Weekend of Stooges and ‘True Women’

The final weekend of the May ratings sweeps brings a vast array of specials, ranging from a beauty pageant to a tribute to the Three Stooges.

“KTLA’s 50 Golden Years,” airing at 8 tonight on Channel 5, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first commercial TV station in Los Angeles. Newscasters Stan Chambers, Hal Fishman and Barbara Beck host the two-hour retrospective, which features archival footage and interviews with longtime viewers. (Review on Page 48.)

Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk! Martin Short hosts ABC’s “The Three Stooges Greatest Hits,” at 8 tonight on Channel 7. The special offers never-before-seen footage of the comic knuckleheads.

Bill Cosby hosts “Kids Say the Darndest Things,” airing Friday at 8 p.m. on Channel 2. The CBS special features kids giving candid answers to simple questions. Art Linkletter, who interviewed tykes as part of his classic daytime show “House Party,” also appears.

Caroline Rhea of “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” is the host of ABC’s “All-Star T.G.I.F. Magic,” Friday at 8 p.m. on Channel 7. The hour features Jason Marsden, Tia and Tamera Mowry, Ben Savage and Jonathan Lipnicki.

George Hamilton and Marla Maples Trump are the hosts of CBS’ presentation of “The 1997 Miss Universe Pageant,” Friday at 9 p.m. on Channel 2. The 46th annual event features 80 women competing for the title at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Paul McCartney answers questions--perhaps about his new album, “Flaming Pie”--from an audience as well as from the Internet on VH1’s “McCartney’s Town Hall Meeting,” Saturday at 1 and 4 p.m. Some cable systems may carry the show at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Other weekend fare:

Today

NBC’s top comedy “Seinfeld” closes its season, at 9 p.m. on Channel 4, with an episode in which Kramer meets Raquel Welch after he decides to try his luck in the theater.

Peter Falk returns in his Emmy Award-winning role as the super sleuth Lt. Columbo on the ABC mystery “Columbo: A Trace of Murder,” at 9 p.m. on Channel 7.

Friday

HBO kicks off its new animated series “Spawn” at midnight, based on Todd McFarlane’s comic book.

Saturday

ABC presents live coverage from Pimilico, Md., of the 122nd running of the Preakness Stakes, the second race in thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown series, at 1:30 p.m. on Channel 7.

Gabriel Byrne and Ben Kingsley star in HBO’s latest movie, “Weapons of Mass Distraction,” airing at 8 p.m. Larry Gelbart, who penned HBO’s terrific “Barbarians at the Gate,” wrote this satire about two feuding moguls who want to purchase the same pro football team.

Sunday

NBC’s “3rd Rock From the Sun,” at 8 p.m. on Channel 4, goes 3-D in a special hour season finale. Phil Joanou (“State of Grace”) directed the 3-D segments.

Dana Delany, Annabeth Gish, Angelina Jolie, Tina Majorino and Powers Boothe headline CBS’ “True Women,” airing at 9 p.m. on Channel 2. The four-hour drama spans three generations of women who help change the face of the American West in the 1800s. The conclusion airs Tuesday at 9 p.m.

Armand Assante, Greta Scacchi, Vanessa Williams and Eric Roberts head the cast of NBC’s lavish “The Odyssey,” airing at 9 p.m. on NBC. The adventure is based on the epic poem by the ancient Greek writer Homer and chronicles Odysseus’ 10-year journey home after the Trojan War. The conclusion airs Monday at 9 p.m.