Weekend Watch List: This Race, It Is Amazing!

Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things on TV to watch while you stay at home and write the great American novel. It’s the epic tale of a young man who befriends a highly intelligent chimp. Together, they form an unbreakable bond and try to navigate the craziness of modern society. Sean Penn will play the chimp in the movie version. LET’S GO!

THE AMAZING RACE: UNFINISHED BUSINESS – 8:00PM Sunday (CBS) Between this and “Survivor: Redemption Island,” I’m starting to think that CBS is purposely giving their old reality shows weird subtitles to convince people it’s a new spinoff. Anyway, this is NOT a spinoff, but rather the second All-Star edition of the critically acclaimed reality chase. I once helped two people in my office make an audition video for this show. We used bobblehead dolls to dramatize potential race scenarios, including a late night hookup. They were not invited onto the show. But the video was way hot. ANTICIPATION: GO!

BAR KARMA – 10:00PM Tonight (Current) A show about a “mystical watering hole at the edge of the universe,” where patrons don’t know what year it is. It’s like “Dark City,” but with booze. I see Current’s plan now. They signed Keith Olbermann just so they could trap him at this purgatorial nightclub and keep him there forever! Well played, Current. I owe you a beer. ANTICIPATION: THIRSTY!

SNL BACKSTAGE – 9:00PM Sunday (NBC) I always have a soft spot in my heart for SNL primetime filler programming. I’d much rather watch SNL clip shows than sit through a new episode of “The Biggest Loser.” It’s a show that recycles very well. In fact, it’s almost always better to watch SNL in clip show form because all the horrible sketches have been edited out for you, including the monologue, which is always death. Tonight’s retrospective includes interviews with Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Jon Hamm about the goings on behind the scenes at the show. They don’t do cocaine anymore there, so don’t expect it to be as exciting as you hoped. ANTICIPATION: JUICY!

THE MAN WHO LOST HIS FACE – 10:00PM Sunday (TLC) Not to be confused with Mel Gibson’s “Man Without A Face,” an oddly touching coming-of-age film that Mel made before everyone found out he was crazy. This is a reality show about a man who has face tumors. He does NOT look like Mel Gibson. ANTICIPATION: DON’T LOOK!

CRAIG FERGUSON: DOES THIS NEED TO BE SAID? – 8:00PM Saturday (EPIX) The late night host does another standup special. This man has monologues coming out of his ears. Want to know who will take Jay Leno’s seat when he finally keels over and relinquishes his death grip on “The Tonight Show”? Bet on the Scotsman. He’s the same kind of comicaholic. ANTICIPATION: SCOTTISH!

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