1) Thanksgiving Day parade, 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, NBC (rerunning from 2-5 p.m.); also, 1-4 p.m., CBS. The mega-parade (shown here in a previous year) has 12 bands, 10 performance groups, lots of balloons and 28 floats, often with stars – from Paula Abdul to Ziggy Marley — onboard. Early on, NBC will have the Broadway casts of “Funny Girl,” “The Lion King,” “A Beautiful Noise” and “Some Like It Hot”; CBS will counter with the casts of “Moulin Rouge” and “Six.”
2) Pro football, Thursday. Sure, some people will go directly from the parade to the dog show (noon to 2 p.m., NBC). Others, however, will savor a triple-header. It’s the Bills and Lions at 9:30 a.m. PT on CBS (which is why CBS delays the parade) … Giants-Cowboys at 1:30 p.m. on Fox … and Patriots-Vikings at 5:20 p.m. on NBC. There’s more, including 49ers-Cardnals at 5:15 p.m. today on ESPN and Packers-Eagles at 5:20 p.m. Sunday on NBC.
3) “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” 8 p.m. Friday, NBC. Dr. Seuss’ witty story was animated by Chuck Jones, the genius behind Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner. The result is a gem. CBS counters with ‘Frosty the Snowman” and both are followed by lesser cartoons – “Frosty Returns” and “Trolls Holiday in Harmony.” Also, CW has “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer,” from 8-9 p.m. And at 8 p.m. Saturday, CBS has the clever “Robbie the Reindeer.”
4) “Dancing With the Stars” finale, 5 p.m. PT today, Disney+; “Bachelor in Paradise” finale, 8-10 p.m. today and Tuesday, ABC. Gabby Windey is a final-four dancer … and seven guys in her “Bachelorette” season have been in “Paradise.” Other dance finalists: Wayne Brady (a “Masked Singer” champion), Charli D’Amelio and Shangela. Each dances twice, plus the opening number. Also: Jordin Sparks sings, Derek Hough and Selma Blair do dance numbers.
5) “American Masters,” 9-11 p.m. Tuesday, PBS. Buffy St. Marie tells of being bullied and blacklisted, of being abused as a child and of surviving (barely) a chaotic marriage. Still, she has emerged as a vibrant force – a singer, songwriter, actress and Indian-rights activist. Her “Universal Soldier” has been recorded by 157 people; her “Up Where We Belong” won an Academy Award. Here’s a compelling portrait of a zestful performer at 81.
6) “Tutankhamun: Allies and Enemies,” 8 and 9 p.m. Wednesday, PBS. It was 100 years ago (this Saturday) that Howard Carter chiseled a peephole. “Can you see anything?” his patron asked. The reply: “Yes, wonderful things.” After five years, he had found King Tut’s tomb; 5,398 objects, mostly gold, were there. This film looks back and leaves questions: We still don’t know who was Tut’s mother, how he died or whether this was meant to be his tomb.
7) “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), 6 p.m. Thursday and 5:07 p.m. Friday, TBS. One of the great movies – No. 10 on the American Film Institute’s all-time list – has a clever story, great visuals and some dandy songs. It’s ideal for post-dinner family viewing; and will be back on Dec. 5 and 25. Also: “A Waltons Thanksgiving,” which debuted Sunday, has a quick rerun at 8 p.m. Thursday on CW. Richard Thomas narrates the story, set during the Holiday Harvest Fair.
8) Christmas movies. The deluge begins. Hallmark has new films at 8 p.m. Thursday and 6 and 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday, concluding with Ann-Margret and the Rockettes in “A Holiday Spectacular.” Great American Family has ones at 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday, concluding with Candace Cameron Bure’s “A Christmas … Present.” Lifetime’s are at 8 p.m. daily, with Mario Lopez on Friday, Kelsey Grammer on Saturday and Jane Seymour on Sunday.
9) “Magical Musical Celebration,” 8-10 p.m., Sunday ABC. Now it’s ABC’s turn. At 7 p.m., it debuts “Mickey Saves Christmas,” simulcast on Disney cable channels. After “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” at 7:30, it has two hours of music in Disney parks. That includes Derek and Julianne Hough (the hosts), Maren Morris, Ne-Yo, Meghan Trainor, Becky G, Jordin Sparks, Il Volo, Chloe Flower, Black Eyed Peas, Run DMC and David Foster and Katharine McPhee.
10) And more. Turner Classic Movies has an all-day tribute to the late Angela Lansbury today, peaking with two of her Oscar nominations – the brilliant “Manchurian Candidate” (1962), at 5 p.m. PT, and “Gaslight” (1944) at 7. “Saturday Night Live” has its Thanksgiving special at 9 p.m. Wednesday on NBC. And Josh Groban has a powerhouse concert at 9 p.m. Friday on PBS. He opens with crisp humor about his two-year pandemic break, then lets loose.