I don't know if I'm a geek for liking "Defiance" (9 tonight, Syfy) or if I'm not enough of one to properly judge it. But I was entertained, and in the end, that's the point.

"Defiance" is the name of the city we call St. Louis. It's the town former Marine and wanderer Nolan (Grant Bowler) stumbles upon after he and his adopted daughter Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas) escape some thieving biker aliens.

OK, let's explain the alien thing. Apparently, in the near future, seven alien races come to Earth, sparking 30 years of war. Inexplicably, all the humans weren't wiped out. The post-war Earth, now forever altered, features aliens and humans trying to build new civilizations and peacefully co-exist. It doesn't always go well.

Nolan, a hero in one of the great battles, has adopted Irisa, an Irathient, and they go along making money however they can, unless Nolan blows it on women or in some reckless way. When they get to Defiance, they're broke, so they've got to stay around awhile.

That puts them in the orbit of Amanda (Julie Benz), the new mayor of the mining town; Datak (Tony Curran), an alien mob boss and his manipulative wife Stahma (Jaime Murray); Rafe (Graham Greene), Datak's archenemy and the owner of the town's largest mine; and Kenya (Mia Kirshner), the town's madam.

"Mining town" and "madam" should give you a clue that "Defiance" is essentially a Western and that's not the only classic the show borrows from. Shakespeare gets some love in a few ways; for one, Rafe's daughter and Datak's son are secretly involved.

No, "Defiance" isn't original in terms of plot or character. Certainly, the conceit of aliens and humans trying to co-exist has been done before. The originality is supposed to come from the fact that it's both a TV show and an online game that are interconnected. What happens on the TV show causes a shift in the game. Of course, I won't be playing the game (and neither will most of you reading, I suspect) so that doesn't have anything to do with me.

What does matter is that the pilot of "Defiance" was fun; there's action, humor, story lines with potential. Bowler is a fine anti-hero, Curran and Murray, intriguing villains, and Benz works as the town's the heart and good soul.

Unlike it's plot, "Defiance" may not be building a whole new sci-fi world, but it does a good job refreshing some old themes.

NCAA Basketball: Final Four (6pm, CBS) - Wichita State takes on Louisville in the first Final Four game of the day, with the Syracuse vs. Michigan match happening around 8:30. A pre-game special starts at 4 p.m.

Garage Gold (7pm, DIY) - A new reality series about a Raleigh business, Garage Brothers, that specializes in cleaning out junky spaces and reselling some of the stuff they're given in trade for their labor. The premiere episode has owner Kraig Bantle struggling to unload a decade's worth of outdated furniture from the workspace of an interior designer. A second new episode airs at 7:30. Here's our story from Friday's N&O about Kraig Bantle and "Garage Gold."

My Cat From Hell (8pm, Animal Planet) - Two new episodes of this really pretty great cat show ring in Season 4. In the first episode, cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy (left) helps a cat that is hearing- and vision-impaired and lashing out at his owners and a new kitten. Then, it's a family whose cat and dog are fighting like, well, like cats and dogs. In episode two, Jackson helps two people whose cats are disliked by their significant others.

A Mother's Rage (8pm, Lifetime) - A mother and daughter travel to the girl's new college, but before they reach the school they are terrorized on a highway.

Smash (9pm, NBC) - Tom's plans for Ivy's party include a surprise guest: Liza Minnelli. Elsewhere, the tension among Karen, Jimmy and Derek intensifies, and Julia is unexpectedly pulled away from "Bombshell."

Battledogs (9pm, Syfy) - A werewolf virus is unleashed in New York City, and the world's only hope lies with a rogue general who has taken the disease and created an army of super soldiers.

20/20 with Katie Couric (9pm, ABC) - Katie Couric spends an hour with the folks from the daytime soap "General Hospital."

Saturday Night Live (11:29, NBC) - Melissa McCarthy returns for her second time hosting, with Phoenix as her musical guest.

NCAA Basketball Tournament (CBS) - The madness continues. For more information on games and networks (all games will air on truTV, TNT, TBS and CBS), check out our NCAA Tournament channel guide, which has a link to schedules.

Kids' Choice Awards (8pm, Nickelodeon) - Josh Duhamel hosts the 26th annual celebration honoring kids' favorites in film, television, music and sports. Scheduled performers include Pitbull and Ke$ha.

Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco Story (8pm, Lifetime) - A college student is accused of murdering his father and badly disfiguring his mother in a vicious attack, but he maintains he is innocent of the crimes. Based on a true story. Here's Adrienne's review.

