It's the last day of March, what are you watching?

Historylands: Diefenbunker Nuclear Shelter: Canada's Worst-Kept Secret is on at 7:30 pm on the Knowledge Network. Can't imagine anything called that was particularly bomb proof.

At 8pm, History Television has another in the superb Dogfights series; Dogfights
Kamikaze. This series combines archival footage, CGI and first person interviews for a real seat of your pants experience. Don't miss any of these.

And right after that at 9pm, settle in for another great series; Rome, Kalends of February.

I'm digging up some stuff on train wrecks for the rest of the week. See you tomorrow.

Tom Tiddler.

James Lucas, aka Mad Lucas, aka the Hermit of Hertfordshire was famous during Victorian times as being a pretty good weirdo. Born in 1813, he was generally known as a good natured but unique landlord. His weirdness was turned up a notch after his mother died in 1849.

Right after her death he holed up in the family home and refused visitors. He never allowed the will to be read and absolutely had nothing to do with any relatives. Period. The only room he occupied was the kitchen, trodding about covered in ashes from the stove wrapped only in a sooty blanket. Locals occasionally saw him at the window in this outfit. Must have been a bit unsettling.

To add to his popularity in the neighbourhood he stopped washing and cutting his hair. His diet became more and more basic until it was mainly bread, cheese, salt fish and gin. Eeew. No surprise the house had a rat problem. He also developed a fondness for guns and hired two armed guards.

He talked to visitors through an iron grill but did have visitors every now and again, the most famous being Charles Dickens. He died in 1874. When his body was removed there was a small fortune in cash with him in the middle of the mess.

Friday viewing, or why I don't go out anymore.

Must see TV tonight at 10pm, Neville Shute's On the Beach with Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner. Oh yeah, it's on PBS.

And at midnight, Cities of the Underworld: Dracula's Underworld on History Television. I've seen a few of the other one's in this series, they're not bad. The one on Berlin is worth watching when it's on again.

The History Channel has a few goodies on tonight. At 10pm they have Battle 360: Death of the Iron Bottom. Get a 360 degree look at the USS Enterprise in 1942 during the battle for the Pacific. And at 11pm it's Histories Mysteries: Japan's Mysterious Pyramid's. And somehow we missed this gem at 8pm: Modern Marvels: Cold Cuts. What in Christ is show on cold cuts doing here?

Junie.

Octavia Estelle Butler, 1947-2006, was a rare person indeed. One of only a few African American FEMALE science fiction writers, she was quiet and stayed away from the public. No small potatoes but also a Hugo and Nebula award winner.

Raised by her mother and granny after her father passed away when she was an infant, she was an only child growing up in a strict Baptist home. Once in school she started reading and seemed to naturally gravitate to fantasy and science fiction.

Shy and reserved, she started writing and making up stories by age 10 to stave off boredom and loneliness. After watching Devil Girl from Mars, she, not surprisingly, thought she could do better. Her sci-fi career was launched.

After college and numerous writing courses she bumped into Harlen Ellison (who in turn introduced her to Samuel R. Delaney) she had been writing seriously and trying to get published. Not a bad couple of folks to hang with.

Best known for the novel series: Patternist and Lilith's Brood she wrote over a dozen novels and many short stories. Always a loner and rarely seen outside her home she died in 2006 after a bad fall.

Can't wait.

Continuing on in the fine tradition of bulk history we have 100 Greatest Discoveries
Chemistry on the Knowledge Network at 8pm. Just how do they do that?

Somehow we missed this on at 5pm on TCM, I hope they run it again. It's called The Tunnel, a 1935 science fiction movie about the building of a trans Atlantic tunnel from the US to England. Good lord it sounds kooky.

The French Connection on at 11 on ACM.

I keep thinking about that tunnel movie . . . .

Basher.

Yesterday was Nick Lowes birthday. How did I miss that? Born on March 24, 1949, Lowe began his professional career in a band with Brinsley Schwarz called Kippington Lodge, and later, with the addition of Ian Gomm on guitar, they called themselves Brinsley Schwarz. Makes sense.

In his time with this band, asides from recording 10 or so country rock ish tinged albums, he wrote What's So Funny 'bout Peace Love and Understanding. A minor hit for them but a huge one for Elvis Costello in 1979 and again in 1992 on the soundtrack to the Bodyguard. It only takes one.

Other notables include joining forces with Huey Lewis for The Rose of England in 1985 and later producing for and recording with Johnny Cash.

Go and find a copy of Jesus of Cool and play it real loud.

Save the best for last.

I am beginning to believe we are poorly catered to indeed. History Television has Digging for the Truth King Tut: Secrets Revealed at 8pm. and at 9pm Moby Dick: The True Story. Hmmm, a conspiracy?

The History Channel has the latest in the Universe series: Unexplained Mysteries at 8pm too.

Turner Classic Movies has Arsenic and Old Lace at 12:15 am. Must see movie with Cary Grant, Raymond Massey, Peter Lorre. Worth staying up for.