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The Ancient World on Television                 March 7-13, 2005
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All times Eastern

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

n.b. 2 ... this week we are happy to add the Science Channel
(designated as SCI) to our weekly scan

n.b. 3 ... if you'd like to post a review of one of the
programs which deals with the ancient Mediterranean world,
please visit our incipient online forum: Classics Central

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Monday, March 7
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10.00 p.m. |HINT| Gods & Goddesses
The world of the Ancient Greeks lives on today through its mythology. For countless generations prior to biblical times, tales of gods and goddesses were passed down by storytellers and interwoven into traditions and philosophies. Each city devoted itself to particular gods. But these gods also had human frailties. Where did the pantheon originate? Did any of the stories in Greek mythology actually occur? We look at new archaeological evidence that supports the possibility.

10.00 p.m. |SCI| Queen of Sheba: Behind the Myth
The name of the Queen of Sheba is synonymous with the exotic and the erotic, and yet she has remained a tantalizing mystery. Follow the work of archaeologists as they piece together the dramatic life of one history's most enigmatic queens.
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Tuesday, March 8
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4.00 a.m. |DCIVC| Leonardo's Dream Machines
dna

3.00 p.m. |DISCC| Ancient Clues: In Search of Warrior Women
Excavation of a series of large earthen burial mounds near the Black Sea leads to new discoveries about the role women played in defensive and offensive warfare within the ancient nomadic Sarmation culture.

3.30 p.m. |DISCC| Ancient Clues: The Mummy's Curse
When an amateur archaeologist opens an unmarked crypt beneath a church in the Italian hamlet of Cereto, he stumbles onto the epic tale of a doctor excommunicated for practising early forms of surgery.

7.00 p.m. |HINT|   Herod the Great
Explores the life of King Herod, the great builder who left behind Masada and the Temple Mount. Was he a great king or a ruthless killer?

8.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Mystery of the Tibetan Mummy
dna

9.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Atlantis in the Andes
dna
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Wednesday, March 9
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7.00 p.m. |HINT| The Puzzling Pyramids of Mexico
Travel to the ancient city of Teotihuacán, home of the magnificent pyramids and Temple of the Feathered Spirit.
 
8.00 p.m. |HINT|  Secrets of Archaeology: Greek Cities in Italy
Nearly 2,800 years ago, a group of Greek settlers landed on the coast of Italy, an event that marked the start of the process that created Magna Graecia--(Latin for Greater Greece)--Greek colonization of Southern Italy and Sicily. Explore the computer-recreated streets of the original Greek colonies as we walk through Cumae, Pasteum, Puteoli, and Neapolis, reconstructed using the most advanced computer graphics.

8.30 p.m. |HINT| Secrets of Archaeology: The Pyramids of the Sun
Aztec civilization reached its height in the early 16th century. Explore the capital of their empire, Tenochtitlán, home to elaborate sacred temples that sit atop gigantic stepped pyramids. Witness the majesty of this warrior culture that has been unearthed by preeminent archaeologists below what is modern-day Mexico City. Take a virtual walking tour, right along with Aztec citizens, as our state-of-the-art technology coupled with enhanced 3-D graphics allow us to see the ancient sites as only the original inhabitants could. 
 
9.00 p.m. |HISTC|Great Fire of Rome
In the early hours of July 19, 64 A.D, fire broke out in Rome. More than one million people ran for their lives as flames devoured their homes. The fire raged for more than a week. For centuries, questions surrounding the fire have remained unanswered. What—or who—started this raging inferno? This program takes viewers back to ancient times in search of definitive explanations.

10.00 p.m. |NGU| Who Built Stonehenge?
With the help of animation, CGI, and special effects, investigate who-or what-built Stonehenge.

10.00 p.m. |HINT|  Time Team: Cirencester
Around 1,700 years ago, Corinium--modern day Cirencester--was the second-most important city in Roman Britain after Londinium. By about 300 AD, it had developed into a bustling, wealthy city. Time Team was drawn to Cirencester by the opportunity to excavate in the gardens of a number of properties near the center of old Corinium. Though it has been said that you can't put a shovel into the ground in Cirencester without unearthing Roman relics, Time Team adds their 2-spades worth!    

