What's On TV

TV highlights for the week of Sept. 26-Oct. 2. Shows listed are not necessarily recommended by the Monitor. All times are Eastern; check local listings.

SATURDAY 9/26

Girl Crazy (TCM, 6-7:30 a.m.): This 1932 musical-comedy kicks off a 14-hour marathon of George Gershwin's contribution to film in celebration of the maestro's centennial. (See story, below.) (TV-G)

SUNDAY 9/27

The Island on Bird Street (Showtime, 6-8 p.m.): Emotionally touching and beautifully filmed. Based on an award-winning children's book by the same name, this movie is about the trials and tribulations, the adventures and assiduousness, of a Jewish boy in a Warsaw ghetto under Nazi control. Awaiting his father's return from a concentration camp, young Alex pores over the pages of his favorite book, "Robinson Crusoe," as he hides out in a ramshackle building, and later saves resistance fighters from the Nazis.

Cold War (CNN, 8-9 p.m.): Narrated by Kenneth Branagh, this 24-part series puts on record many of the most significant players of the past 50 years, including three US presidents and an exclusive interview with Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

TUESDAY 9/29

Major League Baseball (ESPN, 1-7 p.m.; Fox, 8-11 p.m.): The show is over, but the game must go on. After the captivating home-run chase by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, baseball shifts gears into the postseason today.

WEDNESDAY 9/30

To Have & to Hold (CBS, 9-10 p.m.): One of the most appealing new shows of the season, this comedy-drama stars Jason Beghe as a conservative Irish cop in Boston who marries a liberal public defender (Moira Kelly). More than cultures clash in their two approaches to the law. (TV-PG, DL)

Great Performances (PBS, 9-11 p.m.): It's George Gershwin's centennial, and Carnegie Hall opens its 26th concert season with a tribute to the American-music icon. Sharing the stage with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra will be soprano Frederica von Stade and "Ragtime" stars Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell. (TV-G)

THURSDAY 10/1

Mystery! Touching Evil (PBS, 9-11 p.m.): It's present-day England, and three children have been abducted. The only clues so far are a daffodil and a yellow Volvo - strangely reminiscent of an unsolved multiple kidnapping several years before. The series' two-hour opener introduces London's new Organized and Serial Crime unit, headed by Robson Green (pictured left) and Nicola Walker ("Moll Flanders"). A smart and involving mystery. The series continues Thursdays through Nov. 5. (TV-14, L)

Phil Collins Live ... by Request (A&E, 9-11 p.m.): A&E invites viewers to phone or e-mail in their song requests during this interactive concert event with Phil Collins. Visit www.livebyrequest.com for more information. (TV-G)

Friday 10/2

Sessions at West 54th (PBS, time varies): The contemporary-music show launches its second season with a new host, former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, and features folk-pop singer Lucinda Williams and country group the Mavericks.