TV Best Bets

Thursday, Nov. 18: ‘Psych 3: This Is Gus’ Movie Lands on Peacock

Psych 3 This Is Gus Peacock Peacock/2021 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

ALSO SEE: Complete 2021 NFL TV Schedule

All Times Eastern. PBS programming varies regionally.

Thursday, Nov. 18

Psych 3: This Is Gus
Peacock
Original Film!

This is the third film spinoff of the quirky, cult-favorite former Psych series. In preparation for a shotgun wedding before the birth of Baby Guster, Shawn (James Roday Rodriguez) and Groomzilla Gus (Dulé Hill) go rogue in an attempt to track down Selene’s (Jazmyn Simon) estranged husband, as Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) grapples with the future of his career.

Fireplaces of the World
Topic
New Series!

What’s it like gathering around a fire in Norway? Or Japan? This winter, cozy up to five unique fireplaces from around the world with this series of video-wallpaper fires that warm your home while transporting you to breathtaking locations. Topic’s new ambient TV series Fireplaces of the World Series features stylish designs and calming music, and is the perfect way to unwind as winter approaches. Each episode is available in two formats: with music from the country or with only ambient sound/fire.

Partners in Rhyme
ALLBLK
New Series!

It’s old-school versus new-school in this lighthearted, half-hour sitcom that follows rap pioneer Lana Crawford (MC Lyte). When Lana discovers she is being dropped as an artist from her label and is in massive debt, the OG rap star is propositioned into managing her niece Lucious T (Precious Way, Queens), an up-and-coming Instagram rapper. Generations collide as Lana and Luscious T try to find their footing, working and living under the same roof. New episodes are available Thursdays.

Anna
AMC+
New Series!

This six-episode Italian series is a dystopian story of a ravaged world destroyed by a virus that kills adults but spares children. On the island of Sicily, among parched fields and mysterious forests, and the crumbling husks of shopping malls and abandoned cities, exist savage communities of survivors, most of whom are children. One of them, teenager Anna (Giulia Dragotto), only has one guide: a book left by her mother with instructions on how to survive. But with each passing day she discovers that the old rules no longer apply and she instead must make up new ones as she goes along. New episodes are available Thursdays.

The Sex Lives of College Girls
HBO Max
New Series!

The 10-episode comedy is created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble, and follows four college roommates as they arrive at New England’s prestigious Essex College. A bundle of contradictions and hormones, these girls are equal parts lovable and infuriating as they live out their new, free lives on campus. Stars Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, Reneé Rapp and Alyah Chanelle Scott. New episodes are available Thursdays.

The Curse of Von Dutch
Hulu
New Miniseries!

This three-episode docuseries tells the true story of how the 2000s iconic fashion brand rose from nothing to become one of the most recognizable on Earth — and how it disappeared. The series tells the dramatic tale of surfers, gangsters and Hollywood stars who tried to control the brand in its heyday. Now, a decade later, the truth about what happened will come out.

The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star
Netflix
Original Film!

When a priceless relic is stolen, Queen Margaret (Vanessa Hudgens) and Princess Stacy (Hudgens) enlist the help of Margaret’s audacious lookalike cousin Fiona (Hudgens), who teams with a dashing, mysterious man from her past to retrieve it — rekindling the sparks of a tantalizing Christmas romance and resulting in a very unexpected switch.

Star Trek: Discovery
Paramount+
Season Premiere!

The fourth season of this Star Trek entry finds Capt. Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the crew of the USS Discovery facing a threat unlike any they’ve ever encountered. With Federation and non-Federation worlds alike feeling the impact, they must confront the unknown and work together to ensure a hopeful future for all. New episodes are available Thursdays.

Texas 6
Paramount+
Season Premiere!

The docuseries returns for Season 2. It follows the Greyhounds, a six-man high school football team under the direction of Coach Dewaine Lee. After a devastating defeat in the semifinals the previous year, the second season finds the Greyhounds chasing redemption. However, as external pressures mount and adversity abounds, Coach Lee and his team turn to the family they’ve cultivated on the field. All eight episodes are available today.

Chrisley Knows Best: Chrisley Knows Thanksgiving
Peacock

In this hourlong special based on the reality series Chrisley Knows Best, Julie Chrisley passes on her Thanksgiving recipes by teaching her children to cook timeless dishes in a little family competition.

Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol
Peacock
Season Finale!

The new series chronicling the early adventures of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Ashley Zukerman), the protagonist of Dan Brown’s bestselling novels like The Da Vinci Code, finishes up its first season.

Frogger
Peacock
Season Finale!

The game show based on the classic video game crowns its Season 1 winner.

Hollington Drive
Sundance Now
New Series!

This four-episode British psychological thriller begins on a summer evening in the seemingly idyllic suburb of Hollington Drive, when 10-year-old Alex is declared missing. As grief tears through the community, sisters Theresa (Anna Maxwell Martin) and Helen (Rachael Stirling) fight to hold their lives and their families together, and secrets and lies begin to surface as long-held facades falter. New episodes are available Thursdays.

College Football: Louisville at Duke
ESPN, 7:30pm Live

A primetime ACC football matchup has the Louisville Cardinals in Durham, North Carolina, to face the Duke Blue Devils.

Music Box: Jagged
HBO, 8pm

This documentary, the latest in HBO’s Music Box series, is the story of how young singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette — known as the “Debbie Gibson of Canada” in the early 1990s — achieved rock stardom with the release of her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill. Her hit single, “You Oughta Know,” became an anthem for jilted lovers everywhere, and “Ironic” redefined the word for Gen Xers. While Morissette participated in the film’s production and reveals many personal details, she’s disavowed the finished product. “This was not the story I agreed to tell,” she says, believing that the filmmakers had a “salacious agenda” and the documentary “includes implications and facts that are simply not true.”

Station 19: “Little Girl Blue”
ABC, 8pm

Station 19 and Station 23 each attempt to celebrate Thanksgiving following the fallout from the neighborhood explosion. The firefighters come together to cook, toast to loved ones they have lost and celebrate the families they have become.

Young Sheldon: “An Introduction to Engineering and a Glob of Hair Gel”
CBS, 8pm

Uh-oh! Sheldon (Iain Armitage) takes his first engineering class. Meanwhile, Meemaw (Annie Potts) and Dale (Craig T. Nelson) get stuck caring for Dale’s ex-wife June (Reba McEntire) when she’s injured.

Walker: “It’s Not What You Think”
The CW, 8pm

Walker (Jared Padalecki) tells his family about the surveillance cameras in their home and partners with Denise (guest star Tamara Feldman) to lure out whoever is watching them. Liam (Keegan Allen) doesn’t trust Denise, or her husband Dan (guest star Dave Annable), which frustrates Walker, who is trying to mend the rift between the families. Micki (Lindsey Morgan) continues to deal with the ramifications of her time undercover.

NFL Football: New England at Atlanta
FOX & NFL Network, 8pm Live

Week 11’s Thursday Night Football contest has Mac Jones leading the New England Patriots against Matt Ryan and the Falcons at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Blacklist: “Benjamin T. Okara”
NBC, 8pm

Dembe’s (Hisham Tawfiq) position as an FBI agent causes complications for Red (James Spader) as the task force handles a case involving military technology. Meanwhile, Cooper (Harry Lennix) and Park (Laura Sohn) each find their personal lives increasingly complicated.

Mel Brooks Triple Feature
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

Three of the high points of Mel Brooks’ filmmaking career — and three of the funniest comedies in Hollywood history — are on display with tonight’s hilarious triple feature on Turner Classic Movies. First up is 1974’s Young Frankenstein, directed by Brooks from an Oscar-nominated screenplay by Brooks and star Gene Wilder that is a pitch-perfect send-up of 1930s horror classics, particularly Universal’s various Frankenstein adaptations. Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr, Kenneth Mars and Madeline Kahn round out the exceptional ensemble cast. Leachman and Kahn are back in tonight’s next film, High Anxiety (1977), which marked Brooks’ first lead speaking role. Not quite as successful a parody as Young Frankenstein, it still manages to take sharp and uproarious aim at its subject: the characters, tropes and techniques of Hollywood suspense thrillers, particularly the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Harvey Korman also costars. Tonight’s final Brooks classic is another one released in 1974, and one often regarded as his most brilliantly funny work ever: Blazing Saddles. Directed by Brooks, who cowrote the screenplay with, among others, comedian Richard Pryor, Blazing Saddles is led by Cleavon Little as a Black man who shocks a frontier town when he is appointed the new sheriff. The film holds nothing back as it skewers the conventions of old-time Hollywood Westerns, particularly their racist elements. Wilder, Korman and Kahn are also among the ensemble cast, with Kahn nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. — Jeff Pfeiffer

United States of Al: “College/Pohantoon”
CBS, 8:30pm

In the new episode “College/Pohantoon,” Al (Adhir Kalyan) struggles with the college class he is taking, so Riley (Parker Young) takes it upon himself to speak to his professor (guest star John Ross Bowie).

Grey’s Anatomy: “Every Day Is a Holiday (With You)”
ABC, 9pm

It’s Thanksgiving and while Meredith faces travel complications due to the weather, Nick steps in to help in more ways than one. Meanwhile, Richard and Bailey seek out emergency surgeries, and Amelia and Link reconnect.

Ghosts: “D&D”
CBS, 9pm

After Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) is kicked out of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign with his city friends, Sam (Rose McIver) agrees to facilitate a new one between him and the ghosts. Also, Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones) confronts his feelings for Nigel (John Hartman), a British soldier ghost from whom he’s been keeping a gigantic secret.

B Positive: “A Dishwasher, a Fire and a Remote Control”
CBS, 9:30pm

Gina (Annaleigh Ashford) is pressured by the seniors at Valley Hills to fire the chef, Bert (D.B. Sweeney). Also, a frustrated Drew (Thomas Middleditch) blows up at one of his therapy patients.

Big Sky: “Heart-Shaped Charm”
ABC, 10pm

We all do questionable things when we’re drunk. Most of us don’t bust open our old gunshot wound in the process! At the end of last week’s episode, tipsy but determined undersheriff Jenny (Katheryn Winnick) got frustrated by the slow-going search for answers about the car crash at the center of Season 2’s mystery. With PI pal Cassie (Kylie Bunbury) in tow, she decided to follow a person of interest as he left the bar. The ladies found themselves in what Winnick dubs “the ultimate standoff” with the local crime syndicate after Jenny was revealed to be a cop. Tonight, we pick up mid-standoff, and while the women will get to walk away, there may be consequences. Someone in the crew grows suspicious of undercover cop Travis (Logan Marshall-Green), Jenny’s latest fling. When he goes missing, she fears the worst. “This is the episode where she realizes her feelings are more involved,” Winnick says. “She needs to do whatever it takes to make sure he’s OK, and even use her badge to cross the lines of the law to hopefully find him again. She is on the hunt.”

