Ice Castles (1979)

In recent years female figure skating has become a high-profile sport whose major competitions consistently grab top TV ratings.

Ice Castles, directed by Donald Wrye, is a charming flashback to a more innocent time before the rise of the current celebrity shenanigans. It's a heart-warming yarn about triumph over tragedy and love conquering all. Alexis Winston (Lynn-Holly Johnson) is a figure skater from an Iowa farm whose goal is to win the Olympics. She is courted by Nick Petersen (Robbie Benson), a talented ice-hockey player. When a freak accident blinds her, she withdraws into herself, unwilling to accept her fate.

Nick still believes in her and, aided by her father (Tom Skerritt) and the owner of the local skating rink (Colleen Dewhurst), he coaxes Alexis to fight her way back into competitive skating.

The Roman Empire in the First Century (2001)

People often like to compare the early years of the Roman Empire to present-day America. After all, our political system and much of our culture was deliberately modeled on the legacy of the Caesars. The Roman Empire in the First Century, a four-hour PBS documentary series, intelligently examines both the major historical forces at work during that era and the colorful personal dramas of its best-known leaders. Producers Margaret Koval and Lyn Goldfarb combine stylized reenactments with period art and visits to authentic archeological sites and recreated locations to make us aware of the similarities and differences between our time and then.

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo(1944)

Many see parallels between the events of Sept. 11 and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Then, as now, America struck back quickly and decisively, inflicting devastating short-term damage on the enemy. Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, directed by Mervyn LeRoy and written by Dalton Trumbo, is a documentary-style recreation of the 1942 American bombing raid against major Japanese cities. It successfully captures the courage and natural patriotism of our men in uniform during that time. We watch the charismatic Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle (Spencer Tracy) organize and train the fliers. During the raid itself, the focus is primarily on the crew of a single plane commanded by Capt. Ted Lawson (Van Johnson). Especially harrowing are his experiences after he crash lands in China, which is occupied by the Japanese.