If you have cable television, then tune in to the Discovery Channel for "Oil, Sweat, and Rigs" on Tuesday nights at 10:00 pm EST/PST. It's the story of a massive industry recovery effort in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico. Hundreds of oil platforms, pipelines, and refineries were destroyed or badly damaged.

The show is similar in style to the wildly popular, "Deadliest Catch," about crab fishing in Alaska's Bering Sea.

Watching the show you'll get an idea of what kinds of jobs exist on an offshore oil rig. You get to see 'greenhorns' -- industry newcomers -- being trained and in action, divers doing salvage work, the process of getting the oil pumping, the technology involved, and a lot more. Each episode puts amazing industry technology on display as well as science, and there's no shortage human drama. The workers are often stretched to their physical max with the work and in tough weather conditions while working these oil rig jobs.

Here's a rundown of the first season's episodes:

Salvaging the Rig
The Witch Queen and the Abyss
Hurricane-Proof Anchors
MARS: Getting the Oil Pumping
Saving MARS
The Road to Recovery

"Oil, Sweat, and Rigs" debuted in the spring of 2006 and is likely to be in re-runs at various times throughout the year. Full information about this great series is online at: http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/oilsweatrigs/oilsweatrigs.html

The Discovery Channel often makes its shows available on DVD a short while after the series ends. The first season of "Deadliest Catch" came out on DVD pretty quickly after the season ended.

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