Friday, Nov. 19

Prisoners of the Ghostland
AMC+ & Shudder
Feature Film Exclusive!

This horror Western takes place in the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town, where a ruthless bank robber (Nicolas Cage) is sprung from jail by a wealthy warlord, the Governor (Bill Moseley), whose adopted granddaughter Bernice (Sofia Boutella) has run away. Strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within five days if he doesn’t find the missing girl, the bandit sets off on a journey to find the young woman — and his own path to redemption. The film was an official selection at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

Foundation
Apple TV+
Season Finale!

The first season of this sci-fi drama based on Isaac Asimov’s classic novels comes to a close.

Harriet the Spy
Apple TV+
New Series!

This series marks the first animated adaptation of Louise Fitzhugh’s iconic children’s novel chronicling the coming-of-age adventures of the irrepressible Harriet M. Welsch. Beanie Feldstein voices Harriet, a fiercely independent and adventurous 11-year-old girl, alongside Jane Lynch as Ole Golly, Harriet’s larger-than-life, no-nonsense nanny. Set in 1960s New York, when the original book was published, the series follows Harriet, who, more than anything, wants to be a writer. And in order to be a good writer, she’ll need to know everything. And to know everything means she’ll need to spy … on everyone. The voice cast also includes Lacey Chabert, Kimberly Brooks, Crispin Freeman, Grey Griffin, Bumper Robinson and Charlie Schlatter.

The Morning Show
Apple TV+
Season Finale!

Season 2 of this Jennifer Aniston- and Reese Witherspoon-led drama set in the cutthroat world of a morning TV news program concludes.

Candy Coated Christmas
discovery+
Original Film!

Food Network’s first scripted original movie stars Molly McCook (Last Man Standing) as Molly Gallant, a Beverly Hills marketing executive whose carefully planned life takes an unexpected, and possibly romantic, turn when she takes a business trip to the picturesque town of Peppermint Hollow during the holidays. The film also stars Aaron O’Connell as local mint entrepreneur Noah Winters; McCook’s real-life father, John McCook, as Molly’s father, Fred; and Ree Drummond, host of Food Network’s The Pioneer Woman, as bakery owner Bee.

King Richard
HBO Max
Feature Film Exclusive!

Will Smith stars in this biopic as Richard Williams, the father and coach of tennis stars Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton) Williams. The film will stream on HBO Max’s Ad-Free plan 31 days from its theatrical release today.

The Great
Hulu
Season Premiere!

In Season 2, Catherine (Elle Fanning) decides now is the time to seize the day and take the throne of Russia for her own, no matter the consequences — and dealing with her husband Peter (Nicholas Hoult) is at the top of the list. Also complicating matters is the arrival of her mother (Gillian Anderson). Catherine soon discovers how difficult it is to liberate a country that just doesn’t want to be liberated. All 10 episodes are available today.

Blown Away: Christmas
Netflix
New Series!

The glassblowing competition series cranks up the heat for a spectacular holiday showdown. ’Tis the season for redemption as five fan-favorite artisans return to the hot shop to compete in a series of Christmas-themed challenges in the quest to become the Best in Holiday Blow. In the spirit of giving, the winner will not only receive a $10,000 cash prize, but an additional $10,000 will also be donated to their charity of choice. Bobby Berk hosts, accompanied by resident evaluator Katherine Gray.

Cowboy Bebop
Netflix
New Series!

This eagerly awaited live-action adaptation of the Japanese anime favorite is an action-packed space Western about three bounty hunters, aka “cowboys,” all trying to outrun the past. As different as they are deadly, Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir) and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) form a scrappy, snarky crew ready to hunt down the solar system’s most dangerous criminals — for the right price. But they can only kick and quip their way out of so many scuffles before their pasts finally catch up with them.

Hellbound
Netflix
New Series!

The first Korean drama to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival when its pilot premiered there in September, this supernatural tale is about otherworldly beings suddenly appearing out of nowhere to condemn individuals to hell. This causes mayhem and enables a religious group called The New Truth to grow in influence. A few people, however, become suspicious and begin investigating the sect’s involvement in the mysterious events.

tick, tick…BOOM!
Netflix
Original Film!

Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) makes his feature directorial debut with this adaptation of the autobiographical musical by Rent creator Jonathan Larson. The film follows Jon (Andrew Garfield), a young theater composer who is waiting tables at a New York City diner in 1990 while writing what he hopes will be the next great American musical. Days before he’s due to showcase his work in a make-or-break performance, Jon is feeling pressure from everywhere, and with the clock ticking, he finds himself at a crossroads.

The Wheel of Time
Prime Video
New Series!

Based on Robert Jordan’s bestselling fantasy novels, this highly anticipated series is set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists and only certain women are allowed to access it. Rosamund Pike stars as Moiraine, a member of the incredibly powerful, all-female Aes Sedai organization. She embarks upon a journey with five young women and men, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity. Daniel Henney, Josha Stradowski, Madeleine Madden, Marcus Rutherford, Zoë Robins and Barney Harris also star. The first three episodes are available today; subsequent new episodes are available Fridays.

NBA Basketball
ESPN, beginning at 7:30pm Live

A classic NBA rivalry is renewed at Boston’s TD Garden as LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers face
Jayson Tatum and the Celtics. The second game in ESPN’s doubleheader has Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks visiting Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns.

A House on the Bayou
EPIX, 8pm
Original Film!

The television arm of Blumhouse, the production company behind big-screen horror films and thrillers like the Paranormal Activity and Purge franchises, will be developing and producing eight movies exclusively for EPIX, beginning with A House on the Bayou. In the film, a troubled couple and their preteen daughter vacation at an isolated house in the Louisiana bay, hoping to reconnect as a family. When unexpected visitors arrive, their facade of family unity starts to unravel as terrifying secrets come to light.

Dancing Through the Snow
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!

Michael Foster (Colin Lawrence) is a firefighter and devoted single father to 8-year-old Lily (Bianca Lawrence), an aspiring ballerina. After a video of Michael and Lily doing an adorable ballet routine goes viral, Michael becomes the most eligible bachelor, as women everywhere want to date this adorable dad. However, the only woman Michael has eyes for is Lily’s ballet teacher, Olivia (AnnaLynne McCord). Will Michael be able to dance his way into Olivia’s heart?

Dying for a Good Grade
LMN, 8pm
Original Film!

Wanting to ensure she gets into a great college, a female student becomes involved in an admission scandal at the urging of her best friend. When the police start snooping around and begin to close in on the ringleader, the student tells her mom, wanting help to get out. But when they both attempt to end their involvement, things turn deadly. Stars Karis Cameron, Stefanie von Pfetten and Rachelle Gillis.

Home Sweet Home: “We Use a Lot of Shampoo”
NBC, 8pm

The Singh-Kaurs, a Sikh Punjabi family of five, and the Jewish Segal family embark on a journey to learn about each other’s lives, and the switch turns into an unexpected once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Dean Martin — Part 1
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

Crooner Dino Paul Crocetti (better known as Dean Martin and nicknamed “The King of Cool”) also had, like his Rat Pack pal Frank Sinatra, a big-screen acting career, and tonight and next Friday, Turner Classic Movies will be airing some of Martin’s notable film appearances, as well as films about the man. Up first is the network premiere of the 2021 documentary King of Cool. Using interviews with Jerry Lewis, Bob Newhart, Angie Dickinson, daughter Deana Martin and others, the King of Cool filmmakers worked to create “a nuanced portrait of a man that everyone loved but no one ever really knew.” Next, get ready to laugh at The Caddy (1953), one of several comedies Martin made with Lewis when the duo brought their popular nightclub and radio act to the big screen from the late 1940s through mid ’50s. Martin also famously introduces the Oscar-nominated hit song “That’s Amore” here. Finally tonight, Dino shows his dramatic range in Howard Hawks’ classic 1959 Western Rio Bravo, led by John Wayne and also starring Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan and Ward Bond. — Jeff Pfeiffer

Magnum, P.I.: “A New Lease on Death”
CBS, 9pm

When Rick (Zachary Knighton) is asked to assist with a federal investigation of his childhood friend Robbie (Devon Sawa), Magnum (Jay Hernandez) launches his own investigation to see what the Feds really have on him. Kumu (Amy Hill) goes undercover in a retirement community when Higgins (Perdita Weeks) is hired to investigate the disappearance of a resident’s life savings.

College Football
ESPN2 & FS1, 9pm Live

College football Friday primetime action features Air Force at Nevada on FS1 and Memphis at Houston on ESPN2.

My Lottery Dream Home: David’s Holiday Extravaganza
HGTV, 9pm

Designer David Bromstad and his sisters, Dyonne and Dynelle, deck the halls of his new Orlando home with 70 indoor trees and enough gnomes to fill a Scandinavian village.

Great Performances: “San Francisco Symphony Reopening Night”
PBS, 9pm

Celebrate opening night of the San Francisco Symphony’s 110th season as it welcomes its new music director, Grammy winner Esa-Pekka Salonen, and features music by John Adams, Esperanza Spalding and Wayne Shorter, along with performances by Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet.

The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek: “Trekking Through the ’70s — Phase II and the Motion Picture”
History, 10pm

In the 1970s, Paramount wanted to launch a fourth network with the new Star Trek series Phase II as its flagship. When the network proved unworkable, Phase II appeared doomed — until Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind proved box office hits. Phase II then became the 1979 blockbuster Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

The New York Times Presents: “Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson”
FX & FX on Hulu, 10pm

In 2004, a culture war was brewing when the Super Bowl halftime show audience saw a white man expose a Black woman’s breast for 9/16ths of a second. A national furor ensued. The woman was Janet Jackson, and her career was never the same. This documentary, directed by Jodi Gomes, features rare footage and interviews with several people who were at the controls that night in Houston — including NFL and MTV executives — to reconstruct an incident that shook the country and explain how it shaped culture in the decades to follow. With new reporting by The Times, as well as insights from music industry insiders, cultural critics and members of the Jackson family, the film illuminates the extraordinary fallout, CBS executive Les Moonves’ role and Justin Timberlake’s parallel career rise.

Music Box: Jagged
HBO, 11pm

This documentary, the latest in HBO’s Music Box series, is the story of how young singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette — known as the “Debbie Gibson of Canada” in the early 1990s — achieved rock stardom with the release of her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill and its hit singles “You Oughta Know” and “Ironic.”

Saturday, Nov. 20

The Great Soul Food Cook-Off
discovery+
New Series!

Discovery+ and OWN team for this first-of-its-kind soul food cooking competition series celebrating Black chefs and the Black culinary traditions that are the cornerstone of American cuisine. The six-episode, hourlong series spotlights the culinary contributions of Black chefs with challenges designed to highlight the past and present of soul food. Eight chefs will go head-to-head throughout the show in this high-stakes, spiritual and emotional competition, but only one competitor can take home the grand prize of $50,000. New episodes are available Saturdays.

The Haunted Museum
discovery+
Season Finale!

