Las Vegas dogs in Puppy Bowl offer alternatives to Super Bowl
Still reeling from the fact that the Saints won’t be playing?
Simply can’t stomach the idea of yet another Sunday looking at a fuming Bill Belichick?
No longer feel the need to watch the Big Game now that most of the commercials already are online?
You’re in luck. From puppies to pimples, here’s a look at some of the televised alternatives to Super Bowl LIII.
Puppy Bowl XV
Noon, Animal Planet
The Nevada SPCA has become the Tom Brady of the Puppy Bowl: It’s hard to imagine one without the other. This year, the local no-kill animal sanctuary is being represented by George, a chihuahua-miniature poodle mix, who’s a starter for Team Ruff. The shelter also has Bennett, a shih tzu-poodle, waiting in the wings as a “backup pup” for Team Ruff, presumably in case George or any of the other starters should happen to fail concussion protocols or test positive for banned substances. Gotti, a Boykin spaniel, and Norma, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, will wait to take the field as reserves for Team Fluff.
Kitten Bowl VI
2 p.m., Hallmark Channel
If the Puppy Bowl’s Kitty Halftime Show — starring Adam Feline of Purrr-oon 5, naturally — doesn’t scratch your feline itch, consider this annual competition. Hosted by Beth Stern, with Dean Cain and Rodney Peete calling the play-by-play and Boomer Esiason and Rashad Jennings on commentary, it’s all rescue cats all the time.
The Poppy Bowl
5 p.m., TLC
Six fan favorite episodes of “Dr. Pimple Popper” have been compiled, along with behind-the-scenes stories and updates on some of Dr. Sandra Lee’s most memorable patients.
“The Office”
8 a.m., Comedy Central
Ten years ago, Michael Scott and the gang landed the coveted post-Super Bowl time slot on NBC for an hourlong episode. This year, you can spend significantly more time at Dunder Mifflin with this 14-hour marathon.
The Wizarding World
10:30 a.m., USA
Have a magical Sunday with consecutive airings of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2” and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”
“Cops”
9 a.m., Paramount Network
You don’t have to go to a Super Bowl party to be surrounded by drunk, shirtless dudes thanks to this marathon that runs until 4 a.m. Monday.
“The New Edition Story” and “The Bobby Brown Story”
Noon, BET
Grab your Candy Girl and settle in for a full day of R&B drama with back-to-back airings of the three-part New Edition miniseries and its two-part follow-up on Brown.
“Botched”
4 a.m., E!
Running through noon Monday, this is a marathon of the plastic surgeries-gone-wrong series, not an in-depth investigation of that pass interference noncall in the NFC Championship Game.
Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567. Follow @life_onthecouch on Twitter.
What to watch
Director Steven Soderbergh shot his latest film, the pro basketball lockout drama "High Flying Bird" (Feb. 8, Netflix), entirely on an iPhone.
See who'll take home $250,000 and a job at Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen restaurant at Caesars Palace in the two-part season finale of "Hell's Kitchen" (8 p.m. Feb. 8, Fox.)
"Right Here, Around the Corner" (Tuesday, Netflix) is Ray Romano's first stand-up special in 23 years.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School drama teacher Melody Herzfeld and her students cope with the mass shooting at their school by pouring themselves into their annual children's musical, which would lead to a performance on the Tony Awards, in the documentary "Song of Parkland" (7 p.m. Feb. 7, HBO).
