The best part of Oscar weekend is the much more low-key, much less hyped, and much more interested in cinema Film Independent Spirit Awards (IFC, 5 and 11 p.m.). Fred Armisen and Kristen Bell host the 30th annual event from a tent on a beach on Santa Monica. It’s a luncheon event, which is the reason it’s so early.
There is some overlap with the Oscars, though “Selma” and “Love is Strange” are among its five best picture nominees with “Birdman,” “Boyhood” and “Whiplash.” But “Best First Feature” nominees include “Nightcrawler,” “She’s Lost Control,” “Obvious Child,” “Dear White People” and “A Girl Walks Home at Night.” It’s always helpful to jot down titles of interesting, otherwise unheralded titles for later streaming.
Even more obscure is this other Beverly Hills luncheon, “Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards” (OWN, 10 p.m.) from the Beverly Wilshire, in which Oprah Winfrey honors African-American women in film and television including Regina King, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ruth E. Carter and much of the cast of “Orange is the New Black.”
If it’s Oscars or nothing, though, anticipate tomorrow’s event with “Countdown to the Oscars: An Insider’s Guide” (ABC, 8 p.m.) with Lara Spencer looking at fashion, hair and makeup plans, gift baskets and the rest. It’s followed by a Saturday movie that’s actually good, “The Social Network” (ABC, 8:30 p.m.).
The other big event this week is feted with the “Daytona 500 Bash at the Beach” (Fox, 9 p.m.) in which celebrities and race car drivers mingle. Little Big Town and Phillip Phillips perform; Clint Bowyer (he’s a driver) hosts.
“The Fault in Our Stars” (HBO, 8 p.m.) with Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, makes its premium cable debut.
An eighth season starts for “The Artful Detective” (Ovation, 7 p.m.) which follows the work of a Toronto detective played by Yannick Bisson in the early part of the last century, where historical figures freely pop in and steampunk technology is often employed.
The new TV movie “Babysitter’s Black Book” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.) features teens who try to fund their college by turning their babysitting service into an escort service for dads. It stars Spencer Locke, Perry Reeves and Ryan McPartlin and features music from Avril Lavigne
Miranda tries to save the island on “Black Sails” (Starz, 9 p.m.).
An astronomer gets “The Musketeers” (BBC America, 9 p.m.) to watch a solar eclipse.
A bullet-proof phone case is tested on “What Could Possibly Go Wrong?” (Science, 10 p.m.).
On “Sex Sent Me to the ER” (TLC, 10 p.m.), a man suffers memory loss after sex. Which must explain why he hasn’t called since.
“Dateline” (NBC, 8 p.m.) concentrates on a love triangle between a beauty queen, a wife and a guitarist that is of course deadly. “48 Hours” (CBS, 10 p.m.) looks into the case of a young nurse whose suicide may have been faked by her husband’s cult.
Best picture nominees and winners from 1970-1973 are on Turner Movie Classics with “Patton” (8 p.m.), “McCabe and Mrs. Miller” (11 p.m.), “Papillion” (1:15 a.m.) and “Klute” (4 a.m.).
Whole lot of men’s college hoops today, including South Florida at East Carolina (ESPNU, 11 a.m.), Seton Hall at St. John’s (Fox, noon), Minnesota at Wisconsin (ESPN, noon), Massachusetts at VCU (ESPN2, noon), Oklahoma at Texas Tech (ESPNews, noon), Kansas State at Baylor (ESPNU, 1 p.m.), Florida at LSU (CBS, 1 p.m.), Dayton at Duquesne (NBC Sports Network, 2 p.m.), Iowa State at Texas (ESPN2, 2 p.m.), Miami at Louisville (ESPN, 2 p.m.), West Virginia at Oklahoma State (ESPNews, 2 p.m.), Austin Peay at Murray State (CBS Sports, 2 p.m.), Villanova at Marquette (Fox, 2:30 p.m.), Penn State at Northwestern (ESPNU, 3 p.m.), Clemson at Duke (ESPN, 4 p.m.), Texas Christian at Kansas (ESPN2, 4 p.m.), Drexel at Northeastern (NBC Sports, 4 p.m.), George Washington at Richmond (CBS Sports, 4 p.m.), Virginia Tech at North Carolina State (ESPN2, 6 p.m.), UNLV at New Mexico (CBS Sports, 6 p.m.), Auburn at Kentucky (ESPN, 7 p.m.), Tennessee at Mississippi (ESPNU, 7:30 p.m.), DePaul at Georgetown (CBS Sports, 8 p.m.), UCLA at Arizona (ESPN, 9 p.m.), Cincinnati at Houston (ESPNU, 9:30 p.m.) and Gonzaga at St. Mary’s (ESPN2, 10 p.m.).
Hockey includes Islanders at Washington (NHL, 12:30 p.m.) and Los Angeles vs. San Jose (NBC Sports, 10 p.m.). In basketball, Phoenix at Chicago (NBA, 8 p.m.).
Gary Clark Jr. and Alabama Shakes preform on an “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings) replay.
The Blake Shelton hosted “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) from earlier this season, is rerun. New episodes start next week.