‘Saturday Night Live’ Returns, Disney’s 100th, ‘Daryl Dixon’ Finale, ‘World on Fire’ Reignites on PBS

Saturday Night Live

SATURDAY: Pete Davidson, a fixture on the late-night show from 2014 to 2022, takes a pause from his stand-up tour to return to Studio 8H to kick off Saturday Night Live’s 49^th season for the first time as host. SNL’s return is later than usual because of strike delays, but since it operates under a different contract, the still-striking SAG-AFTRA union has given the show its blessing to proceed. Just in time to mock the House of Representatives in disarray and who knows what else. We could use a laugh right about now.

The Wonderful World of Disney

SUNDAY: As the studio marks its centennial, Disney reflects on its history with a prime-time blowout, hosted by Kelly Ripa, who teases some of Disney’s upcoming projects. The night is anchored by the world broadcast premiere of Once Upon a Studio, an animated short that gathers 543 classic characters from the Disney library of feature-length and short films for a group photo. Followed by the broadcast premiere of 2021’s euphoric Oscar and Grammy-winning Encanto.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

SUNDAY: In the season finale of the best Walking Dead spinoff to date, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) may finally get his band of followers, including child prophet Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi), to The Nest—which eagle-eyed viewers of the trailer will recognize as one of France’s cultural treasures. But first he has to escape Madame Genet’s (Anne Charrier) prison and a gladiator-style battle against amped-up super zombies. Not exactly a piece of cake, but we trust Daryl, especially since we know there will be a second season, featuring none other than Carol (Melissa McBride)!

World on Fire

SUNDAY: Masterpiece’s sprawling World War II drama returns for a second season with more conflict on the homefront and front lines. The action ranges from Manchester during the blitz, with new mother Lois (Julia Brown) risking her neck as an ambulance driver, to the treacherous Egyptian desert, where troops including the British Indian Army navigate around land mines during blinding sandstorms. Before series hero Harry Chase (Jonah Hauer-King) ships back out to the Middle East, he tries to ease tensions between his Polish bride Kasia (Zofia Wichłacz), who misses fighting for the Resistance, and his frosty mother Robina (Lesley Manville). New characters include cocky David (Gregg Sulkin), a Jewish RAF pilot, and in a chilling subplot in Berlin, 16-year-old Marga (Miriam Schiweck), a Hitler Youth enthusiast who agrees to be part of an Aryan breeding program, against her family’s wishes.

Also back on PBS’s Sunday lineup: the glossy 1920s drama Hotel Portofino (8/7c) and the Masterpiece mystery Annika (10/9c), starring Unforgotten’s Nicola Walker as the sardonic sleuth from Scotland’s Marine Homicide Unit who delights us whenever she breaks the fourth wall to let us know what’s really going on in her messy life.

INSIDE WEEKEND TV:

• Murdaugh Murders: The Movie (Saturday, 8/7c, Lifetime): With the distinction of being Lifetime’s 500^th original movie, this docudrama stars The Sinner’s Bill Pullman as notorious South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, himself the star of plentiful Dateline and other true-crime investigations. The two-part movie, concluding Sunday, depicts his downfall and conviction for the murder of his wife and son.
• Destined 2: Christmas Once More (Saturday, 8/7c, Great American Family): The channel’s “Great American Christmas” holiday movie series officially kicks off with a franchise sequel, starring Casey Elliott as Theo, who keeps facing obstacles in his quest to propose to his girlfriend Kim (Shae Robbins) at Christmastime.
• Field Day (Saturday, 8/7c, Hallmark Channel): Channel favorite Rachel Boston stars as a widow who bonds with fellow moms while planning the school’s annual Field Day and finds herself drawn to the PE teacher (Benjamin Ayres).
• 48 Hours (Saturday, 10/9c, CBS): Tracy Smith reports on the twisty case of Jade Janks, accused of murdering her stepfather after discovering a cache of explicit photos of her on his computer.
• Camp Courage (Sunday, streaming on Netflix): A moving documentary short follows Ukraine war refugees Olga and granddaughter Milana as they travel to a scenic summer camp in the Austrian Alps to test their resolve while enjoying the peace of nature. Also new to Netflix: Love Is Blind: The Reunion, with Season 5 participants reassessing their relationships.
• 60 Minutes (Sunday, 7/6c, CBS): Timely reports include Scott Pelley’s interview with President Biden about the U.S. role in the Israel-Hamas conflict and Lesley Stahl’s visit to Israel to profile the family who led the rescue effort at the Nahal Oz kibbutz. In a third segment, Sharyn Alfonsi reports on the investigation into how 50 migrants were flown to Martha’s Vineyard in 2022 from Florida.
• Good Sports: Sports fans can choose on Sunday between the first game of the American League Championship Series between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros on Fox (8 pm/ET) or NBC’s Sunday Night Football matchup of the New York Giants at Buffalo Bills (8:15 pm/ET).
• Naked and Afraid (Sunday, 8/7c, Discovery): The 16^th season of the survival series that bares all opens with superfans taking the challenge.
• The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper (Sunday, 8/7c, CNN): In “Terror in the Desert,” the anchor/reporter provides updates on the conflict in Israel and Gaza, with an in-depth report on the massacre at the Nova Festival where at least 260 concertgoers were killed.
• Victim to Verdict with Ted Rowlands (Sunday, 8 pm/ET, Court TV): High-profile court cases, starting with the afore-mentioned Alex Murdaugh murder trial, are dissected by the Court TV anchor in a new weekly series.
• When Calls the Heart (Sunday, 9/8c, Hallmark Channel): It’s Election Day in the Season 10 finale, with Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) standing by Lucas (Chris McNally) in his race for Governor. But if he wins, what does that mean for their relationship?
• Billy the Kid (Sunday, 9/8c, MGM+): The Western drama returns for a second season, as Billy (Tom Blyth) and British boss John Tunstall (Linus Roache) take on rivals including Billy’s former buddy Jesse Evans (Daniel Webber) and the Santa Fe Ring for control of New Mexico Territory in the Lincoln County War.
• The Insurrectionist Next Door (Sunday, 9/8c, HBO): “Did you go to the Capitol to assassinate my mother?” is one of the provocative questions posed by filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi (daughter of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi), who was on site at the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 insurrection. For her 15^th documentary, she visits some of those who stormed the capitol to explore what brought them there and whether their views have changed.
• Rick and Morty (Sunday, 11/10c, Adult Swim): The Emmy-winning animated comedy is back for a seventh season of intergalactic madness.