“The Rugby Player,” an award-winning documentary film about 9/11 hero Mark Bingham, makes its American television debut on KQED this weekend (6 p.m., Saturday).

Bingham, a UC Berkeley graduate and gay athlete from Los Gatos, was one of the brave passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 who stormed the cockpit and helped to save countless lives by sacrificing his own.

Deftly directed by New York filmmaker Scott Gracheff, “The Rugby Player” traces Bingham’s life from his rugby-playing days at Cal to his harrowing final moments. It also presents a touching portrayal of the remarkable bond he shared with his mother, Alice Hoagland, a former United flight attendant.

Devastated by her loss but inspired by Bingham’s memory, Hoagland has become a nationally known authority on airline safety and a champion of LGBT rights. Bingham’s parents divorced when he was a child. Mother and son spent some time living out of the back of their car until she could get on her feet.

“The Rugby Player” premiered in 2013 and had a long, successful film festival run — including a screening at Cinequest in San Jose last year. This one-night-only airing on KQED is the first time it will be seen by TV viewers in the country (it was broadcast in Australia last month).

INDULGENT TREATS: The offbeat culinary series “Carnival Cravings With Anthony Anderson” (10 p.m. Wednesday, Food Network) brought its hefty appetite to the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton this summer, and results can be seen this week. The new episode has Anderson chowing down on crazy carnival food, including a lobster dog and a decadent burger stuffed with mac and cheese. He also throws on his chef hat and concocts a spaghetti and meatball sundae. Break out the Tums.

COMICAL CARTOON: Lafayette native Will Forte lends his voice to “Moonbeam City,” a new adult animated series (10:30 p.m. Wednesday, Comedy Central) that pokes fun at 1980s-era crime dramas.

The show stars Rob Lowe as detective Dazzle Novak. Forte plays his rival, Rad Cunningham.

Follow Chuck Barney at Twitter.com/chuckbarney and Facebook.com/bayareanewsgroup.chuckbarney.