Highlights for the week of October 25th include
- Were we warned? VisionTV looks at the Mayan prophesy behind the forthcoming movie blockbuster 2012, Oct. 27
- Up close and personal: VisionTV’s Unscripted profiles Oscar winner Martin Landau, Emmy winner Ken Howard
- Desperately seeking Sodom: The Naked Archaeologist investigates a Biblical sex scandal, Oct. 26
** Movie highlights include “Soul of Rock ‘n’ Roll” double feature, Oct. 29 **

Monday, Oct. 26

The Best of British Comedy – The Green Green Grass
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Goodbye, city life! When Boycie (John Challis), Peckham’s shiftiest used car salesman, runs afoul of some gangsters, he flees with his family to the bucolic delights of an old farmhouse in Shropshire. But is a slick London wheeler-dealer really suited to the life of a country gentleman?

** NEW EPISODE **
Drama Series – McLeod’s Daughters: “Into Thin Air”
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
This award-winning Australian drama returns for its final episodes, giving fans the chance to say a fond farewell to Stevie (Simmone Jade Mackinnon), Grace (Abi Tucker) and the other strong-willed women who manage the sprawling cattle ranch known as Drovers Run. Tonight: Ingrid (Rachel Coopes) finds herself in a life-and-death situation when her estranged and obsessive ex-husband Paul (Daniel Whyte) threatens to kill her unless she returns to him.

** NEW EPISODE **
Talk Series – Unscripted
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
In this intimate talk program, some of the entertainment world’s most iconic figures – from Bob Newhart to Florence Henderson – reflect candidly on their lives and careers. Tonight: Best known as Little House on the Prairie’s nasty Nellie Oleson, actor and comedian Alison Arngrim discusses her work as an activist on issues such as HIV/AIDS and child abuse.

Documentary Series – The Naked Archaeologist: “All in the Family”
10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT
Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici (The Lost Tomb of Jesus) explores the mysteries of Biblical archaeology in this irreverent documentary series. Tonight: After fleeing the destruction of Sodom and witnessing his wife turned into a pillar of salt, Lot is said to have had a drunken fling with his two daughters while holed up in a mountain cave. Could this X-rated Biblical tale be based on fact?

Tuesday, Oct. 27

The Best of British Comedy – Bless Me, Father
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Veteran character actor Arthur Lowe (Dad’s Army) stars as Father Duddleswell, a crusty but compassionate parish priest who tends to his suburban London flock while keeping a keen eye on the bottom line. Tonight: Father Duddleswell must deal with the delicate case of a war orphan, raised in a convent, who has fallen in love with a rabbi’s son.

Retro TV Classic – Quantum Leap: “The Curse of Ptah-Hotep”
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
This classic sci-fi drama stars Scott Bakula (The Informant!) as Sam Beckett, a scientist trapped in the past by a time travel experiment gone wrong. Sam can leap into any person’s life, at any point within his own lifetime – but he can’t predict where he’s going to land next. Tonight: Sam leaps into the body of an archaeologist on a dangerous Egyptian dig.

** NEW EPISODE **
Talk Series – Unscripted
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Tonight: Oscar-winning character actor Martin Landau recalls the ups and downs of a remarkable TV and movie career that has taken him from North by Northwest to Ed Wood.

Documentary Series – I Prophesy: 2012
10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT
What will the future look like? This documentary anthology series ponders the shape of our tomorrows, drawing upon the insights of renowned scientists, authors and intellectuals. Tonight: On Dec. 21, 2012, the Mayan calendar ends. Is this a portent of the world’s doom? There are those who believe that this seemingly insignificant date will indeed bring global catastrophe. In this episode, I Prophesy asks whether an ancient people foretold the end of the world.

Movie – Space Cowboys
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
Clint Eastwood is the director and star of this geezers-in-space adventure from 2000. When a Cold War-era Russian satellite threatens to plunge from the sky, geriatric engineer Frank Corvin (Eastwood) and his grizzled ex-colleagues (Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland and James Garner) are the only men on earth with the old-school know-how to avert disaster.

