TV program notes -- week of April 6

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Here are some television program notes for the week of April 6 with their TV Parental Guidelines ratings if available. They have not been reviewed and therefore are not necessarily recommended by the Office for Film & Broadcasting.

Sunday, April 6, 1-4 p.m. EDT (PBS HD) "Romeo et Juliette." As part of the weekly "Great Performances at the Met" series, Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna star in Charles Gounod's tuneful adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy. Tenor Placido Domingo conducts the orchestra and chorus. In French. Subtitles.

Sunday, April 6, 1:30-2:30 p.m. EDT (EWTN) "Dialogue of Francis and Clare." This concert composed by an American friar, Franciscan Father Robert Hutmacher, tells the story of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare in the months after St. Francis received the stigmata, and is visually augmented by artwork and footage of Assisi, Italy.

Sunday, April 6, 8-9 p.m. EDT (PBS) "What Females Want and Males Will Do." In this "Nature" presentation, wildlife experts use recently developed technology and field study to discover what makes winners and losers in the animal dating game. Part one of a two-part miniseries (TV-PG -- parental guidance suggested).

Sunday, April 6, 8-10 p.m. EDT (Discovery) "Egypt." In the first of two back-to-back episodes, experts highlight the 10 most important Egyptian innovations in an effort to create a complete picture of ancient Egyptian civilization. The second program examines the fall of ancient Egypt some 4,000 years ago, an event that has long baffled historians (TV-PG -- parental guidance suggested).

Sunday, April 6, 8-10 p.m. EDT (History) "King." This biography, hosted by Tom Brokaw, tells the story of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most important figures in recent history. Commemorating the 40th anniversary of his death, the program recounts his remarkable journey for civil rights from the moment he reluctantly joined the bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala., through his rise as a world figure to his tragic death in Memphis, Tenn., at age 39.

Sunday, April 6, 10-11 p.m. EDT (EWTN) "Franciscan University Presents: Pope Benedict XVI and Jesus of Nazareth." A panel of scholars from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, welcomes Brant Pitre, a professor of biblical theology, for a round-table discussion about Pope Benedict's 2007 book, "Jesus of Nazareth," and what it tells us about Christ and his church.

Tuesday, April 8, 8-9 p.m. EDT (PBS) "Cracking the Maya Code." A look back at how a handful of pioneers deciphered the intricate system of hieroglyphs developed by the Mayan peoples. Part of the "Nova" series (TV-PG -- parental guidance suggested).

Wednesday, April 9, 9-10:30 p.m. EDT (PBS) "Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun." A profile of the African-American author and folklorist who was one of the most celebrated -- and most controversial -- figures of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance. An "American Masters" presentation (TV-PG -- parental guidance suggested).

Wednesday, April 9, 10-11 p.m. EDT (EWTN) "Micah Project: Tearing Down the Walls That Separate Christians." Catholic apologist Michael Cumbie examines the difference between Catholic and Protestant understandings of worship.

Saturday, April 12, 9-10 p.m. EDT (Animal Planet) "Groomer Has It." Premiere of a new reality series in which 12 amateur and professional dog groomers compete to give scruffy canines a makeover. In the first episode, the groomers move into the house they'll be sharing, are introduced to the judges and tackle their first assignment: grooming model dogs made of yarn.

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