Tonight's TV Hot List: Saturday, May 16, 2009
Preakness Stakes
Saturday Night Live
11:29 pm/ET NBC
Where there's Will, there's a way. The long-lasting late-night show closes its 34th season by turning to an old friend. Serving as host is erstwhile SNL player Will Ferrell, star of the forthcoming film Land of the Lost. Ferrell likely won't get lost on the familiar Studio 8H stage, where he roamed for seven years and mined sketch-comedy gold with recurring characters such as George W. Bush, James Lipton and perky cheerleader Craig Buchanan. And let's hope he plays more cowbell. Rock punkers Green Day, hot off the release of their 21st Century Breakdown CD, storm the stage in their third SNL appearance. — Dean Maurer
MADtv
11 pm/ET Fox
The sketch-comedy series is hanging them up after 14 seasons of yuks, and a bunch of old friends are on hand for the finale. Series alumni Alex Borstein, Mo Collins, Will Sasso and Debra Wilson Skelton give their popular characters one last hurrah, and frequent guest Fred Willard hosts "MADtv Gives Back." — Fred Mitchell
Kobe: Doin' Work
8 pm/ET ESPN
Years of sitting courtside for Knicks games at Madison Square Garden have refined filmmaker Spike Lee's eye for athleticism and star power. Both qualities are captured in glorious detail in his chronicling of a day "on the job" for Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Cameras double-team the 2008 NBA MVP in action against rival San Antonio Spurs, from his arrival at L.A.'s Staples Center to his departure, along with some dynamic in-game audio. The ground-level view in particular should give Kobe fans and haters alike a new appreciation for the 13-year veteran's silky-smooth scoring abilities and defensive effort over the course of 40-plus rougher-than-you-realize minutes on the court. — Roger Leister
Preakness Stakes
4:30 pm/ET NBC
Fresh off a mid-week appearance on The Tonight Show, heeere's Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Calvin Borel taking aim at the second leg in horse racing's Triple Crown in Baltimore. But wait, that's not 50-to-1 Derby longshot Mine That Bird he's aboard; it's the fabulous filly Rachel Alexandra! Borel has been merely a passenger in her last five wins, most recently a 20-length romp in the Kentucky Oaks the day before the Derby, making his decision fairly easy to become the first jockey ever to jump off a Derby winner for another ride in the Preakness. Pioneer of the Nile, Musket Man and Papa Clem, runners-up in the Run for the Roses, assure more than just a two-horse race at Pimlico Race Course. — Roger Leister
Beverly Hills Groomer
10 pm/ET Animal Planet
Groomer Has It's first winner, Artist Knox, makes good tonight with the premiere of his very own spin-off, which centers on the monumental task of opening a pet salon in swanky Beverly Hills. Artist is young and talented, which usually takes a person far in this town, but he is missing an essential element for success — clients! But with the help of his family and some unconventional strategies, Artist might just make it after all. — Rhoda Charles
