TV Picks Feb. 17-23, 2008

All Times Eastern


VARIOUS, 3:20 p.m.

Rome’s Hidden Churches: A Lenten Pilgrimage

EWTN Timothy O’Donnell escorts us to seventh-century Santa Maria in Dominica, redone in the ninth and 16th centuries (on Sunday); fourth-century Basilica di San Clemente, redone in the 11th and 18th centuries (Monday); fifth-century Santa Cecelia in Trastevere (Wednesday), redone in the ninth and 16th centuries; and fifth-century San Vitale (Friday), redone in the 15th, 16th and 20th centuries.


SUNDAY, 7 a.m.

Holy Mass at Notre Dame

HALLMARK CHANNEL The Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame is the site of this Mass, a rebroadcast of the Saturday vigil Mass. Andrew McShane directs the 50-member Women’s Liturgical Choir.


MONDAY, 9 a.m.- 8 p.m.

President’s Day Marathon

ANIMAL PLANET This “All American Animals” fest salutes beavers, otters, badgers, coyotes, black bears, moose, caribou, wolves and other creatures.


TUESDAY, 8 p.m.

The Universe

HISTORY CHANNEL At 8 p.m., the episode “Space Travel” explores propulsion possibilities such as laser beam-catching space sails and anti-matter-powered engines. At 9 p.m., “Constellations” probes the gigantic star clusters familiar to us. Advisory: TV-PG.


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WEDNESDAYS, 10 a.m.

What Does God Want?

FAMILYLAND TV Franciscan Father Michael Scanlan explains his guidelines for decisions about what God wants from us. He based his 1996 book, What Does God Want? A Practical Guide to Making Decisions, written with James Manney, on Catholic tradition and his 30-plus years of teaching, counseling and spiritual direction.


THURSDAY, 3:15 p.m.

Sergeant York

TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES This 1941 fact-based Howard Hawkes film stars Gary Cooper as U.S. Army Sgt. Alvin York (1887-1964), an originally pacifist rural Tennessee marksman who was awarded the Medal of Honor for valor in France on Oct. 8, 1918, when he killed 28 of the enemy, silenced 32 machine guns and captured 132 men.


FRIDAY, 9:30 p.m.

Escape to Chimp Eden

ANIMAL PLANET In this new series, Eugene Cussons of the Jane Goodall Institute’s Chimpanzee Eden sanctuary in South Africa rescues captive and abandoned chimps and rehabilitates them in a safe and caring environment. TV-G.


SATURDAY, 12:30 p.m.

The Victory Garden: Vertical

PBS Want to know which plants are the best climbers? Reporter Paul Epsom has the answers. Make an espalier (flat plane against a solid surface) of beautiful bougainvillea in your garden and follow Michel Nischan’s menu-brightening fresh juice recipes.


Dan Engler writes from
Santa Barbara, California.