NCAA tourney features historic match-ups
Tonight’s must-see
Basketball, 3 p.m., CBS.
There were upsets along the way, especially by a dazzling Davidson team. When the early rounds were finished, however, the Cinderella teams were gone: For the first time in the NCAA tourney’s history, the four top-seeded teams had survived. Memphis and UCLA play first, with tip-off at about 3:07 p.m. Then Kansas and North Carolina play, 40 minutes after the first game ends; winners collide Monday.
Tonight’s might-see
“The Night James Brown Saved Boston,” 9 p.m., VH1. In the aftermath of the Martin Luther King assassination, riots spread. Officials considered canceling a James Brown concert at the Boston Garden.
Then came a better idea: Call the show a tribute and televise it. That story is told here, with sharp commentary about the times. The music clips are brief, but they remind us what a brilliant performer Brown was.
Other choices include
“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (2001), 8-11 p.m., ABC. Here’s the start of the Harry saga. The opening minutes are wonderfully fresh; the rest is fairly good.
“Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” 8 p.m., NBC. In a rerun, a guy went to bed with two women; when he woke up, the blonde was dead, the brunette was gone and he was a suspect.
“The Godfather” (1972, A&E) and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (1971, ABC Family); 8 p.m. Here are two terrific films – one for grown-ups, the other for any age.
“Must Love Dogs” (2005, Oxygen) and “Under the Tuscan Sun” (2003), WE, 8 p.m. Diane Lane’s subtle skill saves both films. One is a romance with John Cusack; the other has her buying a villa.
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” 9 p.m., NBC. This rerun visits the world of ultimate fighting.
“Law & Order,” 10 p.m., NBC. A psychiatrist is killed in this rerun. Suspects include his patients and his young wife.
“Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Christopher Walken hosts, with music by Panic at the Disco.
Sunday’s must-see
“Wire in the Blood” season-opener, 8 p.m., BBC America.
A British police psychiatrist heads to Texas, where a former patient faces murder charges.
Yes, this is a British movie, set entirely in Texas. There’s culture-clash humor, plus lots of fierce drama. Robson Green, a PBS favorite via “Touching Evil,” is subtly perfect. The story gets melodramatic, but it all makes sense.
Sunday’s might-see
“Monk,” 8 p.m., NBC.
Having exhausted other choices during the writers’ strike, NBC wisely borrows this show (and “Psych,” which follows at 9 p.m.) from the USA Network.
Tony Shalhoub is terrific as Adrian Monk, a detective who fears almost everything. He’s tickled tonight to have a new friend (Andy Richter). This isn’t one of the better episodes, but it’s a fun option.
Other choices include
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005), 7 and 9:30 p.m., ABC Family. Director Tim Burton and Johnny Depp brilliantly redo a family classic.
PBS’ “Nature: What Females Want and Males Will Do,” 7 p.m. KSPS Channel 7, 8 p.m. KDCT Channel 26. So you think human males will do a lot for sex? Consider other species. The males change colors, dance, sing; they even create drums. This is a fun film, concluding next week.
“Cold Case,” 9 p.m., CBS. The popular drama has its first new, post-strike episode. Lily and Valens go to West Virginia to retrieve a murder suspect.
PBS’ “Masterpiece Theatre: Sense and Sensibility,” 8 p.m. KSPS Channel 7, 9 p.m. KCDT Channel 26. As the first half of this tale ended, romances foundered. Now the ending, cleverly adapted by Andrew Davies, patches things together. It’s a fine finish to PBS’ Jane Austen project.
“King,” 8-10 p.m., History Channel. Tom Brokaw brings rich depth to this portrait of Martin Luther King. We see a deeply intellectual man who also had the common touch.
“John Adams,” 9 p.m., HBO. No one ever said the vice presidency would be exciting. Here’s a dry, somber hour.
“The Tudors,” 9:04 p.m., Showtime. In a strong episode, King Henry VIII reaches a pivotal time in his passionate relationship with Anne Boleyn.