What to watch
THURSDAY
Dec. 16, 2021
All times Central. Start times can vary based on cable/satellite provider. Confirm times on your on-screen guide.
Station Eleven HBO Max New Series
This limited saga spanning multiple timelines tells the stories of survivors of a devastating flu as they attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew while holding on to the best of what’s been lost. The series is based on the international bestseller of the same name and stars Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Danielle Deadwyler, Daniel Zovatto, David Wilmot and more.
MacGruber Peacock New Series
Will Forte, who is also a showrunner, writer and executive producer, returns as the title character in this eight-episode, half-hour comedy series based on his popular Saturday Night Live sketch and the 2010 feature film it inspired, MacGruber. The series picks up where that movie left off. After rotting in prison for over a decade, America’s ultimate hero and uber-patriot MacGruber is finally released. His mission: Take down a mysterious villain from his past — Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth (Billy Zane). With the entire world in the crosshairs, MacGruber must reassemble his old team, Vicki St. Elmo (Kristen Wiig) and Dixon Piper (Ryan Phillippe), in order to defeat the forces of evil. Sam Elliott and Laurence Fishburne also star. All episodes are available today.
NFL Football: Kansas City at L.A. Chargers Fox & NFL Network, 7 p.m. Live
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, is the site of Week 15’s Thursday Night Football matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the L.A. Chargers.
Christmas by Chance Lifetime, 7 p.m. Original Film
Chance Charleswood (Winny Clarke) owns a struggling gift shop, By Chance Gifts. As the Christmas shopping season approaches, Chance is hired by William Richards (Jacob Blair), a wealthy and popular entrepreneur, to help him organize the perfect proposal for his girlfriend, Leyla Brooks (Celeste Desjardins). When Chance needs to get closer to Leyla to find out what she likes, they devise a plan to have her attend their Christmas party as an old friend of the family. Chance and William continue to spend more time together with the hopes of devising the perfect proposal, but Leyla does not seem to be ready for marriage, and each plan seems to fall apart. As Chance and William get to know each other more, they begin to bring out the best in each other and are able to find their true selves along the way.
Dogs of the Year 2021 The CW, 7 p.m.
Hosted by Kevin Frazier and Keltie Knight, this special highlights the most amazing dog stories of 2021 and celebrates the dogs that go above and beyond, leaving their mark on society and achieving the nearly impossible.
Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors NBC, 8 p.m.
This 2015 TV movie is based on the inspiring true story of country-music legend Dolly Parton’s remarkable upbringing. The film follows the tight-knit Parton family as they struggle to overcome devastating tragedy and discover the healing power of love, faith and a raggedy patchwork coat that helped make Parton who she is today. Alyvia Alyn Lind stars as 9-year-old Dolly Parton, with Jennifer Nettles as her mother and Ricky Schroder as her father. Gerald McRaney also stars, and Parton herself narrates the film.