Pay TV - Sunday, July 12
The Age
Thursday July 9, 2009
The Future MakersDiscovery Channel, 8amYOU might want to set the IQ for the repeat of this terrific local documentary about renewable energy. The topic may not sound as beguiling as a film about, say, polar bears. But this exploration of work being done in Australia on alternatives to fossil fuels and nuclear power makes for fascinating, if slightly depressing, viewing. It's heartbreaking to see there's so much good science out there, some of it needing only a little more work to be commercially viable, some of it ready to go now. But thanks to lack of private investment and public support, tidal, geothermal and new-generation solar-power systems languish in the country in which they were developed, while the rest of the Western world embraces them wholeheartedly.The Private Life of a MasterpieceOvation, 8pmYOU don't have to be an art lover to enjoy this detailed examination of famous works of art. The tone is hushed and reverential but the varied information provided is intriguing. Tonight we're looking at Jan Van Eyck's The Annunciation (pictured) and the exploration roams across art appreciation, art history, art restoration, a scanty bio of the mysterious artist (Where did he come from? Was he a spy?) and the tale of The Annunciation's travels, from an altar in Bruges to the Hermitage of St Petersburg, a private collection in the US and finally the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. Details about the way the painting was moved from wood to canvas in the 19th century are astonishing but for sheer wow factor, nothing compares to the detail in the painting itself, which is lovingly examined from every possible angle. It provides at least a taste of what it must be like to be standing in front of the work itself.Anatomy of a PandemicDiscovery Channel, 7.30pmTHE efforts to create a mood of fear are forced to the point of being comical. But in between the cries of "We're all going to die!" is some really interesting science about the nature of viruses, the way flu vaccines work (or don't) and the lessons we've learnt from past pandemics. And although the hysteria over swine flu seems to have been just that, the fact is we got lucky. If the virus had turned out to be as deadly as it was virulent, this story would have had a dramatically different ending.Worth a lookWhat to Eat Now (Lifestyle Food, 7pm) The final of this delicious series focuses on autumnal seafood.Wild Dog Island (Animal Planet, 6.30pm)Book Stop (Ovation, 6pm)
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