Blogs

newsobserver.com blogs

What to Watch on Saturday: TV movies from Rob Lowe and John Schneider

Drew Peterson: Untouchable (8pm, Lifetime) - Former Illinois cop Drew Peterson becomes the suspect in the murder of his third wife and in the disappearance of his fourth wife. Based on a true story. And starring Rob Lowe as Drew Peterson. Adrienne has a review.

My Cat From Hell (8pm, Animal Planet) - If you're even the least bit interested in cats, this is a great show with cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy. Check it out.

Betty White's 90th Birthday Tribute (8pm, NBC) - If you missed this earlier in the week, catch it tonight. There were some really nice moments. "Betty White's Off Their Rockers," a show in which elderly people prank unsuspecting bystanders, airs immediately after.

Snow Beast (9pm, Syfy) - A scientist (John Schneider) and his research team try to evade a mysterious predator that appears to be responsible for a series of deaths after they travel to the Canadian wilderness to study a species of lynx, which have mysteriously disappeared from their territory.

Bayou Billionaires (9pm, CMT) - The premiere of a new reality series following a Louisiana family who strikes it rich and experience the perks of living as billionaires. We previewed it.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - Tia needs all the help she can get to find a mother and her puppies that were dumped in the Mojave Desert.

Saturday Night Live (11:29pm, NBC) - A repeat tonight. Emma Stone hosts, musical guest is Coldplay.

Austin City Limits (Midnight, UNC-TV) - Folk-rockers Fleet Foxes perform , as does singer-songwriter Joanna Newman.

What to Watch on Saturday: WWE troop tribute and 'Story of Santa Claus'

America's Most Wanted: U.S. Marshals Special Edition (8pm, Fox) - Regular series episodes of this show are now on Lifetime, but Fox will have a few specials each season. This is one of them. U.S. Marshals Service's 15 most-wanted suspects are spotlighted, along with the work of federal marshals.

WWE Tribute to the Troops (9pm, NBC) - Pro wrestlers and other entertainers gathered at Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville on December 13 for the WWE's annual tribute to the armed forces. Featured performers were Nickelback (pictured),  Mary J. Blige, and George Wallace. And of course, there was wrestling.

The Story of Santa Claus (9pm, CBS) - An animated musical from 1996 that explains how a toymaker named Nicholaus Claus (voice of Ed Asner) started the tradition of delivering toys to every child on Christmas. I haven't seen this so I'm not sure how it varies from the official story of Santa Claus ("Santa Claus is Comin' to Town") but they better not take too many liberties here! Betty White provides the voice of Mrs. Claus.

Earth's Final Hours (9pm, Syfy) - A doomsday scenario unfolds after a super-dense fragment of interstellar mass pierces the earth's core and slows down the planet's rotation.

CMA Country Christmas (9pm, ABC) - This is a repeat but it's another chance to see Scotty McCreery sing "The First Noel." Other performers include Darius Rucker, Vince Gill, and Faith Hill.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - A pit bull and her puppies must be rescued from an abandoned home, and Tia's daughter has a difficult choice to make when her dog's health worsens.

Saturday Night Live (11:29pm, NBC) - SNL alum Jimmy Fallon returns to host, and Michael Bublé is the music guest.

What to Watch on Saturday: 'Annie Claus' is comin' to town

Annie Claus is Coming to Town (8pm, Hallmark) - Santa's daughter Annie (Maria Thayer, left) leaves the North Pole to spend time in Los Angeles. While there, she falls for a duplicitous actor (Ryan Bittle), who was hired by a scheming elf to persuade Annie to stay in Los Angeles for good, but also develops feelings for the owner of a struggling toy company. Also stars Vivica A. Fox, Sam Page and Vicki Lawrence.

The American Giving Awards (8pm, NBC) - Bob Costas hosts this awards show honoring five charities. The top group, determined by online voting, receives $1 million and the other four split a million between them. The reason you'll watch: celebrity presenters and musical performances!

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (8pm, CBS) - Rudolph. Hermey. Yukon. It never gets old.

The Flight Before Christmas (9pm, CBS) - A young reindeer who's never met his father and suffers from vertigo wants to follow in his footprints and become part of Santa's team, so he takes lessons from a member of a Finnish family of aerialist squirrels.