Wednesday, Oct. 28

The Best of British Comedy – Keeping Up Appearances
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Smug, social-climbing, status-obsessed and tyrannical: Say hello to suburban snob extraordinaire Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced “Bouquet,” thank you very much). In this award-winning BBC comedy from the creator of Last of the Summer Wine, Patricia Routledge brings the monstrous Hyacinth to life in all her terrifying glory. Tonight: When Hyacinth decamps to the countryside, the neighbourhood – briefly freed from her reign of terror – becomes a joyous place.

** SPECIAL ENCORE PRESENTATION **
Comedy Series – Jeeves and Wooster
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
Before he was House M.D., Hugh Laurie starred in this award-winning series, adapted from the stories and novels of P.G. Wodehouse. As Bertie Wooster, an amiable but addled English gentleman, he lurches from one predicament to the next, only to be extricated by his indispensable manservant (played by Stephen Fry). Tonight: Bertie must put his singing talents to the test to free Tuppy (Robert Daws) from his infatuation with an overbearing opera singer.

** NEW EPISODE **
Talk Series – Unscripted
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Tonight: With an Emmy win for his performance in Grey Gardens and his recent election as head of the Screen Actors Guild, 2009 has been a banner year for Ken Howard. In this episode, the veteran character actor – best known for his starring role in the groundbreaking drama The White Shadow – looks back on his career.

Movie – Kid Galahad
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
This 1962 feature stars Elvis Presley as naïve, good-hearted Walter Gulick (a.k.a. “Kid Galahad”), whose boxing talents hold the promise of salvation for small-town fight promoter Willy Grogan (Gig Young). With Charles Bronson and Ed Asner.

Thursday, Oct. 29

The Best of British Comedy – ‘Allo, ‘Allo!
8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT
A hilarious send-up of World War Two dramas, ‘Allo, ‘Allo! stars Gorden Kaye as René, the owner of a small café in Occupied France. Tonight: Concerned that her singing is driving away customers, René tries to convince Edith (Carmen Silvera) to lip-synch.

** DOUBLE FEATURE: THE SOUL OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL **
Movie – The Buddy Holly Story
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
Gary Busey earned an Academy Award nomination for his electric performance in this 1978 biopic chronicling the brief, meteoric career of 1950s music legend Buddy Holly. With Don Stroud and Charles Martin Smith.

** DOUBLE FEATURE: THE SOUL OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL **
Movie – La Bamba
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
Lou Diamond Phillips (SGU Stargate Universe) stars in the 1987 story of Mexican-American music legend Ritchie Valens, who died in the same plane crash that claimed Buddy Holly. Esai Morales (Caprica) co-stars as Ritchie’s resentful half brother. Valens’ songs were recorded for the soundtrack by Latino rockers Los Lobos. Carlos Santana collaborated on the score.

Friday, Oct. 30

The Best of British Comedy – Father Ted
8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT
God must really hate the parishioners of Craggy Island. Why else would He send them the scheming Father Ted (played by the late, great Dermot Morgan) and his colleagues, dim-witted Father Dougal (Ardal O’Hanlon) and demented Father Jack (Frank Kelly)? Voted one of the best British comedies of all time, the irreverent, award-winning Father Ted is sinfully funny. Tonight: When the world’s most boring priest comes to visit, Ted prays for divine intervention.

** NEW EPISODE **
Talk Series – Unscripted
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Tonight: Rossi Morreale, host of Dating in the Dark, shines a light on the reality TV business.

Movie – Annie Hall
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
Woody Allen’s 1977 masterpiece – the winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture – chronicles the romantic misadventures of a neurotic stand-up comic (Allen) and his eccentric girlfriend (Diane Keaton). With Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Paul Simon, Shelley Duval, Colleen Dewhurst and Christopher Walken.

