‘Mysteries’ Offers Claim Of Ms Cure
It was just last night that ABC’s John Stossel was warning viewers about “junk science” promoted in the media.
If you saw his report, you may be skeptical about a segment on tonight’s “Unsolved Mysteries” (NBC at 8) that looks into claims that honey bee venom can cure multiple sclerosis.
Profiled are Kelly Ames and Maureen Naughton, two of the estimated 10,000 MS patients across the country who are being stung by honey bees to reverse the effects of their disease.
Ames says her nervous system was so ravaged by MS that she was stung several hundred times before she began to feel the bee’s full zing. Now, Ames says she is cured. She is teaching bee-venom therapy.
Naughton had lost sensation in her feet when she began bee therapy. Six weeks later she took part in a seven-mile walk-a-thon.
Most doctors discount the controversial treatment, saying that the cures are merely periodic remissions typical of MS. But as you’ll see, some physicians - and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America - are not as willing to dismiss the possibility that the therapy works.
And some believe the stings may also be a weapon in the war against arthritis and chronic fatigue syndrome.
But watch and listen carefully. And let’s hope NBC does the right thing and follows up on Ames and Naughton a year or so from now.
Also tonight, there’s more on the trial of accused rapist Alex Kelly, the handsome Connecticut athlete and scholar whose case ended in a mistrial. And there’s a report on the unsolved murder of an exotic dancer in Wheeling, Ill.
Highlights
“Family Matters,” ABC at 8: In a memorable - memorably silly fun for the kids, that is - Urkel’s look-alike puppet comes to life, terrorizing the Winslow family. The nightmarish nonsense first hit the screen last Halloween.
“Sliders,” FOX at 8: Move over, Steven Spielberg. This episode takes place in a San Francisco that’s been turned into a theme park stocked with the earth’s last surviving dinosaurs.
Don’t expect special effects on the scale of “Jurassic Park,” but this series always offers imaginative fun and excitement.
“JAG,” CBS at 9: An escaped prisoner (Victor Love), claiming he was framed, takes Adm. Chegwidden, Mac and Bud Roberts hostage. That leaves Harm (David James Elliott) to search for the truth behind the serviceman’s arrest and trial.
He uncovers a secret plot (there’s always a secret plot in “JAG”) that includes some bad cookies within the military.
“Clueless,” ABC at 9:30: Talk about terror! A new principal (Connie Stevens) takes charge and bans cell phones, off-campus lunches and - yikes - institutes a dress code. But Cher (Rachel Blanchard) and her friends draw the line when she tries to fire Mr. Hall (Wallace Shawn).
“Homicide: Life on the Street,” NBC at 10: Among the many fascinating characters in this gritty drama is detective Bayliss (Kyle Secor), a guy who wears his emotions and his insecurities on his sleeve. In this tense episode he investigates the murder of a 12-year-old girl.
The evidence points to the child’s abusive mother and stepfather - an upsetting development for Bayliss, who was abused as a child. Co-star Clark Johnson directed the episode.
Cable Calls
“Powder” (1995), SHOW at 8: This ambitious fantasy about an albino teenager (Sean Patrick Flanery) with electromagnetic powers tries hard to be profound. But it spreads itself too thin, never really scoring big.
Mary Steenburgen (“Ink”) and Lance Henriksen (“Millennium”) co-star.
“Larry King Live,” CNN at 6: You might want to have popcorn and cotton candy on hand because this sounds more like a circus than a talk show. King’s guests are Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt and the Rev. Jerry Falwell.
Talk Time
“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: Actor-comedian Chris Farley and musical group The Presidents of the United States of America.
“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Actor Eddie Murphy.
“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Actor Michael Rapaport and musical guests Lorrie Morgan & Three Beach Boys.