Monitor Picks

The stars align

After getting trounced in interleague play, the National League has a chance for redemption in baseball's All-Star Game (FOX, July 11 at 8 p.m. EDT). The American League is 7-0-1 in the last eight contests, but first-time all-stars David Wright and José Reyes of the New York Mets, both possible MVP candidates, look to reverse the trend.

Scouring the Web for inexpensive airfares usually leaves a nagging feeling that there's something better out there – if only we knew where to look. Mobissimo.com and kayak.com, two aggregator websites, help cover more bases. They search the usual suspects such as all-purpose Orbitz.com, plus lesser-known sites (AirGorilla.com) and international airlines (Air-Burkina.com). Mercifully, the fares they quote include taxes and booking fees.

David McCullough's bestselling 1776, a magnum opus about the Revolutionary War that pitted the armies of King George III against those of Gen. George Washington, will never be called lightweight. But the just-released paperback version makes all that historical heft a lot easier to tote to the beach.

Take a major historical mystery. Add detailed reenactments. Sprinkle in some modern computer graphics, topical experts, and pulsating music and you have The History Channel's compelling recipe for Lost Worlds (premières Monday, July 10 at 9 p.m. EDT). First episodes include the Knights Templar, Atlantis, Jesus' Jerusalem, and Hitler's Supercity. No boring history lesson here.

High fashion has often been stereotyped as catty, cutthroat, and cruel. Bravo's Project Runway Season 3 (premières July 12 at 8 p.m. EDT) is all that. It's also a chance to peer in on the creative process as 15 up-and-coming designers bring wearable art to life – and try to become the next big thing.