'The Mysterious Human Heart,' Oct. 15, PBS

Real-life drama abounds in distinguished filmmaker David Grubin's three-part documentary, "The Mysterious Human Heart." The series, which will premiere on PBS stations Monday, Oct. 15, 9-11 p.m. EDT (check local listings) with the first two episodes back-to-back, examines the structure and function of this most vital of organs. It also follows the fortunes of several heart patients whom doctors must struggle to keep alive and return to health.

In the first hour, "Endlessly Beating," Grubin's enlightening documentary presents some amazing statistics. A muscle no larger than the average fist, the heart must keep five quarts of blood circulating ceaselessly to every part of the body. The heart beats approximately 100,000 times a day, 36 million times each year, and 3 billion times over a human life span. The grimmer statistics are equally striking. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the developed world. Each day, the lives of 3,000 Americans end as a result of cardiovascular disease. Few areas of medicine are more challenging than the study and treatment of the heart. Yet, as the series makes clear, remarkable breakthroughs are being achieved. Using the commentary of leading doctors as well as 3-D graphics and animation, the programs explain and illustrate these innovative technologies and surgical procedures. Beyond the facts, "The Mysterious Human Heart" tells the gripping personal stories of three patients who must deal with the mortal threat posed by a diseased or malfunctioning heart. The series also examines the effects of their medical condition on their professional activities, lifestyles, and especially their families. As opportunities for treatment are gained or lost, viewers are drawn into the suspense of a process in which patients and their loved ones are forced to wait on events beyond their control. Thus one candidate for a heart transplant learns that a suitable donor has been found, only to be told a few hours later that the heart cannot now be used. Doctors, meanwhile, must take carefully calibrated risks, knowing that the stakes on which they are gambling could not be higher. In one case, they take the radical step of emptying a patient's entire blood supply, and replacing it for a time with ice water. Compelling as well as informative, "The Mysterious Human Heart" blends science with emotion and abstract facts with the real case histories of ordinary people. If the first program viewed is any indication, that's a recipe for absorbing television. Viewers should be warned that the series includes graphic surgical scenes precluding younger viewers. The second episode, "The Spark of Life," looks at the physiological electrical mechanisms that keep the heart beating, and show what happens when things go awry The third episode, "The Silent Killer," which will air Monday, Oct. 22, 9-10 p.m. EDT, focuses on atherosclerosis, the blockage of the coronary arteries. - - - Mulderig is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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