No matter the quality of play, the Super Bowl is stupendous in terms of its TV ratings alone. It’s routinely the most-watched TV event of the year. In 2016, for example, the football extravaganza was watched by 111.9 million viewers, again earning it the No. 1 most-watched spot (in a TV By the Numbers list that doesn’t include the presidential debates or election night, which were broadcast on multiple channels.)
But what if you’re that iconoclast who doesn’t get together with the gang, gorge on chips ‘n’ dip, and wallow in hours and hours of pre-football, actual football, and post-football programming?
If you hate football, or simply can’t get excited about the New England Patriots playing the Atlanta Falcons, there are plenty of other choices when it comes to Super Bowl Sunday viewing.
Here are five options for what to watch if you’re skipping the Super Bowl:
1. “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” marathon: In a case of exquisite timing, the Decades channel is programming a marathon of 84 episodes offered back-to-back Saturday, Sunday and into Monday morning. Watch to understand why we lost a comedy treasure when Moore died on Jan. 25. And watch to enjoy one of the best sitcoms ever made. And if you don’t get the Decades channel, check out episodes of “The Mary Tyler Moore show” on Hulu, Amazon and iTunes. (Marathon begins at 10 a.m. Feb. 4 and continues through 4 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6; on the Decades channel, which can be found as digital subchannel 6.3 for those with antenna-only reception; 306 on Comcast; and 44 on CenturyLink Prism)
2. “The Walking Dead” marathon: If AMC is trying to warm us up for the return of the undead thriller on Feb. 12, it might not be as smart as they think to air a marathon beginning with the first episode. You know, back when the show was good. Anyway, the marathon starts with that classic series opener, “Days Gone Bye,” and continues with Season 1 and Season 2 episodes all day on Super Bowl Sunday. (8 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 5; AMC)
3. “Casablanca”: You must remember this. How better to escape the rough and tumble of pro football than by once more reveling in Humphrey Bogart moaning, “Out of all the gin joints in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.” And once we see Ingrid Bergman, we know why he couldn’t forget her. This may be the perfect Golden Age of Hollywood movie, with incandescent stars, a script packed with quotable lines, Dooley Wilson at the piano, and a cast of genius character actors, including the invaluable Claude Rains. (5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5; Turner Classic Movies)
4. “Mozart in the Jungle”: Thanks to streaming shows, you don’t have to find alternative programming on TV during Super Bowl Sunday. There’s a vast array of choices, including this award-winning comedy about the world of classical music, starring Gael Garcia Bernal as a young conductor. Amazon has just renewed it for a fourth season, so now’s the time to catch up on what you’ve been missing. (Streaming on Amazon)
5. “O.J.: Made in America”: If you’re in the mood to reflect on how the achievement and celebrity won on the football field can shape an athlete’s reputation and life, here’s rich food for thought. The five-part documentary originally made for ESPN and the “30 for 30” series goes deep on the subject of O.J. Simpson, the world around him, the history of racial conflict in Los Angeles, and how it all became part of the explosive trial in which Simpson was accused of double homicide. This isn’t the most escapist choice, but it’s one of the most impressive documentaries made in recent years. (Streaming on Hulu at hulu.com/oj-made-in-america)
— Kristi Turnquist
kturnquist@oregonian.com
503-221-8227
@Kristiturnquist
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