Chupacabra vs. The Alamo (9pm, Syfy) - When Chupacabras attack the San Antonio region, DEA Agent Carlos (Erik Estrada, right) teams with a band of outlaw gangsters to battle the horde of blood-sucking creatures. The battle culminates at the Alamo. Also stars Julia Benson ("Stargate Universe").

20/20: Vacation Confidential (9pm, ABC) - The news magazine offers tips for avoid travel pitfalls, including hotel scams and pickpockets. Also, a look at unusual vacation trends, such as web-selected travel partners and bear-sighting trips.

Killing Lincoln (7pm, NGC) - The National Geographic Channel got such amazing ratings with last week's premiere of the "Killing Lincoln" movie, that they're replaying it tonight at 7, 9, 11 and 1am. Next week, NGC will launch their "Killing Lincoln" sister channel.

Pit Boss (9pm, Animal Planet) - Ashley's decision to leave Shortywood catches Shorty by surprise, but her final job comes with an equally shocking development.

End of the World (9pm, Syfy) - Two video store clerks put their vast knowledge of disaster movies to good use when they team up with a scientist-turned-science fiction writer to save the planet from imminent destruction.

Argo: Inside Story (10pm, Discovery) - The Oscar-nominated film "Argo" is discussed by people who were involved in the hostage situation on which the film is based, including former CIA agent Tony Mendez, who was played by Ben Affleck in the film.

Vanity Fair's Hollywood (10pm, CBS) - An inside look at Vanity Fair's Hollywood issue and plans for the magazine's 20th annual Oscar party. Comments from Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, John Travolta, Ben Affleck, Jane Fonda and many others.

Austin City Limits (Midnight, UNC-TV) - Jazz-soul singer Esperanza Spaulding highlights material from her 2012 "Radio Music Society" album.

Frosty the Snowman (8pm, CBS) - Another "Frosty" showing, followed at 8:30 by "Frosty Returns" and at 9 by "The Flight Before Christmas."

Heisman Trophy Presentation (8pm, ESPN) - The 78th ceremony in New York City honors college football's most outstanding player. The finalists include Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, and Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o.

Come Dance with Me (8pm, Hallmark) - An investor (Andrew McCarthy) takes dance lessons in hopes of impressing his boss -- and potential father-in-law -- at a swanky party. But, this being a Hallmark movie, he falls for his dance instructor and has to make a tough decision.

The American Giving Awards (8pm, NBC) - Joel McHale, perhaps the snarkiest man alive, hosts this gala paying tribute to community champions and five U.S. charities. A total of $2 million will be granted to five charitable organizations.

Holly's Holiday (8pm, Lifetime) - A lifetime movie about a handsome mannequin in a Christmas window display that comes to life and becomes the man of an advertising executive's dreams. Unfortunately, even though he's gorgeous, his personality remains a bit lifeless.

30 for 30: You Don't Know Bo (9pm, ESPN) - A documentary about professional football and baseball player Bo Jackson, directed by Michael Bonfiglio.

The 12 Disasters of Christmas (9pm, Syfy) - In this movie, a teenagers enlists the help of her father in order to prevent the end of the world after a number of strange occurrences strike her hometown.

Gary Gulman: In This Economy (10pm, Comedy Central) - Comedian Gary Gulman performs stand-up in Boston. His topics include the financial crisis, renting movies, and a conversation between Donald Trump and Bill Gates.

It's a Wonderful Life (8pm, NBC) - This Frank Capra classic is a holiday tradition that you have to watch at least once before Christmas. James Stewart is a small-town banker who learns what life would have been like if he'd never been born. Co-stars Donna Reed and Henry Travers.

Made in Jersey (8pm, CBS) - Martina's football expertise helps her land a new client: a promising quarterback whose career ended in high school because his coaches neglected to get proper treatment for his injuries.

Dragonwasps (9pm, Syfy) - Dragons. Wasps. I admit, a combo I would not have thought of on my own. In this movie, an entomologist's mission to find her father in the jungles of Belize turns more dangerous than she could have ever imagined when she and a group of soldiers are attacked by giant fire-breathing wasps.
 
A Bride For Christmas (8pm, Hallmark) - A holiday bet prompts a man to pursue a woman who has sworn off serious relationships after three failed engagements. As the two spend time together, the woman starts to reconsider.

Wedding Band (10pm, TBS) - Rutherford plans an adult prom, but she must deal with her high school nemesis in the process. Elsewhere, Tommy woos everyone's fantasy woman, and Stevie dates a florist with some lusty talents.

Pit Bulls & Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - The Villalobos crew are devastated by Chong's cancer diagnosis, but Tia and the twins try to make the best of a sad situation.

