If they gave out Emmys for the small screen’s most smoldering squint, Barry Pepper would win hands down for his portrayal of the late NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt in “3” (8 p.m. Saturday, ESPN). A vast improvement on ESPN’s earlier movies about sports psychos Pete Rose and Bobby Knight, “3” focuses on Earnhardt’s off-track life, with a particular emphasis on his relationship with his father and sons. The film also shows the allure of the dangerous sport and its appeal to drivers like Earnhardt, who saw racing glory as an escape from a life of low-wage jobs at dying mills and fading factories.

• Steve Guttenberg stars as Santa’s lovelorn son and heir in the cable holiday comedy “Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus” (8 p.m. Saturday, Hallmark). Believe it or not, this is the first of two movies airing this weekend about Santa’s spawn in search of a special someone to share those long winter nights at the North Pole.

As “Santa Seeks” commences, the elder Clauses are a tad worried. Junior is getting on and is contractually obligated to take over the sleigh-riding toy-delivery franchise, but he can’t do that without a Mrs. — the cookie-baking heart of the enterprise. For reasons unexplained, a dour-looking elf sends him to the greater Los Angeles area armed with a list of willing ladies.

While we should count our blessings that he doesn’t run into any “Pretty Woman” wannabes, Junior manages to get the door slammed in his face quite often. He eventually falls for a harried ad exec and widow (Crystal Bernard) who has lost the spirit of Christmas. Think he helps her find it?

• Are you ready for the ratings smackdown? It may not rank with Ali-Frazier, but the hour of competition between the two-hour “Survivor” (7 p.m. Sunday, CBS) finale and an episode of “Desperate Housewives” (8 p.m. Sunday, ABC) should have some network types biting their nails and taking notes. Should “Housewives” prevail, this may mark the first time in years that a regularly scheduled drama bested a final “Survivor.” And that event could mark a significant milestone in the accelerating decline of the reality genre.

Today’s other highlights

• The voices of Ben Stiller, Hugh Grant and Britney Spears animate the 2002 special “Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire” (7 p.m., CBS). Followed by “Robbie the Reindeer and the Legend of the Lost Tribe” (7:30 p.m., CBS).
• Dennis Hopper stars as a hot-rodding ex-con in the 2004 cable drama “The Last Ride” (7 p.m. NBC).
• Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (9 p.m., CBS): a child murderer.
• A modern-day Bonnie and Clyde on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (9 p.m., NBC).
• Colin Farrell hosts “Saturday Night Live” (10:30 p.m., NBC), featuring musical guests Scissor Sisters.

Sunday’s highlights

• Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (6 p.m., CBS): Opera diva Anna Netrebko; Sen. Fritz Hollings (D-S.C.); Saudi Arabia’s terror problem.
• Holiday lights blaze in the 1989 comedy “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (7 p.m., NBC).
• Elton John on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m., ABC).
• On “Desperate Housewives” (8 p.m., ABC), Gabrielle organizes a charity fashion show.