Syfy isn’t showing its B-movie monster movies like “Octoshark” any more on Saturday nights, but they are importing series that appear to be just as bad.
“Primeval: New World” (Syfy, 10 p.m.) is a canceled Canadian product about a portal that accidentally opens to other time periods and when a bunch of dinosaurs make their way into the present time, a team of dinosaur hunters — played by Niall Matter, Sara Canning and Dany Rahim — are enlisted to contain them.
It plays alongside the premiere of a second new series, “Sinbad” (Syfy, 9 p.m.), which is not about the comedian and only nominally about the character from classic mythology. Elliot Knight plays Sinbad as a street-smart adventurer, who battles a curse amid all manner of evil forces and monsters. But so far, no dinosaurs or octosharks.
Sports takes over prime time with the Firestone 550 (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) from Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, a Stanley Cup Game 5 with Los Angeles at Chicago (NBC, 8 p.m.) and a prime time baseball game that could be any one of four regional interleague games. I’m guessing it’s Philadelphia at Milwaukee (Fox, 7 p.m.).
Tim Burton’s misguided remake “Dark Shadows” (HBO, 8 p.m.) with Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins, makes its cable premiere as does “Premium Rush” (Starz, 9 p.m.) and “Snow White and the Huntsman” (Cinemax, 10 p.m.).
In the new made for TV movie “The Good Mother” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.) a foster child begins to think her foster mother is a murderer in a movie about the Munchausen by proxy disorder. It stars Helen Slater (once, “Supergirl”) and Beverly D’Angelo.
Four new episodes of “Swamp’d” (Destination America, 8 p.m.) precede a couple of new ones of “Hillbilly Blood” (Destination America, 10 and 10:30 p.m.). Yee-Haw! Seems like the only destination in cable TV these days is South.
The smart zombie rehabilitation yarn “In the Flesh” (BBC America, 10 p.m.) ends its three episode run.
The new series “Sam & Cat” (Nickelodeon, 8 p.m.) pairs Jennette McCurdy’s character Sam from “iCarly” and the one played by Ariana Grande, Cat, from “Victorious” as new friends and entrepreneurial roommates.
With a sequel on its way to theaters, here’s the original “Monsters, Inc” (ABC Family, 6:55 and 9 p.m.) from way back in 2001.
He was the coolest guy in the French New Wave. Jean-Paul Belmondo appears in three films: Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless” (TCM, 8 p.m.), Louis Malle’s “The Thief of Paris” (TCM, 9:45 p.m.) and Vittorio De Sica’s “Two Women” (TCM, midnight).
Later comes Terry Zwigoff’s fascinating portrait of the comix king, “Crumb” (TCM, 2 a.m.).
A Seth Rogen double feature offers “Pineapple Express” (FX, 8 p.m.) and “The Green Hornet” (FX, 10:30 p.m.).
Actual good movies tonight include “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (G4, 8 p.m.), “The Descendants” (More Max, 7 p.m.) and “Juno” (Oxygen, 8 and 10 p.m.).
The women’s singles final in the French Open (NBC, 9 a.m.) starts early.
Jimmy Cliff plays a replay of “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings).
The rather flat Vince Vaughn-hosted “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) with musical guest Miguel is rerun.