In “Curse of the Dybbuk Box,” the Season 1 finale, a skeptical college professor must reexamine his beliefs and face his greatest fears as he struggles to unravel the mystery surrounding one of the world’s most dangerous paranormal artifacts, a cursed antique that contains a terrifying entity.

New World
Netflix
New Series!

This unscripted Korean reality series/variety show tells the story of unexpected events that take place in a utopia full of survival missions, competitions and twists through a new type of simulation. Six entertainers are invited to a mysterious place that feels like a movie or fairytale, where they experience events beyond imagination.

The Professionals
TCM, 12pm
Catch a Classic!

Saddle up for Western adventure at its best in this thrilling and violent (it actually has a TV-MA rating for its TCM airing) 1966 tale of four gunslingers hired to save a kidnapped woman during the Mexican Revolution. Burt Lancaster and Lee Marvin lead a band of highly skilled hired guns (Robert Ryan and Woody Strode play the other two professionals) employed to rescue the wife of a wealthy and corrupt rancher (Ralph Bellamy) from a charismatic Mexican rebel played by Jack Palance. As the tough guys traverse the desert in search of the lovely lady, played by Claudia Cardinale, they’re beset by danger on all sides. Writer/director Richard Brooks received Oscar nominations for his screenplay and directing, and famed cinematographer Conrad L. Hall was also nominated.

College Football: Georgia Tech at Notre Dame
NBC, 2:30pm Live

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets for a Saturday afternoon matchup on NBC.

Frankie Drake Mysteries: “Sweet Justice”
Ovation, 7pm

When Trudy (Chantel Riley) discovers that her new dream home has contaminated water, the ladies investigate the source with help from nighttime vigilante Lady Justice.

Mistletoe & Molly
UPtv, 7pm
Original Film!

This weekend’s theme for UPtv’s holiday celebration is “Christmas in the City,” leading off with this film. Waitress and animal lover Molly Bishop (Eden Broda) is desperate for a holiday miracle. Broke and needing major car repairs, she’s counting on a big career opportunity to come through before the holidays. But when handsome cafe regular and do-gooder Aiden Ford (Zach Smadu) starts to meddle in her life, Molly will have to figure out if it’s too much or just the holiday miracle she needed.

A Kindhearted Christmas
GAC Family, 8pm
Original Film!

After a widow (Jennie Garth) plays Secret Santa to a fundraising high school, her TV crush, a handsome Upstate New York morning show anchor (Cameron Mathison), tries to uncover her identity.

2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
HBO, 8pm

Inductees include Tina Turner, Carole King, the Go-Go’s, Foo Fighters, Jay-Z and Todd Rundgren. Among the performers: Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson and Christina Aguilera.

Outgrown: “Change the House, Not the Table”
HGTV, 8pm

A couple loves living across the street from the parents, but their home’s mid-century modern layout needs updating to fit their prized table in the dining room where it belongs. Clint Robertson and Luke Caldwell arrive to rearrange their living space with a modern makeover.

You Make It Feel Like Christmas
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!

Emma (Mary Antonini) is a talented designer who finds herself too busy to return home for the holidays after her work catches the eye of design guru Kate Marguiles (Stephanie Sy), much to her father Tom’s (Alex Poch-Goldin) dismay. When her ex-boyfriend and childhood best friend Aaron (Michael Xavier) returns home after active military duty, he makes it his mission to get her home to celebrate their Christmas traditions.

Abduction Runs in the Family
LMN, 8pm
Original Film!

Single mother Alyssa is a successful author who was kidnapped as a child before making a safe return seven years later. Given her past, Alyssa is overprotective of her young daughter, Emma. When Alyssa has a panic attack and believes Emma has gone missing — despite Emma being by her side — she visits her therapist and admits her senses are heightened due to her captor Miles’ recent release from prison. Days later, Emma is abducted from a local park, sending Alyssa into a tailspin. Believing Miles is the culprit, Alyssa is frustrated when she learns he has an alibi. Miles suggests there is someone else copying his past abduction of Alyssa and urges her to let him help find Emma. Desperate to save her daughter, Alyssa must decide if trusting her former captor is worth the risk. Stars Jessica Morris, Sarah Navratil, Jason-Shane Scott, James Hyde, Jason Cook, Tryphena Wade and Charlotte Hare.

The Hunt for Planet B
CNN, 9pm

This film follows scientists as they build and plan for the December launch of NASA’s Webb Space Telescope, a massive machine that will be able to peer more than 13 billion light-years into deep space, toward the very first stars and galaxies in the universe. It will also yield new data into the search for possible signs of life on “exoplanets,” planets outside of our solar system.

Saturday Night Live: “Simu Liu/Saweetie”
NBC, 11:30pm Live

Simu Liu, star of the recent Marvel feature Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, makes his SNL hosting debut tonight. Also making her first appearance on the show, as musical guest, is global singing star Saweetie.

Sunday, Nov. 21

The Mating Game
discovery+
New Series!

Sir David Attenborough narrates this five-part natural history series from the team behind A Perfect Planet. It explores the most intimate details of life from every corner of the globe to reveal how animals overcome the challenges of their worlds to reproduce and leave a lasting legacy. The series launches today with the first two episodes, with subsequent new episodes dropping on Sundays.

America’s Funniest Home Videos
ABC, 7pm

This week’s episode features hilarious pranks including kids who are tricked into thinking frozen mashed potatoes and beans are ice cream, and poorly executed magic tricks.

Christmas on 5th Avenue
UPtv, 7pm
Original Film!

Eve (Kathryn Davis), a Christmas-loving professional wish granter, takes on the task of decorating the high-end condo for a reclusive writer (Olivier Renaud) who is spending the holidays out of town. But when the handsome scribe turns out to be home for the holidays after all, Eve will have to pull out all her tricks to make him fall in love with Christmas all over again — and maybe find romance along the way.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
PBS, 7:30pm

This Emmy-winning 1973 animated Peanuts favorite is as much a tradition as Lucy holding a football and then yanking it away just as Charlie Brown is about to kick it, as seen in the famous scene that opens this special. When Peppermint Patty invites herself, Marcie and Franklin over to Charlie Brown’s house for a Thanksgiving dinner he had not been planning, Linus enlists the help of Snoopy and Woodstock to whip up a meal for the gang. This and other Peanuts holiday specials are also available to stream year-round exclusively on Apple TV+.

2021 American Music Awards
ABC, 8pm Live

The festivities will once again be held at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater, though the host and nominees have yet to be announced.

Who Is Christmas Eve?
Bounce, 8pm
Original Film!

Eve Simmons (Paige Hurd) was abandoned as an infant on the steps of a church 30 years ago on Christmas Eve. Now, struggling to move forward with her life, she embarks on a search to uncover the mystery of her birth with the help of her boyfriend, Curtis (Romeo Miller), and famed investigative genealogist Pam Slaton (Juliana Harkavy). Slaton is a producer on the movie, which is inspired by actual events from her real-life cases.

The Simpsons: “Portrait of a Lackey on Fire”
FOX, 8pm

Smithers (voice of Harry Shearer) finds true love with a famous fashion designer (voiced by guest star Victor Garber), but will his new relationship destroy Springfield? Christine Baranski and Christian Siriano also provide guest voices in the new episode “Portrait of a Lackey on Fire.”

The Equalizer: “Shooter”
CBS, 8pm

In the new episode “Shooter,” McCall (Queen Latifah) is hired to find a sniper who is on a killing spree and seemingly selecting victims at random.

A Kiss Before Christmas
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
Original Film!

When nice guy Ethan casually wishes his life had taken a different course, he wakes up the next day to find nothing is the same — he’s not married to his wife, Joyce, he doesn’t have two teenaged kids and he’s CEO of his company. If he wants to reclaim his original life and the family he loves, he must convince Joyce he’s telling the truth and win her over … and he only has until Christmas Day. James Denton, Teri Hatcher and Marilu Henner star.

Christmas Down Under
ION, 8pm
Original Film!

After a fight with her husband (Paul O’Brien), a tightly wound woman (Justine Kacir) follows him to his hometown of Sydney, Australia, in hopes of saving their marriage. But tracking him down proves complicated, and she must rely on an Aboriginal tour guide and a social media influencer/rideshare driver to help — all just days before Christmas.

Baking Spirits Bright
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!

Mira Varma (Rekha Sharma) takes pride in her family’s business of making fruitcakes, despite the decline in the dessert’s popularity of once being America’s most-gifted holiday confection. When Mira’s parents decide to hire Brady Phillips (Dion Johnstone) and his high-powered marketing company to boost sales for the holidays, Mira must fight to hold on to the heart of the company she loves so much.

Call the Midwife: “Special Delivery”
PBS, 8pm

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Call the Midwife (Season 10 just concluded last Sunday), enjoy this celebratory compilation special looking back at the series’ first decade. According to costar Stephan McGann, you should have your hankies handy, as he says, “A lot of our U.K. fans who have [already] seen [our 10th anniversary special] cried like babies even over just looking back over the trajectory of our 10 years. … I cried watching that.”

Caesar’s Doomsday War
Science Channel, 8pm

For centuries, the truth about what exactly happened during Julius Caesar’s reign has been shrouded in mystery. This special explores the events of the war and the Gaul people, tracing their origins and following the events that gave them such a terrifying reputation in Rome. Archaeologists take viewers along on their hunt to find clues behind the lost cities of the Gauls and investigate where their wealth came from. Using 3D animation, the program also bring to life the technology believed to have been used at the time and charts key moments in Caesar’s conquest.

Power Book II: Ghost
Starz, 8pm
Season Premiere!

The drama begins its second season with Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.) still running from a legacy that haunts him. Tariq finds himself drifting further from what he’s been fighting to protect: his family.

Sunday Night Sex Comedies
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

Tonight’s Turner Classic Movies double feature of beloved sex/romantic comedies from the 1950s and ’60s begins with The Tender Trap (1955). Frank Sinatra plays theater agent Charlie Reader, a swinging bachelor whose ways with women impress his unhappily married best pal and current house guest Joe McCall (David Wayne). But Charlie’s lifestyle is put to the test when he meets ingénue Julie Gillis (Debbie Reynolds), who insists he drop his other girlfriends and propose. Both Sinatra and Reynolds sing versions of Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn’s Oscar-nominated song “(Love Is) the Tender Trap,” which was a hit for Sinatra that he incorporated into his performing repertoire throughout his career. After that, Natalie Wood plays pop psychologist Dr. Helen Brown in Sex and the Single Girl, the 1964 comedy loosely based on Helen Gurley Brown’s 1962 nonfiction book of the same name. In the film, tabloid editor Bob Weston (Tony Curtis) seeks to have Brown accept him as a patient in order to get the goods on her. Complications ensue when Weston uses the alias of pal Frank Broderick (Henry Fonda), who is having marital problems with his willful wife, Sylvia (Lauren Bacall).

