TV Smarts

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

* Today-- “The Buccaneer” (AMC 5-7:15 p.m.) Cecil B. DeMille movie, about French-led pirates on the Gulf Coast who helped Andrew Jackson stop the British invasion of New Orleans, vividly introduces students to the War of 1812. Charlton Heston stars. Also, “No Place to Be Smart” (KLCS 10-11 p.m.) Examines mainstream education in which kids are diagnosed as “severely gifted” and encounter discouragement. Describes alternatives, such as very early college-level instruction. Recommended reading: “Smart Kids: How Academic Talents Are Developed and Nurtured in America,” by researchers W.G. Durden and A.E. Tangherlini, who are featured in the documentary.

* Friday--”Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Scarlet Letter” (C-SPAN 5-8 p.m.) Live broadcast in C-SPAN’s “American Writers” series originates from Hawthorne’s hometown of Salem, Mass., and describes sites made famous in his novels and events from his life. Also, “On the Inside: High School Boot Camp” (DISC 8-10 p.m.) This documentary follows “at risk” Florida boys 13-16 who volunteered for a six-month experimental school in a rural camp setting where high-quality academic tutoring is combined with Marine-style discipline. Info at https://www.discovery.com.

* Saturday--”Mind Over Media: Helping Kids Get the Message” (Court 1-2 p.m.) Shows parents and teachers how students can analyze each medium to become aware of potential harmful content, as well as valuable content. Info: https://www.courttv.com. Also, “The Cavemen” (HIST 3-4 p.m.) Documentary about Neanderthals, who became extinct 30,000 years ago, introduces young viewers to the topic of primitive humans. (Recommended reading: “Who Were the First People,” by Phil Roxbee Cox et al, for readers 4-8).

* Sunday--”Rembrandt” (HBO 7-7:30 a.m.) Live-action drama about a youth during the Renaissance who knew the great painter. Recommended for readers 4-8: “Rembrandt” (Getting to Know the World’s Great Artists Series), by Mike Venezia. Also, “National Geographic Bee 2001” (KLCS 9-10:30 p.m.) Alex Trebek hosts Washington, D.C., competition in which fourth- through sixth-graders representing 50 states compete on topics including meteorology, international affairs, culture and social history. Winners share $50,000 in prizes. Also, “Pearl Harbor: Legacy of Attack” (KNBC 9-11 p.m.) This special broadcast uses new technology to uncover information about the World War II event in Hawaii and examine its ecological aftermath. Underwater explorer Robert Ballard, (who located the Titanic wreck), attack survivors and the superintendent of the Arizona Memorial participated. See https://www.nationalgeographic.com.

* Monday--”PT 109” (AMC 7:30 10 p.m.) Biographical movie about John F. Kennedy’s WWII experience as a Navy lieutenant. He commanded a patrol torpedo boat attacked by a Japanese warship while evacuating Marines from a Pacific island. Also, “Egypt Beyond the Pyramids” (HIST 9-11 p.m.) Documentary miniseries about recent excavations in Egypt and the challenge of interpreting the findings. Tonight, “Mansions of the Spirits,” about Luxor, and “The Great Pharaoh and his Lost Children,” about the tombs of Ramses II’s 50 sons. Tuesday’s episodes, airing 9-11 p.m.: “The Daily Life of Ancient Egyptians,” about communities adjacent to the pyramids, and “Death and the Journey to Immortality,” about the Valley of the Golden Mummies. See https://www.historychannel.com.

* Tuesday--”Frontline: Hunting Bin Laden” (KCET 9-10 p.m.) Documentary about the 1998 car-bomb attack on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania is recommended for viewing in connection with news reports on the trial of those suspected of being operatives of exiled Saudi millionaire Osama Bin Laden.

* Wednesday--”Big Mama” (CMAX 4:30- 5:15 p.m.) Documentary chronicles 18 months in the lives of Viola Dees, an 89-year-old African American, and her 9-year-old grandson, Walter, as she struggles to raise him alone in South-Central Los Angeles.

*

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://www.calendarlive.com/go/tvsmarts.