Sweeps succumb to Saturday night slump

The engaging sports fantasy “Clubhouse” has struck out with viewers. It debuted Tuesday nights to favorable reviews but suffered from anemic ratings. It hardly helped that the show was competing against real baseball in the form of the playoffs and World Series games.

CBS moved it to Saturday nights in hopes of capturing a wider family audience, but its batting average did not improve and “Clubhouse” has been benched, perhaps permanently. Tonight, look for a repeat of “Dallas Reunion: Return to Southfork” (7 p.m., CBS).

“Clubhouse” is hardly alone. Saturday night viewers remain hard to come by for any show on any network.

After ditching the notion of Saturday nights as a time for movies, NBC has returned to that practice, airing the 1997 comedy “Men in Black” (7 p.m.) for the millionth time. “Black” is beginning to rank up there with “It’s a Wonderful Life” as an overexposed Peacock staple. ABC has been using Saturdays to re-air its two new hits, “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives,” but tonight it will re-air the 2001 kids’ fantasy “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (7 p.m.). This is sweeps?

  • Viewers have their choice between two Dick Clark-produced shows Sunday night. Clark is the founder and producer of “The American Music Awards” (7 p.m., ABC). Now in its 32nd year, this ceremony has long been seen as a rival to the Grammy Awards. Jimmy Kimmel hosts.

While most of the performers — including Gwen Stefani, Usher, Toby Keith, Kanye West, Josh Groban, Gretchen Wilson, Kenny Chesney and Jessica Simpson — are contemporary chart-makers, the show will take a moment to honor Jon Bon Jovi with an Award of Merit.

The night also belongs to The Beatles. Ringo Starr will introduce a long-lost clip of the Fab Four performing “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” from a 1964 British special. It has not been seen since.

And if this isn’t nostalgic enough for you, the musical drama “American Dreams” (7 p.m. Sunday, NBC) features a performance by “American Idol” winner Fantasia Barrino as Aretha Franklin. “Dreams” is produced by Dick Clark.

  • “Category 6: Day of Destruction” (8 p.m. Sunday, CBS, concludes Wednesday) is a weather disaster movie and much, much more. In fact, the writers of “Category 6” borrow from every genre as they concoct an over-the-top thriller crammed to the gills with subplots.

Tonight’s highlights

  • Liam Neeson is host of “Saturday Night Live” (10:30 p.m., NBC), featuring musical guest Modest Mouse.

Sunday highlights

  • Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (6 p.m., CBS): A former CIA official criticizes the agency’s pursuit of Osama bin Laden; Merck’s Vioxx troubles.
  • Bart hears the ring-a-ding-ding of the swinger lifestyle on “The Simpsons” (7 p.m., Fox).