The Great North: “Good Beef Hunting Adventure”
FOX, 8:30pm

During Thanksgiving week, the Tobins take part in an old family tradition called The Beef Hunt in the new episode “Good Beef Hunting Adventure.”

Fear the Walking Dead: “Reclamation”
AMC, 9pm

Morgan searches for Al, only to discover that he’s not the only one looking for her … and that his search may have put a target on his own back.

The Canterville Ghost: “Winter”
BYUtv, 9pm
Series Finale!

In the conclusion of this four-part contemporary reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy, the Otises host a Christmas ball. Anthony Head, James Lance and Caroline Catz star.

Bob’s Burgers: “Stuck in the Kitchen With You”
FOX, 9pm

When Bob (voice of H. Jon Benjamin) volunteers to cook Thanksgiving dinner for a retirement home, Louise (voice of Kristen Schaal) gets stuck helping him on his most intense cooking day of the year in the new episode “Stuck in the Kitchen With You.”

NCIS: Los Angeles: “Sundown”
CBS, 9pm

In the new episode “Sundown,” Sam (LL Cool J) and Rountree (Caleb Castille) try to defuse the situation when a man hijacks a bus full of hostages and threatens to blow it up unless his daughter’s war crimes are posthumously cleared.

Condor: “Not What He Thinks He Is”
EPIX, 9pm

Reuel (Bob Balaban) gets some nighttime visitors and realizes he’s in the middle of an unexpected conflict. Against her better judgment, Kat (Isidora Goreshter) helps an old friend.

Grantchester
PBS, 9pm
Season Finale!

In the Season 6 finale, when a successful music producer is murdered, Geordie (Robson Green) finds himself implicated in the investigation and forced to consider whether his army buddy Johnny (Shaun Dooley) could be the killer.

BMF
Starz, 9pm
Season Finale!

The series inspired by the true story of two brothers who rose from the decaying streets of southwest Detroit in the late 1980s and gave birth to one of the most influential crime families in the country finishes its first season tonight.

Family Guy: “The Birthday Bootlegger”
FOX, 9:30pm

In the new episode “The Birthday Bootlegger,” new boss Preston Lloyd (guest voice of Peter Macon) puts a stop to Peter’s (voice of Seth MacFarlane) favorite part about work: office birthday celebrations.

The Engineering That Built the World
History, 10pm
Season Finale!

Season 1 concludes with “The Hoover Dam.” The episode chronicles how a hard-driving engineer with a reputation for excellence was on a quest to tame one of the wildest rivers in the United States, bringing much needed water to the arid American West. He struggled with a disgruntled workforce, hellish conditions and nearly insurmountable engineering challenges, but when it was done, the Hoover Dam was a marvel — as tall as a 60-story building, requiring more material than the Great Pyramid and with enough concrete to circle the equator.

The Patriot Awards
FOX News Channel, 10pm

FOX News Channel airs an encore presentation of FOX Nation’s Patriot Awards ceremony at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. Emceed by FOX & Friends Weekend cohost and Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Pete Hegseth, the evening will showcase and award America’s finest patriots, including military veterans, first responders and other inspirational everyday heroes. FOX Nation’s top personalities will also make appearances and serve as presenters at the awards show, including Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, Dan Bongino, Brian Kilmeade, Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt, Nancy Grace, Judge Jeanine Pirro, Lara Logan, Johnny Joey Jones and Lawrence Jones. Musical performances will be made by John Rich and additional country music stars such as Heath Sanders and Tyler Farr. Throughout the evening, select patriots will be honored in a number of categories, including Patriot Award for Service to Veterans, Most Valuable Patriot (MVP), Patriot Award for Back The Blue, Patriot Award for the Everyday Patriot, The Modern Warrior Patriot Award and more. A portion of the proceeds from the Patriot Awards will go to the Building Homes for Heroes Foundation, an organization that builds modified, mortgage-free homes for our injured military veterans.

Baptiste
PBS, 10pm
Season Finale!

The Season 2 finale finds Julien (Tchéky Karyo) and Emma (Fiona Shaw) following the clues to stop the next attack.

Sister Wives
TLC, 10pm
Season Premiere!

Since 2010, cameras have documented the life of the polygamist family of Kody Brown and his four wives. This season addresses Christine’s desire to move to Utah, differing opinions about COVID protocols, and Meri and Kody not having any type of romantic relationship. As the family prepares to start building on their property, they are splitting apart at the seams over the upcoming holidays.

Monday, Nov. 22

Chasing Ghislaine
discovery+
New Miniseries!

This three-part investigative docuseries follows the case of Ghislaine Maxwell, the fallen socialite accused of sexual abuse and sex trafficking of minors. With the spotlight often focused on her employer, onetime lover and alleged accomplice Jeffrey Epstein, the full breadth of Maxwell’s alleged crimes and the many vital secrets she still keeps have remained closely guarded — until now. The series will make its linear premiere Dec. 3 on Investigation Discovery.

TCM Remembers Dean Stockwell
TCM, beginning at 6am

Turner Classic Movies celebrates the life and career of actor Dean Stockwell, who passed away Nov. 7 at age 85, with seven of his films: Anchors Aweigh (1945), The Green Years (1946), The Mighty McGurk (1947), The Happy Years (1950), The Secret Garden (1949), Kim (1950) and The Boy With Green Hair (1948).

Vetsgiving
Nat Geo Wild, times vary

Nat Geo Wild’s annual Thanksgiving week celebration of its popular veterinary reality shows returns this year. Each night, feast on several-hour helpings of Critter Fixers: Country Vets (Nov. 22), Heartland Docs, DVM (Nov. 23), The Hatcher Family Dairy (Nov. 24), The Incredible Dr. Pol (Nov. 25), Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet (Nov. 26 & 27) and Vets on the Beach (Nov. 28). Later on the evenings of Nov. 25 and 27, you can also enjoy a sneak peek at a new series — Pop Goes the Vet With Dr. Joya, which will formally premiere in spring 2022.

NFL Football: N.Y. Giants at Tampa Bay
ESPN, 8pm Live

Week 11 of the NFL season wraps up with the N.Y. Giants visiting Raymond James Stadium to take on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
CBS, 8pm

The longest-running holiday special in television history returns as Rudolph and his friends — Hermey the elf, Yukon Cornelius and others — save Christmas in this classic Rankin/Bass special featuring the voice of legendary performer Burl Ives.

The Voice: “Live Top 11 Performances”
NBC, 8pm Live

The Top 11 artists perform songs selected by the fans in front of coaches Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Ariana Grande and Blake Shelton for their chance at a spot in the Top 10.

Behind the Holiday: Thanksgiving
Smithsonian Channel, 8pm

Witness the true story of Thanksgiving as we separate fact from fiction and chronicle its evolution over 400 years. See how the holiday has evolved along with the nation that celebrates it. What do pilgrims, turkeys, and November have to do with the “First Thanksgiving”? Very little. Discover the true story.

TCM Spotlight: Dance Numbers
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

Turner Classic Movies has all the right moves again with another Monday evening salute to films with great choreography. Beginning the evening is the Best Picture Oscar-nominated British drama The Red Shoes (1948). Renowned Scottish ballet dancer Moira Shearer made her feature-film debut here as Victoria Page, a dancer thrilled when impresario Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook) offers her a spot a spot with his ballet company. She meets and quickly falls for accompanist Julian Craster (Marius Goring), but is dealt a cruel fate after she leaves him in favor of a jealous Lermontov’s promises to further her own ambition. Famed filmmaking collaborators Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger cowrote and codirected this lushly photographed film, whose lovely musical score by Brian Easdale won an Oscar. Australian ballet dancer Robert Helpmann costars and choreographed the film’s central, 17-minute-long ballet sequence, the famed “The Ballet of the Red Shoes.” Russian choreographer/ballet dancer Léonide Massine was also cast as a dancer and choreographed his own role within the main ballet. Following this film, the rest of the evening is comprised of four films starring and choreographed by the legendary Gene Kelly, and in two cases codirected and directed by him. First is the Best Picture Oscar-winning An American in Paris (1951), directed by Best Director Oscar nominee Vincente Minnelli. Inspired by George Gershwin’s 1928 orchestral composition, the colorful film finds an expatriate American artist played by Kelly falling in love with a beautiful Frenchwoman (Leslie Caron), with the duo memorably dancing throughout the romantic settings of the titular City of Light accompanied by a Gershwin score. Next is Singin’ in the Rain (1952), which Kelly codirected and -choreographed with Stanley Donen. Costarring Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds, the film features a memorable, Oscar-nominated musical score to accompany its choreography, including a famed scene where Kelly does indeed sing (and dance) in the rain. The evening concludes in the early morning hours tomorrow with Summer Stock (1950), also starring Judy Garland and co-choreographed by Nicholas Castle Sr. and Kelly; and Invitation to the Dance (1956), Kelly’s first solo directing effort, an interesting and experimental film in which there is no dialogue — the characters perform their roles entirely through dance and mime, choreographed by Kelly. One of the sequences, codirected by animation greats William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, even finds a live-action Kelly dancing with various cartoon characters. — Jeff Pfeiffer

4400: “The Way We Were”
The CW, 9pm

Keisha (Ireon Roach) hears the truth about the day she lost her sister, moving her to take a chance. Shanice (Brittany Adebumola) and Andre (TL Thompson) enjoy a day out, meanwhile, Hayden (Amarr Wooten) and Mariah (guest star Sophia Echendu) grow closer.

Ordinary Joe: “Thankful”
NBC, 10pm

Cop Joe (James Wolk) navigates a tense Thanksgiving dinner with his entire family; Music Joe (Wolk) battles his feelings of betrayal in order to help Amy’s (Natalie Martinez) campaign; Nurse Joe (Wolk) and Jenny (Elizabeth Lail) decide to finally hire outside help for Chris (John Gluck) as they prepare to spend their first Thanksgiving apart from each other.

Independent Lens: “Duty Free”
PBS, 10pm

This documentary follows Rebecca, a 75-year-old mother who loses her lifelong job as a hotel housekeeper and is left with no savings, no safety net, and no future job prospects. Her son, filmmaker Sian-Pierre Regis, decides to take her on a bucket-list adventure around the country, giving her the experiences she sacrificed in raising him. Even as viewers delight in seeing through Rebecca’s eyes how significantly culture has changed during the 40 years she focused on her work, they also will see how pervasive ageism is in America’s job application process.

The Good Doctor: “Expired”
ABC, 10pm

After visiting a possible wedding venue, Shaun and Lea happen upon a terrible car accident and discover Alma (Natalee Linez), a pregnant young mother who has been badly injured and needs immediate medical attention. Back at St. Bonaventure, Alma’s condition worsens, and Shaun and Drs. Lim and Jordan are forced to deliver the baby prematurely. Meanwhile, Dr. Glassman is apprehensive when a figure from his past reaches out for help.

Tuesday, Nov. 23

Mary McCartney Serves It Up
discovery+
New Episodes!

