What to Watch in Sunday’s Super Bowl, Which the Hell Isn’t a Super Bowl
The glory days of special Super Bowl “counter-programming” are over. When you can stream whatever you want on Netflix to prove how much you don’t care about the Super Bowl, there’s not much point in networks dedicating programs to countering the game. But there are a few more alternatives to the big stupid soccer game you can watch on Sunday.
Puppy Bowl XVII at Animal Planet
Puppy Bowl from Animal Planet is the most successful counter-program in history. The annual celebration of adorableness has made people say ” awww ” for 17 years. This year’s bowl features celebrity trainers Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg overseeing a group of eligible rescue dogs. Snoop will also be showing up at the Super Bowl halftime, so he’s going to have a busy day.
You can watch The Puppy Bowl on February 13th on Animal Planet. The preview show starts at 1:00 PM ET and the big game starts at 2:00 PM. It also airs on Discovery+.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to watch the Kitten Bowl anywhere this year. Hallmark has canceled its adorable kitty counter-program and has no plans to bring it back in the future.
Bell Air Premiere at Peacock
Streaming service NBC Peacock will air the first three episodes of Bel Air on Sunday’s Super Bowl. In the reboot of the 1990s sitcom The New Prince of Bel-Air , the story of Will’s journey from West Philadelphia (born and raised) to a luxurious part of Los Angeles is a one-hour drama. It’s a little weird that NBC is putting on a new show against their own Super Bowl, but if the game turns out to be boring, I might switch.
Celebrity Big Brother on CBS
A new episode of the reality show Celebrity Big Brother is airing on CBS and airing on Paramount+ at 8:00 pm ET, right in the middle of the big game. This season ‘s Celebrity Big Brother line-up includes Cynthia Bailey, Carson Kressley, and Todd Bridges, who are celebrities in a way.
Foo Fighters concert in virtual reality
If you want some really alternative Super Bowl programming, you can watch Foo Fighters in the Metaverse once the Super Bowl is over. You can stream old-fashioned video of the concert on Facebook and Instagram, but if you put on an Oculus headset, you can enjoy “a front-row 180-degree concert with customizable avatars, fan interaction, and virtual games in the show lobby.” Sounds like fun, I guess.
Musicals on TCM
I love football and I love old musicals. (I have plenty.) This year, the old Turner Classic Movies shows “Music Man” at 5:15 pm ET on Super Bowl Sunday, followed by ” Stormy Weather ” at 8:00 pm. Both films are excellent and will almost certainly feature more razz-a-ma-tazz and old soft shoes than the Super Bowl.
Romantic comedies on the Hallmark channel.
The Hallmark Channel is putting out low-budget romcoms at an impressive pace, and they’re serving up some of them Sunday at the Super Bowl. The bridal veil unveiling starts at 2pm ET and is followed by a block of four more Hallmark original films that you can watch and instantly forget you’ve ever seen.
BBC America’s sly commentary on American football
BBC America’s schedule for Sunday’s Super Bowl includes back-to-back screenings of the adult classic Stand by Me, followed by Kevin Costner’s football film Draft Day and then Concussion , in which “Dr. Bennett Omalu (Will Smith) educates the public about football-related brain injuries.” Draw your own conclusions here.