Highlights for the week of October 18th include:
- Priests behaving badly: the sinfully funny Father Ted joins VisionTV’s Britcom lineup, Oct. 23
- Up close and personal: VisionTV’s Unscripted profiles entertainment icons Rip Taylor, Thelma Houston and Hector Elizondo
- What ho! British comedy classic Jeeves and Wooster, with House M.D.’s Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, returns to VisionTV Oct. 21
- Boo! Catch the classic fright flick The Innocents on Oct. 23

Monday, Oct. 19

Retro TV Classic – The Beachcombers
Monday to Friday, 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT
Return to the comforts of Molly’s Reach café in Gibsons, BC, the picturesque setting for Canada’s longest-running family drama series. The late, great Bruno Gerussi stars as Nick Adonidas, a maverick salvage operator who plies his trade along the Sunshine Coast with the help of partner Jesse Jim (Pat John) and the hindrance of unscrupulous rival Relic (Robert Clothier).

Retro TV Classic – The Waltons
Monday to Friday, 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT
The winner of more than a dozen Emmy Awards, The Waltons stands today as one of television’s finest family dramas: the heartfelt and gentle story of a poor but upright rural American family struggling to stay together through the hardships of the Great Depression and the dark days of World War Two. Starring Richard Thomas, Ralph Waite and Michael Learned.

Retro TV Classic – Murder, She Wrote
Monday to Friday, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Legendary stage and screen actress Angela Lansbury cemented her iconic status playing mystery author and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher in this long-running whodunit series. Tonight: Screen legend Jean Simmons (Elmer Gantry, Spartacus) guest stars as Jessica’s bitter rival, fellow mystery novelist Eudora McVeigh Shipton.

** NEW EPISODE **
Drama Series – McLeod’s Daughters: “Every Move You Make”
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
This award-winning Australian drama returns for its final episodes, giving fans the chance to say a fond farewell to Stevie (Simmone Jade Mackinnon), Grace (Abi Tucker) and the other strong-willed women who manage the sprawling cattle ranch known as Drovers Run. Tonight: Ingrid (Rachel Coopes) fears the worst when her estranged and obsessive ex-husband (Daniel Whyte) finds out about her relationship with Marcus (Matthew Passmore).

** NEW EPISODE **
Talk Series – Unscripted
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
In this intimate talk program from the producers of The Daily: Weekend Edition, some of the entertainment world’s most iconic figures – from Bob Newhart to Florence Henderson – reflect candidly on their lives and careers. Tonight: Hollywood’s “Prince of Pandemonium,” Rip Taylor, talks about the serious business of comedy.

Movie – Cocoon: The Return
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
In this 1988 sequel to Cocoon, Art Selwyn (Don Ameche) and a group of his fellow seniors return to this world after five years on an alien planet, only for some to face doubts about their decision to leave. With Wilford Brimley, Maureen Stapleton, Elaine Stritch, Courteney Cox, Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn.

Tuesday, Oct. 20

The Best of British Comedy – Bless Me, Father
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Veteran character actor Arthur Lowe (Dad’s Army) stars as Father Duddleswell, a crusty but compassionate parish priest who tends to his suburban London flock while keeping a keen eye on the bottom line. Tonight: Father Duddleswell ends up in court after kidnapping a pig.

Retro TV Classic – Quantum Leap: “Moments to Live”
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
This classic sci-fi drama stars Scott Bakula (The Informant!) as Sam Beckett, a scientist trapped in the past by a time travel experiment gone wrong. Sam can leap into any person’s life, at any point within his own lifetime – but he can’t predict where he’s going to land next. Tonight: Sam leaps into the body of a soap opera star who is kidnapped by an obsessed fan (Kathleen Wilhoite, Gilmore Girls).

** NEW EPISODE **
Talk Series – Unscripted
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Tonight: Accomplished character actor Hector Elizondo (Pretty Woman, Monk) talks about his 45 years in film and television.

Documentary Series – I Prophesy: Thought Police
10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT
What will the future look like? This documentary anthology series ponders the shape of our tomorrows, drawing upon the insights of renowned scientists, authors and intellectuals. Tonight: In George Orwell’s 1984, an all-seeing state security apparatus tracks a citizen’s every move. Just a cautionary sci-fi tale? Sure, until you consider how much your bank and credit cards, cell phone and GPS device reveal about you – and to whom. In this episode, I Prophesy asks how far we really are from Orwell’s world, and whether we risk sacrificing our freedom for security.

