They're calling it "In The Beginning," which sort of sounds like the folks out at KXIV are going Biblical on us.
And they are, in a couch potato sort of way.They're going back to the Genesis of some of the most memorable programs in television history. These programs were part of America's prime time Exodus, when tremendous Numbers of people deserted other leisure activities in favor of the ol' Motorola during the 1960s and 1970s - Lamentations from cultural philosophers notwithstanding.
The shows also provide Chronicles of the evolution (oops - sorry about that) of series many of us remember with such fondness but maybe don't remember exactly how they got started.
All in all, "In The Beginning" should be a real Revelation for everyone.
"In The Beginning" is two full nights of prime time programming devoted to showing the first episode of some of Ch. 14's most popular syndicated series. Tonight you'll see the first episodes of "Gilligan's Island" (7 p.m.), "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (7:30), "The Beverly Hillbillies" (8), "Happy Days" (8:30), "The Twilight Zone" (9) and "Night Gallery" (9).
Wednesday night's line-up includes "Hogan's Heroes" (7 p.m.), "The Addams Family" (7:30), "The Munsters" (8), "Get Smart" (8:30) and "Bonanza" (9).
"As far as we know this is the first time a television station has tried to do something like this," said KXIV program director Mike Hemmingway. "Viewers always seem to be interested in seeing the first episode of a hit series. We thought it would be fun to put a bunch of series `firsts' together."
And that's just what "In The Beginning" is - fun. Hosted by popular local radio personality Mark Van Wagoner (with a little commentary here and there from the TV critic at a local afternoon newspaper), the two-night special takes us back to the early days of programs that live in memory because of their overall quality ("The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The Twilight Zone" and "Bonanza," for example) or because of their nostalgic value (like "Gilligan's Island," "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "The Munsters").
You'll see some interesting things - the real names of the Skipper and the Professor, the Clampett's mountain home, an understated Fonzie with light brown hair and a cloth jacket, a P.0.W. camp regular who mysteriously disappeared after the first episode of "Hogan's Heroes" and actors like Stacy Keach and Bernie Koppel in early supporting roles.
There are also a few interesting things that you won't see: an explanation of why the castaways had all that luggage with them for "a three-hour tour"; Rob tripping over the ottoman in the opening credits of "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; the real-life identity of Thing on "The Addams Family" (but we'll clue you in on that one in between shows); or the Cartwrights singing the theme song to "Bonanza."
Still, true sofa spuds should have a good time watching the episodes in which gimmicks were set up and characters and relationships were established. It may not be as spiritually rewarding as reading the Bible, but it's kind of fun to remember what TV shows were like "In The Beginning."
-ALSO ON TV TONIGHT: Everyone who has been wondering whatever happened to Raquel Welch (and you have been, haven't you?) will be pleased to know that she's still looking pretty good, as is clearly in evidence during tonight's made-for-TV movie premiere, "Trouble in Paradise" (8 p.m., Ch. 5).
Unfortunately, the movie also makes it clear that her acting skills haven't improved much over the years. But then, you weren't expecting that this movie, in which she plays a stranded widow dodging fellow castaway Jack Thompson's drunken advances, would transform her into the next Katharine Hepburn, were you?
Elsewhere, Malcolm Jamal-Warner guests on "Tour of Duty" (7 p.m., Ch. 5); Dennis Quaid finds out that Hamlet was right - dreaming really can be "the rub" - in 1984's interesting "Dreamscape" (7 p.m., Ch. 13), a movie about psychic dream research; school's out for the summer on "The Wonder Years" (7:30 p.m., Ch. 4) and Carroll O'Connor returns to "In The Heat of the Night" (8 p.m., Ch. 2) and is promptly kidnapped.
There's also "Divided Union" (8 p.m., Ch. 7) that chronicles America's Civil War; Hope finds herself in the throes of an ethical dilemma on "thirtysomething" (9 p.m., Ch. 4); and "Civic Dialogue" (9 p.m., Ch. 7) looks at the links between substance abuse and suicide.
-Looking Toward Wednesday: "In The Beginning" continues on Ch. 14 (please see above for shows ad times); Allen Funt is back with "Candid Camera: On Wheels" (7 p.m., Ch. 5); Timothy Hutton stars in "Taps" (7 p.m., Ch. 13); McCabe gets shipwrecked (gosh, there's a lot of that going around these days, isn't there?) on "Jake and the Fatman" (8 p.m., Ch. 5); and Vinne, McPike and Lifeguard go fishing on "Wiseguy" (9 p.m., Ch. 5).