Science meets special effects to re-create ancient city
Sending robots into the past sounds like science fiction. It’s the basis of “Terminator” and other movie plots. But now, something called a stereo-photogrammetry robot is helping a 3,000-year-old city come back to life.
The one-hour special “City Beneath the Waves: Pavlopetri” (7 p.m. Saturday, Discovery) uses computer-generated imagery (CGI), acoustic and digital maritime survey techniques and robots to map a city submerged since the year 1000 B.C.
”Waves” will explore a city from the Bronze Age to the Mycenaean Age — a time of Greek myths, heroes and legends. What was it like to walk Pavlopetri’s streets, worship at its temples, gather in its courtyards and mourn at its many tombs? An interesting marriage of serious archaeology and movie special effects, “Waves” draws upon the thousands of artifacts that have been found at the site off the southern coast of Greece since its rediscovery in 1967.
Saturday’s other highlights
• Leading up to the second season finale of “Game of Thrones” on Sunday, the HBO Zone channel will air a continuously repeating marathon of the first nine episodes of “Thrones” (5 p.m.).
• The Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils meet in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals (7 p.m., NBC).
• The Detroit Tigers host the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball action (6 p.m., Fox).
• Wealthy individuals live among the less fortunate on three repeat episodes of “Secret Millionaire” (7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m., ABC). A new season kicks off Sunday.
• Standup observations on “Bill Bellamy: Crazy, Sexy, Dirty” (7 p.m., Showtime).
• Ching-He Huang hosts “Easy Chinese” (7:30 p.m., Cooking) for a second season.
Saturday series
Too many dummies on “Rules of Engagement” (7 p.m., CBS) … An office romance beckons on “How to Be a Gentleman” (7:30 p.m., CBS).
A poker game breaks up early on “CSI: Miami” (8 p.m., CBS).