What's on TV

Shows worth noting for JULY 17 - 23

Listings are not necessarily recommended by the Monitor. All times Eastern, check local listings.

FRIDAY 7/16

Davis Cup (ESPN, 2-4 p.m.): It's the centennial year and Davis Cup returns to the site of its birth in Brookline, Mass. The United States hosts an Australian team. Other games to air Saturday and Sunday on ESPN.

SUNDAY 7/18

GvsE (USA Network, 8-9 p.m.): Good vs. evil. It is a plot that has given television much fodder. This new series draws heavily on that theme. In the first episode it's the God Squad vs. Satan's Minions.

Moment of Impact: Stories of the Pulitzer Prize Photographs (TNT, 8-9:30 p.m.): Click. Click. Click. Six prize winning photo-journalists reflect on the unforgettable and historic images they've captured. Even some of their unpublished photos are fascinating. Hosted by Sam Waterston, the featured shots include: "Ruby Shoots Oswald," by Robert Jackson, and Slava Veder's "Returning P.O.W." (pictured at right).

MONDAY 7/19

The Ultimate Guide: Dolphins (Discovery, 9-10 p.m.): These creatures are both the beauty and the beast. This documentary offers a close-up view of dolphins from their evolution to their mysterious relationship with humans.

Take My Advice: The Ann and Abby Story (Lifetime, 9-11 p.m.): Actress Wendie Malick ("Just Shoot Me") stars as identical twins Abigail Van Buren and Ann Landers. The unauthorized story chronicles the Sioux City, Iowa, sisters from high school, through their double weddings, their professional success, and big feud. Even though it's based on true events, the famous advice columnists' story isn't enough to sustain this two-hour movie.

TUESDAY 7/20

The Life of Birds by David Attenborough (PBS, 8-9 p.m.): After three years, 48 camera people, and more than $12 million spent, this interesting and thorough 10-part series teaches viewers everything about birds. Each one-hour program features a another facet of bird life from mating habits to the care of young ones (see story above).

P.O.V. - School Prayer: A Community at War (PBS, 10-11 p.m.): When Lisa Herdahl's husband found work in Mississippi's Pontotoc County in the early 1990s, she was shocked to learn that there were intercom-led religious devotionals every morning at the local high school. A mother of six and a Christian church-going woman herself, Herdahl protested to the school board and eventually took them to court. Filmmakers Slawomir Grnberg and Ben Crane examine the constitutional rights of an individual vs. community tradition in this insightful documentary.

Hidden Hollywood II (AMC, 10-11 p.m.): Joan Collins hosts this special which has the same tone as last year's delightful first part. Outtakes feature such Hollywood celebrities as Henry Fonda, Betty Grable, and Ginger Rogers.

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