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TURN ON, TUNE IN OR MISS OUT : TNT takes a good look at the NBA and the man who caught Eichmann; ‘Larry’s’ back on HBO

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

Sunday

“The Man Who Captured Eichmann” / 5 p.m. (repeats at 7 and 9 p.m.) TNT

Much of what is known about the Holocaust came to light in the wake of the capture and 1961 trial of the man responsible for sending millions of Jews to death camps, Adolf Eichmann. The story here, however, is a true-life spy thriller focusing on Israeli intelligence agent Peter Malkin (Arliss Howard) and his capture of Eichmann (Robert Duvall) in a suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 15 years after the end of the war. A repeat of the documentary “Nazi Hunters: Stalking Evil” shows at 11 p.m.

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“A Step Toward Tomorrow” / 9 p.m. CBS

Judith Light plays Anne Lynne, single mom to 12- and 10-year-old boys Ben and Georgie, the younger of whom was paralyzed in a freak diving accident. Her determination to do the best she can for Georgie precipitates a move across the country in search of state-of-the-art medical treatment. Although she finds roadblocks and frustrations, there are also encouraging words for Georgie from Christopher Reeve, who makes a cameo.

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“Pandora’s Clock” / 9 p.m. NBC

Its origination was Frankfurt, its destination New York, but this has to be the airline flight from Hell: a passenger who’s been exposed to a deadly virus collapses and when the pilot (Richard Dean Anderson) tries to make an emergency landing, no airport in Europe will grant him clearance. And just when it seems that everything that could possibly go wrong has, the plane becomes a pawn in a web of political intrigue and international terrorism. Concludes Monday at 9 p.m.

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“The Great War” / 9 p.m. PBS

Although today there is more of a first-hand consciousness of World War II and the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, this eight-hour series about the first World War is subtitled “... And the Shaping of the 20th Century.” More than a military and political chronicle, “The Great War” looks at the conflict’s social, cultural and personal impact on the world through the stories of individuals worldwide whose lives were changed by the events during 1914-1919. Continues through Wednesday.

Tuesday

“To Face Her Past” / 9 p.m. CBS

In this fact-based TV movie, Patty Duke stars as Beth, a woman whose past--which includes an annulled teen-age marriage and the surrendered custody of a daughter--invades her happy life with her second husband and their daughter. When her younger daughter Lori (Tracey Gold) contracts leukemia, Beth must finally reveal to her the existence of her older half-sister Megan (Gabrielle Carteris), who’s a prime candidate to be a bone-marrow donor.

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“The NBA at 50” / 5 p.m. (repeats at 7 and 9 p.m.) TNT

Imagine Michael Jordan having to work a day job so he could afford to play pro basketball. That was often the situation for early-day NBA players when the pro league was a benchwarmer, compared to the college game, in terms of popularity and public esteem. Denzel Washington (a walk-on freshman at Fordham, no pro experience) is the host for a half-century of clips and interviews with more than 100 stars that show how things have changed.

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“The Larry Sanders Show” / 10 p.m. HBO

Garry Shandling returns in a new season of the Emmy- and CableACE-winning comedy that depicts the darkly hilarious world behind the scenes of a network talk show. Tonight, Larry is uncomfortable with David Duchovny’s (“The X-Files”) overtures of friendship. Other guests include Elvis Costello, Charles Nelson Reilly and Jon Stewart.

Saturday

” The 18th Annual CableACE Awards” / 6 p.m. (repeats at 10 p.m) TNT

Drew Carey (a past CableACE winner for writing in a comedy special) is the host as the National Academy of Cable Programming honors the finest shows, performers and personalities on cable. Once again, HBO leads the pack in nominations: 111 out of a possible 373; runner-up ESPN garnered 28, followed by the Disney Channel with 22; Showtime 20; Nickelodeon 18; A&E; 17, CNN and TNT 16 each. And the winners are ...

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