Question: Please prove me sane and correct, or at least correct. No one else believes that, around 1980, "Saturday Night Live" held a contest with the prize being a spot as guest host. The winner was an elderly woman, and she did host the show, as I recall. Please help!

Answer: You're right. To elaborate — "Saturday Night," as it was known in those days, held an "Anyone Can Host" contest in the fall of 1977. The winner was 80-year-old Miskel Spillman, a grandmother. She hosted the show on Dec. 17, 1977, and the musical guest was Elvis Costello.

Question: This is a question about the sitcom "Dobie Gillis." Can you tell me the names of the characters played by Tuesday Weld and Sheila James on that series? — J.K., Bowling Green, Ky.

Answer: Sure, but first let's tell the youngsters in the audience that "Dobie Gillis," also known as "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," ran on CBS from 1959 until 1963. Dwayne Hickman played Dobie, a mixed-up, girl-crazy young man who often sat under a statue of The Thinker and pondered life and girls. Bob Denver was his buddy, Maynard G. Krebs, and Frank Faylen and Florida Freibus were Dobie's mom and dad.

Tuesday Weld played the girl of Dobie's dreams, Thalia Menninger. Thalia had eyes only for handsome, rich Milton Armitage (Warren Beatty). Sheila James was Zelda Gilroy, who had eyes only for Dobie. Despite his lack of interest, she kept trying to attain the unattainable.

Question: Please ease my mind; in the 1960s there was a sitcom with chimps acting as kids. I think Peggy Cass played the mom. Or is all this monkey business?

Answer: "The Hathaways" is the chimps-as-children show. It ran on ABC in 1961-62. Cass and Jack Weston played Elinore and Walter Hathaway. She was a booking agent whose clients (played by the Marquis Chimps) lived with them, and why not?

Question: We were told that the last season of "The Shield" would begin in January. But there have been no new programs as yet. What's the story?

Answer: The story is that the shows are still being edited and the last season of the series is now scheduled to air in the fall.