Entertainment 411 - October 2006

National Geographic Channel Primetime Highlights Week of October 9 - October 15, 2006

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL

Primetime Highlights

Week of October 9 - October 15, 2006

(Subject to change)

Updated schedule available at: nationalgeographic.com/channel    

Premieres...

"Is it Real?: Miracle Cures"

Monday, October 9 at 8:00 PM ET/PT (World Premiere)

Melatonin. Honey. Hoodia. Noni juice. Alleged "miracle cures" abound in today's society as those of us desperate for slimmer thighs, migraine relief, or a full night's sleep turn to non-traditional sources of help. But these are the modern applications of the term "miracle cure;" the phrase originally implied the unexpected, the supernatural and, most importantly, the divine. What happened to old-fashioned miracles, those divinely-inspired miracle cures for which science doesn't have a straight answer? NGC circumnavigates the globe in search of the sites and people with purported powers to cure the sick and heal the lame. 

"The Memory Masters"

Monday, October 9 at 10:00 PM ET/PT (U.S. Premiere)

There are approximately 100 gifted "savants" worldwide that are capable of remembering infinite numbers, dates and details of their entire life-as naturally as we walk or ride a bike.  With a team of the world's leading brain researchers and 3D animations based on MRI data, The Memory Masters takes us on a journey inside the human brain to show us the phenomenon of the human memory.  How can a super-talent savant like the "real" Rainman Kim Peek, who inspired Dustin Hoffman's character in the movie "Rain Man," know by heart every single word of 10,000 books? 

"The Final Report: Jonestown Tragedy"

Wednesday, October 11 at 10:00 PM ET/PT (World Premiere)

In November 1978, the Rev. Jim Jones becomes infamous for leading 913 people to their deaths.  Those who died, including children, were members of the Peoples Temple living in a remote community in Jonestown, Guyana, in South America.  When officials arrive to remove the dead, they discover tubs of grape-flavored Kool-Aid laced with cyanide.  Was it mass murder or mass suicide?  Did Jones's followers believe they would become symbolic martyrs, or were lies and intimidation used to prevent people from leaving?  The Final Report: Jonestown Tragedy examines who Jim Jones was and how he maintained such control, whether he was mentally unstable, why members of the Peoples Temple stayed in Jonestown and why more than 900 people died.  For more information, visit ngcfinalreport.com. 

"Guns: Machines of War"

Thursday, October 12 at 9:00 PM ET/PT (U.S. Premiere)

Initially designed to save lives, the modern machine gun can destroy the enemy from more than a mile away and can fire 1,200 rounds in just 17 seconds.  How did the machine gun become one of the most powerful Machines of War?  NGC explores its 150-year history and evolution from the 19th-century machine gun that can chop down a single tree, to the first gangster "hit" with a Tommy Gun, to one of the deadliest weapons in the world.   

"Naked Science: Forensics Under Fire"

Thursday, October 12 at 10:00 PM ET/PT (World Premiere)

We all know forensics makes good TV-it is the subject of close to one half of the top 20 programs on primetime TV.  But does it make good science?  And, more urgently, does it make good justice?  Even as shows like CSI have portrayed the field as nearly infallible, the real-life science of forensics is now under intense scrutiny. Stricter legal standards, combined with the advent of DNA analysis, have exposed the shaky scientific foundations of a number of forensic techniques.  Naked Science: Forensics Under Fire takes a hard look at some of the most venerable-and vulnerable-forensic disciplines, fire investigation and firearms analysis, and asks whether the methods that make such good TV also make good science, and in turn, good justice. 

Special Encore Presentations...

"Relentless Enemies"

Tuesday, October 10 at 9:00 PM ET/PT (2 Hour Special Encore Presentation)

It is a spectacle few have seen firsthand.  Two foes trapped on an island in a remote part of Africa.  And a battle to survive captured in high-definition over two years by award-winning filmmakers.  Now, NGC takes viewers onto a unique battlefield in the Okavango Delta to witness the grueling fight for survival of highly specialized lions that prey almost exclusively on buffalo in Relentless Enemies. Produced by the husband-and-wife team of Dereck and Beverly Joubert, Relentless Enemies is a two-hour cinematographic experience that takes viewers deep into the Duba Plains of Botswana's Okavango Delta.  There the river forms small, sandy islands and creates an environmental phenomenon that has isolated an exceptional buffalo herd and a unique pride of lions that are more like uber-cats.  