11.00 p.m. |HISTU|Mesopotamia: Return to Eden
Leap back through time as this Emmy Award-winning series travels to the Fertile Crescent to recreate the ancient past using dramatic reenactments, visits to actual locations, and recent archaeological discoveries. This episode, narrated by Sam Waterston, explores ancient Mesopotamia, now located in Iraq; examines the kingdoms of Sumeria, Babylon, and Assyria; studies the origins of the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths; and follows clues leading to the locations of the Garden of Eden, Tower of Babel, and Noah's Ark.
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Thursday, March 10
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7.00 p.m. |HINT| The Greatest Pharaohs, Part 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.

8.00 p.m. |HINT|Maintaining the Truth
Part 2 investigates the letters of the New Testament, many of which warn the early Christian communities against heretics and their teachings. We examine the letters of the brothers of Jesus, James and Jude, and look at how the Jewish movement in Jerusalem, led by James, eventually clashed with Paul's preachings on Christ. And speaking of Paul, we look at Saul's conversion to Paul, and how his subsequent correspondences with the Mediterranean congregations helped Christianity grow from a seed movement in its homeland into a pullulating global movement.  
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Friday, March 11
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7.00 p.m. |DTC| Sodom and Gomorrah
Examine geological clues to a natural disaster responsible for one of the most dramatic apocalyptic events in history. Search for evidence of earthquakes and landslides that sparked the fires that consumed the Biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

7.00 p.m. |HINT| Christopher Columbus: Explorer of the New World
An original profile of the explorer that reveals details of his life that will surprise many viewers. Columbus received little credit for his discoveries and died a broken and largely forgotten man. 

8.00 p.m. |DTC| The Early Years
Explore the strange fables that surround Jesus' birth. Follow the childhood and early adult years of Jesus using a first century living museum newly opened in Nazareth. Find out why Jesus began his mission and why he chose to live his life the way he did.

9.00 p.m. |DTC| The Mission
Learn how Jesus carried out his ministry as a healer and exorcist and how his taste for parties with undesirable guests became an attack on religious authorities. Follow him to Jerusalem and see how dangerous it was for him during the Passover Festival.

9.00 p.m. |SCI| Leonardo's Incredible Machines - Part One
Leonardo da Vinci was a brilliant inventor and engineer as well as a gifted painter. Modern engineers try to rebuild da Vinci's inventions to his specifications as found in his famous coded drawings.

9.00 p.m. |DISCC| Mysterious Death of Cleopatra
The daughter of an incestuous marriage, Cleopatra married and murdered her brothers, inheriting the throne of Egypt at age 17; her life was filled with the unexplained; experts reexamine the circumstances of Cleopatra's untimely death.

10.00 p.m. |DTC| The Last Days
Look at the last days of Jesus' life: the Last Supper; the Mount of Olives where he prayed and sweat blood; and the trial where he is condemned for blasphemy. Explore what may have accounted for his resurrection and find out what he may have looked like.

10.00 p.m. |SCI| Leonardo's Incredible Machines - Part Two
Leonardo da Vinci was a brilliant inventor and engineer as well as a gifted painter. Modern engineers try to rebuild da Vinci's inventions to his specifications as found in his famous coded drawings.

11.00 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 crucifixion.

12.00 a.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.
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Sunday, March 13
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7.00 p.m. |HINT| Time Team: Cirencester
Around 1,700 years ago, Corinium--modern day Cirencester--was the second-most important city in Roman Britain after Londinium. By about 300 AD, it had developed into a bustling, wealthy city. Time Team was drawn to Cirencester by the opportunity to excavate in the gardens of a number of properties near the center of old Corinium. Though it has been said that you can't put a shovel into the ground in Cirencester without unearthing Roman relics, Time Team adds their 2-spades worth! 

8.00 p.m. |DISCC| Superweapons of the Ancient World: The Claw
History says that Archimedes created a terrifying secret weapon that plucked Roman warships from the sea and smashed them against the rocks; could such a devastating weapon have been built using available technology in 213 BC?
 
9.00 p.m. |DISCC|Superweapons of the Ancient World: The Ram
The team, including top military engineers from the U.S. military academy at West Point, re-creates a Roman tortoise ram and tests it by trying to demolish a specially re-created replica of an ancient six-metre-high, 3.5-metre-thick city wall.
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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)
SCI     The Science Channel (U.S. 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) 2005 David Meadows. Feel free to distribute these
listings via email to your pals, students, teachers, etc., but
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Thanks!
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::Sunday, March 06, 2005 5:44:58 PM::
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