Ex-”Angel,” the King rule the weekend
Miracles happen every day on television. But the most loaded word in “Ordinary Miracles” (9 p.m., Saturday, Hallmark) is “Ordinary.” Jaclyn Smith’s character in the film, Judge Kay Woodbury, is right out of “Ordinary People” by way of “Judging Amy.” She’s a no-nonsense gavel-pounder whose sense of professional rectitude and obligation blots out most human contact. Her ex-husband (Corbin Bernsen) bails out on her workaholic schedule and the prissy Miss Kay stops speaking to her own lawyer father when he crosses her code of ethics. Smith’s Kay combines girl-next-door beauty with a brittle distance. She’s Sally Field channeling Martha Stewart.
Elvis is dead. And even if he weren’t, he would have turned 70 last Jan. 8. But don’t tell that to CBS, where promoting the two-part “Elvis” (9 p.m., Sunday, CBS) has reached a fever pitch. Much like the Oscar-worthy “Ray,” this “Elvis” is a fairly standard biopic with a killer soundtrack, and is filled with solid performances and rutted with some narrative potholes. Unlike “Ray,” which revealed the sordid sides of a beloved musical icon, “Elvis” invites comparison with nearly 30 years of Presley movies and documentaries.
Randy Quaid makes the most of his role as “Colonel” Tom Parker, a musical Mephistopheles who locked young Elvis into a long-term contract that squandered his talent on a decade of mediocre movies. And that decade happened to be the 1960s, when music and popular culture left Elvis behind.
Sunday’s installment takes Elvis from his early Memphis years to his 1958 military induction. “Elvis” concludes on Tuesday, covering his movies, his comeback, his Vegas purgatory and early death.
Saturday’s highlights
Fans of “College Hill” (1 p.m., BET), a “reality” series set at an Oklahoma university, can watch a 12-episode marathon in advance of the series’ season finale.
Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds announce the Darlington 500 NASCAR race (4 p.m., Fox).
Wizards go to school on the forces of darkness in the 2002 fantasy “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (7 p.m., ABC).
Matthew Modine guest stars on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m., NBC).
Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (10 p.m., CBS): after surviving two murder attempts, a Texas man dies mysteriously.
Sunday’s highlights
Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (7 p.m., CBS): an interview with Russian president Vladimir Putin; new challenges for West Point graduates; “news” about “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
On back-to-back episodes of “The Simpsons” (Fox), Krusty’s idol time (8 p.m.), Homer says sooth (8:30 p.m.).
Ginger Rogers is a million miles from “Swing Time” in the 1956 shocker “Teenage Rebel” (5 p.m., Fox Movie Channel).
Passions ebb on “Desperate Housewives” (9 p.m., ABC).
A high-tech game with human targets on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (9 p.m., NBC ).
A kidnapping roils high society on “Crossing Jordan” (10 p.m., NBC).
Drinking on the job on “Grey’s Anatomy” (10 p.m., ABC).
Cult choice
Elizabeth Taylor and Warren Beatty play gambling-obsessed lovers in the 1970 drama “The Only Game in Town” (5 p.m., Saturday, Fox Movie Channel), director George Stevens’ last film.
Saturday series
Conflicting evidence on “CSI” (8 p.m., CBS) … Murder between neighbors on “Crossing Jordan” (8 p.m., NBC) … A police commissioner’s murder raises eyebrows on “CSI:NY” (9 p.m., CBS) … A basketball fan’s last tantrum on “Law & Order” (10 p.m., NBC).
Sunday series
Bones tell tales more than 70 years old on “Cold Case” (8 p.m., CBS) … The gloved ones tangle on “The Contender” (8 p.m., NBC) … Invisible foes on “Charmed” (8 p.m., WB).
Blackboard jungles on “Family Guy” (9 p.m., Fox) … Variety acts on “Steve Harvey’s Big Time Challenge” (9 p.m., WB) … The girl with green hair on “American Dad” (9 p.m., Fox).