Irish, nun and ethics on PBS

"May the Road Rise to Meet You" has already aired on WMHT, channel 17 and might be repeated later this year. It's worth looking for because the hour-long documentary is a celebration of Irish-American culture that honors their thirst for education, their talent for organizing in unions and politics, their good humor, and their devotion to their faith.

Historic films and photographs provide the background as various Irish-Americans talk about the joys of their ethnicity -- except for Irish food, which all admit is atrocious.

The hour does not admit of any negatives. There are no references to "the troubles," to the dangers of drink or to any other problems that might beset Irish-Americans. It concentrates instead on the joyful and musical side of the culture, creating a tribute to a people who arrived here fleeing famine and progressed to become the leaders of the nation.

And any special that ends with a Baptism is worth seeing just for its rarity on television.

PBS has also announced some outstanding series for the fall, including two with religious emphasis:

* "Sister Wendy's Story of Painting" is a five-part series of shows about art, hosted by the inimitable Sister Wendy Beckett, a British nun who has become one of the world's foremost authorities on painting. In her series, which begins in September, she examines everything from the art on cave walls to Picasso. Her charm and intelligence are infectious lures that win viewers over to education and enlightenment. It will be shown on WMHT, channel 17, Sundays at 9 p.m., beginning Sept. 7.

* "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly" offers in-depth coverage of topics rarely touched by other TV news shows. Hosted by Bob Abernethy, a veteran network newsman, this weekly show, starting in September, deals with anything in the news that touches on morality, religion, faith and ethics. The series debuts on WMHT, channel 17, Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m.

* "Full Circle with Michael Palin" is a follow-up to the MontY Python comedian's two previous globe-trotting documentaries. In this one, he travels the Pacific Rim by boat, train, plane and helicopter, taking viewers with him as he learns about other cultures. Always a delight to watch as he becomes a stranger in a strange land, Palin makes us armchair tourists want to don seven-league boots and find the nearest sampan. The 10-part series begins in mid-September. It will be shown on WMHT, channel 17, Mondays at 8 p.m., beginning Sept. 15.

* "Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery," which will arrive in November, is a four-hour documentary by Ken Burns of "Civil War" and "Baseball" fame. This time, he sets off to explore what Lewis and Clark saw nearly 200 years ago when they were charged by President Jefferson with finding out what made up the new Louisiana Purchase.

* "Liberty! The American Revolution," also coming in November, is a six-hour presentation on how the U.S. came to be. Actors, historians and reenactments take viewers into the past and make it seem like the present. Quoting from diaries, letters and documents, the actors re-create the 18th-century colonists who decided it was time to make their own nation.

PBS also has four new series for children, including "Wimzie's House," about a five-year-old girl and her family, and "Noddy," which combines animation and live action for creative play.

(08-28-97)

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