================================================================
The Ancient World on Television              January 17-23, 2005
================================================================
All times Eastern

Please visit our blog:

http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/

If you're using an (ahem) old or clunky browser, try accessing
it via Bloglines:

http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=21809

n.b. official descriptions are provided by the respective
networks' websites
================================================================
Monday, January 17
================================================================
6.00 p.m. |HISTU| Beyond The Da Vinci Code
Is it the greatest story ever told - or the greatest story ever sold? A best-selling novel sparks a debate that could change Christianity forever. Were Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and co-leaders of their movement? Was Mary Magdalene, herself, the Holy Grail - the vessel said to hold Jesus's blood--and mother of his descendants? Did the early Church know this "truth" and deliberately mislead followers? Is there a secret, ancient society, the Priory of Sion, which still protects this bloodline? Have some of the most illustrious names in art and science been members? These are some of the questions that Dan Brown's best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code raises. We examine both sides of the story--the conventional view of Christianity and the "alternate history" proposed by Brown--so that viewers can decide.

7.00 p.m. |HINT|  Mystery Gold of the Black Sea Warriors
Long before Egypt and Babylon left their imprint on history, a remarkable culture crafted a vast treasure trove of exquisite golden objects that dazzles the eye and tantalizes the senses. They were the Thracians. Feared and ruthless warriors, they challenged the might of the Greek and Roman empires. According to Homer, they fought on the side of Troy during the Trojan Wars. They left behind an enduring legacy, epitomized by the renegade slave Spartacus, then disappeared into history's mists. 

8.00 p.m. |HINT|  Heaven on Earth: Paganism
Presenter Christy Kenneally explores the art and architecture of the ancient creed of paganism. His journey takes him to the huge capstone dolmen of Pentre Ifan in Wales, and the magnificent megalithic Neolithic Passage Tomb of Newgrange, in County Meath, Ireland. In France, he explores the 3,000 standing stones of Carnac, Brittany, and in northern Spain, he rediscovers the ancient rock art-filled Altamira caves. Finally, he visits the fascinating Dogon Tribal Lands in Mali, West Africa, where he witnesses a chicken being slaughtered in a pagan ritual and joins the locals to watch a typical Dogon Mask Dance.

8.30 p.m. |HINT| Heaven on Earth: Judaism
Christy Kenneally takes us on a journey of discovery as he explores the magnificent art and architecture of Judaism. His journey begins at the glorious Temple Israelitico on the banks of the Tiber in Rome. In southern Spain, he discovers the ancient Synagogue of Córdoba nestled amongst the cobbled streets of the Juderia. He then visits the largest and most splendid synagogue in Europe--the Dóhany Street Synagogue in Budapest. His final destination is New York City, where he finds the largest synagogue in the world, Temple Emanu-El, standing proudly amongst the stately buildings on Fifth Avenue.
 
9.00 p.m. |HISTU| The French Revolution
18th-century France was the world's wealthiest nation with the most powerful king, best-educated population, and strongest army in Europe. But it also boasted an exploding national debt (partly due to the King's support of the American Revolution) and an increasingly restless middle and lower class. On July 14, 1789, the festering boil of discontent erupted when a ragtag mob of Parisians stormed the Bastille, seizing arms and gunpowder and instituting a decade of revolutionary ideals and a murderous cycle of carnage. The French Revolution shook the very foundations of monarchy, destroyed the last vestiges of feudalism, and planted the seeds of modern politics, diplomacy, and nationalism. Travel back to the heady days of the guillotine and meet the rebels and rebelled against, including Marie-Antoinette, Louis XVI, Maximilien Robespierre, Jean-Paul Marat, Georges Danton, and Charlotte Corday.
================================================================
Tuesday, January  18
================================================================
7.00 p.m. |HINT|  Jerusalem: Holy Deadly City
The history of the city that is the spiritual center of three of the world's major religions. Explores the mysteries hidden under the city, far from the view of tourists, and shows what the city was like at the time of the great kings David and Solomon.

8.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Mysterious Hanging Coffins in China
dna

11.00 p.m. |HINT| Atlantis: The Lost Civilization
Why has the legend of a continent under the sea captivated the imaginations of generations of people that have searched for Atlantis? Did Atlantis really exist, and if so, where? Plato discussed the legend in two of his dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, the only known written accounts from ancient sources that refer specifically to Atlantis. Atlantis has been linked to Bimini, the Canary Islands, Santorini, and Troy, among other places. What kind of people were the Atlanteans? According to scholars of Atlantis, they developed a technologically advanced civilization that has yet to be surpassed. Did Atlantis sink to the bottom of the ocean in a day and a night? What catastrophic events may have led to its demise? Or is the tale pure fiction invented by a Plato to illustrate a philosophic argument?
================================================================
Wednesday, January 19
================================================================
7.00 p.m. |HINT| Secrets at Delphi
An exploration of the hallowed Greek ground at Delphi, where Zeus's two eagles crossed paths and the Oracle prophesied the fortunes of kings and countries.

