A number of things that might make you want to set the old TiVo or, if you're still living in the Stone Age, your VCR…
- The SciFi Network is running a Twilight Zone marathon this weekend. Sunday morn at 9 AM (6 AM on some systems), they're running "The Miniature," which is the one with Robert Duvall and a nice performance by our pal, Lennie Weinrib.
- Turner Classic Movies sometimes goes through periods when its programming favors the same well-known (and quite available) features over and over. Then for a time, they veer into true and rare classics. July seems to be one of the latter times. Early Monday morning, for instance, they're running The Better 'Ole, a 1926 silent starring Sydney Chaplin that I've always wanted to see. Right after, they're running an early talkie — The Chief starring Ed Wynn, followed by Alibi Ike with Joe E. Brown.
- And still later that day, here's a clever bit of scheduling by TCM: The Wizard of Oz (starring Judy Garland) followed by The Wiz (starring Diana Ross) followed by The Wizard of Oz (the 1925 version starring Larry Semon and Oliver Hardy) followed by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (the 1910 version starring Bebe Daniels). All of this is preceded by that "Making of…" documentary on the Garland version, hosted by Angela Lansbury.
- TCM has also acquired another nice library of short subjects to add to their already huge one, and they're dropping a lot of rare films in to fill gaps between features. Unfortunately, their online schedules don't tell you when some of these treasures will be appearing. The next week or so, they'll be running a number of entries in a series called "The Boy Friends" that was produced on the Hal Roach lot between 1930 and 1932, starring a couple of kids who'd grown too old to still be appearing in Roach's "Our Gang" comedies. One of these shorts — The Knockout — will reportedly run on Monday morning at 10:35 AM (Eastern) but there's nowhere on the TCM website that gives you that information, or tells you when the others are scheduled. Happy hunting.
- Late tonight in the overnight slot, NBC is rerunning the episode of Saturday Night Live originally broadcast October 9, 1982 with host Ron Howard, musical guest The Clash and special variety-type performer Harry Anderson. This is from the season where the cast included Eddie Murphy, Mary Gross, Tim Kazurinsky, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Brad Hall, Joe Piscopo, Robin Duke and Gary Kroeger. Not, as I recall, a great episode but it has its historical value.
- GSN is bringing reruns of Beat the Clock back to its late night black-and-white hour which, if it weren't the worst game show ever done, would be good news. Fortunately, we still have the vintage What's My Line? episodes. The one that should air tonight (i.e., early tomorrow morning) has Steve Allen making his nine millionth appearance as a Mystery Guest. Sunday night, it's Phyllis Diller. Monday night's show, the first of two Mystery Guests is Brian Epstein, the man who "managed" The Beatles, and the second Mystery Guest is Tony Bennett. Tuesday night, one of the contestants is Craig Breedlove, who then held the world's land speed record, and the big Mystery Guest is James Garner.
- Lastly: Today and tomorrow, C-Span 2 is running a number of panels that were taped at the recent L.A. Times Festival of Books. Consult this schedule for more info but I'm told by Gordon Kent (who was there for it) that the interview with Gore Vidal is especially good. It airs tonight at 8:05 PM West Coast time.