TV's Tricks And Treats

By Becky Krystal
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 26, 2008

With its new Halloween-week special, History does not want viewers to fear, as the saying goes, fear itself.

The point of "Primal Fear" is not to scare or shock people, said David McKillop, History's senior vice president of development and programming.

Instead, the two-hour special aims to explain common fears -- of things such as rats, sharks, snakes, drowning or even being burned alive -- in the contexts of history, biology and psychology.

"There are probably certain fears that go way back in our genetic training," McKillop said.

Take the fear of being eaten alive. Early humans depended on the ability to sense, and escape, the danger posed by predators. Those who had that ability won the evolutionary lottery, passing on to modern people the "fight or flight" response, which allows humans to save themselves and others in precarious situations.

Historical events have given rise to more fears. Rats, today's notorious urban pests, were carriers of the bubonic plague during the Middle Ages. Anxiety about being burned alive was framed hundreds of years ago, when alleged heretics were burned at the stake. And, for many people, the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York's twin towers and the Pentagon introduced the fear of terrorism.

McKillop said he hopes people may be less afraid if they understand where fears come from and what the body does in response to them.

"You can overcome fear," he said. "There are ways to override it."

Among other new Halloween-related programming this week:

Animal Planet: Take a sneak peek at the new series "Lost Tapes" on Thursday at 9 p.m. as part of the channel's "Howl-o-ween" programming. The show takes a first-person look at encounters with strange creatures.

Food Network: On Sunday, the chefs of "Essence of Emeril" (8 a.m.) and "Semi-Homemade Cooking With Sandra Lee" (noon) cook up some special treats such as brioche and pumpkin trifle.

History: "Modern Marvels" (Monday at 8 p.m.) explores the multibillion-dollar Halloween industry.

NBC: Two shows from NBC's Thursday comedy block get with the spooky spirit. The title character from "My Name Is Earl" plans a Halloween party (8 p.m.). And on "The Office" (9 p.m.), Pam finds herself the only person wearing a costume at work.

Nickelodeon: The channel will air holiday-themed episodes of several series in its morning Nick Jr. block: Monday's "Go, Diego, Go!" at 9 a.m., "Ni Hao, Kai-lan" on Tuesday at 9 a.m. and "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!" on Wednesday at 9 a.m.

PBS Kids: PBS's block for the younger set includes a number of new Halloween episodes:

"Super Why!": Monday, 8:30 a.m., PBS 22; Friday, 9 a.m., PBS 26.

"Cyberchase": Monday, 4:30 p.m., PBS 26; Tuesday, 4:30 p.m., PBS 22.

"WordWorld": Tuesday, 11 a.m., PBS 22; Friday, 2 p.m., PBS 26.

"Martha Speaks": Friday, 7:30 a.m., PBS 26; Nov. 3, 7 a.m., PBS 22.

Sci Fi: "Ghost Hunters" airs its third annual live event on Friday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. The Atlantic Paranormal Society team will broadcast from Fort Delaware in Delaware City, Del., which served as a POW camp for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.

"Primal Fear" airs Mondy at 9 p.m. on History.