Maybe Mariah Carey can act after all. You may recall the critical pummeling the popular diva took for her 2001 vanity vehicle “Glitter.” While Carey never will be confused with Dame Judi Dench, she acquits herself well in a supporting role in the 2002 direct-to-cable mob drama “Wisegirls” (9 p.m. today, Cinemax).

Mira Sorvino (“Mighty Aphrodite”) stars as Meg, a troubled former medical student who returns to the Staten Island, N.Y., neighborhood after the death of her fiance. Her addled grandmother’s friend pulls some strings to get her a job at a posh Italian restaurant with a mob clientele. After a few wobbly weeks, Meg becomes a favorite of the big-tipping patrons. She really impresses the boss when she uses her medical training to save the life of a customer after he blows his nose off during some peculiar gunplay. Meg also bonds with her fellow waitresses, the shy would-be actress Kate (Melora Walters) and the brash Raychel (Carey), a local girl with big plans and no ethical qualms about her job’s many compromises.

“Wisegirls” is an oddly compelling little film that presents an enjoyable, feminine slant on the gangster genre.

Television producers appear to be going through a period of nostalgia for the medium’s more innocent past. Following on the heels of “American Dreams” and “Gleason,” the cable drama “Big Time” (7 p.m. Sunday, TNT) looks at the early days of live television. Set in Manhattan circa 1948, “Big Time” recalls the era when TV was still considered a risky venture that would never replace radio, and when practically all programming was presented live.

While Christopher Lloyd and Molly Ringwald have been given top billing as the network’s mercurial owner Doc, and his gold-digging wife, Marion, neither actor shows up for the film’s first half-hour. The movie’s real star is Christina Hendricks, who plays Audrey Drummond, an innocent redheaded Michigan girl who arrives at the station full of hope and ideals. It’s precisely the kind of role that Molly Ringwald used to play. Here, Ringwald plays the kind of character we used to associate with Melanie Griffith.

Directed by Paris Barclay, “Big Time” has the brisk pace, fluid camera work and impressive production values we’ve come to associate with “ER” executive producer John Wells.

The where-are-they-now biography series “Fame for 15” (9 p.m. Sunday, TNN) profiles Scott Thorsen, who sued popular entertainer Liberace for palimony. According to Thorsen, Liberace even forced him to undergo plastic surgery so he would look like his famous lover. The show also recalls Thorsen’s links to Hollywood’s sordid drug scene and his stint in the Witness Protection Program.

Tonight’s other highlights

The Angels and Giants meet in Game 1 of the World Series (6:30 p.m., Fox).

Danny Glover and Mel Gibson star in the 1992 action comedy sequel “Lethal Weapon 3” (7 p.m., ABC).

Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy star in the 1999 Hollywood comedy “Bowfinger” (7 p.m., NBC).

Sting performs his 10 most popular songs on a “Top of the Pops Sting Special” (9:10 p.m., BBC America).

Sen. John McCain is host of “Saturday Night Live” (10:30 p.m., NBC) with musical guests The White Stripes.

Sunday’s other highlights

Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (6 p.m., CBS): The plight of children in Afghanistan; married priests; boys who fall behind in school.

The Giants and Angels meet in Game 2 of the World Series (6:30 p.m., Fox).

Jim Carrey stars as a lawyer compelled to tell the truth in the 1997 comedy “Liar, Liar” (6 p.m., ABC).