TV program notes -- week of March 23

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Here are some television program notes for the week of March 23 with their TV Parental Guidelines ratings if available. All but two have not been reviewed and therefore are not necessarily recommended by the Office for Film & Broadcasting.

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Sunday, March 23, 5:30-7 a.m. EDT (EWTN) "Solemn Mass of Easter Sunday With Pope Benedict XVI Live." The pope celebrates Mass live from Rome.

Sunday, March 23, 7-8 a.m. EDT (EWTN) "Urbi et Orbi Message and Blessing Live." In a live broadcast from St. Peter's Square in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI gives the traditional Easter message and blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city of Rome and the world).

Sunday, March 23, 9-11 p.m. EDT (check local listings) (PBS) "Emma." Kate Beckinsale stars in the title role as the tireless matchmaker who professes no interest in matrimony for herself, only for her orphaned protegee. Also starring Raymond Coulthard and Mark Strong. The latest production in "The Complete Jane Austen" series on "Masterpiece" (TV-G -- general audience).

Monday, March 24, 10-10:30 a.m. EDT (Disney) "Bunnytown." The series moves to a new time slot. On "Healthy Food Pageant," the bunny students dress up and perform as their favorite healthy food. The all-new episodes airing during this week introduce some new bunny characters.

Monday, March 24, 9-11:30 p.m. EDT (check local listings) (PBS) "Bush's War." On the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, "Frontline" presents a comprehensive documentary analysis of one of the most challenging periods in the nation's history, drawing on new interviews and stories, and the series' film archive. Concludes Tuesday, March 25, 9-11 p.m. EDT.

Monday, March 24, 10-11 p.m. EDT (Discovery) "Warlord of Bamburgh Castle." Archaeologist Scotty Moore travels to the North Sea coast of England to ancient Bamburgh Castle where the body of a young man with a crushed skull has been unearthed. The body dates to the 7th century, a violent time when the Christian king, Oswald, fought pagans for control of the country (TV-14 -- parents strongly cautioned).

Tuesday, March 25, 8-9:45 p.m. EDT (HBO) "Autism: The Musical." In 1980, autism was a relatively rare disorder, diagnosed in one of every 10,000 U.S. children. Today, it is believed that one in 150 is afflicted, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the surprisingly upbeat story of five autistic children, their families and Elaine Hall, the dynamic educator and acting coach whose innovative theater program, The Miracle Project, empowers them to defy expectations by writing, rehearsing and performing their own musical. Interspersing rehearsal scenes with views of their often frustrating home lives, the film provides a moving portrait of these young people, who range in age from 9 to 14, and their loved ones as they ultimately triumph in this seemingly unlikely undertaking. It also makes a compelling argument about the need for society to recognize the vulnerability of the disabled, showing that those with autism face a range of obstacles from peer bullying to marginalization by the public school system, while their parents must worry about how these children will fare as adults. Adult language and images.

Wednesday, March 26, 8-9 p.m. EDT (check local listings) (PBS) "Peter & the Wolf." This marvelous animated interpretation of Sergei Prokofiev's fanciful musical tale just won the Academy Award for best animated short. The innovative film, presented on "Great Performances," was conceived and directed by animator Suzie Templeton, who utilizes stop-frame model animation, puppets and digital photography to tell an expanded version of the story including several dramatic sequences without musical accompaniment. The Philharmonia Orchestra is beautifully conducted by Mark Stephenson. Superior entertainment for the kids and their guardians, too (TV-G -- general audience).

Wednesday, March 26, 9-11 p.m. EDT (check local listings) (PBS) "Hansel and Gretel." Excellent, if highly nontraditional, staging of Engelbert Humperdinck's well-loved treatment of the beloved Brothers Grimm story. Alice Coote and Christine Schafer play siblings Hansel and Gretel, and tenor Philip Langridge plays the witch in a production which mixes visual styles with interesting results. Though sung in English, the words aren't always intelligible, but subtitles take care of that. Vladimir Jurowski conducts. The imaginative "Great Performances at the Met" presentation is hosted by soprano Renee Fleming, and marks the first of a weekly series of operas from the Metropolitan Opera in New York. This one's a natural for the younger members of the household (TV-G -- general audience).

Friday, March 28, 10-11 p.m. EDT (check local listings) (PBS) "Triumph at Carville." This film documents the triumph over mankind's most feared disease, leprosy (known today as Hansen's disease) and the national leprosarium in Louisiana known as Carville (TV-PG -- parental guidance suggested).

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