Tuning in: On TV this week.
Saturday July 3
The Trail to Hope Rose (Hallmark Channel, 9-11 p.m.): This western seems predictable at first but then finds surprising twists around the old frontier myth. Lou Diamond Phillips stars as an ex-con who is determined to go straight. He obeys the law and saves a damsel in distress. Thankfully, there's none of the noir cynicism of "Deadwood," HBO's western series.
Restore America, 2004 (HGTV, 5-6 p.m.): Just in time for a patriotic celebration, this cheery documentary looks at the restoration of 12 historic buildings such as the lovely church where Martin Luther King Jr. gave sermons, the house that author Edith Wharton designed, and Mark Twain's grand home in Connecticut.
War Feels Like War (PBS, check local listings): This fascinating documentary follows a few members of the press corps into war zones. Some of them are cynical: human tragedy makes great TV, notes one journalist. A young woman from the Chicago Tribune, however, thinks about the photos she takes. When an older photographer tells her in a few years she'll be just like him, she demurs, smiling. She wants never to become so hardened that human suffering cannot move her.
Ultimate Film Fanatic (IFC, 10:30 -11 p.m.): All those dateless nights spent watching DVDs finally pays off - this is a game show even film buffs will love. Chris Gore, the editor of Film Threat webzine, hosts as movie wizards from around the country face off, first with trivia questions and then in 20-second debates. Finally, they must prove their passion with film memorabilia from their personal collections.
