At a time when the entire political world seems like a joke, will it help to watch the satire of a different era? It can’t hurt. Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (TCM, 8 p.m.) is likely the strongest thing on a wan Saturday night. It’s part of a double feature of cold war comedies starring Peter Sellers, capped by “The Mouse That Roared” (TCM, 10 p.m.).
Since Hallmark’s Christmas in July campaign continues with things like “Christmas at the Plaza” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.) and “Check in to Christmas” (10 p.m.), it figures that the recent Emilia Clarke-Henry Golding romance “Last Christmas” (HBO, 8 p.m.) makes its premium cable debut.
The one major league sport back in action gets a primetime broadcast slot with Atlanta United vs. New York Red Bulls (Fox, 8 p.m.) in the MLS is Back Tournament. The match that follows, FC Cincinnati vs. Columbus (Fox Sports 1, 10:30 p.m.).
Contractor Scott McGillivray and designer Debra Salmoni try to save places like sinking lake cabins on the new series “Vacation House Rules” (HGTV, 8 p.m.),
The Saturday morning host gets a Saturday night biography with “Michael Smerconish – Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Talking” (CNN, 10 p.m.), a kind of one man show performed in an empty theater.
Brides on “Say Yes to the Dress” (TLC, 8 p.m.) better start saying yes to the mask, as the pandemic closes down the bridal shop.
The zoo closes down and Bindi is on lockdown on a very special “Crikey! It’s the Irwins” (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.).
“Family or Fiancé” (OWN, 9 p.m.) returns for a third season with a typically fraught couple and their families.
Kym Whitley joins the “Girlfriends Check-In” (OWN, 10 p.m.).
Some more new dumb ghost series start on the Travel channel, “Believers” (9 p.m.) and “Hotel Paranormal” (Travel, 10 p.m.), the latter narrated by onetime Ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd.
The made for TV thriller “Obsession: Escaping My Ex” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.) tells you just about everything you need to know about it in the title. It comes between “Obsession: Stalked By My Lover” (Lifetime, 6 p.m.) and “A Predator’s Obsession” (Lifetime, 10 p.m.).
The season premiere of “The Incredible Dr. Pol” (Nat Geo Wild, 9 p.m.) runs 90 minutes.
Throwing a baby shower and not inviting everyone is a good way to stir the pot on reality shows; it happens again on “Love & Marriage: Huntsville” (OWN, 8 p.m.).
Dylan writes a rap about his mom on “Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan” (Nickelodeon, 8 p.m.).
William Shatner returns for a new season of “The UnXplained” (History, 9 p.m.), followed by a new season of “Unidentified: Inside America’s UFO Investigation” (History, 10 p.m.).
“Minions” (NBC, 8 p..m.) is broadcast amid the reruns.
The entire trilogy of “Men in Black” (Comedy Central, 5:30 p.m.), “Men in Black II” (Comedy Central, 7:30 p.m.) and “Men in Black 3” (Comedy Central, 9:30 p.m.). Likewise, “The Expendables” (IFC, 8 p.m.) is followed by “The Expendables 2” (10:15 p.m.) and “The Hunger Games: Mockingly, Part 1” (Freeform, 8 p.m.), followed by “The Hunger Games: Mockingly, Part 2” (Freeform, 10:45 p.m.) makes for a long night.
The 100th anniversary of the birth of Yul Brenner is marked on Turner Classic Movies with “Invitation to a Gunfighter” (11:30 a.m.), “The Journey” (1:15 p.m.), “The Brothers Karamazov” (3:30 p.m.) and “Westworld” (6:15 p.m.). The late night crime noir, “Bodyguard” (midnight), is followed by two immigration tales, “America America” (1:30 a.m.) and “Little Nellie Kelly” (4:30 a.m.).
English Premier League games today include West Ham at Norwich City (NBC Sports, 7:25 a.m.), Burnley at Liverpool (NBC Sports, 9:55 a.m.), Chelsea at Sheffield United (NBC, 11:30 a.m.) and Manchester City at Brighton (NBC Sports, 3 p.m.).
There is third round play on Workday Charity Open (Golf, 1 p.m.; CBS, 3 p.m.) and second round play in the American Century Championship (NBC, 3 p.m.).
Auto racing includes the General Tire 150 (Fox Sports 1, 2:30 p.m.), the first race in the REV Group Grand Prix (NBC Sports, 5 p.m.) and the the Buckle Up Your Truck 225 (Fox Sports 1, 6 p.m.).
The Basketball Tournament quarterfinals have Overseas Elite vs. Herd That (ESPN, 2 p.m.) and Sideline Cancer vs. Boeheim’s Army (ESPN, 4 p.m.).
Australian Football has Greater Western Sydney vs. Port Adelaide (Fox Sports 2, 11 p.m.), Sydney at Richmond (1:30 a.m.) and Western vs. Carlton (Fox Sports 1, 4:30 a.m.).
The Puerto Rican artist Residente plays a 2019 episode of “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 11 p.m., check local listings).
Last year’s episode of “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) with JJ Watt and Luke Combs is rerun. A 2017 show with Ryan Gosling and Jay-Z replays at 10. And the life of a former “SNL” star is recalled in “Biography: Chris Farley – Anything for a Laugh” (A&E, 8 p.m.).