Surfing the Tube During Rerun Season

It’s the annual summer dilemma. Your favorite network shows are in repeats and you haven’t a clue what else is on. In fact, you’re developing blisters on your thumbs because of all the channel surfing.

Here’s a guide to some of the educational, funny, fun, tacky and wacky guilty pleasures on cable.

Warning: You may need to use your VCR to tape them for watching at a more convenient time.

A real treat for animal lovers is FX’s “The Pet Department,” which is seen Sundays through Fridays at 3 p.m. This breezy half-hour is hosted by the personable Steve Walker and Jack, a laid-back pooch he adopted from the pound. The mainstay of each installment is the “Road Test,” in which Walker and Jack profile various breeds of dogs, cats, birds, snakes, pigs, lizards, etc. Also included are health and training tips, information on the latest trends and viewer mail and photos.

For history buffs, there’s Fox News Channel’s “Movietone News,” Sundays at 10 a.m. The series showcases Fox’s classic newsreels of the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s. One recent episode cast its spotlight on Britain’s royal family and featured vintage newsreels of Edward’s abdication and Elizabeth’s coronation.

Jane Pauley hosts MSNBC’s “Time & Again,” seen daily at 7 and 11 p.m. The series features clips from the archives of NBC News pegged to an anniversary or a specific event. The show has covered everything from the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana to John F. Kennedy’s assassination, from a retrospective on Robin Williams to a look at the life and times of Charles Lindbergh on the 70th anniversary of his landmark flight across the Atlantic.

One of Bravo’s crown jewels is the splendid British documentary series “The South Bank Show,” Sundays at 5 and 10 p.m. In June, “South Bank” profiles writer Dennis Potter, actor Albert Finney, directors Howard Hawks and Elia Kazan and singer Dusty Springfield.

If you’re looking for something a bit less esoteric, try these baby-boomer faves on VH1: “The Monkees,” weeknights at 10 and 1 a.m.; “The Best of American Bandstand,” Saturdays at 11:30 a.m.; “The Best of the Midnight Special,” weekdays at 9 and midnight and Sundays at noon; and “8 Track Flashback,” hosted by Suzanne Somers, weekdays at 9:30 p.m., Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. (But consult the listings: These times sometimes vary depending on other programming.)

One of the most popular new programs on VH1 is the deliciously clever “Pop Up Video,” Saturdays at 6:30 and 10:30 p.m., Sundays at 6:30 p.m. and weekdays at either 4 or 4:30 p.m. The music video series features sly, funny tidbits of information that pop up in bubbles during the videos. Watch Jewel’s “You Were Meant for Me,” for example, and you’ll learn that eggs and pancakes were served for breakfast during the shoot but that Jewel opted for a vegetarian omelet.

Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” Sundays through Thursdays at 11 p.m., looks at soft news with a hard, funny edge. Craig Kilborn hosts the series, which features his irreverent take on the day’s headlines, celebrity interviews--each celeb must answer five quirky questions--and offbeat features. One recent bit focused on a man who was fired from his job because he wouldn’t shave the excessive--extremely excessive--hair on his chest and neck.

E! Entertainment Television’s “Talk Soup,” seen weeknights at 6 and 10, is a zany way to spend half an hour. Host John Henson serves up the laughs as he spotlights the most bizarre and tasteless moments from Sally, Jerry, Maury and other talkfests. There also is a weekly wrap-up, “Talk Soup Weekend,” Fridays and Sundays at 7 and 10 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 and 11 p.m.

Movie buffs will enjoy Cinemax’s Saturday morning showcase “Not on Home Video,” at 10 a.m. June titles include “The Black Rose” (June 7), “Rhubarb” (June 14), “That Lady in Ermine” (June 21) and “Down to the Sea in Ships” (June 28).

And AMC relives the old Saturday movie matinees each Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. with vintage Betty Boop cartoons, followed by a classic Laurel and Hardy short, “Unusual Occupations” shorts, a serial--”Zorro’s Fighting Legion” and “Nyoka and the Tigerman” will be shown in June--plus a feature. Bob Dorian hosts the morning.

Turner Classic Movies’ “Preservation Showcase,” Sundays at 9 a.m., presents vintage movies that have been restored to their original luster. June titles include “That Midnight Kiss” (Sunday), the 1951 “Show Boat” (June 8), “Two Weeks With Love” (June 15), Gene Kelly’s “Invitation to the Dance” (June 22) and “Challenge to Lassie” (June 29).

Although Nick at Nite, TV Land and FX specialize in repeats, a variety of other channels also offer fun blasts from the past. The Family Channel, for example, is showing digitally remastered episodes of the 1968-80 CBS police series “Hawaii Five-O,” weeknights at 9. Jack Lord and James MacArthur star.

The Family Channel also is continuing its popular Saturday western block, which kicks off at 1 p.m. with “Bonanza.” At 2 p.m. is the Barbara Stanwyck saga “The Big Valley,” followed at 3 p.m. by two episodes of “The Rifleman,” starring Chuck Connors and Johnny Crawford. At 4 p.m. is “The High Chaparral,” with Leif Erickson, then another installment of “Bonanza” at 5 p.m.

Encore Plex, a cable station that began late last year, features just fair to middling movies, but it has unearthed a slew of other rarities on the rerun circuit. Among them: “Young People’s Concerts,” Sundays at 3 and 7 p.m., the musical education specials that aired from the late ‘50s through the mid-’60s on CBS and featured Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic.

For mystery fans, A&E; on Mondays repeats installments of the popular British-made Agatha Christie mysteries “Poirot,” starring David Suchet (6 and 10 p.m.), and “Miss Marple,” with Joan Hickson (7 and 11 p.m.).

A&E; also carries the classic NBC “Mystery Wheel” from the ‘70s: “Columbo” (Mondays at 5, 6:30, 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.; Thursdays at 5 and 11 a.m.); “McMillan” (Tuesdays at 5 and 11 a.m.); “McCloud” (Wednesday at 5 and 11 a.m.); and “McMillan & Wife” (Fridays at 5 and 11 a.m.).