All times Eastern

SUNDAY, AUG. 12

Bridges: Reaching Out

Discovery, 1 p.m.

This 60-minute show traces progress in the design and building of bridges. Covers beautiful spans from the Brooklyn Bridge to today's engineering marvels in Japan.

SUNDAY, AUG. 12

A Conversation with Koko

PBS, 8 p.m.

This hour-long “Nature” episode chronicles Dr. Francine “Penny” Patterson's three decades of using sign language with Koko, a female gorilla at the San Francisco Zoo, starting in 1971 when Koko was a baby. The affection between Koko and her mentor is touching, but Catholic viewers will realize that the gorilla's capabilities do not mean she has human intelligence, much less human nature.

TUESDAY, AUG. 14

Russian Trinity

PBS, 9 p.m.

This 90-minute documentary focuses on three facets of life in Moscow under the Soviet tyrant Stalin. The Kremlin was the seat of the Red dictatorship. The Lubyanka prison meted out torture, execution and exile to slave labor camps. The Bolshoi ballet entertained the communist elites who were committing terror and mass murder against the people. This show cannot help but remind Fatima-familiar viewers that today's communist regimes perpetuate “the errors of Russia” and still threaten the world.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 15

Tears of Love

EWTN, 1 a.m., 2 p.m., 10:30 p.m.

Is heaven weeping for mankind? This new half-hour documentary films Catholic statues and icons around the world as they appear to shed real tears.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 15

Mother Angelica's 20th Anniversary

EWTN, 8 p.m.

In this live, two-hour special on the Feast of the Assumption, Mother Angelica recalls the inspiring story of EWTN's founding and its first two decades of Catholic TV. The network's hosts, friends and phone-in callers also explain what EWTN has meant to them. Taped rebroadcast to be presented Thursday, Aug. 16, at 9 a.m.; Saturday, Aug. 18, at 4 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 19, at 2 a.m. and 10 p.m.

THURSDAY, AUG. 16

Drake's Secret Voyage

History Channel, 11 p.m.

This 60-minute program investigates why Elizabeth I of England tried to cover up Sir Francis Drake's around-the-world voyage of 1577–1580.

FRIDAY, AUG. 17

Air Safety: Learning from Tragedy

Discovery, 8 p.m.

This hour-long documentary shows industry experts and government regulators in action as they try to prevent air disasters and as they draw lessons from crashes.

SATURDAY, AUG. 18

WNBA Basketball Playoffs

NBC, 4 p.m. (live)

This game kicks off the first round of playoffs in women's professional basketball. Observers agree that the league's quality of play is on the upswing. Note: As of our deadline, the playoff teams had not been determined.

Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.