Friday, January 24, 2020

What's On Tonight (Saturday): Amidst war and oppression, Dr. Amani Ballour leads a Cave hospital

The Cave (via Giphy)
Happy new year! We begin the year of the Rat with the Academy Award-nominated The Cave, so set your DVR accordingly my fellow Oscar complete-ists. The documentary follows Syrian doctor Amani Ballour as she leads a hospital led underground following the civil war that has devasted much of Ghouta. She much face down men who believe she should be at home and the frontline trauma that includes chemical warfare on civilians. (If The Cave wins Best Feature Documentary, expect to see that gif in the live-thread.) Elsewhere, there is a lot of crime stuff as the Watts family murders gets TV movie and documentary treatment across two networks, a study of Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew gets documentary treatment, and the over-study of alien claims return to television. For something lighter, wildlife in North America gets a spotlight and sketch comedy is back with All That and Saturday Night Live returning. Yes, there will be a live-thread. So Harry Sullivan is an imbecile, here's what's on television for tonight, Saturday, January 25!

πŸ’» STREAMING / EARLY PRIMETIME

Doctor Who πŸ“Ί (Retro TV, 6 p.m.): When you paint bubblewrap green, it looks pretty gross. 10,000 years in the future, the insectoid aliens the Wirrn intend to absorb the humans along with their knowledge on board Space Station Nerva. The Doctor, alongside Sarah Jane and Harry Sullivan have to stop them. Also, back in the Old Country's coverage of this episode, Evil Lincoln nicely gives credit to Harry Sullivan:✔️
I always liked him though & consider him an underrated companion: a loveable if a bit exasperating doofus. Also I always sort of wanted Harry and Sarah to get together. He wasn't nearly good enough for her of course, but really who was?
Chris Watts, Colorado Killer Dad: The Friends Speak (Reelz, 7 p.m.): SPECIAL. Friends of the Watts family come together to unravel the secrets behind the murder of Shan'ann Watts and her children Celeste and Bella by their husband/father Chris.

FOR THE RECORDChocolate (Netflix, 3 a.m.); Criminal Confessions (Oxygen, 6 p.m.)
Doctor Who, "The Ark in Space" (via Tumblr)

πŸ•— EASTERN / πŸ•– CENTRAL

All That (Nickelodeon, 8:30 p.m.): Witney Carson of Dancing With the Stars goes to Good Burger... T. Smith has an album preview... All That presents a new way to learn Spanish... Nathan cancels gum. And at the end, the Melisizwe Brothers perform.

Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer πŸŽ₯ (Lifetime, 8 p.m.): What's the deal with all the Watts programs? This time it's the TV dramatization. A man fails a lie detector test and confesses to brutally murdering his pregnant wife Shan'ann and their two young daughters. Afterward is the special Beyond the Headlines: The Watts Family Tragedy.

The Curse of La Llorona πŸŽ₯ (HBO, 8 p.m.): I'm sure you forgot this was so every briefly, a movie. Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment, a social worker and her own small kids are soon drawn into a frightening supernatural realm.

Henry Danger (Nickelodeon, 8 p.m.): Sick of fighting the same old villains, Captain Man makes a profile on a matchmaking app for heroes and villains. Kid Danger agrees to do the same, and two of them set up a double-fight to square off with some new villains.

UFOs: Top Secret Evidence Revealed (History, 8 p.m.): SPECIAL. UFO experts have long suspected the government of covering up its involvement in extraterrestrial phenomena. A top secret manual may be the smoking gun that finally links the government to the UFO mystery. But it probably won't.✔️

FOR THE RECORDFlirty Dancing (Fox, finale); Man vs. Bear (Discovery Channel); Say Yes to the Dress America (TLC)
Aliens? (via Giphy)

πŸ•˜ EASTERN / πŸ•— CENTRAL

Hearts of Winter πŸŽ₯ (Hallmark Channel, 9 p.m.): An interior designer brings new life to the house of a widower and his daughter and finds love in the process.

⭐ The Cave πŸŽ₯ (National Geographic, 9 p.m.): In a companion piece to Feras Fayyad's previous (Oscar-nominated) documentary Last Men in Aleppo, The Cave profiles Amani Ballour and a group of female doctors in Ghouta, Syria, struggling with systemic sexism while trying to care for the injured using limited resources in worntorn Syria. This is nominated for an Academy Award.✔️

Jeffrey Epstein & Prince Andrew: The True Story (Reelz, 9 p.m.): SPECIAL. This documentary investigates the extraordinary friendship between Prince Andrew and multimillionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Seven Worlds, One Planet (BBC America/et al., 9 p.m.): This week, the spotlight is on North America. In winter, lynx prowl the Yukon for snowshoe hares and manatees seek hot springs to escape the freeze. In summer, Tennessee fish build spectacular underwater pyramids, fireflies light up the forest's nights, and polar bears leap from rocks. And FYI, this show airs on all(?) AMC Networks.

