Once touted as some kind of savant, Karl Pilkington showed himself to be pure actor by his role in Ricky Gervais’ “Derek.” Now he stars in another vaguely serious scientific discussion, “The Moaning of Life” (Science, 10 p.m.), which is more a travel series investigating other cultures, with the idea that as he hits 40, he’s considering the big questions of life. The journey takes him to Japan, South Africa, Mexico and Taiwan. But when the series first showed in the UK last fall, the final episode about the Philippines was pulled because it coincided with the typhoon there.
Stars must have to block out whole weeks for awards ceremonies. Tonight’s is the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild (TBS and TNT, 8 p.m.), whose main claim to fame is awarding ensemble awards in movies and TV. Rita Moreno rcives the 50th annual lifetime achievement award. Red carpet coverage on the E! network begins at 6 p.m.
To mark the death Thursday of Dave Madden at 82, the character actor best known as Ruben Kincaid, there’s a seven hour marathon today of episodes of “The Partridge Family” (Antenna TV, 1 p.m.) in which he was particularly featured.
Jennifer Lawrence and David O. Russell are back up for Oscars this year, just as they were with “Silver Linings Playbook” (Showtime, 8 p.m.) also starring Bradley Cooper, Jacki Weaver and Robert De Niro.
Saturday night at 8 is the traditional premiere time for big movies on HBO, but not so this week as the big Tom Cruise in the space saga, “Olivion” (HBO, 8 p.m.) premiered Sunday as a prelude to “True Detective” and “Girls” (HBO2, 8 p.m.) and has replayed all week before showing again tonight.
It’s surprising how the broadcast networks load up their Saturday nights with reruns or even a Will Smith movie — “Hancock” (ABC, 8 p.m.). That means two hours of “Chicago PD” (NBC, 8 and 9 p.m.) and last season’s finale of “The Following” (Fox, 9 p.m.) to prepare you for the season two premiere Sunday.
In a new episode of “When Calls the Heart” (Hallmark, 9 p.m.), widows have to take over for their dead husbands in the mines of western Canada.
It’s a night of Tallulah Bankhead, with “Lifeboat” (TCM, 8 p.m.), “Faithless” (10 p.m.), “Die! Die! My Darling!” (11:30 p.m.) before the 60s druggy movies “Skidoo” (TCM, 2 a.m.) and “The Big Cube” (TCM, 3:45 a.m.).
Get the lowdown on the Lizzie Borden case on an episode of “Ghost Adventures” (Travel, 9 p.m.) before the TV movie on the subject next week. But it plays opposite a “Celebrity Ghost Stories” (Lifetime Movie Network, 9 p.m.), with Donovan Leitch and Phyllis Diller.
Men’s college hoops include toledo at Akron (ESPNU, 11 a.m.), Tennesse at Kentucky (CBS, noon), Boston College at North Carolina (ESPN, noon), Temple at La Salle (ESPN2, noon), George Mason at Rhode Island (NBC Sports Network, 12:30 p.m.), Missouri State at Northern Iowa (ESPNU, 1 pm.), North Carolina State at Duke (CBS, 2 p.m.), Oklahoma at Baylor (ESPN, 2 p.m.) Alabama at Missouri (ESPN2, 2 p.m.), Southern California at Colorado (Fox Sports 1, 2 p.m.), Fordham at Saint Louis (NBC Sports Network, 2:30 p.m.), Dayton at Richmond (ESPNU, 3 p.m.), Oklahoma State at Kansas (CBS, 4 p.m.), Pittsburgh at Syracuse (ESPN, 4 p.m.), Indiana State at Wichita State (ESPN2, 4 p.m.), UCLA at Utah (Fox Sports 1, 4 p.m.), Cincinnati at South Florida (ESPNU, 5 p.m.), Michigan at Wisconsin (ESPN, 6 p.m.), Texas Tech at TCU (Fox Sports Network, 6 p.m.), Dartmouth at St. John’s (Fox Sports 1, 6 p.m.), Penn State at Purdue (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Creighton at Providence (Fox Sports 1, 8 p.m.), Louisville at Connecticut (ESPN, 9 p.m.), Vanderbilt at LSU (ESPNU, 9 p.m.) and Washington at Stanford (ESPNU, 11 p.m.).
There is still one vestige of college football with the East-West Shrine Game (NFL, 4 p.m.) in St. Petersburg, Fla.
A new “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings) features Dawes and the band fun.
Drake is host and musical guest on the year’s first new “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.), which is also the first for new cast member Sasheer Zamata. At 10 p.m., the cut down “SNL” episode with John Goodman and Kings of Leon is on.