Movie – The Buddy Holly Story
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
Gary Busey earned an Academy Award nomination for his electric performance in this 1978 biopic chronicling the brief, meteoric career of 1950s music legend Buddy Holly. With Don Stroud and Charles Martin Smith.

Wednesday, Oct. 21

Retro TV Classic – Murder, She Wrote
7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Tonight: Cabot Cove’s new priest (Hunt Block) seeks Jessica’s help after hearing a murderer’s confession in the booth.

The Best of British Comedy – One Foot in the Grave
8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT
Humorless. Foul-tempered. Vitriolic. And those are his good qualities. This award-winning comedy stars Richard Wilson (Merlin) as pensioner Victor Meldrew, a bitter misanthrope who makes Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David look like the tooth fairy. Tonight: Victor’s ill-advised visit to the fish shop unleashes nameless horrors.

** SPECIAL ENCORE PRESENTATION **
Comedy Series – Jeeves and Wooster
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
Before he was House M.D., Hugh Laurie starred in this award-winning series, adapted from the stories and novels of P.G. Wodehouse. As Bertie Wooster, an amiable but addlepated young English gentleman, he lurches from one social predicament to the next, only to be extricated by his indispensable manservant (played, impeccably, by Stephen Fry). Tonight: Bertie feigns insanity in a desperate bid to avoid marriage.

** NEW EPISODE **
Talk Series – Unscripted
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Tonight: Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Thelma Houston reflects on her life on and off the charts.

Movie – Solid Gold Cadillac
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
Got the recession blues? Try this uproarious 1956 corporate satire, starring Judy Holliday (Born Yesterday) as a minority shareholder who creates trouble for the corrupt board members of a massive holding company. Take that, fat cats! George Burns narrates.

Thursday, Oct. 22

Movie – Cocoon: The Return
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
See Monday, Oct. 19 at Midnight ET.

Movie – The Princess Bride
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
This delightfully fractured 1987 fairy tale from director Rob Reiner tells the story of a dashing farm boy (Cary Elwes) and his quest to rescue the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright Penn) from the clutches of sinister Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). With Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Andre the Giant, Peter Falk, Billy Crystal and Carol Kane.

Friday, Oct. 23

Retro TV Classic – Murder, She Wrote
7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Tonight: Another victim of the housing bubble? Elliott Gould (Ocean’s Eleven, Friends) guest stars as Jessica investigates the murder of a real estate investor in Palm Springs.

** VISIONTV PREMIERE **
The Best of British Comedy – Father Ted
8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT
God must really hate the parishioners of Craggy Island. Why else would He send them the scheming Father Ted (played by the late, great Dermot Morgan) and his colleagues, dim-witted Father Dougal (Ardal O’Hanlon) and demented Father Jack (Frank Kelly)? Banished from the mainland for assorted ecumenical misdeeds, these three men of the (soiled) cloth still manage to wreak holy havoc in their island exile. Voted one of the best British comedies of all time, the irreverent, award-winning Father Ted is sinfully funny. Tonight: Ted leaps at the chance to appear on TV, but the arrival of the world’s most pathetic traveling fair interferes with his moment of glory.

** NEW EPISODE **
Talk Series – Unscripted
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Tonight: Meet the man who killed Spider-Man’s uncle and took a kick in the jaw from Cameron Diaz. Character actor Michael Papajohn talks about his journey from star athlete to stuntman to big-screen performer.

Movie – The Innocents
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
Is this the scariest movie ever made? Deborah Kerr stars in this classic 1961 chiller as a repressed young governess who begins to fear that the two orphans under her care at a lonely Victorian estate are possessed by supernatural forces. Author Truman Capote (In Cold Blood) co-wrote this adaptation of the Henry James novella The Turn of the Screw.

