Montreal Gazette

Who needs Axl Rose? Hall of Fame induction ceremony rocks without him

- astrachan@postmedia.com twitter.com/astrachant­v

Saturday The fans booed Axl Rose, but what did he care? He wasn’t there. And truth be told, the fans didn’t much care, either. They were there not just to see Guns N’ Roses, with or without Axl, but Red Hot Chili Peppers, among other acts. And, judging from the notices, last month’s 27th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (HBO, 9 p.m.) in Cleveland didn’t disappoint.

Eli Manning is hosting Saturday Night Live (Global, NBC, 11:30 p.m.), the latest in a long line of sports figures who’ve tried their hand at hosting late-night TV’S long-running, most enduring sketch-comedy program.

On a particular­ly nasty Celebrity Apprentice (Global, 8 p.m.), insult comic and self-styled Queen of Mean, Lisa Lampanelli, decides she doesn’t much like 2008 Miss Universe, Dayana Mendoza. Thoroughly unpleasant to watch, but some find this entertaini­ng.

Roseanne Barr, the one- time standup comedian and Roseanne star who made “domestic goddess” a household word, returns to her comedy roots in the 2006 standup special, Roseanne Barr: Blonde and Bitchin’ (Comedy Network, 9 p.m.). Some jokes never grow old. Others, well, watch and decide for yourself. Sunday For many viewers, The Amazing Race (CTV, CBS, 8 p.m.) ended last week with the eliminatio­n of Kentucky good ol’ boys – family guys and mixed-race bromance dudes, William “Bopper” Minton and Mark Jackson.

Promos for tonight’s finale have hinted at a finish-line controvers­y but now that The Amazing Race has lost its mojo and biggest rooting interest, some viewers might not care who wins.

If you’re still waving your rally towel, chances are good you’re still watching Canada’s Got Talent (Citytv, 8 p.m.). A dancing dog, singers, urban-dance troupes – it’s all part of the mix in a TV talent contest that’s all too easily lost in the crush of Sunday-night programmin­g.

Sherlock (PBS, 9 p.m.) – Steven Moffat’s revisionis­t, set-in-present-day-london update on the classic Conan Doyle mysteries – returns to PBS’S Masterpiec­e showcase with the first of three new instalment­s. A Scandal in Belgravia is sensationa­l in every way, not least for Benedict Cumberbatc­h’s keen-witted, sharp-minded take on a hero of classic literature. All that, and a deerstalke­r, too.

The Simpsons (Global, FOX, 8 p.m.) finds Homer temporaril­y out of work. Instead of putting in a ninehour shift taking up space in the one comfortabl­e chair at his local Starbucks, he turns to secret agent Stradivari­us Cain (guest voice Bryan Cranston) to put a little excitement in his life and make him more appealing to his wife Marge.

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