What's on TV
Listings are not necessarily recommended by the Monitor. All times Eastern, check local listings.
95 Worlds and Counting (Discovery, 9-10 p.m.): "Imagine a world in which you can lift 900,000 pounds, a world in which lakes are made of natural gas ... imagine the moons of our solar system." These moons offer some of the most exotic real estate in the solar system, says John Lithgow ("Third Rock From the Sun"), who narrates this delightful documentary with intelligence and awe. It's a wonderful universe out there.
Beyond Organic: The Vision of Fairview Farms (PBS, check local listings): In the midst of expensive real estate in Goletta, Calif., Fairview Farm is a 12.5-acre farm that produces an amazing variety and quality of produce. Farmer Michael Ableman tells his story and the productive research into other cultures that inspired his own innovations. Meryl Streep narrates.
Biography Close-up: Civil Rights Heroes (A&E, 8-9 p.m.): In honor of Black History Month, this documentary celebrates some lesser-known heroes of the civil rights movement - though the heroes do include movie stars Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. People like Mae Bertha Carter, who broke the segregation barriers in the schools of Mississippi with her eight children, and Irene Morgan Kirkaldy, who refused to give up her seat on a bus even before Rosa Parks, help make this a relevant compliment to HBO's "Boycott" (see story at right).
Nora Roberts' Sanctuary (CBS, 9-11 p.m.): This tepid thriller is based on the bestselling novel, and though it's not as scary as it needs to be, Melissa Gilbert's role as a famous photographer trying to evade a serial killer is a bright spot in the landscape.
Great Performances: The College of Comedy with Alan King III (PBS, check local listings): Larry Gelbert, Shecky Greene, Bill Maher, and Rita Rudner join King to ask "What's funny?" Though Rudner can hardly get a word in edgewise (and she is the wittiest of the lot), the examination of humor has its moments (good and bad).
Conversations in World Cinema: Julian Schnabel (Sundance, 8-9 p.m.): "There is no separation between life and art in my life," says painter/filmmaker Schnabel. He talks about his life as a painter and its relationship to his films, including "Before Night Falls." The conversation is gripping.
(c) Copyright 2001. The Christian Science Publishing Society