Paul Simon: Live at Webster Hall, New York (9pm, UNC-TV) - Paul Simon's concert at Webster Hall in New York City features "Kodachrome," "Mother and Child Reunion" and songs from his 2011 album, "So Beautiful or So What."

Snowmageddon (9pm, Syfy) - A new science-fiction movie about a mystical snow globe that can cause bad things to happen in the world world whenever it is shaken.

Appropriate Adult (10pm, Sundance) - A fascinating movie based on the true story of two British serial killers. Adrienne says Dominic West is fantastic.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - A trip to the South includes helping an army veteran with a new litter of puppies. Also, a hunt for an injured dog in Jackson, Mississippi.

Saturday Night Live (11:29pm, NBC) - The host is Katy Perry and the music guest is Robyn.

What to Watch on Saturday: Hallmark, 'Wonderful Life,' Buscemi on SNL

A Princess for Christmas (8pm, Hallmark) - A new Hallmark holiday movie in which a woman and her niece and nephew spend Christmas with a wealthy duke (Roger Moore, aka James Bond), the children's grandfather. Though the down-and-out trio feel out of place among royalty at first, they soon begin to settle in and connect as a family. Sparks also begin to fly between the woman and the duke's son. Also tars Katie McGrath and Sam Heughan. Adrienne has a review.  

It's a Wonderful Life (8pm, NBC) - No holiday season is complete without at least one viewing of this wildly dark and yet wildly uplifting tale of a man who is faced with the failure of his family-owned bank, tries to commit suicide, and is shown the value of his life by a bumbling angel named Clarence. Stars Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, and Henry Travers.

Welcome to Sweetie Pie's (9pm, OWN) - In the Season 1 finale, Robbie finally gets the loan to enable her to start construction on her dream restaurant, and Lil' Charles plans for college.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - A difficult rescue mission might make Tia miss Armando's wedding.

Saturday Night Live (11:29pm, NBC) - Steve Buscemi ("Boardwalk Empire," "Fargo") hosts for the first time since 1998. Can't wait. Hopes are high. The musical guest is The Black Keys.

What to Watch on Saturday: Hallmark and Lifetime air Christmas movies

Debbie Macomber's Trading Christmas (8pm, Hallmark) - A widow (Faith Ford) and a writer (Tom Cavenaugh) swap homes for the holidays, but neither getaway goes as planned. Despite the complications, they each meet potential love interests in their temporary new digs. Also stars Gil Bellows ("Ally McBeal") and Gabrielle Miller. Based on a book by Debbie Macomber.

Dear Santa (8pm, Lifetime) - A lonely 24-year-old woman (Amy Acker) discovers a letter from a little girl asking Santa to send her daddy (David Haydn-Jones) a new wife for Christmas, so she decides to seek them out in hopes of making herself their gift from Santa.

Storm Wars  (9pm, Syfy) - A deranged scientist uses weather weapons against his enemies and the city of Washington, D.C., spurring his two estranged sons to unite against him.

48 Hours Mystery (10pm, CBS) - A Cajun millionaire turned English gentleman becomes a suspect in a murder investigation.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - A recent hire wastes little time jeopardizing his shot at redemption, and the center gets bad news concerning one dog's chance of being adopted.

What to Watch on Saturday: Some jerk sues Santa Claus

The Case for Christmas (8pm, Hallmark) - An ambitious lawyer (Dean Cain) defends Kris Kringle (George Buza), who's being sued by a selfish businessman for not bringing him the toys he wanted as a child. The case causes Christmas spirit to sink to an all-time low, putting the future of the holiday in jeopardy. Also stars Rachel Blanchard and Barry Flatman. (Personal note: I do not like the looks of that Santa.)

Jodi Picoult's Salem Falls (8pm, Lifetime) - A former teacher (James Van Der Beek) living in a small New England town is accused by some local teen girls of sexual misconduct, which brings his secret past to light. Based on a novel by best-selling author Jodi Picoult. Read the review here.

Walking the Amazon (8pm, Discovery) - A two-hour special following two explorers as they travel the length of the Amazon River. Along the way they encounter dangerous wildlife, drug traffickers and wary villagers.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - Two parolees are sent to Texas to rescue a pair of pit bulls that were injured in an encounter with a porcupine.

Saturday Night Live (11:29pm, NBC) - Jason Segal ("How I Met Your Mother," "The Muppet Movie") hosts, and Florence and the Machine is the music guest.

