What's On TV
| BOSTON
listings are not necessarily recommended by the Monitor.
SATURDAY 3/27
NCAA Basketball Tournament (CBS, 5:30-10 p.m.): Amid the tumult of March Madness, Duke University took up residence in an insular world. They kept their challengers at a distance, locking up wins by 15- to 30-point margins. Not surprisingly, they start as favorites in the Final Four.
World Figure Skating Championships (ABC, 2:30-4:30 p.m.): Once a television novelty, figure skating is now more like a cash-in slip for the Nielsen Ratings. In the qualifying rounds, quality is very high in this fast-growing sport.
SUNDAY 3/28
The Devil's Arithmetic (Showtime, 8-10 p.m.): Based on Jane Yolen's 1988 novel, this movie about the Holocaust stars Kirsten Dunst as an American teen who learns to appreciate her Jewish faith after traveling back in time to 1941 Poland. (TV-PG)
Futurama (Fox, 8:30-9 p.m.): Matt Groening's new animated series about life in the future rockets into prime time. The pilot centers on Fry (voice by Billy West), a pizzadelivery boy who accidentally freezes himself on Dec. 31, 1999. In his new world 1,000 years later, he discovers a one-eyed female alien, a museum of celebrity heads, and a much taller New York City. A sci-fi comedy that will appeal to both children and adults.
Blast Off (TLC 9-11 p.m.): : "Houston ... we have a problem." The perils and pleasures of space travel fire the imagination in this two-hour documentary with true tales from orbit. (TV-G)
MONDAY 3/29
The Century (9-11, 8-10 p.m.): The six-part, 12-hour series attempts to wrap up the past 10 decades in compelling narratives. Hosted by Peter Jennings (see story, Page 17).
TUESDAY 3/30
Facing the Truth with Bill Moyers (PBS, 10-11 p.m.): This gripping documentary takes us through South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission Hearings, exploring the implications of apartheid at a whole new level (see story, Page 18).
THURSDAY 4/1
Fresco (PBS, 10-11 p.m., check local listings): In Italian, fresco means fresh, and that's exactly what this program feels like. It's insightful, colorful, and vibrant. Narrated by Susan Sarandon, this documentary focuses on artist Mark Balma (pictured left),who paints on wet plaster when he creates the largest modern fresco in the US on the vaulted ceiling of the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis.
