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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: 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: Hallmark debuts a new Christmas movie

Love's Christmas Journey (8pm, Hallmark) - A young widow (Natalie Hall) spends Christmas with her brother (Greg Vaughn), who soon leaves town to conduct business for his farm. While he's gone, one of his children is accused of burning down a barn, and it's up to Ellie to clear his name with help from a handsome deputy (Dylan Bruce). Charles Shaughnessy plays a corrupt attorney. Sean Astin, Ernest Borgnine and JoBeth Williams also star.

The Pastor's Wife (8pm, Lifetime) - A movie, based on true events, about a beloved Tennessee pastor (Michael Shanks) who is shot to death in his home and the investigation centers on the victim's dutiful wife (Rose McGowan). Read our review.

Outlander (9pm, Syfy) - This science fiction adventure fantasy starring Jim Caviezel isn't new, but it's a Syfy premiere, so let's count it. It's about a warrier from space who crash-lands into ancient Norway and helps Viking tribes battle a bloodthirsty monster.

Saturday Night Live (11:29 pm, NBC) - Charlie Day ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "Horrible Bosses") hosts, and Maroon 5 is the musical guest.

Austin City Limits (Midnight, UNC-TV) - Miranda Lambert sings her hits, and Jeff Bridges performs songs form his self-titled 2011 collection.

Also ... NBC will air repeats of the season debuts of Grimm (8pm) and Chuck (9pm) tonight. Both shows debuted last Friday against Game 7 of the World Series.

What to Watch on Saturday: A Hallmark ghost story

Oliver's Ghost (9pm, Hallmark) - Eleven year-old Oliver (Nicholas Stargel) has a unique ability to see ghosts. When his family moves from the city to an older home in the suburbs, only Oliver is able to see the spirit of Clive Rutledge (Martin Mull), the home's previous owner. Clive tries everything to force Oliver and his family to leave, but in the end, it's Oliver, with the help of a neighbor (Rhea Perlman), who shows Clive how to finally release all his earthly regrets so he can leave the house in peace.

Welcome to Sweetie Pie's (9pm, OWN) - Miss Robbie leaves Tim in charge at Sweetie Pie's to plan her birthday party. This year's bash will include a reunion performance of her old group, the Ikettes.

Puppies vs. Babies (10pm, Animal Planet) - The King of Cute will be crowned.

Austin City Limits (Midnight, UNC-TV) - The Decemberists perform selections from their 2011 album, "The King is Dead." Also, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings perform songs from Welch's 2011 release, "The Harrow and the Harvest."
 

What to Watch on Saturday: 'Finding a Family' on Hallmark

If you're not out at the State Fair, It's a decent repeat night. NBC has "Prime Suspect" at 9 p.m, and Fox has "Terra Nova" also at 9.

How to Be a Gentleman (8:30pm, CBS) - In what is essentially a cancelation, CBS moved this new comedy to Saturday and promptly shut down production of new episodes. The seven remaining episodes will air each week in this timeslot following repeats of "Two and a Half Men."

Finding a Family (8pm, Hallmark Movie Channel) - A new Hallmark movie movie based on the true story of Alex Chivescu, a young man who at the age of 10 is put into foster care after his mother suffers a traumatic brain injury. His foster situation falls apart when he's 17 and he's once again forced to search for another family so that he can remain at his high school and work toward his dream of attending an Ivy League college. Stars Jared Abrahamson, Kim Delaney, Sarah-Jane Redmond, and Paul McGillion. NOTE: Hallmark Movie Channel is separate from the Hallmark Channel.

Welcome to Sweetie Pie's (9pm, OWN) - A new series about the real-life adventures of St. Louis soul food restaurateur Robbie Montgomery, who used to be a backup singer for Ike and Tina Turner. Tonight, Miss Robbie and her business partner/son Tim are preparing to open her third Sweetie Pie's eatery. Also, Robbie, who is 71 and single, is still looking for love.

48 Hours Mystery (10pm, CBS) - The 1985 murder of Natalie Antonetti in Austin is investigated. The victim was beaten to death in her home and the case went cold until a phone call more than 20 years later led police to a surprising suspect.

Margaret Cho: Dependent (10pm, Showtime) - Margaret Cho performs stand-up in Atlanta, where she riffs on sex, drugs, rock and roll, politics, reality TV, and of course, her mother.

Saturday Night Live (11:29, NBC) - Anna Faris hosts, Drake is the musical guest.

What to Watch on Saturday: Monster roots and Ben Stiller on SNL

Harry's Law (8pm, NBC) - NBC is repeating all three of this season's episodes, which follow the storyline of Harry defending a man (Alfred Molina) accused of killing his wife, and going up against a prominent DA (Jean Smart).

