SUNDAY, 7 p.m.

2008 Summer Olympic Games, Closing Ceremony

NBC As the 29th modern Olympic Games close with this four-hour ceremony in Beijing, Catholic viewers might put the events in context by praying for the communist regime’s millions of victims — persecuted Christians, slave laborers, forcibly aborted and sterilized mothers and executed prisoners. NBC and its sister networks provided more than 3,600 hours of coverage over the games’ 17 days.

SUNDAY, 8 p.m.

Bells of Coronado

FAMILYLAND TV In this 1950 western, the beloved husband-wife team Roy Rogers and Dale Evans foil uranium smugglers with the help of sidekick Pat Brady. It is little known, but Roy’s palomino wonder horse Trigger, who died at 33 in 1965, was the steed that Olivia de Havilland, as “Maid Marian,” rode in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).

MONDAY, 4 p.m.

The Bells of St. Mary’s

TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES Hollywood used to treat Holy Mother Church with friendship and respect, as this 1945 family drama from Leo McCarey shows. Bing Crosby is Father Chuck O’Malley and Ingrid Bergman is Sister Mary Benedict in this warm story of sisters who hope a crusty businessman will replace their aging school with a new building.

MONDAY-THURSDAY

Democratic Presidential Convention

ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, NBC, PBS Beneath the convention hoopla, Catholic viewers will note the radical pro-abortion, pro-homosexual “marriage” stances of this party and its nominees.

TUESDAY, 7 p.m.

Modern Marvels: Edwards Air Force Base

HISTORY Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert has been the United States’ main test flight center for more than 50 years. Advisory: TV-PG.

WEDNESDAY, 9 p.m.

MythBusters: NASA Moon Landing

DISCOVERY CHANNEL The MythBusters crew dismantles each aspect of the urban legend that NASA faked America’s moon landings. Advisory: TV-PG.

THURSDAY, 3 a.m., 6:30 p.m.

Faith Bowl

EWTN In this show from Catholic Athletes for Christ and Family Theater Productions, actor Chris Kent, former fast-pitch softball player Lauren Baker, NFL wide receiver Chris Horn, actor Matthew Marsden, major league pitcher Jeff Suppan and actor Eduardo Verástegui explain how they make it a priority to keep the faith — and witness about it.

SATURDAY, 12:30 p.m.

The Victory Garden

PBS This new episode plants us in California at the gardens of the San Diego-area Mission San Juan Capistrano, Carol Macelwe’s residential garden on the former estate of oil tycoon Edward Doheny’s family in Orange County, and the Casa del Herrero citrus grove near Santa Barbara.

Dan Engler writes from
Santa Barbara, California.