British photographer and cookbook author Mary McCartney returns to her London kitchen to help kickstart the holidays with four new episodes of her series that find Mary sharing her sincere love of family gatherings and meat-free entertaining for the holidays. In each half-hour episode, she’ll be joined by famous friends and relatives, including her father, Paul McCartney, her little sister, Stella McCartney, Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey, to celebrate food and friendship with transatlantic cookalongs and revealing food Q&As.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation
Netflix
New Episodes!

Kevin Smith’s sequel to the 1980s animated favorite He-Man and the Masters of the Universe returns with new episodes. After a calamitous battle fractures Eternia, Teela (voice of Sarah Michelle Gellar) and an unlikely alliance must prevent the end of the universe. The voice cast also includes Chris Wood, Mark Hamill, Liam Cunningham, Lena Headey, Diedrich Bader and Alicia Silverstone.

Waffles + Mochi’s Holiday Feast
Netflix

Waffles and Mochi are home for the holidays in the Land of Frozen Food when Steve the Mop calls asking about their holiday traditions. Overeager as always, Waffles makes up a holiday called Freezie Day and says it is all about the food. Steve invites himself — and all their friends from the grocery store — over to celebrate, but Waffles and Mochi have nothing to feed their guests at this impromptu party. Ultimately, they learn that holiday traditions are about much more than food — they’re about being together with the people you love.

TCM Morning & Afternoon Movies: Gothic Literature
TCM, beginning at 6:15am
Catch a Classic!

Its Gothic literature night on Turner Classic Movies, and the network will be showing films based on classic novels from that genre, which often features settings in dark and gloomy locations, the supernatural, frightening story elements and themes that deal with a dark nature. The moody ambiance begins right away with the 1931 horror classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, based on the 1886 novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Fredric March, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor, plays both infamous title roles. Next is the 1939 drama The Hunchback of Notre Dame, based on the 1831 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo, starring Charles Laughton as Quasimodo, the titular hunchback, and Maureen O’Hara as the gypsy Esmeralda. The 1945 horror drama The Picture of Dorian Gray follows. Based on Oscar Wilde’s 1890 novel, the film stars George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield, and Angela Lansbury, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Next up is the 1948 mystery The Woman in White, based on the 1860 classic novel by Wilkie Collins that set the standard for the genre; Alexis Smith and Eleanor Parker star. The 1943 historical drama The Man in Grey follows, an adaptation of the 1941 novel by Eleanor Smith, starring Margaret Lockwood and James Mason, that was not released in the U.S. until 1983. Mary Shelley’s 1818 classic Frankenstein inspired tonight’s next feature, the 1957 Hammer horror film The Curse of Frankenstein, starring Peter Cushing as Victor Frankenstein and Christopher Lee as the Monster. Appropriately ending the day just about as the sun sets is 1931’s Dracula, based on the 1924 stage play by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, which was adapted from the 1897 novel by Bram Stoker. Bela Lugosi stars in his most famous role as the legendary vampire count. — Evan McLean

NBA Basketball
TNT, beginning at 7:30pm Live

LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers are at Madison Square Garden to take on Kemba Walker and the N.Y. Knicks, and Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets face Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers in Portland.

The Resident: “Old Dogs, New Tricks”
FOX, 8pm

Upon receiving attention from multiple women at the hospital, Conrad (Matt Czuchry) contemplates jumping back into the dating scene in the new episode “Old Dogs, New Tricks.”

The Flash: “Armageddon, Part 2”
The CW, 8pm

Despero (guest star Tony Curran) warns the Flash (Grant Gustin) that great tragedies will befall the speedster and cause him to lose his mind. Once that happens, Armageddon will begin. Determined to prove Despero wrong, Barry doubles down on proving his innocence, but a devastating revelation from Iris (Candice Patton) pushes him to the edge and sends him to seek counsel from Black Lightning (guest star Cress Williams).

Black and Missing
HBO, 8pm; also streams on HBO Max
New Series!

This four-part documentary series from multiple Emmy winner Geeta Gandbhir and award-winning documentarian, journalist, author and activist Soledad O’Brien was three years in the making. It follows sisters-in-law, and Black and Missing Foundation founders, Derrica and Natalie Wilson as they fight an uphill battle to bring awareness to the Black missing persons cases that are marginalized by law enforcement and national media. The series debuts with two back-to-back hourlong episodes tonight, and concludes with two back-to-back episodes tomorrow night.

The Voice: “Live Top 11 Eliminations”
NBC, 8pm Live

The Top 9 highest artists are revealed as safe by America’s votes while the bottom two compete in the Instant Save. Ariana Grande and Blake Shelton perform with their individual teams.

La Brea: “Father and Son”
NBC, 9pm

When a stunning revelation puts Josh (Jack Martin) and Izzy’s (Zyra Gorecki) lives on the line, Eve (Natalie Zea) and the other survivors desperately search for the young boy who holds the key to saving them; Gavin (Eoin Macken) and Izzy must rely on a stranger if there is any hope to reunite their family.

Independent Lens: “Home From School: The Children of Carlisle”
PBS, 9pm

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, this documentary sheds light on the quest to heal generational wounds across Native communities. In 2017, a delegation of Northern Arapaho tribal members traveled from Wyoming to Pennsylvania to retrieve remains of three children who died at Carlisle Indian Industrial School in the 1880s. The Children of Carlisle dives into the history of that flagship federal boarding school and chronicles the modern-day journey of tribal members who seek to recover what remains of the Arapaho children.

Top Gear
BBC America, 10pm
Season Premiere!

BBC America’s Tuesday automotive programming block features the Season 31 premiere of Top Gear, as hosts Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness hit the road again in a series of challenges designed to push them and their cars to the limit.

College Basketball: Gonzaga vs. UCLA
ESPN, 10pm Live

The showcase game of the Good Sam Empire Classic at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas has a 2021 Final Four rematch with the Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. the UCLA Bruins.

Queens: “Behind the Throne”
ABC, 10pm

As the ladies prepare to shoot their first music video in nearly two decades, Brianna has a hard time maintaining a work-life balance. Meanwhile, Lil Muffin works to reestablish her career, and Jill continues to manage her public image. Musical performances include “All Rise (The Supreme Court)” performed by Eve, Brandy, Naturi Naughton, Nadine Velazquez and Pepi Sonuga.

New Amsterdam: “Death Is the Rule. Life Is the Exception”
NBC, 10pm

As Max (Ryan Eggold) and Dr. Sharpe (Freema Agyeman) prepare to depart for London, a deadly superbug hits the hospital and draws them back in. Meanwhile, Leyla (Shiva Kalaiselvan) confronts Bloom (Janet Montgomery) about the secret she has been hiding, and Iggy (Tyler Labine) digs deep to help two grieving parents confront the reality that their son is gone.

KLUTCH Academy
BET, 11pm
New Series!

This five-part unscripted series comes from the creative team behind the award-winning docuseries The Last Dance. It documents KLUTCH Sports Group, led by CEO Rich Paul, as they prepare six college basketball prospects for pro careers. Each hourlong episode candidly reveals what players and agents experience in the process leading up to the NBA draft and beyond.

Wednesday, Nov. 24

Keep Sweet
discovery+

Warren Jeffs was the Prophet of the FLDS, an offshoot of Mormonism, whose controversial reign ended with a conviction for child sexual assault, landing him in jail for life. After Jeffs’ downfall, some in the community pledged their loyalty to him, while others turned their backs on him and FLDS altogether. Ten years after his arrest, those left behind attempt to rebuild their community. This documentary chronicles these events and is an allegory for the unsettling reality we are living through.

Hawkeye
Disney+
New Series!

Jeremy Renner reprises his role from the Avengers films as sharpshooter Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, who joins forces with another well-known Marvel archer, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). In the comics, Bishop takes on the mantle of Hawkeye from Barton, so this series may very well feature a similar passing of the torch. Florence Pugh also reprises her big-screen MCU role, playing Yelena Belova, and if you saw her post-credits scene at the end of Black Widow, you have some idea how Belova may figure here. Hawkeye will also introduce Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, aka Echo, a superhero who can perfectly copy another person’s movements and is one of the few deaf characters in comic books. Vera Farmiga also stars. First two episodes are available today; subsequent new episodes are available Wednesdays.

8-Bit Christmas
HBO Max
Original Film!

Neil Patrick Harris, Winslow Fegley, June Diane Raphael and Steve Zahn star in this humorous and heartfelt look back at the adventures of childhood. Set in suburban Chicago in the 1980s, the story centers on 10-year-old Jake Doyle’s (Fegley) herculean quest to get the latest and greatest video game system for Christmas. Harris plays an adult Jake and also narrates, with Raphael and Zahn playing young Jake’s parents.

A Boy Called Christmas
Netflix
Original Film!

In this magical and comic origin story for Father Christmas from England, an ordinary young boy named Nikolas (Henry Lawfull) sets out on an extraordinary adventure into the snowy north in search of his father, who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of the elves, Elfhelm. Taking with him a headstrong reindeer called Blitzen and a loyal pet mouse (voice of Stephen Merchant), Nikolas soon meets his destiny. Jim Broadbent, Sally Hawkins, Toby Jones, Maggie Smith and Kristen Wiig also star.

Bruised
Netflix
Original Film!

Jackie Justice (Halle Berry, also making her directorial debut) is a mixed martial arts fighter who leaves the sport in disgrace. Down on her luck and simmering with rage and regret years after her last fight, she’s coaxed into a brutal underground fight by her manager and boyfriend Desi (Adan Canto) and grabs the attention of a fight league promoter (Shamier Anderson) who promises Jackie a life back in the octagon. But the road to redemption becomes unexpectedly personal when Manny (Danny Boyd Jr.) — the son she gave up as an infant — shows up at her doorstep.

Robin Robin
Netflix

The latest stop-motion animated charmer from Aardman, the British studio famous for beloved titles like the Wallace & Gromit films, is a half-hour musical adventure about a bird named Robin (voice of Bronte Carmichael) who has been raised by mice. Beginning to question where she belongs, Robin embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Gillian Anderson, Richard E. Grant and Adeel Akhtar are also among the voice cast.

Selling Sunset
Netflix
Season Premiere!

The reality series following elite Los Angeles real estate agents returns for Season 4.

True Story
Netflix
New Series!

Kevin Hart makes his dramatic series debut in this limited, seven-episode drama on which he also serves as an executive producer. In the series, a tour stop for world-famous comedian Kid (Hart) in his hometown of Philadelphia becomes a matter of life and death when the consequences of a lost evening with his wayward older brother (Wesley Snipes) threaten to destroy everything he’s built.

The Real World Homecoming: Los Angeles
Paramount+
Season Premiere!

