“Catholic vs. Convicts” (ESPN, 9 p.m.) recounts the epic 1988 matchup between then No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 1 Miami. Director Patrick Creadon, who was a Notre Dame senior that year, recounts the game between the teams of Lou Holtz vs. Jimmy Johnson, considered one of the game’s best. But he also concentrates on the controversial T-shirt that also provided the title of his sports documentary on ESPN’s “30 for 30” series.
It comes after the presentation of the Heisman Trophy Presentation (ESPN, 8 p.m.), an event marking the end of college football for the season, though today does have the annual Army – Navy Game (CBS, 1 p.m.) as well as the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs of South Dakota State at North Dakota State (ESPN, noon).
But nothing on prime time Saturday, for the first time in months. So instead: pro soccer with Seattle at Toronto (Fox, 8 p.m.) in the MLS Cup finals.
And they pull out the original 1964 “Mary Poppins” (ABC, 8 p.m.) with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke for a prime time showcase, stretched to three hours.
It plays opposite a replay of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (CBS, 8 p.m.), “Frosty the Snowman” (CBS, 9 p.m.) and “Frosty Returns” (CBS, 9:30 p.m.), which is not about the Wisconsin recount.
Elsewhere, a semifinals of “The Voice” (NBC, 8 p.m.) gets a two hour replay.
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” (HBO, 8 p.m.) makes its premium cable debut. Also on tonight: “The Family Fang” (Starz, 9 p.m.) with Jason Bateman, Nicole Kidman and Christopher Walken.
The 2013 murders of two Texas prosecutors is investigated on “48 Hours” (CBS, 10 p.m.).
Ludo explains why he created chef’s choice dinners on “The Mind of a Chef” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings).
A guy in a Santa suit is in critical condition on a holiday edition of “Untold Stories of the E.R.” (TLC, 9 p.m.).
“Ghost Adventures” (Travel, 9 p.m.) goes to a historic house in California.
In the new made for TV “Christmas with the Andersons” (ION, 9 p.m.), a family who had been used to hosting a lavish holiday party every year has to cut back, with generous plot elements from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” It stars Christy Carlson Romano, George Stults and Julie Brown (the former recording artist, not the “Downtown” one) as a wayward aunt.
A former ballerina finds her ex-boyfriend directing a production of “The Nutcracker” that features her niece in the made-for-TV “A Nutcracker Christmas” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.). With Amy Acker and actual dancers Sascha Radetsky and Sophia Lucia.
Other Christmas movies include “It’s a Wonderful Life” (USA, 8 p.m.), “A Christmas Wedding Date” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.), “Fred Claus” (TBS, 8:30 p.m.), “A Perfect Christmas” (Hallmark, 10 p.m.), “Dear Secret Santa” (Lifetime, 10 p.m.), “Arthur Christmas” (Freeform, 10:50 p.m.) and “The Elf on the Shelf: An Elf’s Story” (TBS, 11:30 p.m.).
Episodes of last year’s “The Great Christmas Light Fight” (Disney, 10 and 11 p.m.) get a replay on cable.
It’s their idea of a Christmas tie-in: “Homicide for the Holidays” (Oxygen, 8 p.m.).
Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, jamie Oliver, will.i.am and Emeli Sande are on a new “Graham Norton Show” (BBC America, 10 p.m.).
Meat Loaf, MC Lyte and Bizzy Bone are revisited up on “Oprah: Where are They Now?” (OWN, 10 p.m.).
Turner Classic Movies shows some stop-motion animation as well with “King Kong” (8 p.m.), “Clash of the Titans” (10 p.m.) and “One Million Years B.C.” (12:15 a.m.). Then comes the horror films “Deathwatch” (TCM, 2:15 a.m.) and “The Sorcerers” (TCM, 4:15 a.m.).
There is a lot of men’s college basketball on today starting this morning with Temple vs. DePaul (ESPNU, 11:30 a.m.), followed by Notre Dame vs. Villanova (CBS, noon), Arizona at Missouri (ESPN2, noon), Massachusetts at Providence (Fox Sports 1, noon), Rhode Island at Houston (ESPNU, 1:30 p.m.), La Salle vs. Georgetown (ESPN2, 2 p.m.), Wisconsin at Marquette (Fox Sports 1, 2 p.m.), Penn State at Pittsburgh (CBS Sports, 2:30 p.m.), Nebraska at Kansas (ESPN, 3:15 p.m.), Wichita State vs. Oklahoma (ESPN2, 4 p.m.), Cincinnati at Butler (Fox Sports 1, 4:30 p.m.), Oklahoma State at Tulsa (CBS Sports, 5 p.m.), Duke at UNLV (ESPN, 5:15 p.m.), Utah at Xavier (Fox, 5:30 p.m.), Long Beach State at Texas (ESPN2, 6 p.m.), Arizona State at San Diego State (CBS Sports, 7 p.m.), Michigan at UCLA (ESPN2, 8 p.m.) and Colorado at BYU (ESPN2, 10 p.m.).
Pro basketball includes Miami at Chicago (NBA, 8 p.m.).
Hockey has Toronto at Boston (NHL, 7 p.m.).
Men’s college hockey includes Notre Dame at Boston College (NBC Sports, 7 p.m.).
In the NCAA women’s college volleyball regional finals it’s Washington vs. Nebraska (ESPNU, 4 p.m.), Wisconsin vs. Stanford (ESPNU, 6 p.m.), Creighton vs. Texas (ESPNU, 8 p.m.) and UCLA vs. Minnesota (ESPNU, 10 p.m.).
Golf includes the final round of the Franklin Templeton Shootout (Fox, 1 p.m.) and day one of the Father/Son Challenge (NBC, 4 p.m.).
Ryan Adams and Shakey Graves play a new “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 11 p.m., check local listings).
Wrestler John Cena hosts a new “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) with Maren Morris as musical guest.