Austin City Limits Presents: Americana Music Festival 2011 (Midnight, UNC-TV) - Performers include Gregg Allman, the Civil Wars, Justin Townes Earle, Jessica Lea, Mayfield, Robert Plant, and Lucinda Williams.

What to Watch on Saturday: Hallmark combines Christmas, romance and the lottery

Lucky Christmas (8pm, Hallmark) - A struggling single mom (Elizabeth Berkley, "Saved by the Bell") wins the lottery, but her car is stolen with the ticket inside. One of the thieves (Jason Gray-Stanford) develops feelings for her, however, and considers returning the ticket to save their budding romance.

Rage of the Yeti (9pm, Syfy) - A quest for riches becomes a fight for survival after treasure hunters find snow monsters on a mountain in the Arctic.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - In the Season 3 premiere, Tia's moving plans hit a roadblock, and the staff experiences an emotional reunion.

48 Hours Mystery (10pm, CBS) - The 2008 beating death of 19-year-old Jacque Villagomez is investigated, as are charges brought against her boyfriend, John Needham, a former soldier who served in Iraq and was given a medical discharge from the Army.

Saturday Night Live (11:29pm, NBC) - Emma Stone ("The Help," "Crazy Stupid Love") is the host, with musical guest Coldplay.

Austin City Limits (Midnight, UNC-TV) - Singer-songwriter Randy Newman performs.

What to Watch on Saturday: Pit Bulls, parolees, and rattlesnakes

Woodstock: Now & Then (8pm, History) - This documentary marked last year's 40th anniversary of the three-day long musical festival that has come to symbolize the 1960s and the baby boomer generation. The retrospective recalls the event from the perspective of performers, fans, and promoters, and examines the planning and logistical problems presented.

Bee Movie (9pm, NBC) - Animated misadventures of a worker bee (voiced by Jerry Seinfeld) who alights from the hive to befriend a human (Renee Zellweger). Seinfeld co-wrote the script and was one of the producers. Other voices featured: Sting, Ray Liotta, and Larry King.

Downsized (9pm, WeTV) - The kids pitch in to produce a video for Todd to use during his job search, but creative differences soon turn the project painful. Elsewhere, Laura cancels the family's cable service and works to get her cleaning business off the ground, while Todd has to suspend his job hunt to find the missing Dylan.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - Tia (right) travels with her son to New Orleans, where a dog rescued during Hurricane Katrina is slated to be adopted. While there, Tia saves a stray during a lightning storm. Back at Villalobos, the parolees deal with an onslaught of rattlesnakes.

What to Watch on Saturday: Classic horror and Jon Hamm's "SNL" trifecta

Horror Movie Marathons - On Turner Classic Movies, the classic horror fare begins before dawn with Boris Karloff in "The Devil Comands," and continues with scary movies from Joan Crawford, Charles Laughton, Bette Davis, and Peter LorreAMC starts the creepy cinema cavalcade at 9am with "Blood of Dracula." Also airing on AMC, zombie flick "28 Days Later" and "Evil Dead 2," which was filmed in North Carolina and features Bruce Campbell's infamous chainsaw hand.

World Series (6:30pm, Fox) - Game three of the World Series has the San Francisco Giants at the Texas Rangers. If the game ends by 9:30, Fox will show the hilarious Halloween episode of "Raising Hope."

Red: Werewolf Hunter (9pm, Syfy) - Red (Joss Whedon fave Felicia Day), a descendant of "Little Red Riding Hood," brings her fiance home to meet the family, where he learns that they hunt werewolves. When a werewolf bites her betrothed, it's up to Red to save his life. I'm not making that up.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - In the Season 2 opener, Tia searches for two puppies reported loose in a trucking yard. Elsewhere, Tia must decide if former parolee Jake can return to the ranch.

Saturday Night Live (11:30pm, NBC) - The dreamy (and funny) Jon Hamm (aka Don Draper on "Mad Men") hosts for the third time in three seasons. They really like him -- and so do we. Rihanna is the musical guest.

Austin City Limits (12midnight, UNC-TV) - Texas singer-songwriters Robert Earl Keen and Hayes Carll perform.

Cars View All
Find a Car
Go
Jobs View All
Find a Job
Go
Homes View All
Find a Home
Go

Want to post a comment?

In order to join the conversation, you must be a member of newsobserver.com. Click here to register or to log in.
Advertisements