It's not every show that makes it to 700 episodes. In fact, among scripted primetime series in the US, The Simpsons is the very first. (Its closest competition is Gunsmoke, which ended in 1975 with 635 episodes.) Our favorite Springfield residents are set to mark the occasion Sunday night with a new episode that promises to reveal a never-before seen room in the Simpson home.
Also this weekend: There's a reason they call it March Madness, Cynthia Erivo channels the Queen of Soul, and a long lost Doctor Who serial finds new life on BBC America. Here's what's new and noteworthy on TV this weekend:
SATURDAY MARCH 20
NCAA BASKETBALL: The first round of the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament continues today with another 16 games (schedule subject to change due to COVID conditions):
MINISERIES PREMIERE: A young woman (Raechelle Banno) finds herself ensnared in a world of dark family secrets and betrayal when she discovers she has a long lost twin sister in Ruby, the first installment in Lifetime's new five-part V.C Andrews' Landry Family movie series. Naomi Judd also stars. Watch trailer. 8:00 PM ET on Lifetime
ENCORE PRESENTATION: Get ready to shamrock and roll as Black Swan, Chameleon, Grandpa Monster, Phoenix, and Piglet make their Masked Singer debut in in this repeat of Wednesday night's special St. Patrick's Day-themed episode. 8:00 PM ET on FOX
MADE FOR TV MOVIE: A woman (Cindy Busby) is assigned to photograph a fabled waterfall in Chasing Waterfalls, but ends up falling for her rugged guide (Christopher Russell) in the process. 9:00 PM ET on Hallmark
CLASSIC SNL: Former cast member Julia Louis Dreyfus returns to Saturday Night Live in this repeat from March 2007, which includes a guest appearance from Chris Rock and the debut of Bill Hader's Italian interviewer Vinny Vedecci. Musical guest Snow Patrol performs "You're All I Have." 10:00 PM ET on NBC
SEASON PREMIERE: Gary and the team squad are back for another round of adventures as the animated sci-fi comedy Final Space returns for its third season. The show's returning voice cast includes Jane Lynch and David Tennant. Watch trailer. 10:30 PM ET on Adult Swim
SUNDAY MARCH 21
NBA BASKETBALL: All day coverage of the Second Round of the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament gets underway beginning at 12:00 PM ET/9:00 AM PT (match-ups, times and stations TBA)
MILESTONE EPISODE: Learn a secret from Flanders’ past as The Simpsons marks its landmark 700th episode with a new Bill Plympton couch gag. Watch preview. 8:00 PM ET on FOX
SEASON PREMIERE: The Queen of Soul gets the Nat Geo genius treatment in Genius: Aretha, which stars Cynthia Erivo as the legendary music icon. The eight-part limited series kicks off with back-to-back episodes. Watch trailer. 9:00 PM ET on Nat Geo
SPECIAL PRESENTATION: The BBC's "lost" 1968 serial Doctor Who: Fury From the Deep returns to TV for the first time in 50 years, pairing salvaged audio from the original broadcast with newly animated visuals. All six episodes air back-to-back. Watch trailer. 6:00 PM ET on BBC America
ENCORE PRESENTATION: If you missed The Voice last week, here's your chance to catch up ahead of Monday night's six and final blind auditions episode. 8:00 PM ET on NBC
NEW EPISODE: Hollywood Week kicks off on American Idol as fan favorites from the auditions return to the stage for the Genre Challenge. (Continues Monday night.) Watch preview. 8:00 PM ET on ABC
SEASON FINALE Teetering on the edge of war and peace, the American Gods gather to mourn a loss as the series wraps its third season. Watch preview. 8:00 PM ET on Starz
DOCUSERIES PREMIERE: From executive producer Adam McKay and director Cullen Hoback comes QAnon: Into the Storm, HBO's new six-part exposé on the Trump-linked conspiracy-theory movement. Watch trailer. 9:00 PM ET on HBO
Jed Rosenzweig is the Founder and Publisher of Primetimer.
TOPICS: The Simpsons, FOX