The adaptation of beloved works with Africa-American casts isn’t always successful — or necessary. I’m thinking of the Queen Latifah remake of “Steel Magnolias” for Lifetime that didn’t all that much to the original on Lifetime. But now comes a version of “The Trip to Bountiful” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.) so rich and rewarding it almost looks better this way.
The adaptation of the Broadway staging that earned a Tony for its star Cicely Tyson works completely on film — and not as a filmed stage play. The details of a forced multi-generational family and the pull to a rural past that literally doesn’t exist make it seem that Foote’s sensitive story were best served by the black staging.
For Tyson, it is a masterwork — one of the greatest roles in a long career of high points, one that almost eclipses Geraldine Page’s Oscar winning performance in the 1985. And her work inspires all those around her rise as well from Vanessa Williams as a high strung daughter in law to Blair Underwood as the long suffering son between them, and even Keke Palmer who plays a young woman on a bus who aids the woman’s escape to revisit her past.
Director Michael Wilson, who brought the revival to Broadway last year, makes a remarkable film debut here that was largely ignored by reviews, maybe because reviewers have stopped watching Lifetime movies. but they will pay attention months from now when this turns up in Emmy nominations and likely wins.
In the much more conventional TV movie “A Ring by Spring” (Hallmark, 7 p.m.), Stephanie Powers plays a fortune teller who advises Rachel Boston she’ll be engaged by spring or never marry.
Hollywood movies making their premium cable debuts tonight include the Rock in “Snitch” (HBO, 8 p.m.), the science fiction horror movie “The Purge” (Cinemax, 10 p.m.) with Ethan Hawk and Lena Headey, and “Quartet” (Showtime, 9 p.m.) with Billy Connolly, Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay and Pauline Collins as a reunion of former opera singers.
I preferred it when Starz would show new movies on Saturday rather than its original pirate series “Black Sails” (Starz, 9 p.m.).
The new reality series “Timber Kings” (Discovery, 10 p.m.) follows the rough work of a company in British Columbia specializing in log cabins. First, an 18-wheeler gets wrecked during winter construction in Ontario. It follows a couple of new episodes of “Hillbilly Blood” (Discovery, 9 and 9:30 p.m.).
A female gang of kidnappers abducts a prominent member of the city council on a new “Ripper Street” (BBC America, 9 p.m.).
A mother is lost in a bilzzard on “48 Hours” (CBS, 10 p.m.).
Aaron Paul, Naomi Campbell and Ellie Goulding are among guests on a new “Graham Norton Show” (BBC America, 10:15 p.m.).
The writer Paddy Cheyefsky and director Delbert Mann get the spotlight on Turner Classic Movies with their work on “Marty” (8 p.m.) and the less well known “Middle of the Night” (9:45 p.m.) and “The Bachelor Party” (midnight). Later comes the experimental 1968 film about actors auditioning, William Greave’s “Symbiopsychtaxiplasm: Take One” (TCM, 3 a.m.) in the return of the Underground series after a month’s absence.
Big weekend for men’s college hoops before the tournaments with Kentucky at Florida (CBS, noon), SMU at Memphis (ESPN2, noon), Kansas at West Virginia (ESPN, noon), Cincinnati at Rutgers (ESPNews, noon), St. John’s at Marquette (Fox Sports 1, noon), Oklahoma State at Iowa State (ESPN, 2 p.m.), Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech (ESPN2, 2 p.m.), Conecticut at Louisville (CBS, 2 p.m.), Georgetown at Villanova (Fox Sports 1, 2 p.m.), Temple at South Florida (ESPNews, 2 p.m.), Army at Boston University (CBS Sports, 3:30 p.m.), Arizona at Oregon (CBS, 4 p.m.), Missouri at Tennessee (ESPN, 4 p.m.), Texas at Texas Tech (ESPNews, 4 p.m.), Seton Hall at Butler (Fox Sports 1, 4:30 p.m.), Holy Cross at American (CBS Sports, 5:30 p.m.), Indiana at Michigan (ESPN, 6 p.m.), Providence at Creighton (CBS Sports, 8 p.m.), North Carolina at Duke (ESPN, 9 p.m.), Santa Clara vs. Gonzaga (ESPN2, 9 p.m.), New Mexico at San Diego State (CBS Sports, 10 p.m.) Pepperdine vs. Saint Mary’s (ESPN2, 11 p.m.) and UCLA at Washington State (Fox Sports 1, 11 p.m.).
Women’s games include South Carolina vs. Kentucky (ESPNU, noon), Tennessee vs. Texas A&M (ESPNU, 2:30 p.m.), North Carolina State vs. Notre Dame (ESPNU, 5 p.m.) and North Carolina vs. Duke (ESPNU, 7:30 p.m.).
Spring baseball includes Yankees vs. Astros (MLB, 1 p.m.); in NBA action, it’s New York at Cleveland (NBA, 7:30 p.m.). In hockey, Minnesota at Dallas (NHL, 8:30 p.m.).
Bon Iver plays “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 9 p.m.), check local listings.
Lena Dunham hosts a new “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.), which may be a very interesting combination. The National is musical guest.