Leonard Bernstein’s first performance as director of the New York Philharmonic was for one of its acclaimed Young People’s Concerts. The program had begun in 1924 following family matinees that had started as early as 1885.
But his inaugural performance in 1958 was also the first of the Young People’s Concerts to be televised by CBS in an extraordinary series that brought classical music to broadcast TV in a way that it hadn’t previously or has ever been matched since
Influential to an entire generation of musicians, and edifying for everyone else who watched, the Young People’s concerts continued for 53 performances over the next 14 years on TV, with telecasts syndicated to 40 countries.
Amid a three-day celebration on Turner Classic Movies noting the centennial of Bernstein’s birth comes four of those episodes, the inaugural “What Does Music Mean?” (8 p.m.), followed by “Humor in Music” (9:06 p.m.) five episodes later in 1959. “What is a Mode?” (10:15 p.m.) from 1966 was the 36th episode in the series and “A Toast to Vienna in 3/4 Time” (11:16 p.m.) with Christa Ludwig and Walter Berry., presented on Christmas Day in 1967, was the 40th episode. There would be 53 episodes in all, culminating in spring 1972.
The final three episodes of “Me, Myself & I” (CBS, 8, 8:30 and 9 p.m.) wrap up the canceled comedy starring Jack Dylan Grazer, Bobby Moynihan and John Larroquette playing three ages of one guy. It’s followed by an episode of another comedy that didn’t gain a foothold, “Living Biblically” (CBS, 9:30 p.m.).
Former “Grill Dads” hosts Mark Anderson and Ryan Fey hit the road for a “Comfort Food Tour” (Food Network, 8 p.m.), first hitting stops in Houston and Miami.
Weddings should not be a competition. Yet on the seventh season start of “Four Weddings” (TLC, 9 p.m.), four St. Louis brides compete for a chance to win a big honeymoon trip.
On an unusual Saturday night “Conan” (TBS, 11 p.m.), Conan O’Brien wraps up his week at Comic Con with a panel from the upcoming film “Glass” with Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy.
Salem, Mass., is an easy choice as one of the “Most Haunted Towns” (Travel, 10 p.m.). Yet I say witch hunt.
The new “Sex, Lies & Murder” (Reelz, 10 p.m.) begins with the story of a porn star killer.
A fight about mockingbirds leads to a feud in “Fear Thy Neighbor” (Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.).
“Planet Earth: South Pacific” (BBC America, 9 p.m.) looks at the effect of colonization there.
An Asian elephant is born on “Secret Life of the Zoo” (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.).
“Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet” (Animal Planet, 8 p.m.) helps a cat who has been hit by a truck.
“The Snowman” (HBO, 8 p.m.) makes its premium cable debut.
Kim Kardashian is featured on “Scandal Made Me Famous” (Reelz, 9 p.m.).
“Ghost Adventures” (Travel, 9 p.m.) goes to Dillon, Mont.
There’s massive indecision on “Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta” (TLC, 8 p.m.).
Tonight has “Jaws” (Discovery, 8 p.m.) and “Jaws 2” (Discovery, 11 p.m.); “Hotel Transylvania” (FXX, 7 p.m.) and “Hotel Transylvania 2” (FXX, 9 p.m.) but also “Toy Story” (Freeform, 5:25 p.m.), “Toy Story 2” (Freeform, 7:25 p.m.) and “Toy Story 3” (Freeform, 9:30 p.m.).
It’s Tolkien all day with “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (TNT, 10 a.m.), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” (TNT, 1:30 p.m.) and “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” (TNT, 5 p.m.). But night turns to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (TNT, 8 p.m.) and “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” (TNT, 11 p.m.).
And they’re doing this all week on Hallmark including today with the out of season “Chrismas Connection” (10 a.m.), “Miss Christmas” (noon), “Coming Home for Christmas” (2 p.m.), “Christmas Getaway” (4 p.m.), “Finding Santa” (6 p.m.), “Switched for Christmas” (8 p.m.), “Christmas Under Wraps” (10:30 p.m.), “Love You Like Christmas” (12:30 a.m.), “Ice Sculpture Christmas” (2:30 a.m.) and “My Christmas Love” (4:30 a.m.).
Overnight fare on Turner Classic Movies has “Dark Passage” (12:30 a.m.) and “The Brothers Karamazov” (3:30 a.m.).
Baseball includes Mets at Yankees (MLB, 1 p.m.), St. Louis at Cubs (Fox, 7 p.m.) and San Francisco at Oakland (MLB, 10 p.m.).
WNBA action has Washington at New York (NBA, 3 p.m.).
Golf has third round play in the British Open (Golf, 4:30 a.m.; NBC, 7 a.m.).
The FIL World Lacrosse Championship has U.S. vs. Canada (ESPN2, 3 a.m.).
Auto racing includes the German Grand Prix (ESPN2 5:55 a.m.) and NASCAR’s Lakes Region 200 (NBC Sports, 4 p.m.).
X Games (ABC 1 p.m.; ESPN, 7 p.m.) continue from Minneapolis.
Canadian football has Winnipeg at Toronto (ESPN2, 4 p.m.) and Montreal at Calgary (ESPN2, 9 p.m.).
The arena football playoffs have Washington at Albany (CBS Sports, 7:30 p.m.).
ESports move to ESPN with Philadelphia vs. New York (ESPN2, 7 p.m.) in the Overwatch League.
And the Tour de France (NBC Sports, 8 p.m.) ends its second week with Stage 14 from reaches its 14th stage from Saint-Paul-Trois Châteaux to Mende.
Courtney Barnett and Gary Clark Jr. play a 2015 episode of “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 11 p.m.).
The Chadwick Boseman-hosted “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) with Cardi B is rerun.