All times Eastern

SUNDAY, SEPT. 30

The Three Tenors in the Forbidden City

A & E, 8 p.m.

Wise music lovers will view this Three Tenors concert, while being aware that the Chinese communists permit such cultural events only to make their totalitarian regime seem civilized. Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti star in this two-hour production, which was taped June 23 at a plaza in Beijing's ancient Forbidden City.

MONDAY, OCT. 1

St. Therese, Doctor of the Church

EWTN, throughout the day

On the feast of the Little Flower, EWTN presents three half-hour programs by Father Charles Connor. At 6:30 a.m., he describes culture and politics during her lifetime (1873-1897). At 1:30 p.m., he examines her writings in Story of a Soul. At 6:30 p.m., he explains her Little Way and shows how we can imitate it by offering everything to God.

TUESDAYS

Fr. Rutler: Grace and Truth

EWTN, 11:30 p.m.

Every week, Father George Rutler dispenses lots of Catholic wisdom, learning and, yes, grace and truth. Rebroadcast Thursdays at 6:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 3

The Legendary Lighthouses of Hawaii

PBS, 8 p.m.

This hour-long show, the first of the four-part “Lighthouses II” series, visits picturesque lighthouse sites on Kauai and Oahu. Future shows: Lighthouses in Alaska, followed by the eastern Great Lakes and then the Gulf of Mexico.

THURSDAY, OCT. 4

San Francisco Treats

PBS; check local listings for time

This episode of “Culinary Travels with Dave Eckert” lands us in San Francisco to see the sights, tour the Scharffenberger chocolate factory, and stop by world-class restaurants. A rebroadcast.

FRIDAY, OCT. 5

Who Owns the Past?

PBS, 9 p.m.

Since Kennewick Man, an apparent 9,000-year-old skeleton, was found in 1996, politics has trumped science in the case. Bill Clinton's Interior Dept., citing alleged Indian lore, disregarded scientific evidence and said all North Americans who died 500 or more years ago must have been Indians. The Army Corps of Engineers buried the site under tons of rock. The skeleton was tampered with; it is now in storage and the case is in court.

SATURDAY, OCT. 6

The Pilgrim Virgin Prison Ministry Program

EWTN, 5:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

This documentary examines the World Apostolate of Fatima (the Blue Army) in action, as members visit jail inmates to teach them about Fatima and to pray the rosary. Inmates publish a newsletter and make up packets of rosaries, scapulars and Catholic leaflets for other prisoners. The prisoners testify about graces and conversions received when, each week, one of them gets to keep a Pilgrim Virgin statue of Mary in his cell.

Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.