What's On TV

SHOWS WORTH NOTING FOR AUGUST 7-13

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

SATURDAY 8/7

The Vietnam War(Discovery, 8-11 p.m.): Carefully assembled archival footage and insightful commentary make this often-revisited conflict thought-provoking. But to those well-versed with the event, this would be overkill.

Pro football (Fox, 9 p.m.-midnight): Are you ready for some football? The post-John Elway era begins with a pre-season game between last year's Super Bowl teams - San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos.

SUNDAY 8/8

Nature - A Conversation with Koko (PBS, check local listings): "Koko love." "Koko hungry." These are just a couple of the 1,000 words that the 28-year-old gorilla can express. This documentary bor-ders on corniness, but it's fascinating to watch a gorilla understand our human world.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Sci-fi channel, 9-11 p.m.): The cult favorite has reached The End. Mike Nel-son, Crow T. Robot, and Tom Servo appear one last time in silhouette after 10 seasons of making wisecracks at cheesy old films.

Intimate Portrait - Betty Friedan (Lifetime, 11 p.m.-midnight): This excellent documentary explores the life and times of the mother of the women's movement. For younger women who may not know the history of feminism, this film is a history lesson. Says director Lee Grant, "Betty Friedan kicked open the door - she was our first hero."

WEDNESDAY 8/11

The Chinese Americans (PBS, check local listings): This engaging documentary tells the story of Chinese families who came to the United States from the mainland, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, and also weaves together inspiring stories from journalist Connie Chung, architect I.M. Pei, and playwright David Henry Hwang.

THURSDAY 8/12

Our Contributions: The Italians in America (PBS, 9-10:30 p.m.): It was Italian-American Filippo Mazzei, an adviser to George Washington, who coined the phrase "all men are created equal." The contributions of Mazzei, Joe DiMaggio, and Frank Sinatra to the American way are engagingly told in this documentary.

Fists of Freedom: Story of the 1968 Summer Games (HBO, 10-11 p.m.): It's a moment that will forever stand out in the fabric of Olympic history and more so in the civil rights movement: At the 1968 Olympics, American medal winners Tommie Smith and John Carlos wore black socks and no shoes on the victory stand and saluted with their black-gloved fists. They were suspended and sent home. Those moments are passionately retold.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents Marathon (TVLand, 11:30 p.m.-12 midnight, Friday): In honor of Hitchcock's 100th birthday (on Friday the 13th), TVLand presents a 24-1/2 hour tribute to the legendary filmmaker featuring vintage episodes from his classic TV series.

(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society