[MR] this month on the history channel

[Ceara ni Neill]

here's some relevant topics this month. times listed are both eastern &
pacific.



10/01/2002

8:00 Secret Passages.  Castles and Palaces. An exciting adventure  into
the lost, fabled world of castles and palaces--where royal power
struggles and political intrigue play out in forgotten passageways and
hidden stairwells; where the condemned disappear into concealed
corridors leading to dungeons of terror and death, while the hunted
hide in ingeniously hollowed out recesses and cubbyholes; and where
medieval tunnels of yesteryear become the covert underground
headquarters for 20th century warfare. CC  [TV G]

9:00 The Rise and Fall of the Spartans.  Tides of War. In the 5th
century B.C, all of Greece united against Persia. But after the defeat
of  the invading Persian army, both Sparta and Athens became rivals,
each expanding in strength and influence. While Athens ruled the sea,
Sparta's celebrated army was unbeatable on land. When the two
Greek giants met on a collision course, the resulting Peloponnesian  War
spanned 27 years, engulfed all of Greece, and changed the
nature of democracy. We explore the devastating effects of the war  and
demise of Sparta. CC  [TV G]

10/02/2002

8:00 The Loch Ness Monster.   In 1934, a photo of a dinosaur-like
aquatic creature sparked a worldwide obsession with Scotland's Loch
Ness Monster and stood as concrete evidence of its existence--until
1993 when it was proven to be a hoax! Nessie believers and skeptics
track her history from an ancient Pictic representation to modern
explorations of the Loch. CC  [TV G]

9:00 Egypt Land of the Gods.  Cradle of Religions/Sacred Space. In  the
past 5,000 years, Egypt has been home to many gods. Pharaohs,  Jews,
Christians, and Muslims have all lived and worshipped there,  leaving
monuments and symbols of their faith across the landscape.  We learn how
the ancient gods and rituals impacted on modern
religions to create a spiritually unique country. We examine the
progression of religions--from ancient Pharaonic Polytheism to
Judaism and Coptic Christianity and the modern Islamic state--and the
structures associated with them. CC  [TV G]

11:00 Ancient City: Found and Lost.   Explore the history of one of  the
most opulent cities of the ancient world--Zeugma, located in what is
now known as Turkey. Built during the heady days of the Roman
Empire, Zeugma thrived for hundreds of years, then vanished when
Rome fell. Its magnificent ruins and mosaics were recently discovered
and unearthed, only to be lost again when a newly-built hydroelectric
dam flooded the entire valley. CC  [TV G]



 10/08/2002

 11:00 The History of Sex.  From Don Juan to Queen Victoria. This
part of our sexual sweep of history covers the intensely romantic (Don
Juan, Casanova) and the darkly perverse (Marquis de Sade), then
moves on to the 19th century with its quirky views. It is the era of
Queen Victoria, yet mail-order pornography takes off. We also reveal
carnal kinks of the Pilgrims and Puritans. CC  [TV 14]


10/09/2002

 11:00 The History of Sex.  The Middle Ages. This episode in our
steamy history of sex traces the evolution of beliefs and practices from
 the fall of the Roman Empire through the Renaissance. We'll also
uncover the conflicting extremes of medieval romance and sex.
Scholars offer humorous carnal tales of lusty knights, bawdy widows,
naughty priests, and chaste maidens. CC  [TV 14]



 10/10/2002

 8:00 Lost Legions of Varus.   An unfathomable catastrophe--an
entire Roman army of 20,000 men, slaughtered by barbarians! More
incredible still, the perpetrators of the massacre were German
tribesmen, a conquered people whose leaders were "Romanized". So
what went wrong? Using authoritative sources and detailed
reconstruction, we explore the flaws in Roman imperial policy and the
frailties of human nature that led to the massacre in the Teutoberg
forest, as well as take a close look at the leaders on both sides. CC
[TV PG]


