TV Worth Watching

This Old House Marathon

Saturday, August 6, at 6:30 p.m.

Do-it-yourselfers Debbie and Ben Benedetti join host Bob Vila to create a new family entertainment center/den in their house. The three-hour special follows the work of the mason, the master carpenter as he constructs shelves and storage cabinets, and the electricians as they install the electrical wiring and lighting fixtures. The program also features interior decorator Joseph Ruggiero.



Nova Special: Whale Rescue

Tuesday, August 9, at 7 p.m.

This extraordinary special follows the dramatic struggles involved in the 1986 attempt to rescue more than forty-five beached whales in Cape Cod Bay. Though many of the whales perished, the mysterious mass beaching had a happy ending as three young calves joined a herd of wild pilot whales.



Korea: The Forgotten War

Sunday, August 7, at 8:10 p.m.

Robert Stack (pictured) narrates this two-hour special on the events that shattered the peacetime atmosphere in 1950 and plunged America into the Korean Conflict -a civil war on foreign ground. Through rare archival combat footage, this comprehensive documentary captures the action, politics, strategies, battles, leaders, and GIs of America’s forgotten war.



Connections

Tuesday, August 9, at 8:10 p.m.

The first of two programs, Thunder in the Skies looks at how 13th-century man’s need for warmth eventually led to the invention of the jet engine. The Long Chain, at 9:20 p.m., tells the story that began in the 1600s when American colonies produced pitch from tar chat protected Britain’s royal vessels. Host James Burke explores how coal tar experiments yielded gas lamps, a brilliant mauve dye, and nylon, the forerunner of miracle plastics.



Simon and Garfunkel: The Concert in Central Park

Monday, August 8, at 8 p.m.

This two-hour reunion concert in Central Park is the ultimate trip down memory lane. The duet performs some of their best-known hits, including Bridge Over Troubled Water, Mrs. Robinson, The Sounds of Silence, Scarborough Fair, and other memorable classics.



MYSTERY!: The Return of Sherlock

Thursday, August 11, at 8 p.m.

Neville St. Clair disappears under mysterious circumstances after his wife sees him in an opium den. When she returns to the room where she last saw him, The Man With the Twisted Lip is found cowering in the room, alone. That’s when Holmes is called to investigate. The Mystery! continues at 9:15 p.m. in A Priory School. Holmes investigates the disappearance of a duke’s son and a German schoolmaster. A death on a lonely moor and a startling discovery about the duke’s past occur before the lost boy is returned.

16 Days of Glory

Wednesday, August 10, at 7 p.m.

In the spirit of the 1988 Olympic season, this program highlights the great moments, events, and personalities of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The three-and-a-half-hour special follows the undefeated Japanese judo champion Yasuhiro Yamashita’s struggle to victory after injuring his leg, the U.S. gymnastic team’s victory over the People’s Republic of China, U.S. track and field star Edwin Moses’ race for his second gold medal, Carl Lewis’ spectacular track performance at the games, and the effort of U.S. runner Henry Marsh as he competes in the steeplechase.



EastEnders: The Movie

Friday, August 12, at 8 p.m.

Britain’s most successful television program comes to 13. This two-and-a-half-hour British soap opera is set in an English pub in London’s East End. This introduction to the series, which begins in September, is hosted by Tracey Ullman (pictured) and stars Anita Dobson, Leslie Grantham, Letitia Dean, and others.



Country Music Legends

Saturday, August 13, at 7 p.m.

Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Randy Travis (pictured), Mickey Gilley, Chet Atkins, and Mel Tillis team up to pay tribute to some of the great legends of country music. From the Carter family, country music’s longest-running family performing dynasty, to Bob Wills and his Original Texas Playboys in their last public appearance, this special remembers country stars such as Patsy Cline, Lefty Frizzell, and Merle Travis.



Tom Peters: New Leadership Alliance

Thursday, August 18, at 9:15 p.m.

Traditional concepts of business management are faltering. In this new special management guru Peters discusses the need for a management-labor alliance which is intercut with on-site success stories. Peters’ subjects include Pat Carrigan, a sociologist turned auto parts manufacturer; Vaughn Beals, who’s cranked Harley Davidson Motorcycles around to a winning proposition; Dennis Littkey, a very determined principal of a very rough high school; and Ralph Stayer, a successful sausage manufacturer.