Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Friday, November 22, and Saturday, November 23. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Doctor Who/An Adventure In Space And Time (BBC America, 2:50 p.m./9 p.m., Saturday/Friday): Sure, Friday is the 50th anniversary of the John F. Kennedy assassination, and a bunch of Baby Boomers are going to lose their innocence all over again, but from the looks of what we’re covering this weekend, the really important anniversary is that of Doctor Who, and Alasdair Wilkins has your needs in that department covered. He’ll check out the anniversary special, “The Day Of The Doctor,” Saturday afternoon. (It’s rebroadcast Saturday night for those of you who have other plans.) And he’s already reviewed Friday’s docudrama about the program’s beginnings and found it enjoyable.
REGULAR COVERAGE
The Legend Of Korra (Nickelodeon, 8 p.m., Friday): Poor, poor Legend Of Korra finale! Normally, you would be the top pick, because this season is closing out on a tear, and we just like seeing Emily Guendelsberger’s name in print, but you, too, will have to genuflect toward the wonder of the Doctor.
Raising Hope (Fox, 9 p.m., Friday): With NBC’s genre shows off for the week so Tom Brokaw can tell you all about the day JFK died, maybe you’d rather give this comedy a chance? It could certainly use your ratings help after bombing last week. Phil Dyess-Nugent is holding his battle flag aloft, tears in his eyes.
Comedy Bang! Bang! (IFC, 10 p.m., Friday): We always knew this show would eventually collide with the psychedelic light show that is Andy Dick’s career. What we don’t know yet is whether he will fall over something, NewsRadio style. David Sims will fall over a desk when writing his review, though. Close?
Borgen (LinkTV, 1 a.m., Saturday): There’s a motherfucking election on, Denmark, and Birgitte Nyborg and the New Democrats are in it to win it. And by “win it,” we mean, “possibly increase their presence in Parliament from three seats to eight.” Todd VanDerWerff is on pins and needles at all the drama!
Saturday Night Live (NBC, 11:30 p.m., Saturday): Josh Hutcherson, Peeta Mellark himself, hosts tonight’s episode, with musical guest HAIM. Grumpy old man David Sims doesn’t even know what a Hunger Games is, and he refuses to acknowledge the franchise’s cultural ubiquity. You can’t make him!
TV CLUB CLASSIC
The X-Files (1 p.m., Saturday): So now Mulder’s dead. Will he come back to life? Zack Handlen invites anyone asking that question to check out the opening credits of the episode depicting Spooky’s funeral, which lead with David Duchovny. There’s not a lot in the way of mystery in that, now is there?
Doctor Who (Classic) (3 p.m., Saturday): When you’re done watching “The Day Of The Doctor”—which will air live in all time zones, and did we mention that?—then you should check out Christopher Bahn’s review of “The Five Doctors,” which was the 20th Anniversary Special and features, uh, five Doctors.
WHAT ELSE IS ON
Nikita (The CW, 9 p.m., Friday): It’s the rare weekend when there’s way more new and cool stuff to watch on Saturdays, so here’s our sole entrant in the Friday night What Else Is On sweepstakes. Phil Dyess-Nugent checked out half of this final season and found it highly enjoyable. So much kicking!
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic (The Hub, 12 p.m., Saturday): The fourth season of the popular cartoon debuts, and Sonia Saraiya says in her review that this is the season when the ponies start to grow up. Presumably, that means Fluttershy will figure out ways to pay down her student loan debt.
Bill Cosby: Far From Finished (Comedy Central, 8 p.m. Saturday): It’s Cosby’s first TV comedy special in decades, and Josh Modell thought he covered some familiar territory. Geez, Josh. Cut the guy some slack! We can’t all be members of your avant garde performance art troupe, Dunces In Paradise!
Atlantis (BBC America, 9 p.m., Saturday): Once you’re done gorging on Doctor Who and Doctor Who-related materials, then take the time to check out this new fantasy series that turns mythology into a giant ball of wacky plot stuff. Brandon Nowalk checked out three episodes and liked what he saw.
Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles (HBO, 8 p.m., Saturday): Sarah Silverman’s latest special was filmed in front of just 39 people at the Largo in Los Angeles. Kyle Ryan checked it out and assures everyone that she finds the time to work in some jokes about sex. He didn’t want anyone to panic too much.
Lucas Bros. Moving Company/Golan The Insatiable (Fox, 11 p.m., Saturday): Finally, it’s time to check out the latest series of Animation Domination High-Def series. We don’t actually know what either of these shows is about, but Erik Adams got the screeners and reviewed them, so presumably he does.
JFK (Reelz, 8 p.m., Friday): Why not commemorate JFK’s assassination the American way: by thinking about all of the people who might have killed him who weren’t Lee Harvey Oswald, then arguing angrily for your particular theory of his death? In truth, we love this Oliver Stone film. How can you not?
Valentine’s Day (TBS, 8 p.m., Friday): Here’s another movie where a shadowy cabal of elites conspires to make sure that America is worse off than it was before they began to do their dirty, disgusting work.
Jingle All The Way (Cartoon Network, 7 p.m., Saturday): It begins.
NBA Basketball: Spurs at Grizzlies (ESPN, 8 p.m., Friday): Another basketball season, another year when we’ll all belatedly realize that the Spurs are the number one seed in the Western Conference the day the playoffs begin, because they’re so boring. They’re already 10-1, like an inextinguishable fungus.
College Football: Arizona State at UCLA (Fox, 7 p.m., Saturday): As Pacific time zone residents, we always appreciate it when the rest of you have to pay attention to some of our sporting squads in the primetime television lineup. Force yourself to imagine living three hours behind the rest of TV! Ha ha!
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Parenthood (Thursday): Good ol’ Kristina Braverman ran for the mayor of Berkeley up against her former employer, that sleazebag Bob Little. Was she successful in defeating him, or did the forces of darkness conspire to defeat her? Don’t ask Todd VanDerWerff. He voted for the third-party candidate.