The best part of Oscar weekend for me is the night before, when the Film Independent’s Spirit Awards (IFC, 5 p.m.) occurs in a tent on the Santa Monica Beach. While its nominees are have had overlaps with Oscar winners, this year, the main film that overlaps is “If Beale Street Could Talk.”
“We are Animals” leads with five nominations; “Eighth Grade” and “First Reformed” each got four. Other multiple nominees include “Leave No Trace,” “You Were Never Really Here,” “The Tale” and “Private Life.” And they’ve got something else the Academy Awards doesn’t: a host. It’s Aubrey Plaza, who was in last year’s first feature winner, “Ingrid Goes West.”
If you are rooting for the new remake to win a raft of Oscars, check out the 1937 version of “A Star is Born” (TCM, 8 p.m.), with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, followed by the Judy Garland-James Mason 1954 remake of “A Star is Born” (10 p.m.).
Those hoping for a “Bohemian Rhapsody” Oscar win may want to spend the day amid the revolving slate of Queen specials on AXS TV, with “Classic Albums: Queen: A Night at the Opera” (noon, 3 and 6 p.m.), “Rock Legends: Queen” (1, 4 and 7 p.m.) and “Queen: Hungarian Rhapsody – Live in Budapest” (1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.).
In the original film “O.G.” (HBO, 10 p.m.), Jeffrey Wright plays a longtime prisoner whose release hits a snag when he helps a new inmate (Thetas Carter). William Fichtner and Mare Winningham are also are featured in the film directed by Madeleine Sackler from inside an actual maximum security prison, the Pendleton Correctional Facility in Indiana.
Sports dominates prime time with Houston at Golden State (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) in the NBA and Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (NBC, 8 p.m.) in the NHL stadium series, outdoors at Lincoln Financial Field. Earlier games have Washington at Buffalo (NHL, 1 p.m.) and Boston at St. Louis (NHL, 4 p.m.).
“Planet Earth: Dynasties” (BBC America, 9 p.m.) ends with a look at how they shot the episodes.
A sea lion pup grows up in “The Zoo” (Animal Planet, 10 p.m.).
“Ransom” (CBS, 8 p.m.) deals with a brainwashed survivor of an internet predator.
A loan problem threatens everything on “Love & Marriage: Huntsville” (OWN, 10 p.m.).
A chef makes a deal with a frozen food exec in the made-for-TV romance “Love on the Menu” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.) starring Autumn Reeser, Kavan Smith and Barbara Niven.
On the TV movie “Who’s Stalking Me” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.), a woman who relies on a detective after a near-death experience begins to doubt him too. With Chelsea Ricketts, Michael Welch, Cara Santana, and Shari Belafonte.
“Slender Man” (Starz, 8 p.m.) makes its premium cable premiere and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (Syfy, 8 p.m.) is on regular cable.
A woman seeks a strapless gown on “Say Yes to the Dress” (TLC, 8 p.m.).
Turner Classic Movies has Oscar- nominated adventure films over the years showing all day, with “Robinson Crusoe” (8 a.m.), “Captain Blood” (9:30 a.m.), “The Black Swan” (11:45 a.m.), “The Three Musketeers” (1:30 p.m.), “Knights of the Round Table” (3:45 p.m.) and “Ivanhoe” (6 p.m.). Late tonight are a pair of Oscar winning films directed by John Huston, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1:15 a.m.) and “Key Largo” (3:30 a.m.).
This is good news: The first spring training baseball games of the year, including Yankees vs. Boston (MLB, 1 p.m.).
Men’s college basketball includes Tennessee at LSU (ESPN, noon), Marquette at Providence (Fox, noon), Texas at Oklahoma (ESPNU, noon), Tulsa at Temple (ESPNews, noon), Auburn at Kentucky (CBS, 1:30 p.m.), Ohio State at Maryland (ESPN, 2 p.m.), Iowa State at TCU (ESPN2, 2 p.m.), West Virginia at Baylor (ESPNU, 2 p.m.), Navy at Colgate (CBS Sports, 2 p.m.), Georgetown at Creighton (Fox, 2:30 p.m.), Florida State at North Carolina (CBS, 3:45 p.m.), Virginia Tech at Notre Dame (ESPN, 4 p.m.), Oklahoma State at Kansas State (ESPN2, 4 p.m.), Missouri at Florida (ESPNU, 4 p.m.), Saint Louis at Dayton (CBS Sports, 4 p.m.), St. Bonaventure at Fordham (NBC Sports, 4:30 p.m.), Duke at Syracuse (ESPN, 6 p.m.), South Florida at Houston (ESPN2, 6 p.m.), Northern Illinois at Toledo (CBS Sports, 6 p.m.), Vanderbilt at Alabama (ESPNU, 6 p.m.), Fresno State at Nevada (CBS Sports, 8 p.m.), Kansas at Texas Tech (ESPN, 8 p.m.), East Carolina at Tulane (ESPNU, 8 p.m.), Memphis at Wichita State (ESPN2, 8 p.m.), Seton Hall at St. John’s (Fox Sports 1, 8 p.m.), BYU at Gonzaga (ESPN, 10 p.m.), Oregon at UCLA (ESPN2, 10 p.m.) and San Diego State at UNLV (ESPNU, 10 p.m.).
Golf has third round play in the WGC-Mexico Championship (Golf, noon; NBC, 2:30 p.m.).
It’s Day 2 of the U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championships (NBC Sports, 6:30 p.m.).
Robert Plant plays a 2016 “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 11 p.m.).
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) is also a rerun with Claire Foy and Anderson Paak from December.