Tuning in: On TV this week.
Sunday Feb. 22
The Mystery of Jesus (CNN, 8-9 p.m.): It may not be news, exactly, but the approach the CNN filmmakers take is original - balanced, intelligent, and surprisingly moving. The program, which features interviews with New Testament scholars and archaeologists, takes for granted that Jesus of Nazareth was a real man, that though we may have the date of his arrival wrong (e.g., April 17, 6 BC), he did indeed heal, endure crucifixion, and rise again.
10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (TNT, 8-10 p.m.): All the bright lights of Hollywood honor their own. Karl Malden accepts his Lifetime Achievement Award.
Raising Waylon (CBS, 9-11 p.m.): Predictable and sanitized as it is, this fairy tale features some clever writing and the talents of a beautiful young boy named Jeremy Bergman. Young Waylon (Bergman) finds himself living with two mismatched godparents after the death of his parents. His great aunt loves him, but feels Waylon will be better off with younger people caring for him. The joke is the godparents are not a couple and they can't stand each other. You can probably guess where this is all going, but the fun is in the getting there. Thomas Gibson ("Dharma and Greg") and Poppy Montgomery ("Without a Trace") star.
Happy to Be Nappy and Other Stories of Me (HBO Family, 7:30 -8 p.m.): A more delightful half hour about diversity can hardly be imagined. Children discuss self-acceptance and explain empathy in open and honest terms. Other selections feature books that have been animated and are read by stars such as Melanie Griffith and Mikhail Baryshnikov. It is a joyous, loving, amusing, and smart approach to a difficult topic.
