With such lofty programming as Upstairs, Downstairs and such pure Americana as a Lawrence Welk retrospective, KERA/Channel 13 has found that it's still country and western that pays the bills.
With about half of the station's Festival '87 already past, it turns out that the March 9 telecast of Country Music Legends is the biggest money-maker to date.
During the music special, KERA was able to collect more than $50,000. No other show has come close.
The second best showing so far has been the March 7 broadcast of five Dr. Who specials, plus a Dr. Who movie. That combination produced $29,800 in pledges.
A March 11 salute to Jimmy Stewart collected $21,4.58; Thursday's back-to-back Sherlock Holmes drew another $17,585.
But not all the offerings have been supported in such grand fashion. Upstairs, Downstairs, for example, generated only $950 during its pledge break, and the Lawrence Welk evening pulled a disappointing $13,247.
The shortfalls have put KERA behind in its drive for $600,000. The total, Sunday, with nine days down and 10 to go was $258,062.
Channel 13 did get some good news, however, when it found that L.A. Law's Jimmy Smits had agreed to narrate the station's upcoming special on immigration.
Scheduled to run May 10 on PBS, Other Side of the Border is produced by Sylvia Kamatsu.
Smits plays the part of Hispanic attorney Victor Sifuentes on the NBC series.
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