AVALANCHE: THE WHITE DEATH

From its lurid title (which sounds more like a TNT original movie than the National Geographic special it is) to its hyperventilating script (''Even very small avalanches can kill; the big ones are true monsters''), this listless nature special is nothing more than a grim catalogue of snowbound misadventures. Amid the countless shots of snow crashing through cedars, we learn that avalanches can travel up to 200 mph, and that one even claimed 18,000 lives. Avoid this cold turkey. REEL GOODIES (0:37) In an unusual experiment, more than 300,000 Ping-Pong balls are released down a hill. Yay, science! THE LAST DETAIL In one Colorado community, skiers who illegally enter avalanche zones can either go to jail -- or spend half an hour buried in a hole in the snow. C-