 10/12/2002

 11:00 A History of Britain.  The British Wars. Host Simon Schama
examines the turbulent English civil wars that culminated in two events
unique in British history--the public execution of a king and creation
of  a republic. He introduces us to the colorful people who populate the
 conflict: Charles I, beheaded on January 30, 1649, for treason; the
Duke of Buckingham; John Pym; William Laud; the Archbishop of
Canterbury; Thomas Wentworth, Lord Deputy of Ireland; Sir Edmund
Verney and his family, torn apart by the war; and of course, Oliver
Cromwell! CC  [TV G]


 10/17/2002

 9:00 The Royal Navy.  The King's Ships. In an exciting miniseries
exploring the dramatic rise and decline of English naval power, host
Prince Andrew, Duke of York, examines Britannia's rule of the seas for
several centuries. Witness creation of a Royal Navy under orders of
King Henry VIII, the daring exploits of Sir Francis Drake's Golden
Hinde, the revolutionary innovations of John Hawkins' race-built
Galleons, backbone of Elizabethan naval power in the Age of
Discovery, and the climatic showdown with Spain's Invincible Armada  in
1588. CC  [TV G]

 10:00 The Royal Navy.  England's Wooden Walls. During three 17th-
century wars against a powerful Dutch fleet, the Royal Navy's war
efforts are aided by Samuel Pepys' visionary reforms of the Admiralty,
and by codification of naval tactics in "The Fighting Instructions".
However, during the American Revolution, French admirals win
astonishing victories over the British, ultimately helping free America.
 Then, a little-known Scottish landlubber stimulates a revolution in
naval  tactics and Admiral Horatio Nelson wins a stunning victory at
Trafalgar.  CC  [TV G]


 10/18/2002

 11:00 Monsters of the Sea.   Gargantuan creatures rising from ocean
depths to wreak havoc on man! Are they figments of the imagination or
living relics of prehistoric times? We investigate the first documented
American sea serpent sighted at Cape Ann, Massachusetts in 1639,
and the weird fish Coelacanth, caught off Africa and thought to be
extinct for 70-million years. We also feature footage, shot by a
fisherman off Vancouver's coast, of Cadborosauras, a large creature
that is "to science, an unknown animal." CC  [TV G]

 10/19/2002

 10:00 A History of Britain.  Revolutions. A look at the political and
religious revolutions that racked Britain after Charles I's execution,
when Britain was a joyless, kingless republic led by Oliver Cromwell.
His rule became so unpopular that for many it was a relief when the
monarchy was restored after his death. But Cromwell was also a man  of
vision who brought about significant reforms. After Cromwell's death  in
1658, anarchy followed, and eventually Charles II was restored to  the
throne. CC  [TV G]


 10/29/2002

 11:00 The Real Dracula.   Part the curtains of time and enter the
murky realm of the undead as we hunt the vampire's origin. For some
3,000 years, vampires dripped a bloody trail across Jewish, Roman,
pre-Columbian American, and medieval European folklore. We dig up  the
myths, and see how Vlad the Impaler, a.k.a. Dracula, became
legend in the 15th century. CC  [TV G]


 10/30/2002

 10:00 High Tech Sex.   Join us for a walk on the wild side of the
history of sexual enhancement and contraception--from Cleopatra's  box
of buzzing bees to 17th-century condoms to internet sex and 21st-
century holographic pornography! In an explicit exploration of the
aphrodisiacs, drugs, contraceptives, toys, and cyber-tech innovations
that have ushered in a brave new world of modern sexuality, we talk to
sexologists and historians for ribald romp behind the bedroom's closed
doors. CC  [TV 14]


 10/31/2002

 8:00 Witchcraft.   Once upon a time that cackling crone on a
broomstick held the exalted position of a healing woman who
harnessed nature's secrets for humanity's good. What happened in the
Middle Ages to transform her into a Christian symbol of evil? We'll
study the psychological and social causes of the European and Salem
witch trials. CC  [TV G]


 11:00 Werewolves.   Though today's image of werewolves comes
mostly from Hollywood, the myth has ancient roots worldwide. Travel
along as we search for the fantastic stories of man-turned-wolf from
the ancient Greeks and Romans, the Scandinavians, to the fairy tale
"Little Red Riding Hood". We also learn the scientific and medical view
of werewolf hysteria. CC  [TV G]