The exploitation of the Amish for TV purposes continues unabated when the one-hit 80s rapper goes without electricity and his phone for a month to live among the plain dressed.
Yes, it’s “Vanilla Ice Goes Amish” (DIY, 10 p.m.), joining a community ostensibly to learn woodworking and construction skills. His first job is a kitchen renovation — without electricity. If the Amish Mafia really existed and wasn’t an invention of cable TV producers, they could put a hit out on him.
Game one of the American League Championship Series gets a big network showcase in primetime, featuring two great franchises, Detroit at Boston (Fox, 7:30 p.m.). Earlier, game two of the Dodgers at St. Louis (TBS, 4 p.m.) is on cable.
More sports in prime time: a NASCAR race (ABC, 7:30 p.m.) from Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (HBO, 8 p.m.) makes its cable debut, as does “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” (Showtime, 9 p.m.).
How about that new fall season? Not a single new show on the air tonight. Instead, repeats of shows from earlier in the week, “Two and a Half Men” (CBS, 8 p.m.), “Ironside” (NBC, 8 p.m.), “2 Broke Girls” (CBS, 8:30 p.m.), “NCIS: Los Angeles” (CBS, 9 p.m.), “The Blacklist” (NBC, 9 p.m.).
In the new movie “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” (Hallmark, 9 p.m.), Chris Mabius endeavors to get everything in the Dead Letter office delivered.
It follows perhaps the first Christmas episode of the season, “Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.).
After having premiered on PBS, Cameron Crowe’s exhaustive documentary “Pearl Jam Twenty” (VH1, 10 p.m.) goes to cable.
A big football day, as usual, with the following games at noon: Oklahoma vs. Texas (ABC), Missouri at Georgia (ESPN), Iowa State at Texas Tech (Fox Sports 1), Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech (ESPNU), Eastern Michigan at Army (CBS Sports), Lehigh at Columbia (NBC Sports), Memphis at Houston (ESPNews) and Indiana at Michigan State (ESPN2).
Games at 3:30 p.m. include Richmond at James Madison (NBC Sports), Boston College at Clemson (ABC), Northwestern at Wisconsin (ESPN2), Baylor at Kansas State (Fox) Eastern Washington at North Dakota (Fox College), Virginia at Maryland (ESPNU), San Jose State at Colorado State (CBS Sports) and Florida at LSU (CBS).
Oregon at Washington (Fox Sports 1, 4 p.m.) is followed by Michigan at Penn State (ESPN, 5 p.m.), Alabama at Kentucky (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), Georgia Tech at BYU (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Villanova at Towson (NBC Sports, 7 p.m.), Tulsa at UTEP (Fox Sports 1, 8 p.m.), Boise State at Utah State (CBS Sports, 8 p.m.), Texas A&M at Mississippi (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.), California at UCLA (ESPN2, 10:30 p.m.) and Oregon State at Washington State (ESPNU, 10:30 p.m.).
Hockey tonight includes Buffalo at Chicago (NHL, 8 p.m.).
The band Phoenix plays a new “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings).
After aggressively courting the young for the first two episodes of the season, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) is hosted by Bruce Willis, 58. Katy Perry is musical guest. A one-hour version of the season premiere with Tina Fey and Arcade Fire is repeated at 10.