Maybe they'll finally get off that dang spaceship and see a good movie for a change.
It's the least that should happen to Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo and their human partners (first Joel Hodgson, then Mike Nelson), those caustically quipping authorities on bad films who have spent the past 10 seasons trapped aboard the Satellite of Love, forced to watch some of the worst movies ever made.
In what appears to be a mercy killing for them, but a minor tragedy for the rest of us, their decade-long run as the centerpieces of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" ends Sunday on cable's Sci-Fi channel. The last cheesy film they'll have to endure: "Danger Diabolik," a 1967 effort from Italian director Mario Bava in which master criminal Diabolik routinely eludes police and government agents attempting to capture him.
Sure, it'll be nice for Mike and his robot friends finally to escape the clutches of the evil Pearl Forrester, the sadistic scientist whose twisted experiment has kept them spacebound. But it's sad news for the rest of us, who from now on will have to watch such films as "The Creeping Terror" (about an alien carpet sample that eats people) and "Robot Monster" (about an alien gorilla wearing a diving helmet) without their often-hilarious running commentary.
We'll also lose one of television's surest pop-culture barometers. Trying to keep up with the boys' caustic quips has long been the best way to test your familiarity with the prevailing culture (not to mention your ability to keep up with their patter while paying at least marginal attention to what's going on in the movie).
The final episode of "MST3K" airs 9 p.m.-11 p.m. Sunday, with a rebroadcast at 11 p.m.
Specials drive pledge month
Oh, happy day, MPT is having another pledge drive. Those patience-trying begathons that are the price we pay for public TV return to MPT this month. Running from Saturday through Aug. 22, the 14-day drive will feature (as pledge drives always do) a plethora of music specials, from a diverse group of artists that includes Earth, Wind & Fire, Jose Feliciano, Ray Charles and Lawrence Welk.
Scheduled non-musical highlights include:
"Our National Parks: Sunrise to Sunset" (Saturday, 4 p.m.-5 p.m.), a photograph-, poem- and song-filled visit to some of our nation's most beautiful wilderness areas, including Yellowstone, Utah's Canyonlands, Arizona's Saguaro, Hawaii Volcanoes, Yosemite, Oregon's Crater Lake and the Grand Canyon.
"America's Quilts" (Aug. 14, 3 p.m.-5 p.m.), a look at one of America's warmest and most homespun traditions, followed by "MPT On Location Magazine: Maryland's Quilts" (5 p.m.-6: 10 p.m.).
"Nature: A Conversation with Koko" (Aug. 15, 8 p.m.-9: 30 p.m.), featuring an in-depth visit with a gorilla who some scientists claim has learned to communicate through sign language.
"The Chinese Americans" (Aug. 17, 8 p.m.-9 p.m.), another in a series of PBS' look at the immigrant groups that have helped shape America.
Station of the Year
WPOC-FM (93.1), a longtime favorite among Baltimore Country music fans, has been nominated as Station of the Year by the Country Music Association.
The station is one of six nationwide nominated for the award. The winner will be announced later this month, with the award being presented during the CMA's annual awards show, slated for Sept. 22. WPOC has won the award twice, in 1990 and 1992.
The station, owned by Clear Channel Communications Inc., finished third in the most recent ranking of Baltimore's most-listened-to radio stations.
Space tunes and the BSO
John McDaniel, bandleader on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," will be in Silver Spring on Friday conducting the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in a free outdoor concert.
The concert, titled "Stars and Space," will include music from "Star Wars," "The X-Files" and "Star Trek." It will include fireworks, is slated for 8: 15 p.m. Friday at the Federal Research Center, 10901 New Hampshire Ave. Rain date is Saturday. Guests are encouraged to tale a picnic dinner; there will be no food vendors on-site, and alcohol will not be permitted.
'Bob & Tom,' Nasty Nestor
News on Baltimore's radio dial:
The syndicated "Bob & Tom Show" has taken over the morning slot at WOCT-FM (104.3). The team of Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold, whose show is heard in more than 90 markets, has won three Marconi Awards from the National Association of Broadcasters and six consecutive Billboard Awards. The station has been using fill-in talent and playing mostly music in the mornings since parting company with the former morning team of Herman and McBean in March.
Jim Dolan, vice president and market manager for parent company Clear Channel, said the station opted against hiring its own morning team because "morning show talent is extremely difficult to find right now. We wanted to [use] the best talent we could find, and these guys are it."
Nasty Nestor Aparicio's all-sports station, WNST-AM (1570), celebrated its first anniversary yesterday. He even went nationwide over the weekend, broadcasting live from Chicago over 409 stations on the One-on-One Sports radio network. And they said it couldn't be done.
Court TV means 'Homicide'
Comcast customers who have been missing our beloved "Homicide: Life On the Street," take heart: Court TV has arrived.
The cable channel that spends its days covering court cases, its night showing law-related programs (and that includes weekday broadcasts of "Homicide" at 9 p.m. and midnight), has just been added to Comcast systems at Channel 76 in Harford, Howard and Baltimore counties. Other weekday programming includes "Court Story" at 10 p.m., detailing the stories behind real-life crimes, and "Johnnie Cochran Tonight" at 7 p.m., offering his insights into the court stories of the day.
Burke replaces Clooney
Greetings to John Burke, who this week replaces Nick Clooney as daytime host on cable's American Movie Classics.
Burke, who will also serve as host of AMC's "Behind the Screen" series, which fills in the story behind major films, has previously been seen on two shows airing on FX, "Personal FX: The Collectibles Show" and "The Supercollectors," as well as the Disney series "Countdown At The Neon Armadillo."
AMC spokeswoman Lynn Weiss said Clooney left the channel over "contractual differences."
Bob Dorian will remain as host of AMC's evening programming.
TV's top shows Here are last week's top TV shows, according to A. C. Nielsen Co. figures:
Rating
1 Frasier NBC 8.6
2 20/20-Friday ABC 8.5
2 (tie) Sunday Movie:
Undue Influence Part I CBS 8.5
2 (tie) Everybody Loves
Raymond CBS 8.5
5 60 Minutes CBS 8.4
6 Frasier NBC 8.2
7 Dateline, Tuesday NBC 8.1
7 (tie) ER NBC 8.1
9 Dateline, Wednesday ABC 10.6
9 (tie) Friends NBC 8.0
11 Touched by an Angel CBS 7.9
12 Becker CBS 7.8
13 20/20-Sunday ABC 7.7
14 20/20-Monday ABC 7.6
15 20/20-Wednesday ABC 7.5
16 Law and Order NBC 7.3
17 60 Minutes II CBS 7.2
17 (tie) Dateline, Monday NBC 7.2
17 (tie) Will & Grace NBC 7.2
20 Jesse NBC 7.1
The rating is the percentage of homes equipped with a TV in use.