Weight for it: 'Biggest Loser' tryouts coming to area

"The Biggest Loser" comes to Chicago looking for contestants to compete in its eighth season from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at NBC Tower, 454 N. Columbus Drive, Chicago. Both individuals and teams are encouraged to try out, but all must be 18 and legal U.S. citizens. No one will be permitted to line up before 7 a.m., and producers only say they'll do their best to see the first 500 in line.

Lotsa film laurels

The Academy Awards are set for 7:30 p.m. Sunday on ABC's WLS Channel 7, but the weekend is stuffed with film honors. Alec Baldwin is the honorary chair for the Independent Spirit Awards, running live from Santa Monica, Calif., at 4 p.m. Saturday on the Independent Film Channel. Then on Sunday Barbara Walters plays host to her annual pre-Oscar special, interviewing Anne Hathaway, Mickey Rourke, Hugh Jackman and the Jonas Brothers, at 6 p.m. Sunday on Channel 7. Tim Gunn, Robin Roberts and Jess Cagle follow with ABC's formal red-carpet intro at 7 on Channel 7.

Journalists unite

Ken Davis, formerly of WBEZ 91.5-FM, moderates a discussion on the future of Chicago journalism in a town-hall-style meeting from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Hotel Allegro, 171 W. Randolph St., Chicago. Panelists will include John Callaway of WTTW Channel 11, Carol Marin of WMAQ Channel 5 and author Alex Kotlowitz of 'BEZ.

Break out the Trojans

Sure, Brad Pitt is a gorgeous hunk of a movie star, but he's hardly the larger-than-life hero Achilles of Homer's epic Greek poem "The Iliad." Still, he gets the role and glories in it in "Troy," the breastplate-busting Trojan War romp also starring Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom. It's at 6:30 p.m. Friday on FX.