Saturday mornings are one of the few times of the week where, usually, I don’t have to be anywhere. I often find myself unwilling to leave my bed and catching up on television. Over the past few years, I’ve used the time to delve into trashy Friday-night TV. In the past it was NBC’s Lipstick Jungle or ABC’s Women’s Murder Club. (I know, I know—laugh all you want. I don’t care!) And now, inexplicably, it’s ABC’s long-running and now often Barbara Walters-less (boo!) newsmagazine 20/20. Random, right? 20/20, really? But seriously, it’s so good this season. Let me explain.
I had always been a 20/20 fan growing up, mostly because, like lots of folks, I sort of idolized Barbara Walters. She was in her prime when I was young. I used to watch her and Hugh Downs after the TGIF programming block as a child (yes, I was a weird child). Anyway, my point is that 20/20 already had a place in my heart. But over time, it’d fallen by the wayside—I haven’t been home on a Friday night in years.
But this season, after Michael Jackson’s death, 20/20 booked a Barbara Walters-LaToya Jackson interview. I had to watch, of course, because LaToya is fascinating and, hello, Barbara was back. I tuned in on the Saturday after it aired and was instantly sucked back into the 20/20 fold. And I haven’t stopped! A subsequent episode focused several women infected with HIV by the same man, who have now formed an informal support group for each other. Last week was all about albinos and, specifically, how they’re hunted in Tanzania because their body parts are considered magical. This week, as the photo above illustrates, was all about the saga surrounding the late New York City socialite Brooke Astor, which has pitted her grandson Philip against her son Tony. Riveting stuff, really!
What I like about 20/20 is that it’s sort of tabloid-y, but presented in a classy way and totally reported legitimately. Every weekday morning, I spend my subway ride leafing through trashy NY tabloid the New York Post—one of my great daily indulgences. And I think 20/20 is basically the broadcast version of the New York Post, only maybe just polished up a little bit. Honestly, the things that get top billing on 20/20 have made some of the most sensational covers for the New York Post, too. Anyway, what I’m saying is that you should give 20/20 a try again. It’s super good. If you’re into that kind of thing. And especially if you’re looking for some good Friday-night-DVR-shifted-to-Saturday-morning television.
Which brings me to my question for you on this fine Saturday, PopWatchers: What do you watch on DVR on your lazy Saturday mornings? (Let’s be honest—there’s really nothing to watch live!) Could it be 20/20, too? Is it CBS’s Ghost Whisperer and Medium? Are you catching up on shows leftover from the week? Or, wait, could you possibly be one of those people who actually gets up and does productive things on Saturday morning? Eww!
More from EW:
Adam Lambert on ’20/20′: Still gay, but he has made out with the girls
The debut of ’20/20′
‘Primetime Live’ vs. ’20/20′
LaToya Jackson’s nutty interview about Michael: “He was murdered… He was a god”
Snap Judgment: Candy Spelling on ’20/20′
I don’t have a DVR.
I’m so sorry for you.
Mine has been a Skins / Soup Saturday morning…add in Dollhouse when I’m extra lazy.
my saturday morning ritual is going to yoga class. not everyone is lucky enough to indulge.
You don’t have to go to yoga – isn’t that your indulgence?
I fell asleep early last night so this morning I finished watching Law & Order, then Dollhouse and in a little bit I’ll watch Psych.
I’m catching up on DVR right now. Right now its Monk and Psych, if I didn’t catch night before. Also Conan, The Soup and Law and Order.
Real Time with Bill Maher
Ditto.
Thursday and Friday night leftovers that I haven’t watched due to programming scheduling conflicts: Survivor, CSI, Smallville or Ghost Whisperer, The Office, 30 Rock.
Usually, I watch everything from the previous week I didn’t have time to watch.
This morning I watched SportsCenter over and over again. The A-Rod/Texeira homers = chills.
or you can add the foul ball blown call that completely went to the Yankees favor.
Obviously, the umpires blew the foul ball call. (It really WAS an embarrassingly bad call.)
However, I’ll wait patiently for you (or anybody else) to explain to me how it’s anybody’s fault but the Twins’ that they couldn’t get a single run home with the bases loaded and nobody out after that.
I’ve only watched 20/20 once, recently – it was the one about the murder of the four kids in Houston. The girl they interviewed (a sister of a victim) is my friend, and I tuned in to see how the show would handle the topic. The horrible incident haunts this family, and has for the past six years. It was hard to watch, but I agree – 20/20 does such a tasteful job of reporting it.
The Soup, Numb3rs and Law & Order
I catch up on Hoarders from A&E … that show is equally horrifying and fascinating and usually spurs me to use part of the Saturday to clean the house.
Yes, actually I DVR Ghost Whisperer, Medium, Dollhouse, Top Chef, Lie to Me, Mad Men and and random movies on AMC because I like to be out during the week. Then on one of my days off I’ll devote an 8 hour block to watch all of that stuff because I’d run out of room on my DVR. Don’t know what I’ll do when Chuck, Lost, and 24 come back on. I don’t want to clean out all my old episodes of The Office, 30 Rock, Medium and Band of Bros to make space.
I DVR The Soup on Saturday mornings to watch that, along with SNL on Sunday morning.
But my Saturday morning DVR obsession is, and please don’t judge me, those reality shows on VH-1. Right now it’s Real Chance of Love and The Tool Academy.
Funny. As a kid I watched TGIF and 20/20 too. I also watched a lot of Dateline in elementary school (back when it used to be on 3 or 4 times a week). I was so strange.
Fringe & NBC Nightly News from Friday… like a boss!
Love 20/20 and Dateline.
I usually watch Grey’s Anatomy on Saturday mornings, when I watch The Office on Thursday night. If not, it’s Gilmore Girls on DVD.