Stars show their gratitude in ‘Celebrity IOU’
Note: All times are Eastern/Pacific, unless noted.
DON’T MISS: “Celebrity IOU” — Keep the tissues handy. Twins Drew and Jonathan Scott are back in the kind of feel-good series that so many of us could use right now. The premise? Hollywood stars express their sincere gratitude to friends, mentors and family members who have had a major impact on their lives by gifting them with heartwarming home renovations that bring everyone to tears. Brad Pitt got the ball rolling in season one with a surprise project for his longtime makeup artist. Celebrities participating this season include Zooey Deschanel, Justin Hartley,
Allison Janney and Rainn Wilson. (9 p.m. Monday, HGTV).
Other bets:
SUNDAY: It’s time to give that scrawny little tree some love. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” might have a new home on Apple TV+, but the long-running “Peanuts” special also gets a broadcast tonight. (7:30 p.m., PBS and PBS Kids).
SUNDAY: “A Sugar and Spice Holiday” is Lifetime’s first film to feature a mostly Asian cast. It follows a Chinese American woman (Jacky Lai) who draws upon her family’s cultural traditions to “spice up” a Christmas baking competition. Of course, she also finds love in the process. (8 p.m., Lifetime).
SUNDAY: “Pennyworth,” the origin story about Batman’s future butler, returns for season two. Now England is embroiled in a brutal civil war, with the corrupt Lord Harwood (Jason Flemyng) threatening to control the entire country. Could Alfred Pennyworth be pondering a move to Gotham City? (9 p.m., Epix).
MONDAY: Singer Kelli O’Hara and actor Richard Thomas are on hand for the 17th annual “Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir,” an hourlong Americana-themed special that celebrates holiday traditions, songs and stories. (9 p.m., PBS; BYUtv will air the full 90-minute concert Dec. 17).
TUESDAY: Kevin Bacon and Eve host “Play On: Celebrating the Power of Music to Make Change.” It’s a star-studded concert benefitting the NAACP
Legal Defense & Educational Fund and WhyHunger. Among the artists appearing are Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, Ringo Starr, Sara Bareilles, Sheryl Crow and Bon Jovi. (8 p.m., CBS).
WEDNESDAY: Another edition of “The Masked Singer” comes to a close with the crowning (and unmasking) of a new champion. But not before a bloated two-hour finale stuffed with clips of the best moments and performances from the entire season. (8 p.m., Fox).
WEDNESDAY: As the sci-fi drama series “The Expanse” launches a new season, the crew of the Rocinante and their allies confront the sins of their past, while Marco Inaros delivers an attack that will alter the future of Earth,
Mars, the Belt and the worlds beyond the Ring. (Amazon Prime).
THURSDAY: It’s time to unleash some canine appreciation. In the special
“Dogs of the Year,” hosts Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner count down the top 10 dog stories of 2020, spotlighting the dogs that go above and beyond to leave their mark on society. (8 p.m., The CW).
FRIDAY: In the new film “Christmas on the Menu,” a celebrated chef (Kim Shaw) heads home to spend the holidays at the quaint bed-and-breakfast where she grew up, and where her mother just opened a restaurant. Things get tense when a famous food critic arrives to give his review. (8 p.m., Lifetime).
SATURDAY: “Letters to Satan Claus,” a spoof of cheesy holiday films, had us at the title. As a child, Holly (Karen Knox) made an unfortunate typo in her letter to Santa that had hellish consequences. Now a TV news reporter, she returns to her hometown of Ornaments to face the demon of her past. (8 p.m., Syfy).