TV Smarts

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

* Today--”Verizon California State Forum” (KCET 7-7:30 p.m.) Features the major candidates for Los Angeles mayor. Val Zavala and Jess Marlow host. Program continues Friday from 7-7:30 p.m. with political analysts Kerman Maddox and Hugh Hewitt discussing the backgrounds of the candidates. Also, “MacArthur” (TCM 9-11 p.m.) Based on the life of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Gregory Peck stars. Recommended reading: “American Caesar” by William Manchester.

* Friday--”Master Photographers: Ansel Adams” (OVTN 4-4:30 p.m.) About the great photographer of the American West. Also, “Parrot Passions” (CNBC 8-9 p.m.) About the recent research on parrots that has made us respect their intelligence even more than before, although they remain incurable troublemakers as pets. A second segment of the program explores what seems to be the thought processes of dogs and cats.

* Saturday--”Abraham” (ODSY noon-4 p.m.) Airing on Jewish Passover, which begins at sunset, this miniseries biography of the patriarch (Richard Harris) will be followed from 4 to 6 p.m. by “Jacob” (Matthew Modine) and from 6 to 10 p.m. by “Joseph” (Paul Mercurio). Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m., “Moses” (Ben Kingsley) dramatizes the Passover story from the Bible. Also, “The BookShow With Patt Morrison” (KCET 6-6:30 p.m.) In this first of 26 new programs about provocative writing and ideas, Morrison interviews former President Jimmy Carter about his new memoir, “An Hour Before Daylight.”

* Sunday--”BookTV: The African American Century: How Black Americans Shaped Our Country” (C-SPAN2 5-6 p.m.) Features the new book by Harvard University professor Cornel West, which profiles achievements of 100 people in science, politics, literature, academia, the military and the arts. Also, “Allosaurus: A Walking With Dinosaurs Special” (DISC 9-10 p.m.) Scientists unravel the fine details of the life cycle of the huge Jurassic carnivore and create a visual record of one from birth to death.

* Monday--”Don-Pooh Xote” (DISN 8-8:30 a.m.) Puppet characters from A.A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh” are placed in new situations, providing preschoolers an introduction to the Cervantes classic, “Don Quixote.” Also, “20th Century Fox: The First 50 Years--Part 1” (AMC 3:30-4:30 p.m.) Covers the studio’s film production at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Western Avenue and eventually Pico Boulevard and Motor Avenue. Part 2 airs Tuesday from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

* Tuesday--”History’s Mysteries: The True Story of Mutiny on the Bounty” (HIST 8-9 p.m.) Questions the many accounts, both historical and cinematic, of the famous 1789 British Navy revolt on the high seas. Also, “Medicating Kids” (KCET 9-10 p.m.) “Frontline” documentary about the rising and controversial use of psychoactive drugs on children, including Ritalin, Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft.

* Wednesday--”The Directors” (ENCR 8-9 p.m.) Covers the film directing work of Barbra Streisand, the only woman to be nominated for a best director Oscar. Excerpts include “Yentl,” “The Prince of Tides” and “The Mirror Has Two Faces.” Also, “American High” (KCET 10-11 p.m.) New documentary series by Academy Award nominee R.J. Cutler follows a diverse group of Chicago teens day in and day out through high school to graduation. Tonight’s episode, “Who Am I?,” describes their struggles with attention deficit disorder, artistic ambition and sexual identity. For an accompanying interactive Web site, log on to https://www.pbs.org/americanhigh.

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Compiled by Richard Kahlenberg in consultation with Crystal J. Gips, dean of the School of Education, College of St. Rose, Albany, N.Y. Columns available at https://https://www.calendarlive.com/go/tvsmarts.