"Eye of the Leopard"

Friday, October 13 at 9:00 PM ET/PT (2 Hour Special Encore Presentation)

Every few years a natural history program appears on the scene that reminds us that wildlife can still amaze and inform us in a spectacular way.  National Geographic Channel is proud to present Eye of the Leopard, a two-hour film by the award-winning husband-and-wife filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert.  Eye of the Leopard tracks one cat for a remarkable three years in Botswana's Okavango Delta.  She's called Legadema, or "Light from the Sky," and we follow her from the first vulnerable days as a cub, through the development of her hunting instincts, to her later triumphs that make her one of the most feared predators stalking the floodplain.  With this film, the Jouberts have created an experience that is as intimate as it is compelling.  Cinematic on every level-from Dereck's stunning photography to Oscar winner Jeremy Irons' captivating narration to J.B. Arthur's epic score-Eye of the Leopard takes us deeper into the wild than we've ever been, genuinely changing how we see a part of our world.  For more information, visit eyeoftheleopard.com. 

Additional primetime highlights include:  

MONDAY, OCTOBER 9  

"Is it Real?: Miracle Cures"

8:00 PM ET/PT (World Premiere)

Description located above in Premieres section. 

"Dog Whisperer: Princess, Prada and Bearz"

9:00 PM ET/PT

Princess, a 3 ½-year-old Maltese, is both a darling and a devil to her owner - LA Lakers Executive VP Jeanie Buss.  Princess is the smallest - and hairiest - member of the Lakers organization, but she tries to bite team members and attack visitors.  Jeanie's boyfriend - current Lakers head coach Phil Jackson - even likes to call her Princess Cujo.  Can Cesar help Jeanie take the Cujo out of Princess?  Next, Cesar meets Prada, a 3-year-old Pomeranian, who has all the goodies of a cushy human life, including a cashmere blanket. But Prada is becoming vicious. If she does not get her way, Prada throws herself on the floor, kicking and barking until she gets what she wants. Can Cesar demote this Pomeranian debutante?  Then, Cesar meets Bearz, an adopted Rottweiler, who vents his aggression on shopping carts. As luck would have it, there is a surplus of shopping carts in the neighborhood. Owner Kelle would like to walk Bearz during the day, but fears for his safety and hers. Can Cesar wheel this cart-chomping canine in the right direction? 

"The Memory Masters"

10:00 PM ET/PT (U.S. Premiere)

Description located above in Premieres section. 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10 

"Hunter and Hunted: Dolphin Attack"

8:00 PM ET/PT

Many people are nervous around sharks but what about dolphins?  Dolphins are loveable looking creatures but sometimes can be nothing like "Flipper."  Dolphin attacks, both in captivity and the wild, have resulted in serious injuries and even death.  With their permanent smiles, clever tricks, and puppy-like disposition, people often pay to swim with them. But reaching as big as 12 feet and 1,000 pounds, dolphins have the ability to be fierce predators.  With a team of experts, NGC enters their complex world of sexual aggression and social hierarchy in Hunter and Hunted: Dolphin Attack to find out what causes these seemingly harmless animals to attack.  

"Relentless Enemies"

9:00 PM ET/PT (2 Hour Special Encore Presentation)

Description located above in Special Encore Presentations section. 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11 

"Explorer: Fire Ants: Texas Border Massacre"

8:00 PM ET/PT

Deep in the heart of Texas, a community wages war against an unrelenting species of Fire Ants. These fearsome invaders are ravaging the land, the animals, and even the people.  Their stings kill wildlife and maim farm animals.  Nothing seems to stop them.  They're everywhere and they get into everything.  Now, a University of Texas professor says he has a secret weapon. 

"Seconds from Disaster: Everglades Plane Crash"

9:00 PM ET/PT

May 11, 1996, ValuJet Flight 592 departs from Miami with 110 passengers and crew aboard. Just minutes after take-off, the DC-9 plummets from the sky, slamming into the Florida Everglades with such force that the wreckage disappears into the alligator-infested swamp. The cause is a total mystery. Now, using advanced computer simulation, NGC unravels the clues and reveals the facts behind one of America's most baffling air-crashes to show exactly what went wrong on Flight 592. 