8.00 p.m. |HINT| The Road to El Dorado
Discover the gems of the 15th century Incan empire, a domain which covered much of South America. The splendid cities of Cuzco and Chairana and the grandeur of Machu Picchu captivated the imagination and, unfortunately, greed of the Spanish conquistadors. Lifelike virtual construction gives viewers a close look at the massive sacred grounds of the Temple of the Sun at Cuzco, religious and political capital of a world known to generations of European adventurers as El Dorado.

8.30 p.m. |HINT| The Lost Cities of the Maya
Between the 3rd and 10th centuries AD, the Mayan civilization ruled much of Central America. Travel back to the magnificent Mayan cities of Uxmal, Tulúm, Chichén Itzá, and the capital Palenque, with its breathtaking pyramid built by master mathematicians. Experience the cutting edge of archaeological exploration as we take viewers on a virtual tour of these ancient cities to see them as only their inhabitants could have done

9.00 p.m. |HISTC| Barbarians: Vikings
With the extraordinary discovery of a buried Viking grave-ship in Norway in the late 1900s, the true story of the Vikings civilization was revealed, shattering may of the myths that once defined them. Not just raiders and warriors—though this they certainly were—the Vikings are shown to be explorers and merchants as well, whose slender ships carry them all the way from Arabia to the coast of the New World, hundreds of years before Columbus ever set sail.

10.00 p.m. |NGU| Atlantis
What do we really know about the lost city of Atlantis and what happened on the day it died? Legend tells us that the golden civilization became so corrupt and depraved that it was destroyed by the angry gods, but did the city ever exist at all?

11.00 p.m. |HINT|  Aegean: Legacy of Atlantis
This episode of the Emmy Award-winning series explores ancient civilizations that spread through the Aegean Sea and searches for historical roots of some of Western civilization's oldest legends, including an examination of ruins on the Greek Island of Thera (modern-day Santorini) for the basis of the Atlantis legend. On Crete, the Greek mainland, and Turkey, we follow the trail of clues that leads from ancient myths to evidence of the Trojan War, Trojan Horse, Minoan civilization, and the Minotaur. Sam Waterston narrates.  
================================================================
Thursday, January 20
================================================================
3.00 p.m. |DISCC| Dead Sea Scrolls: The Haunted Desert
Retrace the history of the scrolls their spectacular discover in 1947 and widespread suspicion of a religious cover-up.

5.00 p.m. |DCIVC| The Most Evil Men in History: Bad King John
dna

7.00 p.m. |HINT|  The Greatest Pharaohs, Part 4
Cleopatra uses her cunning mix of politics and seduction in a desperate bid to maintain her power, but fails.

8.00 p.m. |HINT| Who Wrote the New Testament: What is Truth?
This is the story of a book, which at first sight is not very impressive--a collection of 27 compositions; and 21 of them letters. All were originally written in Greek. We do not have a single page or even the smallest scrap of any of the original writings. All we have are copies of copies written many years afterwards. And yet the impact of this book on the world is hard to exaggerate; impossible to measure. Christians have confidently revered the New Testament as authoritative--the word of God. But ours is a questioning age, and this series examines the truth behind the writings of the New Testament. Part 1 looks at the most famous quartet in history--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Were they the men who wrote the four gospels? Who were they? Why did they write them and when?
================================================================
Friday, January 21
================================================================
5.00 p.m. |DCIVC| The Mystery of the Parthenon
dna

7.00 p.m. |DTC| Death on the Nile
The Egyptian Empire tottered as the monsoon failed and the desert moved in. Journey to the Giza pyramids in the remote deserts of southern Egypt and visit the archaeological excavation where newly discovered skeletons show that people here died in agony.

7.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Ancient Earthquake: Sunken Cities
dna

8.00 p.m. |DTC| The Quest for the True Cross
Based on the New York Times best-seller, scholarly detective work and historical adventure draw conclusions about the remains of Christ's actual cross. This comprehensive study could overturn centuries of academic assumptions about the

8.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Galileo's Battle for the Heavens
dna

9.00 p.m. |DTC| Spear of Jesus
In the Hofsburg Museum in Vienna, Austria, lies a metal spearhead said to have been used to pierce the side of Christ during his crucifixion. For the first time, scientific testing will establish if this ancient relic really is the Spear of Christ.

