‘Theater 3000’ Returning On Sci-Fi Saturdays

The cult TV favorite “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” canceled after seven seasons on Comedy Central, will return with original episodes on the Sci-Fi Channel in February 1997.

The first 13 new episodes of the irreverent series will move from the wee hours of the morning to prime time every Saturday night in most time zones except the East Coast, where it will be scheduled at 11 p.m., said Barry Schulman, Sci-Fi’s vice president of programming. It will also run every Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. EST.

CBS, CNN get Amanpour

CNN foreign correspondent Christiane Amanpour, the focus of a network bidding war, said Monday she will stay at CNN and also contribute to CBS’ “60 Minutes.”

“What has transpired has allowed me to maintain my strong commitment to CNN. … At the same time it gives me the pleasure and privilege of contributing to the most successful show in the history of television,” Amanpour, 38, said from Paris in a telephone news conference.

Her unprecedented, multiyear deal, which provides for five “60 Minutes” segments annually, also names her CNN’s chief foreign correspondent. The duration and financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“It lets me have my cake and eat it, too,” said Amanpour, who is best known for covering the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, where she has filed hundreds of stories since the beginning of the conflict.

With her contract due to expire later this month, she was vigorously courted by the ABC and NBC news divisions as well.

CNN gets to air Amanpour’s “60 Minutes” segments on a delayed basis.

Amanpour has received many professional honors, including the Emmy, Peabody and Polk awards.

‘Bat Out of Hell’ movie

Songwriter Jim Steinman is planning a feature film based on Meat Loaf’s megahit album “Bat Out of Hell” and its sequel, which have sold a combined 50 million copies.

“Bat Out of Hell 2100” is a futuristic romantic musical, according to Steinman’s manager, David Sonenberg. “It’s a cross between ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘A Clockwork Orange,”’ he said.

Seven to 10 new songs will be created for the project; five have already been written. The rest will be chosen from “Bat” 1 and 2, including hits such as “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” “I’d Do Anything for Love, But I Won’t Do That” and Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

The project will generate a third album in the series. Sonenberg said Meat Loaf, who sang the popular “Bat” tunes, won’t be the lead in the picture, though he noted there was an ideal part for Loaf (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”) should he want it.

‘Leave it to Beaver’ filming

With the “Flintstones,” “The Brady Bunch” and the “Jetsons” coming up, could “Leave it to Beaver” be far behind? No such luck.

The Beaver will be back, only this time on the big screen, with Janine Turner (“Northern Exposure”) as the ever-composed June and Chris McDonald (“Quiz Show”) as honey-I’m-home Ward.

Eight-year-old newcomer Cameron Finley plays the Beav. Filming started last week in Los Angeles, and with a little bit of irony, part of it will be filmed on the backlot at Universal, where the original series was shot.

Pauly Shore goes prime time

Don’t look now, but it’s a done deal: The wild and crazy Pauly Shore is coming to series television. CBS apparently has given the nod to a proposed comedy starring that zany Generation-X comedian, and word is that the show will arrive as a midseason replacement.

In the program, Shore reportedly will play a grown child who moves back home to live with his dad and a stepmom who isn’t much older than he is.