"The Final Report: Jonestown Tragedy"

10:00 PM ET/PT (World Premiere)

Description located above in Premieres section. 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12 

"Dangerous Encounters: Dens of Danger"

8:00 PM ET/PT

In the name of science, National Geographic Channel reptile expert Dr. Brady Barr has traveled to 50 different countries in search of crocs.  He thought he had seen it all until his friend and fellow herpetologist Juan Bolanos asked him to relocate some crocs that were living in a mud pit underground. Exploring new territory, Brady sets out to map dens of some of the world's most deadly animals.  Join Dr. Barr as he sets out for Chinese alligators in China, black bears in the U.S., snakes in South Africa and sharks off Maui's coast. 

"Guns: Machines of War"

9:00 PM ET/PT (U.S. Premiere)

Description located above in Premieres section.  

"Naked Science: Forensics Under Fire"

10:00 PM ET/PT (World Premiere)

Description located above in Premieres section. 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13 

"Dog Whisperer: Princess, Prada and Bearz"

8:00 PM ET/PT

Description located above. 

"Eye of the Leopard"

9:00 PM ET/PT (2 Hour Special Encore Presentation)

Description located above in Special Encore Presentations section. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 

"Is it Real?: Bermuda Triangle"

8:00 PM ET/PT 

Many theories have tried to explain why numerous ships and planes have vanished without a trace in the region known as the Bermuda Triangle. Now, some believers think they may have found a missing piece to this mysterious puzzle. With a team of scientists, NGC embarks on an intriguing investigation as Is It Real? examines the evidence and separates facts from fiction in the Bermuda Triangle. 

"Is it Real?: Miracle Cures"

9:00 PM ET/PT

Description located above. 

"Secrets of Revelation"

10:00 PM ET/PT

It is both a horror story and the promise of eternal paradise - the ultimate tale of good triumphing over evil.  The four horsemen of the Apocalypse and the beast numbered "666" unleash war and disease in proportions never seen before, while hail, fire and blood rain down upon the earth - followed by the second coming of Jesus Christ.  For millions of believers, John's Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, is a precise blueprint of our future.  Some even interpret recent wars, natural disasters and devastation as evidence its prophecies are upon us.  But is there more to the Book of Revelation than prophecy?  Could it actually be the work of a strategic revolutionary, constructing a coded political manifesto against the oppressive Roman Empire?  Secrets of the Revelation explores the series of dreamlike visions and nightmarish scenarios contained within this ancient and provocative text. 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15 

"Ultimate Earthquake"

8:00 PM ET/PT

One of the most unpredictable and destructive forces in nature, an earthquake can transform a busy city into a scene of devastation and chaos in a few earth-shattering seconds. Half of the world's population lives within the deadly striking distance of a major fault line and as the growth in population continues, so does the number of potential casualties. Join NGC as Ultimate Earthquake examines the seismic activity of the world's deadliest earthquakes and how their crushing forces continue to build. 

"Ultimate Tsunami"

9:00 PM ET/PT

Traveling at speeds up to 600 mph and reaching monstrous heights over 1,700 feet, a tsunami can span thousands of miles wide and destroy anything that gets in its way. But what are the right conditions needed for a tsunami to become so colossal? Where and when will the next big Tsunami hit?  Using archival footage, advance CGI and expert interviews, Ultimate Tsunami investigates the science behind the ultimate tsuami.  Through in-depth analysis, a team of scientists uncover that the next tsunami disaster may happen sooner than we anticipate. 

"Ultimate Tornado"

10:00 PM ET/PT

In 1997, the residents of Jarrell, Texas saw firsthand what kind of damage a tornado is capable of when a twister hovered over their town - grinding buildings to pieces and killing 27 people. Now, Ultimate Tornado investigates events like Jarrell and other abnormal tornadoes. With the help of expert testimony and stunning CGI, as well as the biggest tornado vortex machine in the world at Iowa State University, NGC looks deep inside to see what makes a tornado so destructive.