Stalked at 17 (8pm, Lifetime) - In this new Lifetime movie, a 17-year-old girl is stalked by the deceptive and dangerous father of her child when she tries to flee from him.

The Good Witch's Charm (9pm, Hallmark) - In the fifth entry of this magic-infused film series, Cassie (Catherine Bell, left) becomes tabloid fodder after an interview snafu leaves many wondering if she's a witch. Meanwhile, Jake (Chris Potter) investigates a string of burglaries in town.

Rise of the Zombies (9pm, Syfy) - The survivors of a zombie plague risk life and limb to find a scientist who they believe can save mankind from the walking dead (note: "the walking dead" lowercase).

The Dark (9pm, Discovery) - A team of biologists and wildlife experts observe the behavior of nocturnal animals. Possums!

Celebrity Ghost Stories (9pm, BIO) - Lewis Black encounters ghosts in a Michigan forest. Then he screams at them and they run away.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - A pit bull is saved from drowning in a canal by a young girl after it evaded Tia for weeks. Also, Tia must hire another parolee when twenty new puppies arrive at Villalobos.

Austin City Limits (Midnight, UNC-TV) - The Shins perform songs from their 2012 "Port of Morrow" album. Also, Dr. Dog perform songs from their 2012 "be the Void" album.

Set designers fall into that group you ignore when they're nominations for awards are announced during the Oscars. And yet, creating a strong visual world is everything in a film or TV show.

Which is why it's great that their work and their creativity is being exposed in "Hot Set" (10 p.m. tonight, Syfy), a new competition show that challenges two set designers to create a world in 3 days with a $10,000 budget.

Hosted by Ben Mankiewicz, whose grandfather wrote "Citizen Kane," the show gives production designers a scenario inspired by sci fi, fantasy or horror films -- in the first episode it's a devastated alien landscape -- and a support team, and then lets their imaginations take over.

Aladdin and the Death Lamp (7pm, Syfy) - In this Syfy movie, Aladdin fights a malicious genie who wants to control the world. I'm assuming there's a two-headed sharktopus involved, also. Kandyse McClure ("Battlestar Galactica") and Noam Jenkins (RIP Jerry on "Rookie Blue") star.

Celebrating the Music of Johnny Cash: We Walk the Line (8pm, UNC-TV) - A concert honoring Johnny Cash featuring performances by Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Ronnie Dunn, Lucinda Williams, Shooter Jennings and others.

Tanked (9pm, Animal Planet) - Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother") requests a tank to honor escape artist Harry Houdini at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Wayde makes plans for his 15th wedding anniversary.

Pegasus vs. Chimera (9pm, Syfy) - Flying, magical steed Pegasus squares off against the hellish, shape-changing Chimera. Sebastian Roche ("Fringe") and Rae Dawn Chong ("Commando") star.

Saturday Night Live (11:35, NBC) - Season 38 opens with host Seth MacFarlane and music guest Frank Ocean.

Sand Sharks (7pm, Syfy) - A movie about prehistoric sand tiger sharks that attack a wild beach party following an underwater earthquake. Please stay tuned for "2-Headed Shark Attack" (see below) at 9.

My Cat From Hell (8pm, Animal Planet) - In tonight's season finale, a couple can't figure out how to get their cats to stop fighting. We also get to see the People's Choice Award for Golden Kitty winner from last week's first ever Internet Cat Video Festival in Minneapolis.

Ed Sullivan's Top Performers 1966-1969 (8pm, UNC-TV) - A special highlighting classic "Ed Sullivan Show" performances by top music acts of the 1960s, including the Animals, Association, Beach Boys, Beatles, Byrds, 5th Dimension, Mamas & the Papas, Rolling Stones, Supremes and others.

2-Headed Shark Attack (9pm, Syfy) - Another Syfy instant classic: A group of terrified college students escape to an abandoned feef after their ship comes under attack from a mutated shark. They fight for their lives as the waters begin to rise and the two-headed beast comes back for seconds.

Puppy Love (9pm, Hallmark) - Now for something totally different: A sweet movie about neighbors who form an unusual arrangement to share custody of a dog, and who then find themselves falling in love with each other. See Adrienne's review.

The Incredible Dr. Pol (10pm, Nat Geo Wild) - A veterinary student shadows Dr. Pol for a day as he treats a downed cow at a nearby farm and visits a local breeder and trainer of racehorses.

Deadly Affairs (10pm, Investigation ID) - A new series featuring true stories of love affairs that turned deadly. In tonight's premiere, a clandestine affair spells danger for a funeral director and his wife. Here's what Adrienne thought.