Nickelodeon throws caution to the wind and defies TV trends. "The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!" (7 p.m. Saturday, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick and Nicktoons, TV-G) re-creates the critically acclaimed Broadway production, filmed in front of a live audience.
Tom Kenny, a longtime voice actor on the beloved cartoon, joins the theatrical cast as Patchy the Pirate, singing the number "Poor Pirates," popularized by Sara Bareilles.
Network broadcasts of Broadway musicals represent one of the more prominent trends of the past decade. But like most television, popularity has given way to imitation and decline. NBC’s "The Sound of Music" reached nearly 20 million viewers back in 2013. This year, Fox broadcast "Rent" to fewer than 4 million viewers. That’s not a big enough audience to sustain such expensive productions that lack much residual value as repeats.
So, hats off to Nick as Patchy and the rest of the residents of Bikini Bottom burst into song as they strive to save their ocean habitat from danger.
— Produced by Dick Wolf ("Law & Order"), "Criminal Confessions" (6 p.m., Saturday, Oxygen) takes a 90-minute look at the case of Chris Watts, a Colorado man held in the murder of his wife and two daughters, and the detectives who secured the confession that put him in prison.
— Given the hundreds of "new" Christmas movies churned out this year, you’d think some characters might bump into folks from different backgrounds. A busy toy executive finds that a little ecumenical outreach goes a long way in the 2019 holiday romance "Mistletoe and Menorahs" (6 p.m. Saturday, Lifetime, TV-PG). Not without its awkward moments and cringe-worthy characterizations.
— Showtime dusts off a series from its past and reintroduces "The L Word: Generation Q" (10 p.m. Sunday, TV-MA) for a new decade. Series original Jennifer Beals returns.
Even a decade back, "L Word" seemed dated and burdened by its title, as if announcing, "Hey, gang, here’s a show about lesbians!" instead of about the stories of its characters.
At a time when many series feature gay characters and the CW has portrayed a sapphic "Batwoman," some may question the need for this very explicit retread.
Far more interesting is the arrival of "Work in Progress" (11 p.m. Sunday, Showtime, TV-MA), a bittersweet comedy about Abby, a despondent woman (Abby McEnany) who gives herself a 180-day deadline to get her life together. Or end it.
Such desperate lengths may seem like a strange premise for a comedy, but "Progress" works. It doesn’t merely trade in self-pity — it features characters sick to death of their own self-loathing. Not to give too much away, but someone is literally bored to death in the pilot episode!
Abby is gay, overweight and obsessed with her single status and the lack of impact she’s made on the wider world as she turns 45.
In a strange but sweet turn, she runs into "SNL" comedian Julia Sweeney (as herself), whose "It’s Pat" sketches happened to be bane of Abby’s existence when she was growing up.
While any television show about a character meeting a real-life TV star may seem contrived, both comedians share an easy rapport. And their scenes together accentuate humanity over identity.
— In the interests of transparency, I need to confess my prejudices. I can’t stand any show that invites "kids" into the kitchen for cooking competitions. There, I said it. So, I will reserve comments on "Kids Baking Championship: North Pole Edition" (8 p.m. Sunday, Food).
— The big Pied Piper launch looms on the series finale of "Silicon Valley" (10 p.m. Sunday HBO, TV-MA). Much like "Veep," this smartly written satire saw the ground shift under its subject over the course of its run.
Since its debut in 2014, public attitudes toward the tech giants and the culture they have created have changed drastically. And not for the better. All the same, it’s worth noting that Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have chosen to resign this week, just before the finale of this perceptive sitcom. Both events mark the end of an era.
SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
— Virginia and Clemson (7:30 p.m., ABC) and Wisconsin and Ohio State (8 p.m., Fox) meet in college football action.
— Exes join forces when their dog goes missing in the 2019 holiday romance "Christmas Unleashed" (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-G).
— A handsome new voice rattles the choir director in the 2019 romance "A Christmas Love Story" (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
— A standup comedian offers observational humor on "Dan Soder: Son of a Gary" (10 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).
— Jennifer Lopez hosts "Saturday Night Live" (11:30 p.m., NBC, TV-14), featuring performances by DaBaby.
SUNDAY’S HOLIDAY MOVIES
— Clerks scheme to set up their bosses on "Christmas Matchmakers" (7 p.m., ION, TV-PG).
— Workaholic rival sisters bet they can wrangle a man before the big day in the 2019 romance "Dear Santa, I Need a Date" (7 p.m. and 9 p.m., TV One).
— A blizzard strands bickering airline pilots in close proximity in the 2019 romance "Grounded for Christmas" (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-PG).
— An event planner returns to her native Tennessee to plan a party with a know-it-all executive in the 2019 romance "Christmas at Dollywood" (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
— Steve Harvey hosts the 2019 Miss Universe Pageant (7 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).
— Scheduled on "60 Minutes" (7:30 p.m., CBS): Navy SEALs; Adam Sandler; a possible Palestinian state.
— The Seahawks and Rams meet in NFL football action (8:15 p.m., NBC).
— A crisis sparks a DC hero convergence on "Supergirl" (8 p.m., CW, TV-PG). Kevin Smith leads a discussion of the event on "Crisis Aftermath" (9 p.m., CW, TV-PG).
— "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" (8 p.m.) commemorates notable figures from 2019.
— The mayor plays hardball on "Ray Donovan" (8 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).
— Angela’s Vietnamese past unfolds on "Watchmen" (9 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).
— A grim assignment on "The Rookie" (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
— Soccer stars visit the Oval Office on "Madam Secretary" (10:30 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).
CULT CHOICE
— A surgeon becomes obsessive after mistaking a patient’s gratitude for something deeper in the 2019 shocker "The Doctor Will Kill You Now" (8 p.m. Sunday, Lifetime Movie Network, TV-14).
SATURDAY SERIES
A priest can’t reveal the confession that might exonerate him on "Bull" (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) … Seven move forward on "The Voice" (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) … Two hours of "48 Hours" (9 p.m., CBS) … "Dateline" (9 p.m., NBC) … A vintage helping of "Saturday Night Live" (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
SUNDAY SERIES
"Football Night in America" (7 p.m., NBC, TV-14) recaps the day’s action … A special look back at three decades of funny home videos in "AFV: America, This Is You!" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Miles needs space on "God Friended Me" (8:30 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
Tiffany Haddish hosts "Kids Say the Darndest Things" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … A computer virus spreads on NCIS: Los Angeles" (9:30 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