This season of the docuseries reunites original The Real World: Los Angeles cast members Beth Anthony, Beth Stolarczyk, David Edwards, Glen Naessens, Irene Berrera-Kearns, Jon Brennan and Tami Roman in the same Venice Beach house they shared back in 1993, in the second season of MTV’s The Real World. That season made history with a number of series firsts, including never-before-seen “confessional” style interviews, cast members exiting midseason with new houseguests moving in, a wedding and more. The series also tackled important issues such as same-sex relationships, abortion, consent, safe sex and eating disorders. After spending decades apart, the roommates will reconnect to find out how the series transformed their lives once the cameras stopped rolling, and they’ll discover, once again, what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real.

Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky
Peacock
New Series!

This latest series spinoff of DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon animated film franchise follows Viking twins Dak and Leyla, who were rescued and raised by dragons, growing up learning to speak their language. Along with young dragons Winger, Summer, Cutter and Burple, they defend and protect other dragons on exciting adventures around their home of Huttsgalor.

Saved by the Bell
Peacock
Season Premiere!

In Season 2 of this revival of the ’90s sitcom, Bayside High gears up to compete in the Southern California School Spirit Competition. Daisy (Haskiri Velazquez) is determined not to get sidetracked by “Bayside nonsense,” but when a cute new student is elected student council VP, she finds herself in way over her head; Mac (Mitchell Hoog) sees the competition as a way to finally step out from his father’s shadow; Jamie (Belmont Cameli) leans on Lexi (Josie Totah) in the wake of his parents’ divorce, while Lexi struggles to be a more understanding girlfriend; Aisha (Alycia Pascual-Peña) seeks a new outlet after football is canceled; DeVante (Dexter Darden) finds love with a rich Bayside girl; and Slater (Mario Lopez) and a newly single Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley Lauren) grow closer despite their tumultuous romantic past. All 10 episodes are available today.

Hanna
Prime Video
Season Premiere!

All six hourlong episodes of the third and final season of this espionage drama are available today. The new season continues the journey of Hanna (Esmé Creed-Miles), who was created by the sinister Utrax organization and trained to be an assassin, but is now secretly trying to destroy the group. Ray Liotta joins the cast as Gordon Evans, a respected former military man and intelligence operative who wields incredible insider power.

NBA Basketball
ESPN, beginning at 7:30pm Live

A Wednesday night NBA doubleheader on ESPN opens with Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets in Boston to take on Jayson Tatum and the Celtics. Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers are in the Bay Area to battle Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the second game.

College Basketball: Baylor vs. Arizona State
ESPN2, 7:30pm Live

A marquee matchup in the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis college basketball tournament in the Bahamas has the NCAA champion Baylor Bears vs. the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Wild Tales From the Farm: “Hunkering Down”
Smithsonian Channel, 8pm

Watch some animals hunker down while others get ready to strut their stuff as fall gives way to winter on the farm. Mozart-loving cows, curious piglets and a new hen rivalry bring wintertime drama to the Southern England farm. Downton Abbey costar Hugh Bonneville narrates.

Star of the Month: Sydney Greenstreet
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

Turner Classic Movies’ monthlong Wednesday-night salute to the films of legendary actor Sydney Greenstreet concludes this evening, and it starts out with a bang with two of Greenstreet’s most famous movies. First up is the iconic, Oscar-winning Casablanca, the 1942 drama about romance and intrigue in the titular North African city that ranks as one of Hollywood’s finest productions ever. Among the ways this film reaches perfection is with its flawless casting, evident not just in its primary stars — Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid — but also its second-billed actors like Conrad Veidt, Peter Lorre and, of course, Greenstreet. As crooked club owner Ferrari, Greenstreet is not in the film a lot, but the character plays a key role, and when he does show up, Greenstreet steals the scene, as usual. Up next is the beloved, holiday-set 1945 romantic comedy Christmas in Connecticut, led by Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan, with Greenstreet as the editor for Stanwyck’s journalist character. After that is the 1944 film noir The Mask of Dimitrios, led by Greenstreet and also starring Lorre and Zachary Scott; Between Two Worlds (1944), a wartime fantasy drama starring John Garfield and Henreid; The Velvet Touch (1948), a film noir headlined by Rosalind Russell; and They Died With Their Boots On (1941), a fictionalized account of the life of George Armstrong Custer (Errol Flynn) that was Greenstreet’s second film, featuring the actor in a smaller supporting role as Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott. — Jeff Pfeiffer

Batwoman: “Pick Your Poison”
The CW, 9pm

As Ryan’s (Javicia Leslie) family dynamic grows more complicated, she also finds herself in the middle of a Bat Team standoff between Luke (Camrus Johnson) and Mary (Nicole Kang). Meanwhile, Alice (Rachel Skarsten) finds a new sidekick to do her bidding.

A “Saturday Night Live” Thanksgiving
NBC, 9pm

This two-hour special highlights memorable Thanksgiving-themed sketches from SNL’s 47 seasons.

NOVA Universe Revealed
PBS, 9pm
Miniseries Finale!

Many think that the Big Bang is when the universe started and time itself began. What clues can we discover about this ultimate genesis of everything, and can we ever really know what existed before the universe’s birthday? “Big Bang,” the finale of this NOVA miniseries, winds back the ages with the help of animation based on stunning images from the Hubble Space Telescope. Discover infant galaxies, and learn how scientists came up with an incredible theory for what happened billionths of a billionth of a second after the universe’s birth.

Secrets of the Dead
PBS, 10pm
Season Finale!

Season 19 concludes with “The Caravaggio Heist.” In 1984, a Maltese national treasure went missing from the cathedral of St. John in Valletta — a masterpiece by the legendary Italian artist Caravaggio. Two years of investigations across Europe led to nothing, but a strong-willed priest never gave up. Father Marius Zerafa, director of museums in Malta, managed to establish a channel of communication with the thieves and set off on a quest to recover the priceless painting, putting his life on the line for the sake of a masterpiece.

Even More Funny Women of a Certain Age
Showtime, 10pm

This monthly comedy showcase in New York and Los Angeles returns to Showtime with a third hourlong comedy special, filmed at the Irvine Improv in Orange County, California. Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives), in her first ever standup performance, leads a cast of female comedy veterans in a night of uninhibited laughsThe special also stars Carole Montgomery, Wendy Liebman, Monique Marvez, Leighann Lord and Marsha Warfield, who talk sex, dating and how they hilariously made it through the pandemic.

Thursday, Nov. 25

The Beatles: Get Back
Disney+
New Miniseries!

Peter Jackson’s original documentary about the Beatles airs over three days on Thanksgiving weekend, with three separate two-hour episodes rolling out today, tomorrow and Saturday. The six hours of content is entirely comprised of never-before-seen footage, including the band’s final live performance, footage that only Jackson has been given access to in the more than 50 years since its recording. The central narrative thread in The Beatles: Get Back is the Fab Four preparing for their first live show in over two years. They write and rehearse 14 new songs, demonstrating their camaraderie and creativity while doing so. In addition, the Beatles’ last live performance as a group, a rooftop concert in early 1969 on London’s Savile Row, is shown in its entirety. Jackson remarked that the footage, originally captured by Michael Lindsay-Hogg (the director of many Beatles music videos), reveals John, Paul, George and Ringo in a fresh, compelling way. “It’s raw, honest and human,” he said. “Over six hours, you’ll get to know the Beatles with an intimacy that you never thought possible.”

12 Dates of Christmas
HBO Max
Season Premiere!

Season 2 of the holiday dating series follows three singles, Amanda Grace, Danny and Markelle, as they escape to a stunning winter wonderland, each searching for someone special to bring home for the holidays. The new season promises to spice up this festive time of year with even more dating drama, romance and surprises inside the fantasy lodge.

F Is for Family
Netflix
Season Premiere!

The raunchy and nostalgic adult animated comedy returns for a fifth and final season. Cocreator Bill Burr, Laura Dern and Justin Long lead the voice cast.

Super Crooks
Netflix
New Series!

This anime adaptation of Mark Millar’s comic book series is a half-hour, super-powered heist story about small-time crook Johnny Bolt, who recruits the ultimate crew of supervillains for one last job.

South Park: Post COVID
Paramount+

Kyle, Stan, Kenny and Cartman make their debut on Paramount+ in this first of what the streaming service is describing as “exclusive events” based on the long-running, cult-favorite South Park animated series. A second exclusive event was announced for sometime in December; details on what both of these events are about were not fully available at presstime.

Family Comedies
TCM, beginning at 8:30am
Catch a Classic!

Happy Thanksgiving! On this family-oriented holiday, enjoy a day of hilarious family films on Turner Classic Movies. Today’s lineup, airing well into tomorrow morning, in order, features: Andy Hardy’s Private Secretary (1941), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938), The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963), Room for One More (1952), Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), Father of the Bride (1950), Houseboat (1958), Cheaper by the Dozen (1950), Yours, Mine and Ours (1968), Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962) and Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960).

The 95th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
NBC, 9am Live; also streams on Peacock

The ultimate holiday tradition is back for its 95th year of giant balloons, fabulous floats, exciting performers and more fun.

The National Dog Show
NBC, 12pm; also streams on Peacock

More than 1,000 purebred dogs from over 100 American Kennel Club-sanctioned breeds, including many of America’s elite show dogs and their owners and handlers, compete for Best of Breed, First in Group and Best in Show at this annual event hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, which dates back to 1879. This year, the National Dog Show will introduce one new AKC-sanctioned breed: the Biewer (pronounced “beaver”) terrier, which joins the Toy Group. John O’Hurley is back to host, alongside analyst David Frei and reporter Mary Carillo. NBC will re-air the show on the evening of Saturday, Nov. 27.

NFL Football
CBS, FOX & NBC, beginning at 12:30pm Live

The NFL’s Thanksgiving Day tradition continues with the Chicago Bears at the Detroit Lions (FOX), the Las Vegas Raiders at the Dallas Cowboys (CBS) and the Buffalo Bills at the New Orleans Saints in primetime (NBC; also streams on Peacock).

National Dog Show Junior
Peacock, 2pm

Following the National Dog Show, which airs on NBC and streams on Peacock, the streaming service will exclusively stream a brand-new way to watch the National Dog Show, including kid-focused content that will combine judging highlights with Best in Show features. Matt Iseman, Laurie Hernandez and kid reporter Anna Laible host.

College Football: Ole Miss at Mississippi State
ESPN, 7:30pm Live

The Ole Miss Rebels and Mississippi State Bulldogs battle in the Egg Bowl college football rivalry game tonight at Starkville’s Davis Wade Stadium.

The Magic Maker
ABC, 8pm

This Thanksgiving, famed magician Adam Trent breaks the No. 1 rule of magic and puts magic in the hands of everyday people to help them with the biggest and most emotional moments of their lives. Whether it’s helping a U.S. soldier “magically” reappear to his family after serving overseas or teaching a nervous young man to “walk on water” for his marriage proposal, Adam Trent spends this holiday amazing and astonishing viewers while making dreams come true as “The Magic Maker.”

