TV Best Bets

Thursday, Dec. 15: iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2016 on The CW

iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2016

All Times Eastern.

Thursday, Dec. 15

iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2016
The CW, 8pm
This 90-minute star-studded concert, recorded at New York’s Madison Square Garden, features scheduled performances from Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, the Chainsmokers, Meghan Trainor, Fifth Harmony, Ellie Goulding, Diplo, Charlie Puth, Lukas Graham and Daya, with a special guest appearance by Niall Horan.

Disney Prep & Landing
ABC, 8pm
Lanny and Wayne, a pair of elves who are rivals for the role of director of Naughty List Intelligence, discover that working together is the key to success — and a very merry Christmas for everyone.

The Simpsons
FXX, beginning at 8pm
FXX airs eight episodes of The Simpsons tonight, featuring the theme of time travel. Included are select “Treehouse of Horror” episodes, 2005’s “Future-Drama” and the 2014 Futurama crossover episode “Simpsorama.”

NBA Basketball
TNT, beginning at 8pm Live
Eastern Conference foes battle in Milwaukee as the Chicago Bulls visit the Bucks in the first game of TNT’s NBA doubleheader. The second game has the N.Y. Knicks on the West Coast to face Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

NFL Football: Los Angeles at Seattle
NBC & NFL Network, 8:20pm Live
Thursday Night Football heads to Seattle’s CenturyLink Field as the L.A. Rams take on Russell Wilson and the Seahawks in a game that could affect the NFC West title race.

Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice
ABC, 8:30pm
Lanny and Wayne’s adventures continue, as they race to recover classified North Pole technology from a computer-hacking bad kid. To get the job done, Wayne seeks out the help of the premier Naughty Kid expert — his estranged brother Noel.

The Great Indoors: “Office Romance”
CBS, 8:30pm
Jack (Joel McHale) regrets convincing human resources to toss out a “no inter-office dating” rule when he needs an excuse to break up with his coworker Amy (guest star Jessica Makinson) in the new episode “Office Romance.”

Mom: “Freckled Bananas and a Little Schwinn”
CBS, 9pm
In the new episode “Freckled Bananas and a Little Schwinn,” Christy (Anna Faris) and Bonnie (Allison Janney) start dipping back into illegal activities, causing Adam (William Fichtner) to question their morality.

Life in Pieces: “Window Vanity Dress Grace”
CBS, 9:30pm
When Colleen (Angelique Cabral) goes wedding-dress shopping with her future in-laws, she must deal with Joan’s (Dianne Wiest) unfiltered opinions in the new episode “Window Vanity Dress Grace.”

The Selection: Special Operations Experiment: “Hell & High Water”
History, 10pm
After only two hours of sleep, the instructors lead a grueling day of Navy SEAL training in the Pacific Ocean, where exercises in surf immersion, land portage and extreme exposure to cold push the participants to the edge.

Falling Water: “No Task for the Timid”
USA Network, 10pm
Taka (Will Yun Lee), Tess (Lizzie Brocheré) and Burton (David Ajala) all converge on the Boy, but each of them pays their own heavy price to get there.

Friday, Dec. 16

Barry
Netflix
Original Film!
Vikram Gandhi’s film is about one pivotal year in the life of the young, pre-president Barack Obama (played by newcomer Devon Terrell), known to his friends as Barry, as he arrives in New York City in the fall of 1981 to begin his junior year at Columbia University. In a crime-ridden and racially charged environment, Barry finds himself pulled between various social spheres and he struggles to maintain a series of increasingly strained relationships with his Kansas-born mother, his estranged Kenyan father and his classmates. The film follows Obama grappling with the same issues that the country he would lead 30 years later is still coming to terms with. Ashley Judd and Jenna Elfman also star.

MacGyver: “Scissors”
CBS, 8pm
In the new episode “Scissors,” MacGyver (Lucas Till) and Jack (George Eads) search for Riley (Tristin Mays) after she mysteriously disappears and hacks into the NSA, possibly unleashing World War III.

