1) “Robbie the Reindeer,” 8 p.m., CBS, with sequel at 8:30. This all started with “Comedy Relief,” the British charity telethon launched by writer Richard Curtis (“Love, Actually”). He co-wrote a clever cartoon about Rudolph’s son, trying to find a place in Santa’s world. Americans later redubbed it, with Ben Stiller as Robbie (shown here). Britney Spears also was cast – but not as Vixen; that role goes to Leah Remini. Hugh Grant is the token Brit, voicing Blitzen. The result ripples with droll wit.
2) “The Story of Santa Claus,” 9 p.m., CBS. In his long career, Ed Asner played plenty of people, both real (U.S. Grant, Warren Buffett, Huey Long) and fictional. He was grumps and God and Granny Goodness. He was lots of cops, coaches and doctors; he played idealists and the captain of a slave ship. And at least nine times, he played Santa Claus. In this cartoon, Asner (who died this year at 91) plays a toymaker who becomes Santa; Betty White (who turns 100 on Jan. 22) plays his wife.
3) Football, all day. The big one comes early: Ohio State (ranked No. 2) is at Michigan (No. 5) at noon on Fox; at stake is next week’s conference championship game and a shot at the national title. At night, Oklahoma State (No. 7) hosts Oklahoma (No. 10) at 7:30 p.m. on ABC; Stanford hosts Notre Dame (No. 6) at 8 on Fox.
4) “Nash Bridges,” 9-11 p.m., USA. Twenty years after CBS canceled this action cop show, it returns as a TV movie. The original people are still there – Don Johnson, 71, as Nash; Cheech Marin, 75, as his sidekick; Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, 43, as Nash’s daughter, who’s in military intelligence.
5) ALSO: NBC has reruns of the “National Dog Show” at 8 p.m. and Kim Kardashian hosting “Saturday Night Live” (with Halsey as music guest) at 11:29. FX has “Frozen” (2013) at 8 p.m. and others have Christmas movies. It’s Lacey Chabert in Ireland, at 8 p.m. on Hallmark … the “Santa Clause” films (1994, 2002, 2006) at 5:10, 7:20 and 9:50 p.m. on Freeform … and “Christmas Vacation” (1989), every two hours on TBS, starting at 6 a.m.