Best-bets for Dec. 16: an eternal star and vanishing vampires

1) “American Masters,” 10 p.m., PBS. At 10, Brenda Lee was supporting her widowed mother and siblings. Now, 70 years later, she’s still a potent force, with tiny (4-foot-9) body, huge voice and vibrant personality. This fascinating hour traces someone (shown here) who has sold 100 million records, from “I’m Sorry” to the eternal “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” Read more…

1) “American Masters,” 10 p.m., PBS. At 10, Brenda Lee was supporting her widowed mother and siblings. Now, 70 years later, she’s still a potent force, with tiny (4-foot-9) body, huge voice and vibrant personality. This fascinating hour traces someone (shown here) who has sold 100 million records, from “I’m Sorry” to the eternal “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”

2) “What We Do in the Shadows” series-finale, 10 p.m., FX, rerunning at 10:46, 11:31. A weird, witty series – already with three Emmy nominations for best comedy series – closes with one of its best episodes. “Shadows” pretends to be a documentary about vampires in Staten Island. Now the crew is leaving and Guillermo is upset.

3) “Little Big Town Christmas at the Opry,” 8-10 p.m., NBC. The music is terrific, with skilled Nashville musicians backing skilled singers, including Kelsea Ballerini, Josh Groban and a surprisingly good Kate Hudson. Also, Kirk Franklin leads a vibrant gospel number. The visuals are lush, onstage (the Opry is ideal for TV) and backstage.

4) More Christmas. At 8 p.m., CW has a movie, “Operation Mistletoe” (2024), At 10, NBC reruns last year’s Michael Buble special. Also, several classics return: “A Wonderful Life,” 5 and 8 p.m., E; “A Christmas Story,” 7:45 and midnight, TNT; “Frosty,” “Rudolph” and “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” 8:45, 9:20 and 10:25 p.m., Freeform.

5) “Dalgliesh” and “Chelsea Detective,” www.acorn.tv. Two well-crafted British shows offer movie-length mysteries. For “Dalgliesh,” it’s the season-finale and a bigger tale than usual, centering on a late-’70s nuclear plant. For “Chelsea,” it’s the “Christmas episode,” but that’s barely a factor; the story involves a pop star’s death.

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