Skipping the Super Bowl? Here’s what to watch instead

Not a football fan? Don’t care about seeing the latest ads with big celebrities? No big deal. There’s still plenty to watch on Super Bowl Sunday besides the big game.

If you like small adorable animals, puppies and kitties are back this year! Animal Planet is hosting its 15th annual “Puppy Bowl” (2 p.m. with 93 puppies from 51 shelters in the U.S., Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. If you’re more of a cat person, Hallmark is hosting “Kitten Bowl VI” (1 p.m.) with cat-letes including Mack McFurball and Pico De Gato. (Both pet “bowls” will be repeated throughout the night.)

For a more magical Super Bowl Sunday, get out your wands and snuggle under your invisibility cloaks for “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (7:05 p.m.), which is making its free-TV debut on USA this weekend.

The movie, based on the “Harry Potter” universe, follows writer Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his adventures in New York’s magic community. “Fantastic Beasts” airs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday following “Harry Potter” movie marathons on each of those days, culminating with the final film in that series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” during the Super Bowl.

TLC is popping up with “Dr. Pimple Popper: The Poppy Bowl” (4 p.m.), a marathon with Dr. Sandra Lee’s most-loved patients. The episodes features bonus scenes and checks in with some of Dr. Lee’s patients to see where they are now.

If you’re a sports fanatic (just not a football fan), NBCSN is getting in the winter spirit with all the exciting sports you fell in love with during the Winter Olympics. The Curling World Cup men’s gold medal game (5 p.m.) starts off the night, followed by ski jumping and luge.

Still don’t see anything to distract you from that big football game? Here are a few TV marathons to check out:

“The Office” (Comedy Central, beginning at 7 a.m. ): Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and the Dunder Mifflin paper company employees show off their mundane workplace skills.

“Planet Earth: The Blue Planet” and “Planet Earth: Blue Planet II” (BBC America, 5 a.m.): The legendary David Attenborough narrates these documentary series about life in the oceans.

“The New Edition Story” and “The Bobby Brown Story” (BET, 11:05 a.m.: Explore the beginning of singing group New Edition, known for 1980s hits including “Candy Girl” and “Cool It Now.” The group was the starting point for singer Bobby Brown, whose life is examined in the two-part “The Bobby Brown Story.”

“Worst Cooks in America” (Food Network, 5 p.m.): No matter how bad you are in the kitchen, at least you aren’t one of these worst cooks in America. They’ll be showing off their “skills” as part of this marathon that includes three new episodes of the show.

“The Mummy” (A&E, 5 p.m.): Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) lead two Egyptian expeditions in “The Mummy” and “The Mummy Returns” followed by a prequel to the series, “The Scorpion King,” starring Dwayne Johnson.

“The Hunger Games” (TBS, beginning at 5 p.m.): Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) represent District 12 in the Hunger Games held in the dystopian future of Panem.

Jenny Cohen, USA TODAY

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