TV Smarts

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

* Today--”Behind the Scenes” (E! 5:30-6 p.m.) Commentary on the latest movie version of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” starring Calista Flockhart. “Insectia” (ANML 6:30-7 p.m., repeats 9:30-10 p.m.) Documentary about how insects are regarded in different civilizations, with examples from the Bible and the Koran.

* Friday--”The Great Bison Chase” (ANML 2-3 p.m., repeats 11 p.m.-midnight) Documentary explains the effort to increase the number of buffalo on the plains. Harry Hamlin hosts. Recommended reading, “Bring Back the Buffalo: A Sustainable Future for America’s Great Plains,” by Ernest Callenbach (Island Press).

* Saturday--”Travels in Europe” (TRAV 9-9:30 a.m.) Documentary introduces students to ancient Greek sites, including Athens, the Acropolis, Peloponnesus, Olympia and Mycenae. “The True Story of the Elephant Man: John Merrick” (BRAV 6-7 p.m.) Modern physicians analyze the Victorian-era case of a man with a disfiguring disease so movingly presented in Bernard Pomerance’s play and David Lynch’s movie.

* Sunday--”The Seedy Side of Plants” (KCET 8-9 p.m.) PBS documentary about how seeds travel to places where the environment allows them to sprout and survive. “Cleopatra” (KABC, Part I, 9-11 p.m.; Part II, Monday 9-11 p.m.) Miniseries based on Margaret George’s novel “The Memoirs of Cleopatra” generally follows the historical record of an Egyptian queen who married Julius Caesar and warred against Rome in alliance with Marc Antony.

* Monday--”Fly Girls” (KCET 9-10 p.m.) PBS documentary about the challenges faced during World War II by the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs), who flew aircraft, including the B-29 bomber, and served as flight instructors.

* Tuesday--”Cleopatra’s World: Alexandria Revealed” (A&E; 6-7 p.m., repeats 10-11 p.m.) Documentary about new archeological findings related to the life of Cleopatra. “The Myth of Cleopatra” (HIST 8-9 p.m.) Documentary compares accounts of Cleopatra’s life with available documentable evidence.

* Wednesday--”Odyssey of Life: The Photographer’s Secrets” (KCET 7:30-8:30 p.m.) PBS documentary about Lennart Nilsson, whose pioneering photography of microscopic creatures opened a new world to science and the public.

Compiled by Richard Kahlenberg in consultation with Crystal J. Gips, associate director for teacher education, Cal State University. Columns available at https://www.latimes.com/tvsmarts.