Your guide to Saturday TV this fall
Yeah, let's be real, Saturdays aren't really big TV nights. As far as the broadcast networks are concerned, it's basically the night for football and re-runs. That doesn't, however, mean that there's nothing worth watching full stop, especially if you're a sci-fi or comedy nerd.
MUST-SEES
Doctor Who (8pm on BBC America, currently airing)
I love Doctor Who and adore Peter Capaldi, so I'm having trouble figuring out why this season hasn't totally clicked with me yet. I do really like that, as with the later episodes of Amy and Rory, there's been an effort to show that companion Clara has a life outside of her adventures with the Doctor—something it seems like tomorrow evening's episode will address head—but, like her, I feel oddly distant from Number Twelve, so far. I don't dislike him, I just haven't completely warmed to him yet, despite my loyalty to the actor portraying him. But then, this is kinda how this show works, every few years you're asked to lay your old loyalties to the main character on top of a new actor and there's always a bit of a growth period.
Saturday Night Live (10:30pm on NBC, premieres September 27)
It's always super trendy to moan about how SNL isn't what it once was, especially if the era you're comparing it to was when you were about 7 and thought much stupider things were funny. Don't get me wrong, not every episode of SNL is a winner and there are always bum sketches that run on too long and don't have ending, but this is without a doubt still a fun show to watch, especially when they get awesome guests like Chris Pratt to launch their new season. Myself, I'd tune in every week just to see Kate McKinnon be a total comedy boss. That and I'm anxious to see what Michael Che does behind the Update desk.
Note: If it weren't airing it's midseason finale tomorrow night and not returning for an excruciating seven months, Starz's Outlander would totally be on this list. It's a show that took me awhile to get totally on board with, but I highly recommend catching up on this engrossing genre-bending drama before its April return.
