Here are a few programs to look out for in the upcoming week ...
THURSDAY 10 P.M. Creatures of the Abyss, TLC. Enter one of the last frontiers left for human exploration with new technology that reveals creatures even more fantastic than science fiction. Learn how age-old fears of monsters have affected scientific study and how exploration is debunking myths.
FRIDAY 9 P.M. Time Squad, Cartoon Network. One-hundred million years in the future the world's top leaders create a special force to travel through time to make sure history happens right. Heck, the way some people try to rewrite history, we could use that now.
FRIDAY 9 P.M. Pearl Harbor: Seven Views of Defiance, Discovery. More information and detail about the infamous attack that brought the U.S. into World War II and moviegoers into theaters 66 years later.
SATURDAY 12:15 A.M. The Jerk, TBS. Good late-night movie fare starring the very brilliant Steve Martin. A lot of people remain divided on whether this 1979 film, Martin's first, is one of his better efforts or a dreadful dud. I go for the former.
SUNDAY 3 P.M. UFOs: Then and Now? The History Channel. A four-hour block of shows that looks at the late 20th century phenomenon of extra-terrestrial visitation. Looks at famous and not-so-famous tales of sightings and abductions.
SUNDAY 9 P.M. The E! True Hollywood Story, E! "Sixteen Candles." A movie that altered the teen comedy farce. At first glance a silly tale of freaks, geeks and dopey parents, but it really was a bit more. Director John Hughes was compelled to do this movie so the studio would let him do The Breakfast Club.
SUNDAY 9 P.M. The Big Heist, A&E. 2001 TV movie that tells the story of how police brought down "Irish" Jimmy Burke, who stole $8 million from the Lufthansa Terminal at New York's JFK airport in 1978. Donald Sutherland stars.
MONDAY 8 P.M. The Love Boat, TV Land. Finally. The definition of '70s kitsch. A lot of stars cruised with Doc, Gopher et al. Some actors, like Tom Hanks, were at the beginning of their careers. Others were clinging by a thread à la ex-Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea captain David Hedison. And then there's Andy Warhol who turned up for no explainable reason.
TUESDAY 9:30 A.M. Dude Cowboy, TMC. A 1941 western starring Tim Holt. Sounds like a contemporary Pauly Shore vehicle doesn't it? I can hear the trailer now: "He came from the city. But he wasn't that slick. Pauly Shore is Dude Cowboy, rated R. Starts Friday. Coming to home video next month."
-- P.F. Wilson