Terror Beneath (9pm, Syfy) - A movie about a monstrous root system that runs rampant, threatening the world with ecological disasters, and it's up to a government agent (Adrian Pasdar) to stop it. What, no Roto-Rooter? I think Syfy has officially run out of things to "monsterfy."

Saturday Night Live (11:29pm, NBC) - Ben Stiller (pictured here with Jason Sudeikis) hosts with musical guest Foster the People.

Austin City Limits (Midnight, UNC-TV) - Raphael Saadiq peforms from his 2011 retro-soul album, "Stone Rollin'" and the bluesy Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears perform songs from their recent album "Scandalous."

What to Watch on Saturday: Timberlake and Gaga close out SNL season

Chase (8pm, NBC) - Annie lets the team in on troubling details about her past when they take on a case that involves putting the life of her estranged father in danger. I feel like this (canceled) show will never end.

It's Me or the Dog (8pm, Animal Planet) - Victoria helps clam three hyper dogs that have caused strife between their owners. In this show's companion piece, "My Cat From Hell" (9pm), a couple are surprised to discover that the cat they're fostering is feral, and another pair deal with a cat that has extreme mood changes.

River Monsters (9pm, Discovery) - In the Australian Outback, Jeremy attempts to catch the endangered freshwater sawfish, which is said to attack boats.

Sinbad and the Minotaur (9pm, Syfy) - Sinbad (Manu Bennett) must steal a relic from a sorcerer before leading his crew in search of treasure on an island inhabited by a minotaur.

Saturday Night Live (11:29, NBC) - For the show's season finale, Justin Timberlake is the host and the music guest is Lady Gaga. Timberlake has hosted SNL four times and this will be Gaga's second appearance. When Gaga was on the show in October 2009 (with host Ryan Reynolds), she took part in several sketches. She is pictured here with Andy Samberg.

What to Watch on Saturday: Documentary goes "Off the Rez"

Chase (8pm, NBC) - This show has been very rightfully canceled. But if you are one of the few who likes it, continue to watch while you can. Bounty hunter Ben Crowley is recruited to help in the pursuit of a dangerous escapee who has remained on the run thanks to help from family and friends.

Off the Rez (9pm, TLC) - A new documentary (produced by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos) which profiles a Native American basketball player, Shoni Schimmel, and her mother, Ceci Moses. The film follows the family's quest to secure a college scholarship for Schimmel by leaving their home on the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon.

Edge of the Garden (9pm, Hallmark) - A workaholic (Rob Estes) buys a rundown cottage in Maine, where he encounters the ghost of a woman (Sarah Manninen) who used to live there in the 1960s. As the two form a friendship, the man becomes determined to change the woman's fate.

My Cat From Hell (9pm, Animal Planet) - I think this show should be renamed "My Boyfriend from Hell" because nearly all the stories so far seem to be about men who don't like their girlfriends' cats. Then the show could be sponsored by Match.com

Saturday Night Live (11:29pm, NBC) - Ed Helms ('The Office') hosts and Paul Simon in the musical guest.

What to Watch on Saturday: Lady Gaga wows MSG, Tina Fey hosts SNL

It's Me or the Dog (8pm, Animal Planet) - Victoria helps a contentious couple curb their dog's dangerous behavior to ensure the safety of their three kids.

My Cat From Hell (9pm, Animal Planet) - This new show is sort of the counterpart to 'It's Me or the Dog,' just with a way more incendiary title, and the lives of little children aren't in danger here. In tonight's first episode, a stressed out cat comes between a woman and her boyfriend, and a newly engaged couple deal with his dislike of her cats. The host is hipster cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy, who is not only a zen cat whisperer, but as we see in tonight's episode, a jerk whisperer, too. Read more about the new show.

Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden (9pm, HBO) - The title sort of says it all. Gaga performs with a 10-piece band and 10 backup singers. The show was taped in February 2011. If you can't wait, you can go ahead and check out some extrended previews and behind-the-scenes clips.

Three Weeks, Three Kids (9pm, Hallmark) - A free spirit (Anna Chlumsky) babysits her sister's kids for an extended period, thanks to a plot by her mother. While helping the kids deal with issues like bullying, popularity, and teenage drinking, the woman also connects with a handsome neighbor (Warren Christie).

Almighty Thor (9pm, Syfy) - A timely new Syfy movie about a hero (Cody Deal) from Valhalla who rises up against a demonic god (Richard Grieco) who threatens to obliterate Los Angeles.

Saturday Night Live (11:29pm, NBC) - Tina Fey is back as the host, and the music guest is Ellie Goulding. There's a rumor Amy Poehler may stop by.

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