1) “NAACP Image Awards,” 8-10 p.m., everywhere. For a while, this was billed as “only on BET”; then common sense prevailed. This ceremony – strong on starpower (including Viola Davis, shown here) – has usually had a broadcast network, often NBC of Fox. This time, it gets CBS and many of its sister networks – CMT, VH1, MTV, TV Land, Comedy Central, Smithsonian, TV Land, Paramount Network … and yes, BET, which follows with two advance episodes of “The Ms. Pat Show.”
2) Image Awards (continued). In a refreshing sign, all five entertainer-of-the-year nominees are women – Davis, Angela Bassett, Mary J. Blige, Quinta Brunson and Zendaya. The movies are “The Woman King” (shown here with Davis), “Till.” “Wakanda Forever,” “Emancipation” and “A Jazzman’s Blues.” TV has drama (“Bel Air,” “Bridgerton,” “Euphoria” “P-Valley,” “Queen Sugar’) and comedy — “Black-ish,” “Abbott Elementary,” “Atlanta,” “Rap (bleep),” “The Wonder Years.”
3) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Woody Harrelson joins the show’s “Five Timers Club” … but it took him 34 years to do it. Harrelson hosted in 1989 and ‘91, when he was still on “Cheers,” then took a 23-year break. He returned in 2014 and 2019; now he’s back, with Jack White as music guest.
4) “Hop” (2011), 7-9 p.m., Nickelodeon. As Easter season begins, here’s an odd – and oddly entertaining – film. The Easter bunny’s son (voiced by Russell Brand) wants a slacker (James Marsden) to do his work. Families will like it – and will like the animated “Despicable Me” films, at 6 (2010) and 8 p.m. (2013) on, inexplicably, Syfy.
5) And more. While others load up on basketball (ABC, Fox, ESPN, etc.), NBC has game shows. It’s “The Wall” at 8 p.m., “Weakest Link” at 9, with a “Saturday Night Live” rerun (2015, with Dakota Johnson and Alabama Shakes) at 10. Also, at 8 p.m. BBC America continues its beautifully filmed “Planet Earth: Frozen Planet II.”
— Mike Hughes, TV America