HBO Max Jumps in the Oscar Pool With Judas and the Black Messiah

While all indications are that Netflix is poised to be the Schitt's Creek of the Pandemic Oscars next month, they're not without competition. Primetimer's Joe Reid recently wrote about Amazon's Oscars hopes, and this weekend HBO Max throws its hat in the ring with Judas and the Black Messiah. 

The critically acclaimed biopic about slain Black Panther leader Fred Hampton ispoised to be a major contender, having already earned supporting actor nominations for Daniel Kaluuya at several precursors to the Oscars. The film drops on HBO Max day-and-date with its theatrical release Friday.

Also this weekend: Another Oscar contender makes her SNL hosting debut, Netflix's To All the Boys YA film franchise returns for a final romp, and American Idol kicks off its nineteenth season with a series first. Here's what's new and noteworthy on TV this weekend:

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 12

ORIGINAL MOVIE: LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya star in Judas and the Black Messiah, which tells the story of Fred Hampton (Kaluuya), Chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, and his fateful betrayal by FBI informant William O'Neal (Stanfield). Watch trailer. Streaming on HBO Max

ORIGINAL MOVIE: Lara (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Centineo) prepare for the end of high school and the start of adulthood in To All the Boys: Always and Forever, the third installment in the winning YA rom-com trilogy that's turned the Netflix model on it head. Streaming on Netflix

NBA BASKETBALL: The NBA on ESPN returns with another Friday night doubleheader:

• The New Orleans Pelicans vs. the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center at 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT on ESPN
• The Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples center at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT on ESPN

DOCUSERIES PREMIERE: Without them rap as we know it today wouldn't exist. The new FX docuseries Hip Hop Uncovered profiles Big U, Deb, Trick Trick, Bimmy, and Haitian Jack, the unsung financial backers for some of the biggest names in hip hop's early days. Watch trailer. Premieres with two back-to-back episodes at 9:00 PM ET on FX

SERIES PREMIERE: Netflix is set to put the "fun" in "funeral" with its new reality series Buried by the Bernards, centering around the offbeat Bernard family in Memphis, who are committed to offering affordable funeral packages to their community. Watch trailer. Streaming on Netflix

COMPLETE FIRST SEASON:  Nadiya Hussain returns to her happly place in Nadilya Bakes, which sees the The Great British Baking Show favorite cooking up delightful cakes and heavenly breads. Watch trailer. Streaming on Netflix

ORIGINAL MOVIE: Hey, it worked for Groundhog Day and Palm Springs, so why not try again? In The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, quick-witted teen Mark (Kyle Allen) contentedly relives the same day over and over, until he meets Margaret (Kathryn Newton), who's stuck in the same time loop. Watch trailer. Streaming on Prime Video


SATURDAY FEBRUARY 13

NEW EPISODE: Is there anything Regina King can't do? The Watchmen star and One Night in Miami director hosts a new episode of Saturday Night Live, where she'll be joined by musical guest Nathaniel Rateliff. 11:30 PM ET/8:30 PM PT on NBC

ENCORE PRESENTATION: If you missed last week's premiere of The Equalizer after the Super Bowl, CBS is offering up another chance ahead of Sunday's night's episode two. Read our review. 9:00 PM ET on CBS

NBA BASKETBALL: It's another all-star matchup on ABC's NBA Saturday Primetime as Kevin Durant is set to rejoin the Brooklyn Nets when they take on the Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT on ABC

SEASON PREMIERE: A hippo named Funani welcomes an adorable addition to the family on the second season premiere of The Zoo: San Diego. Meanwhile, the team raises an orphaned koala joey named Omeo. 9:00 PM ET on Animal Planet

MADE FOR TV MOVIE: In a modern day telling of Emma, Playing Cupid: Love Ever After follows David Martinez (Nicholas Gonzalez) as his daughter secretly sets him up with her teacher Keri (Laura Vanderport). Watch trailer. 9:00 PM ET on Hallmark


SUNDAY FEBRUARY 14

SERIES PREMIERE: Jason Biggs hosts Cherries Wild, a fast-paced new half-hour game show featuring two rounds of pop culture trivia and one giant slot machine. Read our review. 7:00 PM ET on Fox

TIMESLOT PREMIERE: Robyn McCall (Queen Latifah) fights for the underdog as The Equalizer moves to its regular timeslot. 8:00 PM ET on CBS

SEASON PREMIERE: The granddaddy of the singing competition series is back as American Idol kicks off its nineteenth season with its first ever 50-state virtual auditions round. Ryan Seacrest hosts. Watch promo. 8:00 PM ET on ABC

TIMESLOT PREMIERE: Wolf (Will Forte) tries to find the perfect six-month anniversary gift for Honeybee (Dulcé Sloan) on The Great North. Meanwhile, Judy (Jenny Slate) interviews Honeybee for the school newspaper and learns about her thrilling early years in Fresno. Watch preview. 8:30 PM ET on Fox

SERIES PREMIERE: The new six-part CNN Original series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy follows the Academy Award nominee on a food-themed tour of Italy. First up: Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Watch preview. 9:00 PM ET on CNN

SERIES PREMIERE: Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish anchor the new eight-episode travel docuseries Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham, in which the Outlander stars set off in a van to explore their homeland of Scotland, delving into its culture and history. Watch trailer. 9:00 PM ET on Starz

SERIES FINALE: The walls are closing in on Judge Michael Desiato (Bryan Cranston) as Your Honor brings the gavel down on its final episode. Series star Bryan Cranston directs. Watch trailer. 10:00 PM ET on Showtime

SERIES PREMIERE: CNN takes a comprehensive look at the remarkable and unexpected story of Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln: Divided We Stand, a new six-part docuseries narrated by Sterling K. Brown. Watch trailer. 10:00 PM ET on CNN

SEASON PREMIERE: It's been nearly three months since we last saw a new Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. It's not like anything big went down while he was gone, right? Watch trailer. 11:00 PM ET on HBO

Jed Rosenzweig is the Founder and Publisher of Primetimer.