FOR THE RECORDFamily or FiancΓ© (OWN); First Time Flippers (DIY); The Incredible Dr. Pol (Nat Geo Wild); Live PD (A&E); Pit Bulls & Parolees (Animal Planet)

πŸ•™ EASTERN / πŸ•˜ CENTRAL


Heartland Docs, DVM (Nat Geo Wild, 10 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. This 6-part series follows Drs. Erin and Ben Schroeder and their sons, Charlie and Chase, as they help tend the community's farm animals, especially with the preservation of the nation's food supply.

The Sonny and Cher Show πŸ“Ί (getTV, 10 p.m.): From 1976, Sonny and Cher welcome Sherman Hemsley and Andy Griffith.

Vega$ πŸ“Ί (Decades, 10 p.m.): Spend a weekend with Robert Ulrich as Las Vegas' private investigator Dan Tanna and the drive-in living room. In this season one episode, a tennis pro is ordered to throw a match or be brutalized.✔️

FOR THE RECORD: Ancient Aliens (History, premiere); Haunted Hospitals (Travel Channel); Iyanla, Fix My Life (OWN); The Vet Life (Animal Planet)

πŸ•š EASTERN / πŸ•™ CENTRAL

Dr. Stone (Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.): Work begins on creating the components for Senku's cell phone, but spinning gold wire is proving difficult.

The Flip Wilson Special πŸ“Ί (getTV, 11 p.m.): From 1975, Flip welcomes Cher, Richard Pryor, and McLean Stevenson.

Hill Street Blues πŸ“Ί (Heroes & Icons, 11 p.m.): In a season five highlight, an older lady shoots a burglar, but it soon appears to have been a set up on her part rather than self-defense. Posing as a bum, Belker is knocked out, beaten and robbed by actual street-dwellers.

My Hero Academia (Adult Swim, 11 p.m.): The Hassaikai get some help from the League of Villains. The heroes continue to make their way to Chisaki to rescue Eri.

πŸ’€πŸ’€πŸ˜΄πŸ’€πŸ’€

Black Clover (Adult Swim, 2 a.m.): FINALE. While Asta and Yuno battle the mage, Sister Lily and the orphans recall letters sent by the pair. While this is the season two finale, season three begins next week. Same time, same station.✔️

Demon Slayer (Adult Swim, 1:30 a.m.): A badly injured Tanjiro refuses to give up in is fight against Kyogai, who unleashes his powerful Blood Demon Art.

Fire Force (Adult Swim, 12:30 a.m.): Shinra shares his past with Sho as their bond deepens. The 8th seek Capt. Huang's help when one of their members is injured.

Food Wars! (Adult Swim, 1 a.m.): In the second match, a newly adjusted Megumi faces off against Ryo in a ramen battle.

The Invaders πŸ“Ί (MeTV, midnight): Vincent discovers an up-and-coming official is actually an invader, but an ex-policeman stands in his way. This episode has some color to it. Raymond St. Jacques, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Louis Gossett Jr. guest star.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind (Adult Swim, 2:30 a.m.): Narancis fights off Formaggio's body-shrinking attack with firepower.

Lost in Space πŸ“Ί (MeTV, 1 a.m.): The Robinsons meet a space traveler who turns out to be an Earth man, Alonzo P. Tucker, who was abducted from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, by aliens in 1876.

Naruto: Shippuden (Adult Swim, 3 a.m.): Only the mothers and children are left to protect the Leaf Village.

Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld (Adult Swim, midnight): When a force from the Dark Territory attacks Rulid Village, Alice takes up the Osmanthus Blade and fights back.
Black Clover (via Giphy)

LATE-NIGHT TV

Austin City Limits (PBS, 11 p.m.): Cage the Elephant and Tank and the Bangas
The Greg Gutfeld Show (Fox News, 10 p.m.): Johnny Joey Jones, Mike Loftus, Kat Timpf, and Tyrus
Saturday Night Live (NBC, 10:29 p.m.): Adam Driver and Halsey (live thread)✔️

----------

Note: All times are Eastern.
Key SourcesThe Futon Critic (outline); Zap2it (descriptions); TV Passport (throwbacks)
⭐: Top pick(s)
πŸ“Ί: Throwback
πŸŽ₯: Movie
✔️: Midlevel video/gif
Saturday Night Live, "Host: Halsey" (via Giphy)
Happy watching, everyone!

No comments:

Post a Comment