The Barbenheimer Oscars and a Special ‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘Housewives’ in Distress, Rick and Michonne’s Charade

How to combat awards fatigue when the Oscars finally arrive in March? Try putting the movie year’s biggest hits, front-runner Oppenheimer and blockbuster Barbie, front and center. Late night’s Jimmy Kimmel, on his fourth round as host, has the unenviable task of keeping things moving. Conventional wisdom suggests when popular movies are nominated, ratings go up. Oppenheimer is obviously the bomb, with a leading 13 nominations, but Barbie will be well represented with two musical numbers: Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell with the Grammy-winning “What Was I Made For?” and, for fun, Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” with Mark Ronson. (Other performances include Becky G with Diane Warren’s “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot, Jon Batiste with “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony, and Scott George and the Osage Singers with “Wahzhazhe: A Song for My People” from Killers of the Flower Moon. There’s potential for movie history should Flower Moon’s Native American star, Lily Gladstone, take home the Lead Actress trophy.

Though maybe not the equivalent of landing the post-Super Bowl time slot, ABC underscores the symbolic importance of this Emmy-winning comedy by airing a new episode following the Oscars. (Don’t worry if you miss it; ABC is repeating the episode on Wednesday.) All of Abbott is abuzz when the school is named a historical Philly landmark, though not everyone is as thrilled as Janine (Quinta Brunson) and principal Ava (Janelle James). And par for the course, the celebration in honor of the school’s namesake Willard R. Abbott doesn’t go according to plan.

Those with long memories may recall the heyday of the “ABC Movie of the Week” pulp fictions that often aired on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the 1970s. (They were like popcorn to me in my formative years.) This thriller feels like a thematic throwback to those days when familiar TV faces often found themselves in campy jeopardy. Here, the names hail from the world of reality TV, with Denise Richards (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), NeNe Leakes (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), Kym Johnson Herjavec (Dancing with the Stars) and The Joe Budden Podcast’s Melyssa Ford as pampered besties lost in the wilderness after their plane crashes. While struggling to survive, they discover they’re not alone and someone’s trying to hunt them down. Wouldn’t it be a gas if it were Andy Cohen on the other end of that rifle?

Now what? Soulmates Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) have finally found each other in the taut Walking Dead spinoff, but they’re under the relentlessly watchful eye of the Civic Republic Military, so he and “Dana” (Michonne’s new alias) have to pretend to be strangers. Even more daunting, Michonne is forced to hide her natural leadership and warrior prowess from the higher-ups or she could be pegged as a threat to be eliminated. As Rick’s colleague Pearl Thorne (Lesley-Ann Brandt) observes: “She doesn’t look like someone who relies on others for safety.” They’re desperate to escape, but Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh)—who knew them both back in the day—has leverage and isn’t afraid to use it.

The newest cog in Fox’s animation comedy lineup stars Mad Men’s Jon Hamm as disheveled detective Marvin Flute, who goes undercover as a wedding crasher to nab his latest prey, known as “the bouquet-catcher killer.” His mission is complicated when ex-wife Harmony (Erinn Hayes) catches the bride’s bouquet and becomes the latest target. Preceded by new episodes of Bob’s Burgers (8:30/7:30c) and The Great North (9/8c), with The Simpsons sitting out with a repeat.

Inside Weekend TV:

• 48 Hours (Saturday, 10/9c, CBS): The true-crime series reports on the 2017 stabbing murder of celebrity hairstylist and fashion exec Fabio Sementilli by his wife Monica’s lover, racquetball instructor Robert Baker, who insists Monica had nothing to do with it.
• Saturday Night Live (Saturday, 11:30/10:30c, 8:30 pm/PT): Josh Brolin (Dune: Part Two) returns to the late-night comedy show for his third time as guest host, with Ariana Grande also on her third round as musical guest.
• Legends of the Pony Express (Sunday, 6/5c, INSP): A new installment of the Legends of series rides along with the Pony Express and its station keepers as they battle the elements, outlaws and hostile natives.
• The Way Home (Sunday, 9/8c, Hallmark Channel): The time-tripping drama finds Kat (Chyler Leigh) in 1814 trying to save Jacob’s (Spencer Macpherson) life, while back in the present, Del (Andie MacDowell) gets closer to her mysterious neighbor Sam (Rob Stewart).
• Curb Your Enthusiasm (Sunday, 10/9c, HBO): The celebrity cameos are especially juicy this week, when Ted (Ted Danson) prepares to take to the stage as Abraham Lincoln, while Larry (Larry David) tries to memorize the Gettysburg Address and Susie (Susie Essman) puts up a billboard for her caftan business.