TV Picks 07.31.2011

SUNDAY, July 31, 7am

Modern Marvels: Engineering Disasters 7

HISTORY “From sudden and unprovided death, deliver us, O Lord.” This show examines disasters such as the Baldwin Hills Dam collapse in Los Angeles in 1963 and Southern California’s Northridge earthquake in 1994. Advisory: TV-PG.

SUNDAY, July 31, all day

EWTN Family Celebration 2011

EWTN This year’s theme (of the July 23-24 event) is “30 Years of Faithful Service.” After the morning session (10am), speakers will include Marcus Grodi (5pm) and Jesuit Father Mitch Pacwa (8pm).

SUNDAY, July 31, 8pm

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

ABC Kathleen and John Lutz Jr. of Long Island, N.Y., both gave up their careers to care for their six adopted brothers and sisters with Down syndrome; but Kathleen has an inoperable brain tumor. Host Ty Pennington, Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth, builders and volunteers replace the family’s deteriorating home, and New York Yankees players and fans cheer the family at a game. A re-airing from 2010.

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, various

The Singing Revolution

PBS Soviet occupiers executed or imprisoned a quarter of all Estonians, 1939-1945, and oppressed the country for the next 40 years. But between 1986 and 1991, Estonians defied and eventually brought down the atheistic communist regime by gathering in ever-increasing numbers to sing patriotic anthems. Check local listings.

MONDAY, Aug. 1, 10:30pm

Holy Land With Steve Ray: Jesus’ Early Life

CATHOLICTV In Galilee and Northern Israel, Steve and Janet Ray discuss our Catholic heritage as they visit the Sea of Galilee, St. Peter’s house, Caesarea Philippi, Mount Tabor and Cana. Re-airings at 2pm Wednesday, noon Friday and 3:30pm Saturday.

TUESDAY, Aug. 2, 8pm

Live From Lincoln Center: Mostly Mozart Festival Opening Night

PBS Violinists Christian Tetzlaff and Antoine Tamestit accompany the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra under Louis Langrée in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat major for violin and viola; soprano Susanna Phillips interprets Mozart’s Crudele? ... Non mi dir, bell’idol mio and Bella mia fiamma ... Resta, o cara; the program closes with the “Linz” Symphony. Re-airing 9:30pm Friday.

SATURDAY, Aug. 6, 3pm, live

The Hambletonian Stakes

NBC The purse is $1.7 million in this venerable race for 3-year-old trotting standardbreds at The Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J.

SUNDAY, Aug. 7, 9pm

How to Build a Volcano

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL American, British and Canadian volcanologists and a film crew construct a four-story “volcano” to experiment with “eruptions.” TV-G.

Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.