“Star Wars” women can be funny, tonight’s set of “Saturday Night Live” (10 and 11:30 p.m.) mean to show.
The new late night show features not only a serious backlog of political humor to deliver, but Felicity Jones, who plays Jyn Erso in the current “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” in her first time as host. Sturgill Simpson is musical guest.
Earlier, the first “Star Wars” starlet, Carrie Fisher, can be seen in her first hosting gig on a 1978 “SNL” at 10 p.m. — a show so old that the Blues Brothers are musical guest and Gilda Radner does an Annette Funicello impersonation. So many of those who appear are no longer with us.
Divisional playoffs begin in football, with Seattle at Atlanta (Fox, 4:30 p.m.) in the NFC and Houston at New England (CBS, 8 p.m.) in the AFC.
Tom Hanks stars as a lawyer recruited to defend a Soviet mole played by Mrak Rylance in Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies” (Showtime, 7 p.m.), making its premium cable debut. Also on premium cable tonight is “Now You See Me 2” (HBO, 8 p.m.), the magician adventure saga with Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Daniel Radcliffe; and George Clooney and Jodie Foster in the hostage film “Money Monster” (Starz, 9 p.m.).
Reruns abound on broadcast TV with game shows “To Tell the Truth” (ABC, 8 p.m.) and “Match Game” (ABC, 9 and 10 p.m.), “Lethal Weapon” (Fox, 8 p.m.) and “Star” (Fox, 9 p.m.).
Interesting that the network is trying hard to find a younger audience for “The Mick” (Fox, 11 p.m.) by playing it during late night.
On the new “A Royal Winter” (Hallmark, 9 p.m.), Merritt Patterson plays a vacationer who meets a playboy prince (Jack Donnelly). Samantha Bond plays Queen Beatrice.
The other made-for-TV movie, “Open Marriage” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.), Tilky Jones and former Playmate Nikki Leigh play a couple who regrets getting into an open relationship with two friends (Kelly Dowd and Jason Tobias).
A strangled woman in Texas gets two hours on a replay of “Dateline” (NBC, 8 p.m.).
A drone found turns out to be programmed to spy on “Star Wars Rebels” (Disney XD, 8:30 p.m.).
Before it’s all over Fareed Zakaria looks at “The Legacy of Barack Obama” (CNN, 8 p.m.).
A boy with an extra arm is on “Body Bizarre” (Discovery Life, 9 p.m.).
“MythBusters: The Search” (Science, 9 p.m.) wonders whether one can paint with explosives.
The actor Warren Oates gets the spotlight tonight on Turner Classic Movies with “In the Heat of the Night” (8 p.m.), “Private Property” (10 p.m.) and “Dillinger” (11:30 p.m.). Later comes the prison sagas “Terminal Island” (TCM, 2 a.m.) and “Penitentiary” (TCM, 3:30 a.m.).
Men’s college basketball includes Dayton at Duquesne (CBS Sports, noon), Duke at Louisville (ESPN, noon), Georgia at Florida (ESPN2, noon), Minnesota at Penn State (ESPNU, noon), Connecticut at Georgetown (Fox, noon), Villanova at St. John’s (Fox Sports 1, noon), Seton Hall at Providence (Fox Sports, noon), Richmond at Saint Joseph’s (NBC Sports, noon), Texas A&M at Mississippi State (CBS, 1 p.m.), Truman State at Creighton (Fox Sports 2, 1 p.m.), Virginia Commonwealth at Davidson (CBS Sports, 2 p.m.), Florida State at North Carolina (ESPN, 2 p.m.), Oklahoma State at Kansas (ESPN2, 2 p.m.), Xavier at Butler (Fox Sports 1, 2 p.m.), DePaul at Marquette (Fox Sports, 2 p.m.), Saint Louis at George Mason (NBC Sports, 2:30 p.m.), Houston at Central Florida (CBS Sports, 4 p.m.), Auburn at Kentucky (ESPN, 4 pm.), Baylor at Kansas State (ESPNU, 6:30 p.m.), Fordham vs. St. Bonaventure (NBC Sports, 4:30 p.m.), Iowa State at TCU (Fox Sports, 5:30 p.m.), South Florida at Memphis (CBS Sports, 6 p.m.), Maryland at Illinois (ESPN2, 6 p.m.), Mississippi at South Carolina (ESPNU, 6:30 p.m.), Wichita State at Illinois State (ESPN2, 8 p.m.), Texas Tech at Oklahoma (ESPNU, 8:30 p.m.), Saint Mary’s at Gonzaga (ESPN2, 10 p.m.) and UC-Davis at CS-Northridge (ESPNU, 10:30 p.m.).
Cyndi Lauper plays a new “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 11 p.m., check local listings).