‘Pyramids’ Visits Ancient Monuments

Planning a visit to Egypt?

A less expensive alternative would be viewing “The Ultimate Guide: Pyramids,” an informative history lesson about the majestic monuments that have stood for more than 4,000 years.

Mixing interviews with computer graphics, this one-hour documentary recounts the stories of ancient societies that used simple cutting tools and precise engineering to build prodigious pyramids pointing toward the heavens in Egypt, Peru and Mexico.

Imagine the sweat. Imagine the toil. And imagine completing the job without any machinery for lifting. Scientists previously thought sleds were used to hoist the heavy stones into position, but evidence indicates they may have been encased in wooden “cradles” and rolled into place.

Filmed on location, the program finds the oldest pyramids in Africa along the Nile, where they were built by Nubian kings. It also explores lore and legend surrounding the most enduring structures.

The final segment in the show, which also delves into archeology, the afterlife and excavations, revisits the Aztecs of central Mexico, who possessed an appetite for human hearts.

Luckily, the show airs after the dinner hour.

* “The Ultimate Guide: Pyramids” airs tonight at 9 on Discovery Channel. The network has rated it TV-G (suitable for all ages).

Surf Report

MOVIES

If pyramids strike you as a dry subject, there’s the provocative option of “Sex, Lies & Obsession” (9 p.m. Lifetime), a new drama based on a true story about a woman (Lisa Rinna) who learns that her husband (Harry Hamlin) is a sex addict leading a double life tied to hookers, porn, strip clubs and phone sex. The film was unavailable for preview, which is probably just as well.

MOVIES

Turner Classic Movies salutes the splendid career of Gary Cooper, who was born 100 years ago today. Best picks of the day: “For Whom the Bell Tolls” at 11 a.m., “Love in the Afternoon” at 7:30 p.m. and “Sergeant York” at 10 p.m. In addition, TCM presents “Gary Cooper: American Life, American Legend,” a 1989 documentary that can be seen at 1 p.m.

SERIES

Christine Lahti, who worked for David E. Kelley on “Chicago Hope,” turns up as a guest on the Emmy winner’s “Ally McBeal” (9 p.m. Fox). She plays the owner of an ad agency who only hires men. Now one of them is suing her for sexual harassment. Two other familiar faces, Marla Gibbs (“The Jeffersons”) and Telma Hopkins (“Family Matters”), appear on a Mother’s Day episode of “The Hughleys” (8:30 p.m. UPN).

SPECIALS

Chris Isaak hosts “100 Greatest Videos” (10-11 p.m. nightly, VH1), a five-hour countdown featuring interviews with Boy George, Alanis Morissette, Pat Benatar and others. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” directed by John Landis, heads the list.