Tuning in: On TV this week.
Sunday Feb. 8
Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks (PBS, 7-7:45 p.m. with repeats through the month): A stirring combination of archival footage, interviews, and reenactments bring the bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala., back to searing life. Though it was a difficult time and a dangerous situation for those who stood up to local tyranny, the film explores how one brave woman refused to abjure her humanity.
Masterpiece Theatre (PBS, 9-11 p.m.) check local listings): Most of "The Forsyte Saga II" takes place in the roaring '20s, when the past comes back to haunt the obsessive Soames Forsyte, introduced as a money-grubbing wife abuser in Part 1. Eighteen years later, Soames's beautiful daughter falls in love with his ex-wife's son. And since the first relationship is still burning with resentment on both sides, the young lovers are already determined to battle their parents. Every single performance is terrific, but none is more gripping than that of Damian Lewis ("Band of Brothers") as the outrageous, but finally redeemed, Soames. The series airs over three consecutive Sundays.
The Grammy Awards (CBS, 8-11 p.m.) It's the 46th year of honoring pop music's box-office busters. Friday's entertainment includes Sting working with Sean Paul, Celine Dion matching high notes with Alicia Keys, as well as classic pop vocalists such as Earth, Wind, and Fire, and R&B artist Luther Vandross. Evanescence are up for four awards (see story, 19).
America's Top Dog (A&E, 8 p.m.) Last year it was a Kerry Blue Terrier named 'Mick' who won the Best in Show award at the Westminster Kennel Club's dog trials. This year, expect to see everything from a Wired Pointing Griffon to a Rhodesian Ridgeback prancing and preening in front of judges at the 128th annual show.
The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance (PBS, 9-11 p.m., check local listings) They built an empire through horrendous banking practices and a variety of brilliant schemes - each successive generation producing its own form of cutthroat genius. But despite their power-hungry shenanigans, members of the Medici family also courted the artistic geniuses of their times, igniting a cultural revolution that would later be designated the "rebirth" or "renaissance." From Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Botticelli to every other artist architect and scientist (including Galileo) the Medicis kept their fingers in every important artistic and scientific pie. Not to be missed by all those thrilled by great historic tales, the documentary concludes on Feb. 18.
