While most networks have gotten completely out of the business of TV movies, a few places turn out new films week in and week out. Two of them have better than usual offerings tonight. “Big Driver” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.), based on a Stephen King story, is the biggest departure, with Maria Bello playing a famed writer of mysteries and thrillers who is brutally assaulted after a speaking engagement.
Instead of merely calling the police, she is bent on revenge and follows a rabbit hole to get him. Along the way are some riffs on writing and the pernicious nature of disembodied GPS voices. Included in the cast are Olympia Dukakis and, in the must surprising turn, Joan Jett as a one-eyed barkeep.
“My Boyfriends’ Dogs” (Hallmark, 9 p.m.) is a little more expected fare, with Erika Christensen of “Parenthood” playinga young woman who is unlucky at love, but loves all of her ex-boyfriends’ dogs. Joyce deWitt is also part of the cast.
There is nothing out of the ordinary, though, with this week’s B-movie release from Syfy, a tale about an evil doll that had been left behind by a previous family, “Finder’s Keepers” (Syfy, 9 p.m.) with Jaime Pressly and Tobin Bell.
On a new “Doctor Who” (BBC America, 9 p.m.), Clary fights a menace from a different dimension as she tries to free the Doctor from a trap.
The prime time college football game is Notre Dame at Florida State (ABC, 8 p.m.).
On a new “48 Hours” (CBS, 10 p.m.), a middle school student complains about the advances of a teacher, and soon she is joined by a few other students as well.
Everything else on broadcast TV is a rerun including same week replays of “The Mysteries of Laura” (NBC, 8 p.m.), “Law & Order Special Victims Unit” (NBC, 9 p.m.) and two episodes of “Gracepoint” (Fox, 8 and 9 p.m. to allow you to catch up.
Spike Jonez’ intriguing futuristic love story “Her” (Cinemax, 6:50 p.m.) with Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson, makes its premium cable debut.
Also new tonight are “Lone Survivor” (HBO, 8 p.m.), the Navy SEALS vs. Taliban saga by Peter Berg with Mark Wahlberg and Taylor Kitsch, and “Non-Stop” (Cinemax, 10 p.m.), the Liam Neeson action film about a a hijacker on a nonstop flight to London, with Julianne Moore, Michelle Dockery and Lupita Nyong’o.
John Cleese, Taylor Swift, Keven Pietersen and Neil Diamond are guests on a new episode of “The Graham Norton Show” (BBC America, 10 p.m.).
If you missed it earlier this week, it’s the BET Hip Hop Awards 2014 (BET, 10 p.m.).
A couple of films about redemption, “Field of Dreams” (TCM, 8 p.m.) and “The Searchers” (TCM, 10 p.m.) come before a couple of odd 70s films about law enforcement: “Assault on Precinct 13″ (TCM, 2:30 a.m.) and “The Super Cops” (TCM, 4 a.m.).
College football today includes, at noon: Iowa at Maryland (ESPN2), Baylor at West Virginia (Fox Sports 1), Kansas State at Oklahoma (ESPN), South Florida at Tulsa (ESPNews) and Tulane at Central Florida (ESPNU). The games at 3:30 p.m. include Texas A&M at Alabama (CBS), Rutgers at Ohio State (ABC), Michigan State at Indiana (ESPN), UCLA at California (ESPN2), Clemson at Boston College (ESPNU) and Cincinnatti at SMU (CBS Sports Network) with Oklahoma State at TCU (Fox Sports 1) at 4 p.m.).
Tonight’s cable college football roster includes Tennessee at Mississippi (ESPN, 7 p.m.), Missouri at Florida (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), Georgia Tech at North Carolina (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Utah State at Colorado State (CBS Sports Network, 7 p.m.), Washington at Oregon (Fox Sports 1, 8 p.m.), Nevada at BYU (ESPN2, 10:15 p.m.), Stanford at Arizona State (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.) and Hawaii at San Diego State (CBS Sports).
Hockey Saturday night includes Toronto at Detroit (NHL, 7 p.m.).
A very un-PBS type performer gets the spotlight on a new “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings), Nine Inch Nails.
It’s already the first rerun of the season on “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) — a replay of the 40th season opener with Chris Pratt and Ariana Grande that felt a little flat.
Earlier, they replay the very first episode of “Saturday Night Live” hosted by George Carlin, from Oct. 1975. Carlin gives a long monologue, and two musical guests, Billy Preston and Janis Ian on “SNL Vintage” (NBC, 10 p.m.)