Highlights for the week of October 11th include:
- Altar state: Doc Martin prepares to tie the knot – or not – in third season finale, Oct. 14
- The mother of all mothers: The Brady Bunch’s mom extraordinaire, Florence Henderson, guests on VisionTV’s Unscripted, Oct. 13
- We see dead people … and aliens, and robots: VisionTV feature films include sci-fi/fantasy classics Cocoon, Carousel, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and The Day the Earth Stood Still

Monday, Oct. 12

Retro TV Classic – The Beachcombers
Monday to Friday, 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT
Return to the comforts of Molly’s Reach café in Gibsons, BC, the picturesque setting for Canada’s longest-running family drama series. The late, great Bruno Gerussi stars as Nick Adonidas, a maverick salvage operator who plies his trade along the Sunshine Coast with the help of partner Jesse Jim (Pat John) and the hindrance of unscrupulous rival Relic (Robert Clothier).

Retro TV Classic – The Waltons
Monday to Friday, 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT
The winner of more than a dozen Emmy Awards, The Waltons stands today as one of television’s finest family dramas: the heartfelt and gentle story of a poor but upright rural American family struggling to stay together through the hardships of the Great Depression and the dark days of World War Two. Starring Richard Thomas, Ralph Waite and Michael Learned.

The Best of British Comedy – The Green Green Grass
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Goodbye, city life! When Boycie (John Challis), Peckham’s shiftiest used car salesman, runs afoul of some gangsters, he flees with his family to the bucolic delights of an old farmhouse in Shropshire. But is a slick London wheeler-dealer really suited to the life of a country gentleman? Tonight: When The Antiques Roadshow comes to town, everyone at the farm is determined to get on the show.

** NEW EPISODE **
Drama Series – McLeod’s Daughters: “Show Pony”
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
This award-winning Australian drama returns for its final episodes, giving fans the chance to say a fond farewell to Stevie (Simmone Jade Mackinnon), Grace (Abi Tucker) and the other strong-willed women who manage the sprawling cattle ranch known as Drovers Run. Tonight: Jaz (Edwina Ritchard) faces a dilemma when she tries unsuccessfully to train her beloved show-jumping horse, Annie, to work on the property.

** NEW EPISODE **
Talk Series – Unscripted
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
In this intimate talk program from the producers of The Daily: Weekend Edition, some of the entertainment world’s most iconic figures – from Bob Newhart to Florence Henderson – reflect candidly on their lives and careers. Tonight: He sees dead people. Best-selling author and Ghost Whisperer creator James Van Praagh talks about his encounters with the afterworld.

Movie – Cocoon
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
In this charming 1985 fantasy, a group of Florida retirees experience a miraculous rejuvenation after swimming in a pool inhabited by extraterrestrials. Starring Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy and Don Ameche.

Tuesday, Oct. 13

The Best of British Comedy – Dinnerladies
8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT
Comedian Victoria Wood created and stars in this award-winning working-class ensemble comedy about a group of women toiling in the canteen of a Manchester factory. Tonight: A series of crises leaves Bren running the canteen single-handed on the most important night shift of the year.

Retro TV Classic – Quantum Leap: “It’s a Wonderful Leap”
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
This classic sci-fi drama stars Scott Bakula (The Informant!) as Sam Beckett, a scientist trapped in the past by a time travel experiment gone wrong. Sam can leap into any person’s life, at any point within his own lifetime – but he can’t predict where he’s going to land next. Tonight: Sam leaps into the body of a New York City cab driver who accidentally runs over his guardian angel, in an episode guest starring Jerry Adler (The Sopranos, Rescue Me) and Liz Torres (Gilmore Girls).

** NEW EPISODE **
Talk Series – Unscripted
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Tonight: Meet everyone’s favourite mom. Florence Henderson, star of The Brady Bunch, is the guest on this edition.

Documentary Series – I Prophesy: Nuclear 9-11
10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT
What will the future look like? This documentary anthology series ponders the shape of our tomorrows, drawing upon the insights of renowned scientists, authors and intellectuals. Tonight: Is the threat of nuclear terrorism real or imagined? In this episode, I Prophesy considers the possibility that fanatical religious or political movements might gain access to nuclear technology, and asks how the world would cope with a nuclear terror attack upon a major city.

Movie – Carousel
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
This 1956 adaptation of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical stars Gordon MacRae as Billy Bigelow, a disreputable carny who marries a sweet-natured mill worker, played by Shirley Jones. Their life together is cut short by tragedy, leaving Billy just one chance to atone for his mistakes.