World Pet Games
FOX, 8pm

Contestants showcase how skilled their furry friends are in five outrageous events, with winners receiving a donation to an animal charity made in their honor. Erin Andrews and Finesse Mitchell cohost with Rachel Bonnetta serving as a sideline reporter.

Nine Kittens of Christmas
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
Original Film!

Cat lovers Zachary and Marilee are thrown back together at Christmas when they’re tasked with finding homes for a litter of adorable kittens. Brandon Routh, Kimberley Sustad and Gregory Hattison star.

Pop Goes the Vet With Dr. Joya
Nat Geo Wild, 11pm
Sneak Peek!

As part of Nat Geo Wild’s Vetsgiving week, enjoy a sneak peek of its latest veterinary reality series, which will formally premiere in spring 2022. This show follows Kentucky-based veterinary dermatologist Dr. Joya Griffin. From impacted earwax to oozing cysts to massive hair loss, there’s no case too mysterious or bizarre for her as she investigates the largest organ in an animal’s body — the skin. Another sneak peek will air on the evening of Nov. 27.

Friday, Nov. 26

South of Heaven
AMC+
Feature Film Exclusive!

In this crime thriller, convicted felon Jimmy (Jason Sudeikis) gets early parole after serving 12 years for armed robbery. Upon his release, he vows to give his girlfriend, Annie (Evangeline Lily), who is dying of cancer, the best last year of her life. But things are never that simple, and when he is given a “side job” from his parole officer (Shea Whigham), it sets off a series of events that leaves Jimmy in the crosshairs of a local crime boss (Mike Colter). Now, he must stop at nothing to save Annie and fight for whatever time they have left.

’Twas the Fight Before Christmas
Apple TV+

This quirky Christmas documentary about freedoms, with a message about differences and tolerance at its heart, follows the story of a north Idaho neighborhood turned upside down by one man’s obsession with bringing holiday cheer to all through the biggest community Christmas event America has ever seen. Christmas-loving lawyer Jeremy Morris’ plan hits a snag when the home owners’ association informs him that the event violates the rules of the neighborhood. A contentious fight over the festivities erupts and things snowball out of control. As the situation escalates, the film pieces together the polarized perspectives and asks the question: Who wins when different rights and interests collide?

Holiday Immersions
discovery+

Discovery+ debuts three immersive programs to get you into the holiday spirit: Cozy Holiday Kitchens, which allows viewers to experience festivity through food by stepping into the kitchen to prepare holiday meals with chefs from India, Mexico, Ethiopia and the United States; Festive Fireplaces of the World, in which a group of over 30 filmmakers takes viewers to the farthest corners of the Earth to experience the unique warmth and comfort of sitting by a fire; and Surfing Santa, an immersion that allows viewers to relax and celebrate the festive season from the beach.

Shock Docs: Demon in the White House
discovery+

This documentary reveals the historic origin of paranormal activity at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Did two grieving first ladies unwittingly invite into their famous home spirits that may still torment America’s presidents, their families and their closest advisers?

Madagascar: A Little Wild: Holiday Goose Chase
Hulu & Peacock

The gang from DreamWorks’ animated Madagascar film franchise is back in a new seasonal special. It’s holiday time in New York, and Melman is determined to add another sticker to his yearly “nice” list. When he meets Hank, a goose who has been separated from his family, Melman, Alex, Marty and Gloria embark on a wild goose chase around the city to reunite Hank with his merry flock.

A Castle for Christmas
Netflix
Original Film!

Famed author Sophie Brown (Brooke Shields) travels to Scotland hoping to buy a small castle of her own, but the prickly owner, Duke Myles (Cary Elwes), is reluctant to sell to a foreigner. The pair constantly butt heads while they work toward a compromise, but they just may find something more than they were expecting.

School of Chocolate
Netflix
New Series!

Eight top pastry and chocolate professionals are coming to School of Chocolate to take their skills and careers to the next level. Their teacher is world-renowned chocolatier Amaury Guichon, known globally for creating mind-blowing chocolate showpieces and unbelievable pastries. One lucky student who manages to prove themselves Best in Class after eight episodes will win a prize package that includes a career-changing opportunity.

Blue’s Clues and You!: “A Blue’s Clues Festival of Lights”
Nickelodeon, 11am

In this Blue’s Clues & You! holiday special, a surprise guest comes to Periwinkle’s house to celebrate Chanukah, the very joyful festival of lights. Josh and Blue play Blue’s Clues to figure out who the surprise guest is, and celebrate the holiday by spinning dreidels, frying latkes and singing an original Chanukah song.

College Football
BTN, CBS, FOX & FS1, beginning at 12pm Live

Black Friday action on the college gridiron has Boise State at San Diego State (CBS), Kansas State at Texas (FOX), Utah State at New Mexico (FS1), Iowa at Nebraska (BTN) and Missouri at Arkansas (CBS).

NHL Hockey: St. Louis at Chicago
ABC, 1pm Live

The NHL Thanksgiving Showdown takes place at Chicago’s United Center, where Ryan O’Reilly and the St. Louis Blues face off against Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks.

Golf: Capital One’s The Match: DeChambeau vs. Koepka
TNT, TBS, truTV & HLN, 4pm Live

Two of golf’s most intense and competitive rivals, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, go head-to-head in this 12-hole match at Wynn Golf Course in Las Vegas.

Christmas CEO
Hallmark Channel, 6pm
Original Film!

Christmas “Chris” Whitaker (Marisol Nichols) always believed she was destined to spread Christmas joy through her love of toymaking. When Chris was 10 years old, she sold homemade toys at her neighborhood Christmas stand, always with her best friend, Joe Sullivan (Paul Greene). Chris and Joe fulfilled their dream of running a toy company together, forming CJ Toys while in college. As their company grew, Chris began to lose sight of why she loved toymaking in the first place and focused on profit margins instead of making quality toys. Disheartened by the new direction of the company, Joe stepped back from the business rather than sacrifice the craft. But when Chris gets a once-in-a-lifetime offer to merge with a mega toy company and become its CEO, she needs Joe’s signature to seal the deal. While Chris tries to get Joe to sign the papers, what Joe helps Chris rediscover just might change both their lives.

A Loud House Christmas
Nickelodeon, 7pm

This feature-length, live-action TV movie based on the animated series follows Lincoln Loud (Wolfgang Schaeffer), who is gearing up for the ultimate Christmas until he finds out that most of his sisters have plans to be elsewhere for the big day. Determined to remind his family that they all need to be together, Lincoln and his best friend Clyde McBride (Jahzir Bruno) embark on a mission to preserve the family’s holiday traditions.

Masters of Illusion: Christmas Magic 2021
The CW, 8pm

This special, hosted by Dean Cain, features some of today’s hottest magicians as they perform holiday-themed magic.

An Unexpected Christmas
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
Original Film!

Jamie (Tyler Hynes) travels home a week before Christmas, but he still hasn’t told his family he broke things off with his girlfriend Emily (Bethany Joy Lenz), whom they adore. When Emily arrives in town unexpectedly for work, Jamie offers her a deal — he’ll get the governor to deliver the Christmas Day address for her marketing campaign and in return, Emily will stay with his family for the week under the pretense she and Jamie are still together. What follows is a week of awkward fumbling and near misses as Jamie and Emily try desperately to keep their true relationship status a secret. Eventually, their ruse begins to unravel. Just when it seems like Christmas has been ruined, Jamie pulls out all the stops to make things right, resulting in a very unexpected Christmas.

Frosty the Snowman
CBS, 8pm

The classic animated musical special returns, narrated by Jimmy Durante. Jackie Vernon provides the voice of the “jolly, happy soul” whose old silk hat full of magic brings him to life. The special is followed by the 1992 sequel, Frosty Returns.

Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!

Years after their personal and professional breakup, the singing duo of Georgia (Reba McEntire) and Joe Winter (John Schneider) agree to reunite after their daughter, Belle (Candice King), asks them to participate in a Christmas charity concert, only to find themselves getting back in tune both on and off the stage.

Sinister Switch
LMN, 8pm
Original Film!

Kristen and Justin are thrilled when their daughter, Olivia, returns home after being missing for six years. Olivia was kidnapped, along with five other girls around the same age, but only Olivia has been discovered, and she claims she wasn’t with the other girls, nor does she know how to find them. As Kristen goes overboard trying to help Olivia readjust to normal life, Justin can’t help but feel uneasy. Something is off about this girl, especially as she tells contradictory stories about her time with her captor and can’t seem to recall small details about her life pre-abduction. Soon, Kristen begins to realize Justin’s suspicions were right all along — this girl is not Olivia, but a seventh previously unknown captive named Natalie. Hoping to finally find Olivia, Kristin teams up with Natalie to track down her daughter. Stars Emily Alatalo, Steve Belford and Natalie Jane.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
NBC, 8pm

In this original 1966 animated TV special based on Dr. Seuss’ classic story, Boris Karloff narrates and voices the title Grinch, who schemes to steal every material vestige of Christmas from the Whos of Whoville. But the Grinch ultimately discovers he can’t remove the spirit of Christmas from the Whos’ hearts. An encore presentation will air Christmas Day (Saturday, Dec. 25).

Dean Martin — Part II
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

Tonight’s second of two evenings celebrating the movies of legendary crooner Dean Martin kicks off with two classics in which the “King of Cool” costarred with Frank Sinatra and other fellow Rat Packers. First up is Ocean’s 11 (1960), the enjoyable heist comedy that saw the Rat Pack at the pinnacle of their film appearances. World War II vets Danny Ocean (Sinatra) and Jimmy Foster (Peter Lawford) recruit nine of their former military comrades — including Sam Harmon, played by Martin — to help them rob five Las Vegas casinos on New Year’s Eve. The fun ensemble cast also includes Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, Angie Dickinson, Cesar Romero, Norman Fell and plenty more. Up next is Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), a musical that sets its retelling of the Robin Hood legend in mob-run, Prohibition-era Chicago. There, North Side boss Robbo (Sinatra) hopes to get a leg up in his power struggle with rival racketeer Guy Gisborne (Peter Falk). Robbo sets himself up as a latter-day Robin Hood, with philanthropic fronts enabling him to scam the rich, take his cut and then give to the poor. Among Robbo’s band of merry men helping him with his scheme is pool hustler Little John, played by Martin. Sammy Davis Jr., Bing Crosby, Barbara Rush and an uncredited Edward G. Robinson also star. Also of note: This is the film in which Sinatra introduced the tune associated with the Windy City ever since — “My Kind of Town,” which received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. Tonight’s Dean Martin tribute concludes late-night with a re-airing of the 2021 documentary King of Cool. — Jeff Pfeiffer

5 More Sleeps ’Til Christmas
NBC, 8:30pm

This half-hour animated family special is inspired by Jimmy Fallon’s bestselling book. Narrated by Fallon, the colorful special focuses on a boy who has his meticulous, detailed plan leading up to Christmas upended upon the arrival of some unexpected guests at the home he shares with his mother and his dog, Gary. From finding the best tree, to perfecting his snow sled, to making scrumptious Christmas cookies, everything goes topsy-turvy as Christmas morning draws near. But, despite all the changes, the true spirit of Christmas manages to shine through.

