TV Smarts

Some broadcast and cable programs contain material included in the public school curriculum and on standardized examinations. Here are viewing tips:

* Today-- “20th Century With Mike Wallace” (HIST 4-5 p.m.) An examination of what motivates people to join hate groups. Includes an interview with William Pierce, author of “The Turner Diaries,” a novel that advocates violent resistance to any government ban of firearms. Also, “Biography: Bill Bradley--In the Game” (A&E; 5-6 p.m., repeating 9-10 p.m.) Documentary traces the professional basketball career and U.S. Senate activities of a Democratic candidate for president in the 2000 election.

* Friday--”The Plot to Overthrow FDR” (HIST 5-6 p.m., repeating 9-10 p.m.) A look at one negative reaction to the New Deal program of narrowing the gap between America’s rich and poor during the Great Depression. Wealthy families associated with DuPont, Goodyear, Bethlehem Steel and the Morgan Bank, alarmed by threats to their status, raised funds in 1933 to back retired Marine Gen. Smedley D. Butler in a complex, unconstitutional plot to neutralize President Roosevelt politically.

* Saturday--”Othello” (TMC 1:45-3:45 p.m.) Movie version of Shakespeare’s play about an African general in the service of the Venetian Republic. It sticks to the 16th century text, but the actors’ modern manner of speaking makes it easy to follow. Laurence Fishburne and Kenneth Branagh star.

* Sunday--”The 1999 Southern California Special Olympics” (FSW [Fox Sports Net West] 4-5 p.m.) Highlights of the 31st annual competition for mentally and physically challenged athletes. Events include track and field, gymnastics and basketball, plus profiles of several contenders and an interview with Rafer Johnson, former Olympian and current chairman of the Southern California Special Olympics. Also, “Nature: A Conversation With Koko” (KCET 7:30-9 p.m.) Documentary on interspecies communication research conducted by Francine Patterson, who has taught a 28-year-old lowland gorilla a sign-language vocabulary of more than 1,000 words, allowing it to communicate with people and reveal a unique personality. Log on to https://www.gorilla.org.

* Monday--”Barry Levinson on the Future in the 20th Century: Yesterday’s Tomorrows” (SHOW 10-11-45 p.m.) Movie director Levinson (“Rain Man,” “Good Morning, Vietnam”) uses clips from science fiction films and interviews with historians, writers and comedians to look at the century’s different visions of life in the future. Log on to https://www.levinson.com.

* Tuesday--”Civil War Journal: Robert E. Lee” (HIST 8-9 p.m.) Documentary about a man viewed by many military historians as the greatest general the U.S. Military Academy ever produced. Also, “The Civil War Experience,” a comprehensive interactive CD-ROM based on the History Channel’s “Civil War Journal” series, available via https://www.southpeak.com.

* Wednesday--”Violence, Secrets and Lies: How Well Do You Know Your Teenager?” (KNBC 8-9 p.m.) “Dateline NBC” special hosted by Katie Couric about dangerous secrets teens keep from their parents and how to spot the warning signs. Also, “Discovery Eclipse” (DISC 10-11 p.m.) Viewers in the U.S. follow the last solar eclipse of the millennium Wednesday. Traveling at 1 1/2 times the speed of the Concorde, the moon’s shadow, followed by time-lapse cameras on the route, will move from England to Romania, creating a 60-mile-wide circle of darkness that fools animals into thinking it’s night. A live telecast on the Discovery Channel and a Web-cast of the event via https://www.Science.discovery.com take place from 3-6 a.m. Wednesday.

Compiled by Richard Kahlenberg in consultation with Crystal J. Gips, dean of the school of education at the College of St. Mary, Albany, N.Y. Columns available at https://www.latimes.com/tvsmarts.