Tuesday, January 16:
8:00 - 9:00PM
Nova - “Arctic Passage ‘Prisoners of the Ice’”. All those British folks think they're so wonderful, don’t they? With their smart ties, worsted suits, their accents and their Cockney rhyming slang (I’ll send you down the apples and pears head first if you don’t watch it, that I promise). This should take them down a notch — it seems as though in 1845 two Royal Navy ships set off to uncover some elusive Arctic route to somewhere. Rather than succeeding, they resorted to murder and cannibalism. Either that or they were poisoned. Nova is on the case.
9:00 - 10:30PM
Frontline - “Hand of God”. I like the way this show is titled, that’s because the “hand of God” they’re referring to is that of a pedophiliac Catholic priest and it's reaching into the pants of several young boys. It’s both a clever and a mean title, and I’m all for it.
10:30 - 11:30PM
Independent Lens - “Shadya”. Shadya Zoabi is a 17-year-old karate champion and a Muslim in an Israeli town. This show takes a close look at the contrasting aspects that make up her character and how she reconciles all of them.
Wednesday, January 17:
8:00 - 9:00PM
22nd Century. I must be slow. I just don’t understand what I’m reading here. The first sentence about this show states “would you like to know what the world is going to be like 30 years from now?” While I would absolutely answer “yes” to such a question, unless my math is off, 30 years from now is not the 22nd Century. 94 years from now is the 22nd Century, but 30 years from now isn’t. Right?
9:00 - 10:00PM
China From The Inside - “Shifting Nature”. I’m still pushing for the whole stereoscopic effect thing (see last week’s listings). This episode in the series takes a look at the problems that the rapid industrialization has wrought on the environment of the country.
10:00 - 11:00PM
China From The Inside - “Freedom and Justice”. Same series. This episode however focuses on religious worship and how it’s problematic for many people in China. It also deals with various civic problems including persecution of various groups, AIDS cover-ups, and other nefarious activities.
Thursday, January 18:
8:00 - 9:00PM
The This Old House Hour - Episode TBA. It’s This Old House and Ask This Old House. It’s like maintenance…for your home. Wait, no, that’s exactly what it is.
Article comments
1 - Bliffle
Once again I'm disappointed in this review. It doesn't help me plan my viewing.
2 - TV and Film Guy
I'd be disappointed in this as a review as well, thank goodness it isn't a review.
3 - Bliffle
What is the purpose of this article? To showcase sophomoric humor?
4 - Lisa McKay
Bliffle, perhaps if you thought of it as a TV guide, but funnier, you'd get the point. It's an informational listing of TV programs with some humorous commentary thrown in. If you don't find them funny, certainly there's plenty of other stuff on the site to read.
5 - Bliffle
It would be useful if this column contained some factual info to help viewers make good viewing decisions.
It looks like you need some help, so here's an attention-grabbing headline:
COMMERCIAL TV NETWORKS INCREASE HOURLY AD TIME BY 5 MINUTES
Since I favor PBS programs, the few commercial programs that I watch I record on my HDTV PVR and view later at my convenience. Sometimes I strip out the commercials and when I do I find out how much content is actually in the program.
Before Jan 1, 2007, commercial programs contained 40 to 42 minutes of program content. Since Jan. 1 they contain only 34 to 35 minutes of content. They've increased ad time by at least 5 minutes. You may have noticed that the plots are thinner and the ads more annoying, and that's why.
I don't remember getting a chance to vote for this, do you? Or even to be informed.
Vote with your feet. Switch from commercial TV to PBS. If you don't like what you see, at first, then change what you like! After all, the McTV stuff we watch is what we've been taught to like by constant advertising and promoting. Part of the entertainment delusion is to convince us that we have chosen what we watch, but of course that's no more true than Alice In Wonderland.