The 85th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade
The CW, 8pm
Olivia Newton-John will serve as the grand marshal of the largest Christmas celebration in America. This Hollywood tradition features larger-than-life inflatable character balloons and celebrity-filled cars coasting down the parade route, while musical performances shine from two stages along the route. Erik Estrada, Laura McKenzie, Dean Cain and Montel Williams host the parade down Hollywood Boulevard with help from special cohosts Elizabeth Stanton and Garrett Clayton.

Dr. Ken: “A Park Family Christmas”
ABC, 8:30pm
Allison wants to show off her fun side to her Welltopia coworkers and throws an office Christmas party — but Ken’s a reluctant participant. Meanwhile, D.K. and Dave dress as Santa and his elf at the library’s annual Christmas party for kids.

Hawaii Five-0: “Ka’ili Aku (Snatchback)”
CBS, 9pm
Guest Star Alert!
Five-0 races to Mexico where Chin (Daniel Dae Kim) puts his life on the line after his niece (guest star Londyn Silzer) is kidnapped. George Takei guest-stars as Chin’s uncle and Duane “Dog” Chapman guest-stars as himself in the new episode “Ka’ili Aku (Snatchback).”

The Exorcist: “Chapter Ten: Three Rooms”
FOX, 9pm
Season Finale!
Forty years ago, a demon was denied its prize, and now it will stop at nothing to destroy Angela Rance (Geena Davis) and her family. Their only hope lies in two determined priests: Marcus (Ben Daniels) and Tomas (Alfonso Herrera). While FOX is calling this the season finale, iffy ratings may spell the death of this horror series.

Joshua Bell’s Seasons of Cuba
PBS, 9pm
Award-winning, world-famous violinist Joshua Bell leads a Live From Lincoln Center event with musicians from America and Cuba, building a bridge between cultures and artistry.

Z Nation: “Everybody Dies in the End”
Syfy, 9pm
Season Finale!
Addy and Doc have no idea where Lucy is when they’re approached by a very unusual zombie bitten by Lucy. It seems the zombie virus is receding, and he’s able to help. Doc and Addy catch up with Warren and the others, but the reunion is short-lived. The Man holds Lucy captive at the highest point for miles, awaiting an aircraft from Zona, and the heroes must battle Zona Blends, Enders, Zombies and The Man to get to her. When the heroes finally reach the top, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

Lidia Celebrates America: “Holiday for Heroes”
PBS, 10pm
Join host Lidia Bastianich for an unforgettable holiday special celebrating veterans, who discuss the importance of family during holidays, the challenges and sacrifices of their work, and the pride they take in having defended our country.

Saturday, Dec. 17

College Football
ABC & ESPN, beginning at 12pm Live
College football’s bowl season begins today, and ESPN and ABC combine to air five games. ABC airs the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl from Atlanta and the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. ESPN airs the Gildan New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque; the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.; and the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

College Basketball
CBS, beginning at 12:30pm Live
Saturday college hoops on CBS begin with the Memphis Tigers at the Oklahoma Sooners, followed by the CBS Sports Classic doubleheader at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with the Ohio State Buckeyes vs. the UCLA Bruins and the Kentucky Wildcats vs. the North Carolina Tar Heels.

I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!
ABC, 8pm
Everyone’s doing their own thing for Christmas vacation, so Lucy and Linus’ little brother Rerun asks Snoopy to invite his wayward brother Spike for the holidays.

Big Game
CBS, 8pm
Air Force One has been shot down, leaving the president of the United States to trust a young boy in the wilderness to help him survive. Samuel L. Jackson, Onni Tommila and Ray Stevenson star in this 2014 action thriller.

My Christmas Love
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
Original Film!
A hopeless romantic (Meredith Hagner) starts receiving gifts from the song “The 12 Days of Christmas” compliments of an anonymous benefactor. As she tries to figure out the gifter’s identity with the hope that the person on the other end of the parade of presents will be her one true love, she discovers that what she was looking for was right in front of her the entire time. Also stars Bobby Campo and Gregory Harrison.

NFL Football: Miami at N.Y. Jets
NFL Network, 8:20pm Live
The AFC East’s Miami Dolphins and N.Y. Jets meet at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., in this Week 15 Saturday primetime game on NFL Network.