THURSDAY 10:30 P.M. Tripping Rift, Sci-Fi. "Stuttering John" Melendez provides the voice of "Bob," the agoraphobic ship's computer on the smuggling vessel Jupiter 42. Taking orders from the stumpy purple alien "Chode," voiced by Stephen Root (Milton from Office Space), Bob is shackled with a crew of misfits that also include the sex-crazed android, "Six," voiced by Gina Gershon, and the sexually-confused first mate, "Gus," voiced by Maurice LaMarche.
SUNDAY 7 P.M. Monster Island, MTV. This film proclaims to be a tongue-in-cheek, comedic send up of the classic monster movies from the '50s and '60s as well as MTV events. The cast includes Adam "Batman" West and Carmen Electra (Starsky and Hutch, Scary Movie ... well, you know her M.O.). To give the film a unique and fresh visual style, Monster Island features special effects techniques used in the classic creature features of the '50s and '60s such as stop-motion animation and puppetry, as opposed to the more technologically-based effects used today.
SUNDAY 8 P.M. Kansai International Airport, Travel Channel. And you thought our airport was confusing?
The largest public works project of the century, Japan's newest airport, has a terminal a mile long built on a man-made island. It is connected to the mainland by a three-mile-long bridge, so large it's visible from outer space. But where's the Starbucks, man?
MONDAY 8 P.M. Jane Goodall Special: Return to Gombe, Animal Planet. Every year without fail, Jane Goodall breaks her punishing 300-day-a-year schedule of lecture tours and conservation work to return to Gombe, the chimpanzee research station she made famous. But this year's visit comes at a critical time. A revolution has broken out among Jane's favorite group of chimps, and Frodo, the brutal and bullying leader, has been violently overthrown — and the power struggle is about to get more aggressive. Goodall searches for the vanquished Frodo and describes the groundbreaking research and the thoughts, beliefs and emotions she has invested in wild chimpanzees and other primates all over the world. Two thumbs up ... but not opposed.
TUESDAY 9 P.M. Mob Scene: Marilyn Monroe, Discovery. According the Los Angeles coroner's report, Marilyn Monroe's death was caused by a massive dose of barbiturates. But was it a suicide, an accidental overdose or was she murdered? This episode explores the relationships she allegedly had with Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana, Frank Sinatra and John F. Kennedy — to name just a few. Was she a victim of a sinister plot? Hosted by Steven Schrippa of The Sopranos and featuring interviews with FBI agents, a former lover and others, this program takes an insiders look at her death.
NEWS & NOTES: Dallas Maverick owner Mark Cuban is developing a reality show, The Benefactor. Contestants compete to see who is worthy of a $1 million check. You'll recall The Millionaire TV series from the 1960s. ... Colin Hanks (ex-Roswell, son of Tom) will shoot a pilot for ABC. ... No shocker here: Sex and the City's finale was cable's top show, with over 10 million viewers. CSI led broadcasters with just over 30.
