Antenna TV23 adds "My Favorite Martian", with late Laurel native Ray Walston

In May, Antenna TV23 presents a comedy classic with an actor who had ties to the Pine Belt.

"My Favorite Martian" starred the late Ray Walston, a Laurel native, as a Martian anthropologist. Journalist Tim O'Hara, played by the late Bill Bixby, discovered the Martian and his ship after its crash landing. O'Hara later took in the alien while claiming that the alien is O'hara's uncle, Martin.

TV history shows "My Favorite Martian", which debuted in 1963, was the first fantasy sitcom. "Bewitched" and "I Dream of Jeannie" debuted in 1964 and 1965, respectively, and are also part of the Antenna TV weekday lineup.

Walston went on to have guest-starring roles in science fiction projects after "My Favorite Martian" ended -- including "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century", "OtherWorld", "Star Trek: The Next Generation", and "Star Trek Voyager".

Walston's other credits include the movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and the TV series "Picket Fences". He was cast in the rebooted "My Favorite Martian" movie in 1999 -- but as a different alien.

Walston's final role was in a guest appearance on the TV series "7th Heaven". He died in 2001 at the age of 86.

"My Favorite Martian" will air on weekdays at 11 a.m., starting May 2, on Antenna TV23 with additional airings the following weekend. Antenna TV23 is available on WHPM channel 23.2 and Comcast cable channel 219.

Please visit http://whpm.antennatv.tv for more details.