Many stars burn bright, but few remain relevant or popular for five decades. Some of the greatest film directors have made impressive debuts, but few have followed up with generational touchstones and box-office blockbusters.

The “38th American Film Institute Life Achievement Award” (8 p.m., Saturday, TV Land) recognizes director Mike Nichols and many of his most famous players are on hand to join in the salute.

Half of the popular comedy team of Mike Nichols and Elaine May, Nichols’ first movie — a black and white 1966 adaptation of Edward Albee’s caustic marital drama “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” — captured stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton at their incendiary zenith. He followed that up with “The Graduate” (1967) a comedy of 1960s alienation that remains (adjusted for inflation and ticket prices) one of the highest grossing comedies of all time.

In every decade since, Nichols has directed films both popular and significant, entertaining and memorable, including “Carnal Knowledge” (1971); “Working Girl” (1988); “The Birdcage” (1996); and HBO’s “Angels in America” (2003).

Stars from many of his films will be on hand for the tribute, including Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Robin Williams, Mary Louise Parker, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.

• Hosted by Queen Latifah, “BET Awards 2010” (7 p.m., Sunday, BET) will bestow its Lifetime Achievement Award to Prince, an influential and eccentric figure in pop music for more than 30 years, responsible for 10 platinum albums and 30 songs in the Top 40 at this point in his enigmatic career.

• “Entourage” (9:30 p.m., Sunday, HBO) enters its seventh season. And I’ve spent at least the past six wondering why I should care about Turtle’s (Jerry Ferrara) “career.”

This glossy, expensive series walks a fine line between lampooning and celebrating the world of making throwaway entertainment. As the season begins, Drama (Kevin Dillon) seems more desperate for a show. Any show. And Vince (Adrian Grenier) is sufficiently insecure about his manhood to submit to a bullying director’s demand that he do his own stunts. If the opener feels a bit flat, it’s not just because the boys are all getting long in the tooth to be such knuckleheads. Even Ari (Jeremy Piven) appears off his game. The promotion to super-agent has mellowed him. I kept waiting for the explosion of self-serving irrationality. Ari almost emerges as a voice of reason here. And we all know that’s not a good thing.

Saturday’s highlights

• A meeting with Vincent Van Gogh on “Doctor Who” (8 p.m., BBC America).

• Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (CBS), a mother vanishes on Sept. 12, 2001 (8 p.m.), a daughter waits years to identify her father’s killer (9 p.m.).

Sunday’s highlights

• “Masterpiece Mystery” (8 p.m., PBS, check local listings) presents “Miss Marple: The Blue Geranium.”

• “Be Good Johnny Weir” (8 p.m., Sundance) looks back at the Winter Olympics.

• “Nick News Special Edition” (8 p.m., Nickelodeon) follows three middle-school students as they forgo technology gadgets and wired life for two weeks.

• A werewolf protects Sookie on “True Blood” (8 p.m., HBO).

• Public patios take center stage on “Design Star” (9 p.m., HGTV).