7:30 - THE MONKEES

If itís 7:30 on Monday night, itís gotta be The Monkees. Thatís what it says on the back of their first album jacket and to put this show any place else would just confuse people. So what if they didnít play their own instruments. Itís not like Sally Field could really fly or Larry Storch could really make people laugh. The show was funny, the music was great and thatís all that matters in the long run.

8:00 - HULLABALOO/SHINDIG

When I was a kid, we didnít have MTV or music videos. We had youth-oriented variety shows with pop groups lip synching in front of really crappy sets. Both of these shows, which will alternate on a weekly basis, featured the hit tunes of the day and had go-go dancers, but there were some differences that gave each its own special appeal. The most noticeable being Hullabaloo was in color and Shindig had Bobby Sherman on it.

8:30 -THE HONEYMOONERS

The time-honored tale of a big fat mean guy and the skinny dumb guy heís always yelling at. Jackie Gleason is Ralph Kramden, an overweight New York City bus driver who punches the clock everyday and then threatens to punch out his wife when he goes home at night. Art Carney plays his best buddy Ed Norton, a sewer worker who means well and wears a vest. On each episode they mess up bad but somehow manage to make things right just as the end music swells and Ralph plants a big sloppy wet one on Aliceís kisser.

9:00 - MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

More than just a football game, this is a nationally televised sideshow extravaganza with enough hype and hoopla to make even the great PT Barnum roll over in his grave and take notice. Of course, Iím referring to the glory days of MNF with Humble Howard and Dandy Don trading verbal jabs in the broadcast booth. The efforts of such color commentators as Alex Karras, Fran Tarkenton, Joe Namath, O.J. Simpson and Fred "The Hammer" Williamson are best forgotten.

Off Season Alternate Programming:

9:00 - QUINCY/BANACEK

Jack Klugman is Quincy, the medical examiner who can solve any mystery except the strange disappearance of his own first name. George Peppard is Banacek, the private eye of Polish descent who collects reward money for solving crimes and recovering stolen property. On alternating weeks, these two super sleuths will summon their own unique talents to crack the tough cases that seem uncrackable. Quincy, of course, will use forensic medicine to help put murderers behind bars while Banacek has only his wits and an endless supply of Polish proverbs to aid him in his detective work. Fortunately, both methods are infallible.

10:00 - VH-1ís BEHIND THE MUSIC

The show that takes an in-depth look at rock and rollís biggest stars and what kind of drugs they took to ruin their careers.