Just as pop music trends wax and wane -- hello, Backstreet Boys, goodbye, Backstreet Boys; hello, Jonas Bros., goodbye Jonas Bros. -- so it can be with classical music, at least when it comes to Gregorian chants.

Back in 1994 The Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos had a hit in the United States with their "Chant" album and two years ago Austrian monks had a European hit with "Chant: Music for the Soul," and their success is chronicled in the new half-hour documentary "Top Ten Monks" (8 p.m. Wednesday, HBO2).

"Top Ten Monks" director Dana Heinz Perry, a former Pittsburgher unrelated to the famous Heinz family, lived in Shadyside and Squirrel Hill in the 1970s and attended second through seventh grades at The Ellis School. Ms. Perry produced/directed documentaries about music in the past, and that's how HBO documentary top executive Sheila Nevins came to think of her for a possible monk music project after she read about the monks' international success in a magazine.

Ms. Perry previously worked on "Motown 40" for ABC and a five-hour hip-hop series for VH1 in addition to other documentary films, including episodes of TLC's "Paramedics" that filmed in Pittsburgh in the late '90s.

"I've gotten access to rock stars more easily than these people," Ms. Perry said of the monks.

"Top Ten Monks" dispels preconceptions viewers might have about monks, showing them at work on the Internet and responding to tourists ("This is a form of prayer," a monk explains to an American tourist who requests a performance. "We don't do it as a show").

Making contact with the monks was not the hard part. Getting them to allow Ms. Perry to document their lives was the greater challenge. By the time she began to request access, the monks had already become a European sensation.

"I think perhaps they didn't bargain for what the result was going to be of making this record and have it be a giant hit," she said. "Journalists from all over Europe were knocking on their doors and they said 'Yes' a lot, and that created an invasion of their way of life."

In 2008, the album by the Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz sold 120,000 copies in Austria, far outpacing albums by Madonna (10,000 units sold) and Amy Winehouse (92,000 units sold). The album sold about 200,000 units in the United Kingdom, according to the film.

A representative for Universal Records' classics label explains that the company saw growth in its back catalog of Gregorian chant releases, which prompted them to post an ad in Roman Catholic newspapers seeking a choir that might record a new album. The Austrian monks replied, not expecting there would be interest in their almost 900-year-old tradition. But there was.

They'd certainly been the center of attention before -- Pope Benedict XVI visited to hear them pray in song in 2007 -- but going on German and British talk shows to discuss their record was a new experience. In the documentary, one of the monks shows off plaques from record companies for attaining a high level of sales. The monks received so many they ran out of wall space for them in one office. The only place the monks seem to lack recognition is in America.

"It didn't really happen here in the States for them," Ms. Perry said. "I don't know why that is."

Ms. Perry eventually got permission from the monks to visit in spring 2009, a new experience for a filmmaker who was raised Quaker.

"I had a lot of learning to do about Catholicism just to start and the whole cloistered monk thing, the history of that was a real eye-opener," she said. "But I think it's good not to know stuff when you go in because your curiosity is genuine. You're the eyes and ears of your audience and it's your job to convey the information. A healthy and real curiosity is key to this kind of work."

A special edition of the monks' CD was released after the initial album but Ms. Perry's impression is that they probably won't record another CD.

Although Ms. Perry's documentary has been complete for some time, HBO wanted it to premiere around the holidays. A DVD of the program will be released at a later, yet-to-be-scheduled date.

"It is spiritual and it's kind of Christmas-y even though they're singing about death," she said. "The prayers they chant are all about death but for a monk, death is a highlight of your monk's journey because you're meeting God and going to heaven and that's their goal. To them death is not a depressing idea, in fact, it's a glorious idea.

"There's just something about guys in robes in an ancient place. The tone of music just feels right for the holidays," Ms. Perry said. "I'm planning to have people over and serve eggnog and watch the show. It feels like a good thing for family viewing as you're gathered for the holidays and a nice alternative to some of the other holiday programming."

British comedian Ricky Gervais is gearing up for a month of sequels: His second HBO stand-up special, "Out of England 2," debuts at 10 p.m. Saturday, the second season of "The Ricky Gervais Show" premieres on HBO Jan. 14 and he'll mark his second time as host of "The Golden Globe Awards" on Jan. 16.

"A comedian's job isn't just to make people laugh, it's to make them think," Mr. Gervais said in a teleconference with reporters last week. "I want people to laugh and I want them to gasp as well. I get as big a buzz from gasp as I do a belly laugh."

TNT announced last Friday that its hit series "The Closer" will wrap its run with a 15-episode seventh and final season slated to air in 2011.

"The Closer" was one basic cable's first bona fide hit series, drawing as many (and sometimes more) viewers than broadcast network shows. Since then, TNT and other basic cable networks have become hungrier for scripted original fare, including TNT's "Rizzoli & Isles," the most obvious heir apparent for "The Closer." "Rizzoli" has been renewed and will return with new episodes next year.

Penguins star Sidney Crosby will appear on CBS's "The Price Is Right" Monday (11 a.m. weekdays, KDKA-TV) along with Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and former NHL player Jeremy Roenick to promote the NHL's Winter Classic. They'll do that by introducing a showcase that includes a trip to Pittsburgh for the game.

Hearst, which owns WTAE in Pittsburgh, and DirecTV are in retransmission negotiations for a new carriage agreement. The old agreement expires Jan. 1 and if there's no new agreement, it could result in DirecTV subscribers losing Channel 4 from their lineup.

"We believe that we and DirecTV can conclude our negotiations before Jan. 1 so as not to deprive any of our respective viewers and customers of our programming," said WTAE general manager Rick Henry. "However, we want to advise our viewers and customers that the possibility of non-renewal of our current agreement exists. We will continue to keep our valued viewers informed of developments, on our air and our website, www.ThePittsburghChannel.com."

As expected after the semi-retirement of WPXI's lead sports anchor John Fedko (he'll return in the fall for Skylights high school football coverage), Channel 11's Alby Oxenreiter has been named the station's sports director and 6 and 11 p.m. sports anchor. He'll also continue on WPGH's 10 p.m. newscast. ... Two basic cable acquisitions announced this week: BBC America will carry reruns of Showtime's "The Tudors" beginning with a marathon of seasons one and two at 9 a.m. Jan. 16 and Current TV will air reruns of Showtime's "This American Life," based on the public radio show, beginning at 10 p.m Jan. 10. ... A&E pulled its docu-reality series "The Hasselhoffs" after just two episodes aired. ... Syfy has canceled "Stargate Universe" after two seasons. The last original episodes will air in the spring. ...Syfy's "Merlin" returns with new episodes at 10 p.m. Jan. 7. ... Fox has pulled "Running Wilde," which was expected to air its final episodes this month. No word on if/when those episodes will now air. ... Cardinal Wuerl's Sunday Mass from St. Paul Cathedral is available to Comcast customers on demand by paging through the following folders: "Get Local," "News & Information," "Worship" and "Christian Associates."

Today's TV Q&A column responds to questions about "Undercover Boss," Alex O'Loughlin's tattoos and a WTAE promo. This week's Tuned In Journal includes posts on "Dexter," TV comedy and "Star Wars" parodies due out this month. Read online-only TV content at post-gazette.com/tv.

This week's podcast includes conversation about "Dexter," Golden Globe nominations, HBO's "24/7 Penguins/Capitals Road to the NHL Winter Classic" and "The Sing-Off." Subscribe or listen at post-gazette.com/podcast.

First Published: December 17, 2010, 10:00 a.m.