ancient past.
 
9.00 p.m. |HISTU| Flying Pyramids: Soaring Stones
How did the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids and lift obelisks?
These spectacular feats of engineering defy explanation. Theories
about ropes, ramps, ingenuity, and brute force abound. Even aliens
have been credited. But no definitive answer to this enigma exists.
Now, an extraordinary new theory is being tested. Expert sailors,
Egyptians used wind power on the Nile. Could they also harness the
power of the wind on land and use land sails, or kites, to help lift
heavy stones?
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                        Channel Guide

A&E     The Arts and Entertainment Channel (cable)
DTC     Discovery Times Channel (U.S. Cable)*
DCIVC   Discovery Civilization (Canadian Cable)
DISCC   Discovery Channel (Canadian Cable)
DISCU   Discovery Channel (U.S. Cable)
HINT    History International (U.S. Cable)
HISTU   The History Channel (U.S. Cable)
HISTC   History Television (Canadian Cable)
NGU     National Geographic Channel (U.S. Cable)*
PBS     Public Broadcasting System (U.S. National Schedule)
TLC     The Learning Channel (cable)

*n.b. Canadian versions of these two channels have recently
been made available although the Canadian versions don't seem
to be making their schedules available yet. For what it's worth,
the Canadian version does seem to 'match up' in regards to
ancient programming most of the time.
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Copyright (c) 2004 David Meadows. Feel free to distribute these
listings via email to your pals, students, teachers, etc., but
please include the title and this copyright notice. These
listings are not to be posted to any website other than my own.
Thanks!
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12:11:15 PM