TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET
Now that the calendar has turned the page to February, the Academy Awards are approaching. And that means TCM, once again, is preceding the ceremony with its “31 Days of Oscar’’ lineup. That’s why the month, in prime time, begins with 1965’s Doctor Zhivago, David Lean’s epic retelling of the Boris Pasternak romance novel, set against the real-life political events of WWI and the Russian Revolution. Omar Sharif, Julie Christie and Geraldine Chaplin star – and the cast also includes Alec Guinness, Rod Steiger, and Klaus Kinski. None of those actors won an Oscar, and the film itself lost in the Best Picture category (to The Sound of Music). However, Doctor Zhivago won five Academy Awards that year, including ones for Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography and Costume Design.
BBC America, 9:00 p.m. ET
This is the third episode of this superb nature documentary miniseries, and thus the third continent being highlighted. This time it’s South America, so expect some Amazon prime real estate…
NBC, 11:29 p.m. ET
In a huge week for both pro football and presidential politics, Saturday Night Live has Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt as the guest host – and, one can only hope, Alec Baldwin making another guest appearance as Donald Trump. Musical guest: Luke Combs.