The brash, outspoken daughter of Sen. John McCain, who has already made a splash on other talk shows, now hosts her own. “Raising McCain” (Pivot, 10 p.m.), designed for other young people, looks like a DIY project.
She mostly interviews people she worked with at Newsweek and begins investigating each episode’s topics by Googling its definition. Deep reporting this ain’t. Instead, she tries to have fun investigations on issues like security and feminism. She drags her brother into the proceedings, but so far not her dad.
Also new on the network is “Jersey Strong” (Pivot, 10:30 p.m.), which continues the inspiring story of ex-Blood Jayda and ex-Crip Creep trying to live a peaceful life in Newark. They were first seen in the first rate docu-series “Brick City.”
Lori Laughlin plays a consignment store owner who looks into a crime in the TV movie “Garage Sale Mystery” (Hallmark, 9 p.m.). Another new TV movie tonight with Gail O’Grady, “Sins of the Preacher” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.), looks at a suspicious cleric. Not to be confused with “Snake Salvation” (National Geographic Channel, 9 and 9:30 p.m.).
Mechanizing a reptile is the idea begind the new TV movie “Robocroc” (Syfy, 9 p.m.), on a network that seems to be returning its B-movies back from Thursday to Saturday.
The Billy Crystal movie “Parental Guidance” (HBO, 8 p.m.) makes its debut on premium cable.
Wonder how a series like Ricky Gervais’ “Derek” (Netflix) will fare next year on The Prism Awards (FX, 3 p.m.) which honors accurate depictions of mental health and substance abuse issues.He’s not a nominee this year; Claire Danes, Bradley Cooper and Denzel Washington are.
“Hell on Wheels” (AMC, 9 p.m.) has been doing pretty well on Saturday nights and will likely be renewed (while “The Killing” was canceled again last week, once and for all).
College football takes over with two games in prime time tonight: Ohio State California (Fox, 7 p.m.) and Notre Dame at Purdue (ABC, 8 p.m.). And there’s more on cable with Vanderbilt at South Carolina (ESPN, 7 p.m.), Kent State at LSU (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Mississippi State at Auburn (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), Kansas at Rice (CBS Sports, 7:30 p.m.), Marshall at Ohio (ESPNews, 8 p.m.), Oregon State at Utah (Fox Sports 1, 10 p.m.) and Wisconsin at Arizona State (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.).
Afternoon games include UCLA at Nebraska (ABC, noon), Stanford at Army (CBS Sports, noon), Louisville at Kentucky (ESPN, noon), Tulsa at Oklahoma (ESPN2, noon). Virginia Tech at East Carolina (Fox Sports 1, noon), Bowling Green at Indiana (ESPNU, noon), Alabama at Texas A&M (CBS, 3:30 p.m.), Nevada at Florida State (ESPN, 3:30 p.m.), Tennessee at Oregon (ABC, 3:30 p.m.), Georgia Tech at Duke (ESPNU, 3:30 p.m.) and Iowa at Iowa State (Fox Sports 1, 6 p.m.).
Turner Classic Movies features films about boats that are sinking and their lifeboats, with “Lifeboat” (8 p.m.), “Abandon Ship!” (10 p.m.) and of course “Titanic” (midnight), the 1953 version.
Sonic Youth plays a rerun of “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings).
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) repeats the latest episode in which Justin Timberlake played double duty.