Weekend TV : It’s an Awards Extravaganza

“The 51st Annual Emmy Awards” and “The MTV Video Music Awards” are among the star-studded events on tap for this weekend.

Chris Rock hosts the “MTV Video Music Awards,” tonight at 8 and 11:30, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Nominees Lauryn Hill, Ricky Martin, TLC, Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys are set to perform.

E! Entertainment Television presents the six-hour “Countdown to the Prime Time Emmys,” beginning Sunday at 9 a.m. Following at 3 p.m. is “The Live Emmy Awards Pre-Show,” with hosts Joan and Melissa Rivers. And at 9 p.m., Melissa Rivers and Todd Newton will interview the winners on the “Prime Time Emmy Awards Post-Show.”

David Hyde Pierce and Jenna Elfman host “The 51st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards,” Sunday at 8 p.m. on Fox.

Elsewhere this weekend:

County Music Television presents “Farm Aid ‘99,” the annual benefit concert for America’s family farmer, Sunday at 11 a.m. The eight-hour telecast is organized and hosted by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young.

The James Brolin syndicated series, “Pensacola: Wings of Gold,” Saturday at 7 p.m. on KCBS, begins its third season.

AMC kicks off an eight-week Roger Corman Festival, Friday at 7 p.m. with “The Pit and the Pendulum.”

Luke Perry and Martin Sheen headline the Fox Family Channel disaster flick “Storm,” Saturday at 8 p.m. In this thriller, a hurricane is making its way to L.A.

Adam Arkin, Laura San Giacomo and David Strathairn star in the Hollywood satire “With Friends Like These,” Saturday at 8 p.m. on Starz!

Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini headlines “Body and Soul,” Saturday at 9 p.m. on the Movie Channel. The boxing drama is a remake of the 1947 film starring John Garfield.

Beau Bridges plays the legendary showman in A&E;’s four-hour drama “P.T. Barnum,” Sunday and Monday at 5 and 9 p.m.

ABC presents a sampling of its popular kids programming on “One Saturday Morning on Friday Night,” Friday at 9:30 p.m. The series begins their new season on Saturday.