Figure out what it would be like if you had never been born by watching It's A Wonderful Life
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Friday, November 30, and Saturday, December 1. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
It’s A Wonderful Life (NBC, 8 p.m., Saturday): On a quiet weekend for original network programming, with Grimm and Saturday Night Live in repeats and Fringe pre-empted, this is probably your best bet, as NBC hauls it out of the vault for the first time this year. Hell, the Capra classic would be your best bet most weekends, but it’s particularly a good bet for this weekend, especially if you need to get in the holiday spirit, like we do. Jimmy Stewart is a guy who spends his life getting more and more frustrated. Donna Reed is the wife who can’t quite save him. Then there’s an angel and Christmas songs and… it’s darker than you think it is! We swear! (Look for our thoughts on this a little closer to Christmas Day.)
TV CLUB CLASSIC
The X-Files (1 p.m., Saturday): It’s time for the occasionally awful, usually tired seventh season of The X-Files, the season we have to get through to get to the surprisingly inspired eighth season. Todd VanDerWerff kicks things off by following Mulder into his very own Last Temptation of Christ riff.
WHAT ELSE IS ON
CeeLo’s Magic Moment (TV Guide Network, 8 p.m., Friday): So. CeeLo Green has a holiday special all to himself, complete with lots of fun guest stars and the Muppets, and it’s airing on TV Guide Network?! Somebody at NBC has really fallen down on the job to allow this to happen is all we’re saying.
Killer Karaoke (TruTV, 9 p.m., Friday): We’ve been examining our screeners for this show, and we’re concerned it’s not really about people singing, and then the best singers being allowed to stalk the others in some sort of Battle Royale/Hunger Games ripoff. We see the word killer, we want blood!
Phineas And Ferb (Disney Channel, 9 p.m., Friday): Allow us to acknowledge this show exists very briefly, before you try to convince us it’s really as good as every 10-year-old we know keeps saying. Silly readers! You told us that about Gravity Falls, and it… mostly turned out to be completely right, actually.
Jay And Silent Bob Go Down Under (Epix, 10 p.m., Friday): Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith head to Australia, to offer up a night of comedy, antics, and, presumably, song. If you’re a big Kevin Smith fan, well, this is your best chance at watching some new Kevin Smith content this weekend. You’re welcome!
Dragonwasps (Syfy, 9 p.m., Saturday): Dragonwasps! Say that name. Let it roll around on your tongue. Think about what it might mean, and think about what Syfy’s made-for-TV movie department might do with those two nouns awkwardly smashed together as they are. Then watch! DVR it and watch again!
The Greatest (VH1, 9 p.m., Saturday): With the help of Ivan Reitman’s daughter (no really), VH1 has been counting down the top 100 child stars of all time. In tonight’s installment, you’ll get to find out who stars 40-21 are, which is just about the least helpful segment you could possibly watch. You’re welcome!
The Family Man (ABC Family, 8 p.m., Friday): Brett Ratner did his level best to demolish the It’s A Wonderful Life legend with this movie about a businessman who discovers what might have happened had he chosen his college girlfriend instead, but Nicolas Cage is there to crazy everything up, as always.
Zookeeper (Encore, 8 p.m., Friday): Kevin James is a sadsack zookeeper who’s unlucky in love. A bunch of poor visual effects play the animals who reveal they can talk and try to help him find a woman who will love him, even through his tears. We can hear all of you setting your DVRs for this already!
Sullivan’s Travels (TCM, 8 p.m., Saturday): If you don’t think this Preston Sturges classic about a Hollywood director who decides to see how the common folk live is one of your favorite movies ever made, you’ve either never seen it, or you’re not the kind of person we can abide reading this article!
Pac-12 Football Championship: UCLA at Stanford (Fox, 8 p.m., Friday): Sure, there might be better college football games this weekend, and you might not care about our shenanigans on the West Coast, but we here in California are excited to see these two teams meet for the second time in six days.
NBA Basketball: 76ers at Bulls (WGN, 8 p.m., Saturday): The 76ers bumped off the Bulls in last year’s NBA playoffs, but that was when the Bulls were plagued by injury. Now, presumably, they will rise, phoenix-like, from the ashes, and devour the Philadelphians whole. That’s just our best hypothesis.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Last Resort (Thursday): Look, we know ABC canceled this show, but it says it will air all 13 episodes it produced, and we’re going to hold it to that promise by reviewing every single one of them. Scott Von Doviak realizes that knowing a show is dead on its feet makes some subplots seem completely pointless.