1) Jimmy Fallon’s 10th-anniversary special, 8-10 p.m., NBC. Actually, it’s almost 11 years. Fallon (shown here) passed the 10-year mark on Feb. 17 and had this special three months later, offering clips of sketches (with Will Ferrell, Nicole Kidman and such), games and music. It reruns now. Read more…
1) “Grammy Greats: The Most Memorable Moments,” 9-11 p.m., CBS. A 55-year run will end in 2027. when the Grammys move to ABC, Hulu and Disney+. For now, CBS grabs all the Grammy moments it can. This special has Dua Lipa, Ricky Martin (shown here), Jennifer Hudson, Keith Urban, Bonnie Raitt, LL Cool J, Joni Mitchell, Elton John and more. Read more…
1) Football. Eight bowl games are packed into one day, including three with top-25 teams. ESPN has games at 11 a.m. and 2:15 and 5:45 p.m., then Army (ranked No. 22) and Louisiana Tech at 9:15. ABC has ones at noon, 3:30 p.m. — with Miami (shown here, No. 13) and Iowa State (No. 18) — and 7:30, with Colorado (No. 23) and Brigham Young (No. 17). CW has a 4:30 game. Read more…
1) “Grammy Greats: The Stories Behind the Songs,” 9-11 p.m., CBS. A slow week is being brightened by three specials from the Grammy people. There was an Andrea Bocelli hour Tuesday; a “Memorable Moments” special is Sunday. In between, this talks to songwriters – Alicia Keys (shown here), Sting, Billie Eilish, Kenny Loggins, Bonnie Raitt and more. Read more…
1) “The Year: 2024,” 9-11 p.m., ABC. It’s been a strange year, ending with an overthrow in Syria (after 13 years of civil war) and a near-shutdown in the U.S. But this ABC News special will also leave room for pop culture. It includes Olympians, politicians, Elton John, Teddy Swims (shown here), Shaboozey, Lara Trump, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Charlamagne the God and more. Read more…
1) “Call the Midwife,” 8-10 p.m. PBS. The new season is months away, but “Midwife” annually has a Christmas special. (A previous one is shown here.) Here’s its best one yet. In a hard-scrabble section of 1969 London, good people face crises — a homeless family, an escaped prisoner, a lost traveler who has Down syndrome. There’s also joy and a “Midwife” rarity – a charming romance. Read more…
1) “A Christmas Story” marathon, 8 p.m., TBS or 9 p.m., TNT. This movie (shown here) arrived back in 1983, with a modest budget and low expectations. But it brought a fresh look at a holiday in the 1940s, when Santa seemed scary and little kids wanted BB guns. It became a favorite; now both channels air it every two hours, for 24 hours. Read more…
1) “A Saturday Night Live Christmas,” 9-11 p.m., NBC. This special – airing for the second time in six days — grabs highlights from 50 years of “SNL.” It can range from Chevy Chase to Bowen Yang … with a white-haired Steve Martin somehow around during the full span. (Shown here is this year’s Black Santa/White Santa sketch, not necessarily part of the special.)
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1) “Kennedy Center Honors,” 8:30-11 p.m., CBS. Each year, this honors arts greats with a splendid mixture of films, performances and verbal tributes. This time, it honors Bonnie Raitt, Arturo Sandoval, Francis Coppola, the Grateful Dead and (in a first) the Apollo Theater. Performers include Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris (shown here in a previous performance), Sheryl Crow and Savion Glover. Read more…
1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. It was 40 years ago that Martin Short joined the “SNL” cast. Already a star from his “SCTV” time, he helped the show’s short-term rebuild; he was gone after a year, but has returned often (shown here). Now comes only his fifth time as host, two of them with Steve Martin; Hozier is the music guest. Read more…