Trolls Holiday in Harmony
NBC, 9pm

This half-hour animated special is based on the hit Trolls feature-film franchise and includes four original songs. As the holidays near, Queen Poppy (voice of Anna Kendrick) plans the first annual Trolls Kingdom Secret Holiday Gift Swap. Things take an unexpected turn, however, when she and Branch (Justin Timberlake) draw each other’s name. Meanwhile, Tiny Diamond (Kenan Thompson) comes down with a bad case of writers’ block trying to think of a special holiday rap for his dad. The voice cast also includes Rachel Bloom, Ron Funches and Kunal Nayyar.

Great Performances: “Coppélia”
PBS, 9pm

Featuring a blend of live-action dance with animation, this performance is a contemporary reboot of the 1870 classical comic ballet favorite Coppélia, originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon to the music of Léo Delibes, with libretto by Charles-Louis-Étienne Nuitter. The film features ballet stars Michaela DePrince and Daniel Camargo.

Cusp
Showtime, 9pm

Set in a small Texas military town and shot in vérité style, this award-winning feature documentary chases three spirited teenage girls — Brittney, Aaloni and Autumn — as they live out their fever-dream summer. The film captures intimate moments in female friendship while revealing the often-traumatic experience of growing up in a culture of toxic masculinity. Though the girls’ experiences are completely unique to their upbringing, Cusp tells a strikingly universal coming-of-age tale that is, at turns, funny, tragic, complicated, magical and stirring.

A “Saturday Night Live” Christmas Special
NBC, 9:30pm

The annual special brings back some of the classic Christmas and holiday-themed sketches from over the long history of SNL.

How to With John Wilson
HBO, 10pm
Season Premiere!

John Wilson continues his heartfelt mission of self-discovery, exploration and observation as he films the lives of his fellow New Yorkers while attempting to give everyday advice on six new deceptively simple topics.

The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek: “Trek Goes to the Movies”
History, 10pm

This episode looks at the 1980s, when Paramount released three linked Star Trek movies to huge box-office success. The first, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), saw Ricardo Montalbán return to his villainous role Khan from the original series. It was followed by Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), directed by costar Leonard Nimoy, who returned to the director’s chair for 1986’s Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, the biggest Star Trek success yet. This episode ends the docuseries’ run on the linear History channel; six additional episodes of The Center Seat can be viewed on History Vault, History’s subscription video service.

UFO Witness
Travel Channel, 10pm
New Series!

This series, which has been streaming on discovery+, makes its linear premiere on Travel Channel beginning tonight. In the series, former federal agent and paranormal investigator Ben Hansen, working in cooperation with former Project Blue Book investigator Jennie Zeidman, reopens case files of some of the most astounding UFO encounters in history, files that have been hidden from the public for decades.

Saturday, Nov. 27

Meet Your Makers Showdown
discovery+

This competition series is hosted by This Is Us star and crafting enthusiast Chrissy Metz, and features singer-songwriter LeAnn Rimes as “inspiration judge” and TV host Mark Montano as craft expert judge. In each of the six hourlong episodes, four top artisans will complete two challenges that test their creativity, skills and passion for their craft. Rimes will lead fellow judges on a walkthrough among contestants that delves into their creative process, and Montano will evaluate their technique and originality. Together with a weekly guest judge who specializes in the featured trade, they will award $10,000 to one maker.

College Football: Ohio State at Michigan
FOX, 12pm Live

One of the greatest rivalries in all of sports is renewed today as the Ohio State Buckeyes are at “The Big House” in Ann Arbor to face the Michigan Wolverines. Ohio State has won the past eight meetings. Last year’s game was canceled due to COVID-19.

Frankie Drake Mysteries: “Showstoppers”
Ovation, 7pm

Mary (Rebecca Liddiard) looks into a morality violation by Rita Hart’s (Sarah Swire) modern dance troupe, and Frankie (Lauren Lee Smith) questions if they’ve brought the Spanish flu to Toronto.

Royally Wrapped for Christmas
GAC Family, 8pm
Original Film!

Lindsay Palmer (Jen Lilley), the New York-based director of an international charity organization, is called to the Kingdom of Veronia by its royal family, who runs the foundation, to interview for the job of overseeing the whole operation. As Lindsay is put through the interview process, she ends up finding true love with the prince (Brendan Fehr).

Christmas at Heart Castle
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
Original Film!

Brooke Bennett goes to Ireland for Christmas to search for her Irish roots. While there, she meets Aiden Hart, Earl of Glaslough. Mistaken for an elite event planner, she’s hired to host his castle’s epic Christmas party. Lacey Chabert and Stuart Townsend star.

Robbie the Reindeer
CBS, 8pm

CBS airs two Robbie the Reindeer animated holiday specials tonight, beginning with “Hooves of Fire,” in which Robbie (voice of Ben Stiller) competes against Blitzen (voice of Hugh Grant) in the Reindeer Races for a position on Santa’s sleigh team. Then in “Legend of the Lost Tribe,” Robbie must stop Blitzen from creating a Reindeer World theme park.

Merry Liddle Christmas Baby
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!

This holiday, the Liddles have much to be merry about! Jacquie Liddle (Kelly Rowland) and her husband Tyler (Thomas Cadrot) are preparing for the arrival of their first baby. Meanwhile, Jacquie’s sister Treena (Latonya Williams) and her husband Julian (Jaime M. Callica) are thinking about adopting a baby themselves, and spirited fashionista sister Kiara’s (Bresha Webb) relationship with Chris (Nathan Witte) is heating up. With Jacquie’s family expanding in ways she could never have expected, the Liddles are headed for a crazy Christmas filled with merry mayhem and lots of love and laughter.

Dirty Little Deeds
LMN, 8pm
Original Film!

When Jessica and her new husband, Simon, learn his father has died, they return to Simon’s estate to help his family’s struggling winery. Upon arriving, Simon’s family gives Jessica the cold shoulder as she’s confronted by the memory of his deceased former wife, Daphne. Matters get worse when Jessica and her friend, Madison, find Daphne’s body on the estate. Suspicious of her new husband, Jessica begins digging into the family’s past and uncovers a deadly web of lies. Now, Jessica must save herself and Simon from his corrupted family if she hopes to build a new life with her husband. Stars Nayirah Teshali, Adam Hollick, Ashley Doris and Aleksandra Kaniak.

Space Stowaways
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

Picking up a hitchhiker carries its risks, but can be especially deadly if it’s one of the extraterrestrial monstrosities featured in tonight’s TCM double feature that is looking for a free ride. To be fair, the crews of the spaceships in these films did not bring the beasts on board knowingly, but they still had to deal with the horrific fallout from these space stowaways.
First up tonight is 1958’s It! The Terror From Beyond Space, a nice blending of sci-fi and horror. Despite the era in which it was made, and its cheesy-sounding title, low budget and brief runtime (68 minutes), this film delivers a suspenseful viewing experience. Set in the far-off future of 1973, and not actually “beyond space,” the story follows an American space crew sent to retrieve the sole survivor of a Mars mission, who claims that a hostile humanoid being has killed the rest of the expedition. An escape hatch is unwittingly left open while the crew is on Mars, and once the crew starts heading home and people start getting picked off one-by-one, they begin realizing the survivor may be right as it becomes apparent that the ruthless Martian thing has come onboard. It! is kind of unique for its time in creating a tense buildup before fully revealing the creature (played by actor/stuntman Ray “Crash” Corrigan in his final film). The creature costume isn’t completely terrible considering the budget and the era, but the film really shines in its first part, where we only get glimpses of the creature, or hear its eerie growl echoing as a hapless crew member explores a ship’s lower level or some other dark hiding place. Those initial scenes have a creepily restrained and ominous atmosphere courtesy of director Edward L. Cahn, the man who also brought you such fun and wonderfully titled quickie horror films as Creature With the Atom Brain, Invasion of the Saucer Men and Curse of the Faceless Man.
If the plot for It! sounds quite similar to tonight’s second film, the 1979 sci-fi/horror classic Alien, you aren’t the only one thinking that: Representatives for the 1958 film tried suing the producers of Alien for plagiarism, and It! screenwriter Jerome Bixby once chuckled as he said in an interview, “Frankly, I feel like the grandfather of Alien.” Alien, like It! itself, clearly drew from other sci-fi works before it, but also became transformative and influential in its own right, thanks to the superior talent of its cast and crew (and their superior budget). The movie, in which the relentlessly and remorselessly deadly “xenomorph” comes onboard the deep-space salvage ship Nostromo — literally exploding onto the scene out of poor John Hurt in the infamous “chestburster” sequence — is the ultimate “haunted house movie in space.” The gothic design of the ship, the truly otherworldly look of the creature designed by H.R. Giger, the atmospheric direction by Ridley Scott in just his second feature film and the exceptional cast led by Sigourney Weaver in her iconic role as Ripley — the most kick-ass “final girl” in any horror film — along with Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, Yaphet Kotto, Ian Holm and Hurt, made this an instant classic and launched an eventual franchise with ensuing films of varying quality. While it may be that in space no one can hear you scream, the screams coming from your living room if you tune in to Alien this evening are another matter. — Jeff Pfeiffer

Wellington Paranormal: “Twas the Patrol Before Christmas”
The CW, 8:30pm

In this spooky festive special, Minogue (Mike Minogue) and O’Leary (Karen O’Leary) attend to a number of different paranormal events on a busy Christmas Eve patrol.

Nash Bridges
USA Network, 9pm
Original Film!

Don Johnson (also an executive producer) and Cheech Marin reprise their roles as Nash Bridges and Joe Dominguez, elite investigators in the San Francisco Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit, in this two-hour movie based on the 1996-2001 cop drama. The movie picks up 10 years later in the lives of the characters. Original series creator Carlton Cuse (Lost) is also an executive producer.

The Story of Santa Claus
CBS, 9pm

This animated musical holiday special features the voices of Ed Asner, Betty White and Tim Curry, and revolves around a gentle toymaker whose only wish is to deliver a toy to every child on Christmas.

Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 10pm
Original Film!

During the holidays, a woman with amnesia catches a ride with her handsome nurse to investigate the only clue to her identity: a newspaper clipping for a Christmas Festival with a cryptic invitation. Jessy Schram and Brendan Penny star.

Pop Goes the Vet With Dr. Joya
Nat Geo Wild, 10pm
Sneak Peek!

As part of Nat Geo Wild’s Vetsgiving week, enjoy a sneak peek of its latest veterinary reality series, which will formally premiere in spring 2022. This show follows Kentucky-based veterinary dermatologist Dr. Joya Griffin. From impacted earwax to oozing cysts to massive hair loss, there’s no case too mysterious or bizarre for her as she investigates the largest organ in an animal’s body — the skin.