10.00 p.m. |DTC| Skeletons of Roman Ashkelon
Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Ashkelon in Israel made a sinister find: the skeletons of one hundred newborn babies, thrown into the sewers beneath a Roman bathhouse. Explore this two thousand-year-old murder mystery of sex and infanticide.
================================================================
Sunday, January 23
================================================================
2.00 p.m. |HISTU| Archaeology and the Bible
The Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, may be the most important religious text in history. Revered as a divine scripture by Jews, Christians, and Muslims, it is a book of great spirituality and controversy. Recent archaeological finds seem to contradict many of its stories, threatening the foundations of these ancient religions and even the delicate balance of power in modern Israel. Stakes are high as these biblical archaeologists dig for the truth with a shovel in one hand and a bible in the other.

4.00 p.m. |HISTU| History Alive 1
Venture down the Nile through a lost civilization focused on immorality as we examine the burial places of the mummies and construction of the pyramids. In this hour, viewers witness the process of mummification and learn its secrets.

5.00 p.m. |HISTU| History Alive 2
Stare into the stone face of the massive silent mixture of man and beast, the Sphinx, and learn how it helped bridge the gap between the living and the dead. Travel back to a time when the Pharaohs reigned supreme as we bring the Sphinx and the Giza Plateau back to life through modern technology.

6.00 p.m. |HINT| Atlantis: The Lost Civilization
Why has the legend of a continent under the sea captivated the imaginations of generations of people that have searched for Atlantis? Did Atlantis really exist, and if so, where? Plato discussed the legend in two of his dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, the only known written accounts from ancient sources that refer specifically to Atlantis. Atlantis has been linked to Bimini, the Canary Islands, Santorini, and Troy, among other places. What kind of people were the Atlanteans? According to scholars of Atlantis, they developed a technologically advanced civilization that has yet to be surpassed. Did Atlantis sink to the bottom of the ocean in a day and a night? What catastrophic events may have led to its demise? Or is the tale pure fiction invented by a Plato to illustrate a philosophic argument?

6.00 p.m. |HISTU| History Alive 3
Unravel the mystery of the hieroglyphs, sacred detailed instructions for mummies to travel to the other side. Discover what was needed for the trip as revealed in the most famous cache of burial riches ever found--the undisturbed treasure from the tomb of the Boy-King Tutankhamun.

7.00 p.m. |HINT| Hartlepool, Northumbria
In 640 AD, on a storm-swept headland surrounded on three sides by the sea, St. Aidan founded a monastery at what is now modern-day Hartlepool in Northumbria, England. Occupied by both monks and nuns, it survived for three centuries before finally being destroyed by the Danes in the 9th century. Join Time Team as they investigate the site and unearth a piece of metal thought to be a clasp from a book used in the monastery and a complete female burial--all in three days!

7.00 p.m. |HISTU| History Alive 4
In the conclusion of our extensive look at mummies, ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, the pyramids, and well-known pharaohs, we examine several 20th century excavation projects, including KV-5, the newly uncovered tomb of Rameses the Great's sons. 
 
7.00 p.m. |NGU|Atlantis
What do we really know about the lost city of Atlantis and what happened on the day it died? Legend tells us that the golden civilization became so corrupt and depraved that it was destroyed by the angry gods, but did the city ever exist at all?

9.00 p.m. |HINT| Viking! The Norse Raiders
During the long years of the Dark Ages, there was no more feared sight than that of a Viking longship on the horizon. The Norsemen were ruthless warriors who plundered for land and gold as they made settlements in Britain, most notably in York. We take viewers back to 991 BC to experience the Battle of Maldon--a battle for which history provides the only detailed description of an Anglo-Saxon army during the Viking era. Features groundbreaking 3-D CGI animation combined with atmospheric recreations.
================================================================
                        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.
================================================================
Useful Addresses
================================================================
AWOTV on the www:
http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/categories/awotv/

To subscribe, send a blank message to:
mailto:awotv-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

To unsubscribe, send a blank message to:
mailto:awotv-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
        
To contact the editor:
reply to this message

================================================================
Copyright (c) 2005 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!
================================================================

::Sunday, January 16, 2005 10:05:24 AM::
Comment on this post @ Classics Central