All times Eastern

SUNDAY, JUNE 13

Secret Aircraft of World War II

History Channel, 6 p.m.

These three hour-long programs highlight the most advanced secret concepts of military aircraft designers in Germany (6 p.m.), Japan (8 p.m.) and the United States and Great Britain (9 p.m.), including rocket, jet and vertical takeoff planes. Advisory: At 7 p.m., a poorly scheduled unrelated show splits up these military history programs for an hour.

SUNDAY, JUNE 13

Seven Wonders of Ancient Egypt

Discovery Channel, 10 p.m.

This special singles out Egypt's greatest monuments and examines what is known about their builders.

MONDAY, JUNE 14

The Real West

History Channel, 7 a.m.

All those Wild West movies and TV shows about rancher-homesteader range wars have a basis in fact. This program looks into the Johnson County War in Wyoming in 1892.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16

Great Performances

PBS, 9:30 p.m.

At 9:30 p.m., in “Keeping Score: MTT on Music: The Making of a Performance,” conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and individual members of the San Francisco Symphony escort us through the four movements of Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony. At 10:30 p.m., they perform the entire piece without interruption.

THURSDAY, JUNE 17

Frontline: The Plea

PBS, 9 p.m.

Today, more than 95% of criminal cases never go to a jury; they are settled in cost-cutting plea bargains, in which a defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge and receives a lesser sentence. Some observers believe this system could lead innocent defendants to plead guilty to avoid possible conviction by a judge or jury on a more serious charge.

FRIDAY, JUNE 18

Staying at a Lighthouse

PBS, check local listings

This show visits California, Lake Michigan, New England and Oregon lighthouses that accept overnight guests.

SATURDAY, JUNE 19

The New G.I.R.M.

EWTN, 8 p.m.

This new 60-minute special on the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, or General Instruction of the Roman Missal, features an introduction by Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Neb., and an interview with Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

SATURDAY, JUNE 19

Sleep: How to Get the Rest of Your Life

ABC, 10 p.m.

Johnson & Johnson is the sponsor and Dr. Nancy Snyderman the host of this hour-long look at sleep difficulties and disorders and how to handle them. Two families will receive “sleep makeovers” from experts. Viewers can use Enhanced TV to interact live with the show via their wireless phones or Internet-connected PCs.

Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.