Off the Wall: John Wayne's birthday
John Wayne in "True Grit''. Credit: Paramount Pictures
Off the Wall swims like a shark in its search for offbeat viewing options.
BIRTHDAY BOYS How perfect is it that John Wayne's birthday falls near Memorial Day? But not all the celebratory films are war-oriented. There's Encore Westerns' 22-hour Wayne cowboy slate, running from "West of the Divide" (Saturday at 7 a.m.) through "Riders of Destiny" (late Saturday night at 3:30 a.m., all on Encore Westerns). And Turner Classic Movies schedules two Wayne Westerns -- "Angel and the Badman" (Saturday at 1:30 p.m.) and "Red River" (5:30 p.m.) -- around his submarine saga, "Operation Pacific" (3:30 p.m., all Saturday on TCM). Later this week, Andy Griffith turns 86, as TCM illustrates his big-screen range in "A Face in the Crowd" (Friday at 11:45 a.m.), "Onionhead" (2 p.m.), "No Time for Sergeants" (4 p.m.) and "Hearts of the West" (6:15 p.m., all Friday on TCM). Lots more movie fun at tcm.com.
TV FLASHBACK Old TV stars, new genre flicks. That's the formula for Syfy's Saturday popcorn flicks, the latest of which is the (as always) temptingly titled "Super Shark" (Saturday night at 9, Syfy). This one stars John Schneider from "The Dukes of Hazzard"/"Smallville" and Jimmie "Dy-no-mite" Walker from "Good Times" (as Dynamite Stevens!). Watch other freaky films at syfy.com/movies.
AWARDS ALERT Spanish-language telenovelas enjoy their own honors in "Premios TV y Novelas" (8 p.m. Sunday, Univision/41). More at novelasyseries.univision.com/premios-tv-y-novelas.
NEW CHANNEL Planet Green is no more. The Discovery-run channel gets replaced Monday by Destination America, which promises to celebrate All-American places, foods and fun. Look for the likes of "BBQ Pitmasters" (Wednesday at 10 p.m.) and "Vegas Cheaters Exposed" (Thursday at 10 p.m., both on Destination America). Channel site at destinationamerica.com.
SEASON FINALES New episodes come to an end on "Cougar Town" (Tuesday 8-9 p.m., ABC/7), "The L.A. Complex" (Tuesday at 9 p.m., CW/11), "America's Next Top Model" (Wednesday at 9 p.m., CW/11), and "Magic City" (Friday at 10 p.m., Starz).
NETWORK PREMIERES Unscripted is big on broadcast networks as their summer schedules kick off. Hot young bods make the scene at the South Beach hotel called "The Catalina" (Tuesday at 8 p.m., CW/11). New York City's Justin Silver provides canine-human relationship help in "Dogs in the City" (Wednesday at 8 p.m., CBS/2). And the athletic challenge behind ballet fuels the competitive fire of "Breaking Pointe" (Thursday at 8 p.m., CW/11), which goes behind the scenes of a Salt Lake City dance troupe.
CABLE PREMIERES Get the lowdown on murders that inspired movies in "Reel Crime/Real Story With Erin Brockovich" (Tuesday at 9 p.m., ID). Peek inside a rarely seen communal religious culture in "American Colony: Meet the Hutterites" (Tuesday at 10 p.m., NatGeo). Plus-size customers learn how to strut "Big Brooklyn Style" (Tuesday at 10 p.m., TLC). Hardy guys live off the grid in "Mountain Men" (Thursday at 10 p.m., History). Antiques and collectibles spur bidding wars in "Final Offer" (Thursday at 10 p.m., Discovery). Celebrity hair gets styled in "L.A. Hair" (Thursday at 10 p.m., WE). Inmates prepare for the Angola prison rodeo in "Louisiana Lockdown" (Friday at 10 p.m., Animal Planet).
SARRA SOUNDS OFF: Long Island teams win 8 state titles On this episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra, Ben Dickson and Michael Sicoli recap the state championships including baseball and lacrosse.
