1) Grinch and Charlie Brown, Saturday and Sunday. The two greatest Christmas specials will share the weekend, offering clever animation, great music and stories that are both warm and funny. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday on TNT, alongside terrific movies – “A Christmas Story” (1983) at 7:30 p.m. and Patrick Stewart’s “A Christmas Carol” (1999) at 10. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (shown here) is 7:30 p.m. Sunday on PBS. Charlie’s also on Apple TV+; Grinch will be on NBC Dec. 25.
2) “The Voice” finale, 8-10 p.m. today, 9-11 p.m. Tuesday, NBC. Tonight, we hear the final five – two each with Blake Shelton (Wendy Moten and Paris Winningham) and Kelly Clakson (Hailey Mia and Girl Named Tom), one with John Legend (Jershika Maple), none with Ariana Grande. On Tuesday, there will be a flood of music – from the finalists and coaches, plus Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Walker Hayes and two duets – Keke Palmer with Tori Kelly and Legend with Carrie Underwood.
3) “The Masked Singer” and “Survivor” finales, 8 p.m., Wednesday, Fox and CBS. Two reality shows – one in its sixth edition, the other in its 41st – collide as they pick their winners. “Masked Singer” (8-10 p.m.) is down to its two group champions – Bull and Queen of Hearts. “Survivor” (8-11 p.m.) still has five people, including its oldest (Heather Aldret, 52) and one of the three 20-year-olds this season (Xander Hastings). It also has Dashawn Radden, 26; Ricard Foye, 31; and Erika Casupanan, 32
4) “American Auto” debut, 10 and 10:30 p.m today, NBC. Trying to survive against auto giants, Payne Motors pins its hopes on two changes – a new CEO (Ana Gasteyer) and a self-driving car. Alas, the CEO doesn’t know (or care) much about cars. And the self-driver … well, that’s a funny surprise we won’t spoil now. For producer Justin Spitzer, this is a great follow-up to “Superstore.” And Gasteyer is on a roll. She co-wrote and co-starred in the hilarious “Clusterfunke Christmas” and stars in this gem.
5) More comedies, Tuesday and Wednesday, NBC. Once the home of “must-see” situation comedies, NBC opened the season with zero sitcoms. This week, it offers a peek at funnier times next month. That includes two debuts, one terrific (“American Auto”) and one merely OK: “Grand Crew” (8 and 8:30 p.m. Tuesday), a look at modern love and life, stars four guys and Netflix/podcast star Nicole Byer. Also, Wednesday (8-9:30) has Christmas episodes of “Young Rock,” “Kenan” and “Mr. Mayor.”
6) “20 Years of Christmas With the Tabernacle Choir,” 8 p.m. today, PBS. Each year, the choir and a star have three mega-concerts, which become a TV special the next year. But with COVID squelching last year’s concert, Brian Stokes Mitchell hosts an alternative, with past highlights. Some are too brief, but there are splendid moments: One has the same song by 10 great singers; another has Mitchell and 300-plus choir members – separately in their homes. This will also have reruns on Dec. 20 and 24.
7) “iHeartRadio Jingle Ball,” 8-9:30 p.m. Wednesday, CW. Christmas gets a burst of youthful starpower. This is from a Dec. 3 concert that had BTS, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Lil Nas X, Doja Cat, Black Eyed Peas, The Kid Laroi, Saweetie, Tate McRae, Bazzi and Dixie D’Amelio. For more music, switch to NBC at 10 p.m. for a rerun of Kelly Clarkson’s “When Christmas Comes Around,” with Ariana Grande, Brett Eldredge and Leslie Odom, plus Jay Leno, Amy Poehler and Melissa McCarthy.
8) “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” 10 and 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, FXX, repeating until 2 a.m. Here’s another wild twist in a great little season. Dee, a failed actress, suddenly got a small movie role that fit her perfectly – as an angry American tourist. But the gang cashed in her first-class plane ticket to Ireland, got coach tickets and came along. These episodes — planned for Ireland, but filmed in California because of travel restrictions – offer fresh and funny twists in a season that ends next week.
9) “Station 19,” 8 p.m. Thursday, ABC. This is a holiday episode, with quick crises and maybe a Christmas miracle. But clouding everything is the recent death of Dean Miller, a firefighter. Ben – the doctor-turned-firefighter – promised ro raise Dean’s daughter; Bailey – Ben’s wife and the chief of surgery on “Grey’s Anatomy” – is hesitant. That leads into “Grey’s” at 9: Meredith nears a milestone in her research. Also, Link wants to spend Christmas with his ex-lover Amelia and their young son.
10) Bowl barrage begins, Friday and Saturday. A 42-bowl spurt looms, most of it packed into two weeks. That starts mildly, with two Friday games – Toledo (7-5) and Middle Tennessee (6-6) in the Bahamas, at noon ET on ESPN; Coastal Carolina (10-3) and Northern Illinois (9-4) in Orlando at 6 p.m. on ESPN2. Then Saturday has a six-bowl spree, including two on ABC: It’s Brigham Young (10-2) and Alabama – Birmingham (8-4) at 3:30 p.m. ET; Utah State (10-3) and Oregon State (7-5) at 7:30.