SUNDAY, OCT. 3

Rutan's Race for Space

Discovery Channel, 9 p.m.

This exciting documentary charts the preparation, from design to flight testing, for the first non-government, privately funded, manned flight into space. Investor Paul G. Allen of Vulcan Inc. and alternative flight pioneer Burt Rutan spearheaded the project. Early in the morning of June 21, 2004, the dream became reality as Mike Melvill piloted SpaceShipOne into space, 62 miles above the Mojave Civilian Aerospace Test Center. Rutan says they wanted to prove that it doesn't take billions of dollars to reach space.

MONDAY, OCT. 4

St. Francis of Assisi — Perfect Joy

Familyland TV, 9:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.

This half-hour show documents the timeless true story of 13thcentury St. Francis, from his youth to his conversion and on to the rest of the magnificent life he spent for Christ.

TUESDAY, OCT. 5

Donut Crazy

Travel Channel, 6 p.m.

This hour-long documentary takes us back to 1920 to show us how Adolph Levitt invented his automatic doughnut machine.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 6

The Teammates

ESPN Classic, 1 a.m.

All Boston Red Sox fans will want to tape this baseball special. It chronicles more than a half-century of friendship between former Sox greats Dom DiMaggio, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky and Ted Williams, the last man to bat .400 (he hit .406 in 1941).

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 6

Gate of Heaven: Solemn Consecration

EWTN, 10 p.m.

Pray along as Bishop Raymond Burke (now St. Louis archbishop) celebrates a Tridentine Latin Pontifical High Mass and consecrates beautiful St. Mary's Roman Catholic Oratory of the Immaculate Conception in Wausau, Wis., on May 31, 2003. The Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest, has restored the 1893 church and has charge of it. Re-airs Saturday at 1 p.m. and next Sunday at 10 a.m.

THURSDAY, OCT. 7

D-Day: The Lost Evidence

History Channel, 8 p.m.

Heroism and the high cost of war are on view as this two-hour documentary uses special software to bring to life low-level aerial photos, previously seen by few people, of the Allied landing at Normandy on June 6, 1944. Advisory: TV-PG.

FRIDAY, OCT. 8

Fall in New England

Travel Channel, 9 p.m.

You won't want to miss this spectacular tour of the autumn scenery. The foliage is expected to be even more brilliant than usual this year, thanks to the relatively cool and wet spring and summer.

FRIDAY, OCT. 8

Presidential Debate

PBS, 9 p.m.

At Washington University in St. Louis, pro-life President George W. Bush (Republican) and pro-abortion challenger John Kerry (Democrat) go toe to toe on the issues.

Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.