Wednesday, Oct. 14

Retro TV Classic – Murder, She Wrote
7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Legendary stage and screen actress Angela Lansbury cemented her iconic status playing mystery author and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher in this long-running whodunit series. Tonight: A seeming case of mistaken identity puts Jessica on the trail of a mystery in Boston. With guest star Jerry Orbach (Law & Order).

The Best of British Comedy – One Foot in the Grave
8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT
Humorless. Foul-tempered. Vitriolic. And those are his good qualities. This award-winning comedy stars Richard Wilson (Merlin) as pensioner Victor Meldrew, a bitter misanthrope who makes Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David look like the tooth fairy. Tonight: Victor prepares to do battle with the builders who have dashed his plans for a new barbecue.

** SPECIAL ENCORE PRESENTATION: SEASON FINALE **
Comedy-Drama Series – Doc Martin: “In Sickness And In Health”
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
The Doc is back. With a new season of the UK smash hit Doc Martin on its way in 2010, VisionTV celebrates by presenting a special encore of the award-winning dramedy’s first three seasons. Martin Clunes stars as Dr. Martin (“Doc Martin”) Ellingham, the foul-tempered, socially inept GP for a sleepy English seaside village. In tonight’s third season finale: As Martin and Louisa (Caroline Catz) prepare for their wedding, all is business as usual – which means a bridesmaid with an eye patch, a drunken vicar and a flood in the reception hall.

** NEW EPISODE **
Talk Series – Unscripted
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Tonight: Environmental activist Erin Brockovich, the real-life inspiration for the Oscar-winning movie, talks about taking on the corporate powers-that-be.

Movie – The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
Gene Tierney (Laura) stars as a widow who moves into a seaside cottage, only to discover it haunted by the ghost of a salty sea captain, played by Rex Harrison. Joseph L. Mankiewicz (All About Eve) directed this supernatural romance from 1947, which features George Sanders and a young Natalie Wood.

Thursday, Oct. 15

Retro TV Classic – Murder, She Wrote
7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Tonight: Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas) guest stars as Jessica investigates foul play in the world of professional baseball.

The Best of British Comedy – On the Buses
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
In this charmingly unpretentious slice of working-class British life, bus driver Stan Butler (Reg Varney) and cheerfully lecherous conductor Jack Harper (Bob Grant) conspire to do as little real work as possible while avoiding the wrath of their nemesis, the tyrannical Inspector Blake (Stephen Lewis). Tonight: Stan is less than thrilled when his sister Olive (Anna Karen, EastEnders) applies for a job as a bus conductor.

Movie – Cocoon
9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
See Monday Oct. 12 at Midnight ET.

Movie – The Great White Hope
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander both earned Oscar nominations for their performances in this compelling 1970 drama inspired by the rise and tragic fall of the world’s first black heavyweight boxing champion, Jack Johnson. With Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild) and Moses Gunn.

Friday, Oct. 16

Retro TV Classic – Murder, She Wrote
7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Tonight: Screen legend Jean Simmons (Elmer Gantry, Spartacus) guest stars as Jessica’s rival, mystery novelist Eudora McVeigh Shipton, whose arrival in Cabot Cove coincides – surprisingly enough – with a murder.

The Best of British Comedy – Sorry!
8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT
British comedy legend Ronnie Corbett (The Two Ronnies) stars as Timothy Lumsden, a single, fortysomething librarian still living at home, trapped under the thumb of his domineering mother (Barbara Lott). Tonight: Mother seizes an opportunity to drive a wedge between Timothy and Pippa (Bridget Brice) for good.

Movie – The Day the Earth Stood Still
Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT
This 1951 sci-fi classic is an elegant parable of Cold War paranoia. Michael Rennie stars as Klaatu, a Christ-like alien who arrives on earth to help humans change their self-destructive ways. And just to make sure we get with the program, he brings along a giant robot capable of frying the whole planet to a crisp. Patricia Neal also stars. Robert Wise (The Sound of Music) directed.