Shannen Doherty, the Elizabeth Taylor of early ’90s television, returns to basic cable in “Growing the Big One” (8 p.m., today, Hallmark). “Big One” follows the basic pattern of this network’s films. Emma Silver (Doherty), a popular Seattle DJ, finds herself floundering in a rural ZIP code after her beloved grandfather leaves her his farm (and his prize-winning pumpkin seeds) in his will.

In a flagrant, if not creative, act of appropriation, “Big One” morphs from “Frasier” to “Newhart” in a matter of seconds.

As bad luck would have it, opportunity knocks when her radio station demotes her in their brazen attempt to woo more desirable listeners with younger talent. But her exile to an unstylish gardening show allows her to broadcast from the farm, where she can’t help but rub shoulders with her handsome mechanic neighbor (Kavan Smith, “Stargate Atlantis”). Undaunted, the duo prepare to impress their farmer neighbors and boost Emma’s ratings by growing the world’s largest pumpkin. As much as I’d like to carve this pumpkin up, this formulaic country-city romance is as comfortable as an old boot.

• In other Halloween-themed programming, “The Boy Who Cried Werewolf” (7 p.m., today, Nickelodeon) stars Victoria Justice (“Victorious”) as a teen who undergoes a rather hairy transformation on a family trip to a castle in Romania. Look for Brooke Shields as a housekeeper with vast knowledge of the castle’s legends.

• After three weeks of the brooding “Wallander,” “Masterpiece Mystery” (8 p.m., Sunday, PBS, check local listings) offers a 21st-century “Sherlock” written by the folks behind “Doctor Who.”

Benedict Cumberbatch (“Atonement”) headlines this fun, fast-paced production as a young and eccentric Sherlock Holmes, a special consultant to the London Police, which finds him both exasperating and indispensable. Martin Freeman (The U.K. version of “The Office”) co-stars as Dr. John Watson, a military physician and a wounded veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

Fans of TV mysteries should pounce on this series, running weekly through Nov. 7. It’s a witty, knowing homage to the Baker Street sleuth with a few nods to more recent TV detectives and in turn a reminder of how much the genre owes to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s timeless character. Fans of “Monk” and “Psych” will certainly recognize Sherlock’s ability to discover clues and assemble theories with lightening quickness. Sherlock’s deductions are announced in a clever, graphic fashion. Sherlock may also remind some viewers of “Dexter.” As on that Showtime series, many of Sherlock’s police colleagues suspect him of being as sick as their criminal prey, and some openly refer to him as a sociopath. This British “Sherlock” also features a musical score very similar to the jaunty, sinister, harpsichord-y theme to “Dexter.” But “Sherlock” remains blessedly free of that series’ penchant for sadism and gore.

Tonight’s “Sherlock” installment follows a string of strange, seemingly unrelated, yet identical suicides. It also introduces a mysterious recurring character who claims to be the detective’s arch-enemy. Some Baker St. purist may find this almost zippy “Sherlock” a tad too cute. But it’s heads and shoulders above the recent Guy Ritchie/Robert Downey Jr. “Sherlock” desecration.

• In portraying Watson as a haunted veteran, “Sherlock” also shares a theme with “Boardwalk Empire” (8 p.m., HBO, Sunday), whose character Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt) has returned from war a doomed figure who has acquired a talent, if not a taste, for murder. In this episode, Jimmy’s sense of strategy and homicidal nonchalance impress his gangster hosts in Chicago.

• Sir David Attenborough hosts “First Life with David Attenborough” (7 p.m., Sunday, Discovery), a globe-spanning look at the origins of life that uses stunning location footage and computer graphics to illuminate new discoveries about the evolution of the first animals and how they gave rise to the creatures we know today.

Saturday’s highlights

• “Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam” (7 p.m., Documentary Channel) looks at a controversial new religious movement.

• Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (9 p.m., CBS): a ride from the wrong stranger.

• Emma Stone hosts “Saturday Night Live” (10:30 p.m., NBC), featuring musical guest Kings of Leon.

Sunday’s highlights

• Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (6 p.m., CBS): a look at the large number of people whose unemployment benefits are scheduled to end; chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall; the popular BBC series “Top Gear.”

• Nature” (7 p.m., PBS, check local listings) offers a kinder, gentler look at crows.

• Partner problems on “Dexter” (8 p.m., Showtime).

• Horatio’s wife’s killer escapes on “CSI: Miami” (9 p.m., CBS).

• Nora mulls a job behind a microphone on “Brothers and Sisters” (9 p.m., ABC).

Cult choice

A fortune seeker sets out to murder heirs who come between him and his inheritance in the 1949 comedy “Kind Hearts and Coronets” (7 p.m., today, TCM). Alec Guinness portrays the killer and each of his victims.