Rescue of trapped miners a thrilling, authentic drama

"The Pennsylvania Miners' Story" is a remarkably good film, but you'll want to rate it "C" for claustrophobic.

Even before the calamity that led to the nine miners' ordeal and thrilling rescue, you will be riveted just by their ordinary mission: working deep underground in shafts 4 feet high.

Then on July 24, a flood trapped them for 77 hours while their families, and the rest of the world, kept a vigil. That was the real-life event which, just four months later, airs in dramatic form on ABC tonight at 8 p.m.

Eerily, it was re-staged at many of the sites where the real-life drama unfolded, including the Sipesville Volunteer Fire Hall and some of the miners' own homes. The result: authenticity, not exploitation.

Told from the miners' point of view, the film is an intimate but unembroidered look at men doing tough work -- then rallying, all for one, when trouble strikes. The cast includes William Mapother, John Ratzenberger and John David Souther, but, even out of sight, the real-life miners are the real leading men.

"The Pennsylvania Miners' Story" is valuable for shining a light on working-class heroes, something TV rarely does.

-- and wouldn't have done this time if not for the accident and its joyous ending.

Now, will anyone remember miners who are still going in?

Other shows to look out for:

-- An all-too-timely profile of Saddam Hussein, "Uncle Saddam" mixes shocking revelations about "the Butcher of Baghdad" with footage that pokes fun at the eccentricities of this obsessive, megalomaniac leader. Shot by free-lance French journalist Joel Soler, the film makes clear that Saddam's quarter-century reign is the product of murder and other terror tactics that snuff out any hint of opposition. As the United States prepares to go to war with Iraq, "Uncle Saddam" provides a glimpse of the big man. It premieres on Cinemax 7 p.m. Tuesday.

-- No, your clock isn't wrong. NBC morning star Katie Couric is up late for her prime-time special, "Katie at Night." The "Today" anchor interviews singer Shania Twain, Olivia Harrison (widow of Beatle George Harrison), and actress Sharon Stone. It airs 10 p.m. Tuesday.

-- Before David Letterman went to CBS, he was host of NBC's "Late Night." Now, cable's Trio presents "Give Thanks To Dave," a holiday observance the Pilgrims could never have imagined, as it spins out a four-day marathon of "Late Night with David Letterman" from 8:30 a.m. Thanksgiving Day through 9 p.m. Sunday. It may seem like a feast, but in fact it's just a sample: Repeats of Dave will start as a nightly series on Trio in January.

-- No, this movie isn't meant as a guide for the Democrats to recapture the presidency. It's just silly fun as Fox premieres "The Brady Bunch in the White House" 8 p.m. Friday. Here, the first family of vapid sitcoms is propelled into the national spotlight as America's First Family. But once in power, President Mike Brady and his new Vice President (huh?) Carol are faced with awesome responsibilities -- including a huge asteroid hurtling toward Earth, and a huge slumber party for Marcia and her friends. Gary Cole plays Mike and Shelley Long is Carol. Hmmmm ... could 2004 be their year?