What to Watch

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Monday:

THE ANIMAL EXTRACTORS

10 p.m. on National Geographic Channel

Raccoons in the attic, and in the office, too: Who you gonna call?

This new weekly series illustrates the inevitable encounters that occur when development encroaches on wild animals' natural habitats. Biologists, wildlife experts and animal control agents tackle the problems of frantic residents who discover alligators, bears, bobcats, rattlesnakes and other uninvited members of the animal kingdom a little too close to home.

Wednesday:

HAWAIIAN MONK SEALS: SURVIVING PARADISE

9 p.m. on PBS 22

The world's oldest seal -- and, numbering scarcely 1,200, the most endangered in U.S. waters -- is profiled in this new documentary, filmed on location in the northwest Hawaiian Islands.

The Hawaiian monk seal, which can grow to eight feet long, often is called a "living fossil." Filmmakers use an animal-borne "Crittercam" to include footage from the monk seal's view.

Thursday:

WETA ALL ACCESS: METRO

8 p.m. on PBS 26

Step back! Doors closing! This locally produced documentary takes viewers inside the system that transports hundreds of thousands of Washington area residents daily.

From the history of Metro to the new voice of in-train announcements (Randi Miller, who doesn't regularly ride) to those who repair the system's 588 escalators, this program offers an inside close-up of the nation's second-largest transit system.

Friday:

FIGHTIN' FRIDAYS

Starting at 8 p.m. on History Channel Three series that spotlight historic battles combine for a new block of military-oriented action programming.

A new series, "Dogfights" (10 p.m.), uses computer animation to re-create some of the most intense air battles ever fought. Preceding the show are the season premieres of "Shootout" (8 p.m.) and "The Lost Evidence" (9 p.m.)

A Screamin' Good Time

Halloween-themed programming worth carving out some time for:

· AMC's "Monsterfest" and ABC Family's "13 Days of Halloween" continue through Tuesday night.

· Also through Halloween, Sci Fi Channel airs a marathon of modern scary movies, punctuated with episodes of the Stephen King miniseries "Rose Red."

· "Scariest Places on Earth" (Sunday starting at noon on ABC Family): A marathon of spooky spots airs all day, with the first of two new episodes starting at 8 p.m.

· "Most Haunted Live" (Sunday-Tuesday at 4 p.m. on Travel Channel): Cameras follow a team live as they visit some of the eeriest spots in Edinburgh, Scotland.

· "Vampire Secrets" (Sunday at 8 p.m. on History Channel): "Dracula" first appeared in 1897, but this show goes back 1,000 years to dissect the origins of vampire myth in Greek and Chinese civilizations.

· On Halloween, several networks -- including Bravo, Cinemax and TCM -- show freaky flicks all day long.

· "Cyberchase" (Tuesday at 5 p.m. on PBS): Kids, it's time to save the Halloween Howl Bash with some seasonal tricks.

· "Exorcism: Driving Out the Devil" (Tuesday at 8 p.m. on History Channel): The mysterious ritual, dramatized and explained.

Season Premieres

Among shows returning:

· "The OC," Thursday at 9 p.m. on Fox. Rachel Bilson returns for Season 4.

· "Shootout," 8 p.m. Friday, History, followed at 9 by "Lost Evidence."

-- Written and compiled by the TV Week staff