Tonight’s top picks
7 p.m. on WTTG 70th Miss Universe
The reigning Miss Universe, Andrea Meza of Mexico, will crown her successor at the climax of this three-hour special, from Eilat, Israel, hosted by returning host Steve Harvey. More than 75 contestants will participate in this year’s competition, which includes two especially noteworthy candidates from the Middle East and North Africa.
8 p.m. on HALL Movie: Sister Swap: Christmas in the City
A companion piece to last Sunday’s “Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday,” this 2021 romantic comedy finds real-life sisters Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Ashley Williams reprising their roles as, respectively, siblings Jennifer and Meg Swift. While the former takes a trip back to their hometown, Meg holds down the fort at Jennifer’s busy restaurant, where the staff is competing with workers at the city’s other eateries to win money for their chosen charity. She also clicks with Joe (Keith Robinson), the taciturn restaurant manager.
8:30 p.m. on WUSA Movie: A Christmas Proposal
Down-on-her-luck chef Maria Winters (Jessica Camacho)is running low on cash, so she agrees to pose as the girlfriend of Julian Diaz (Adam Rodriguez), an ambitious Seattle attorney who plans to use a Christmas visit with his relatives to position himself as the ideal candidate to take over the family law firm. Complications ensue when the magic of the season strikes some real-life sparks between these faux lovers. Luisa D’Oliveira, Jaime M. Callica and Claudia Ferri co-star in this new romance.
8 p.m. on WRC Grand Crew
This new ensemble comedy from members of the “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” creative team gets a two-episode preview tonight before officially starting its NBC run in early 2022. The show revolves around a close-knit group of young professionals in Los Angeles who always find time to “wine down” at their favorite bar. The gang includes hopeless romantic Noah (Echo Kellum), who’s eager to settle down and Nicky (Nicole Byer), an aggressive real-estate agent who approaches dating fearlessly. Justin Cunningham and Carl Tart also star. Another episode follows.
9 p.m. on WTTG Gordon Ramsay’s Road Trip
Maybe it’s something in the yuletide wassail, but host Gordon Ramsay is in an unusually whimsical mood for “Christmas Vacation,” a one-hour road trip with buddies Gino D’Acampo and Fred Siriex, a trek that takes them through a winter wonderland on a quest to find the home of Santa Claus himself — or as Ramsay probably knows him, Father Christmas.
9 p.m. on OWN Movie: A Christmas Stray
A work-obsessed executive is hopelessly stranded in a small mountain town on Christmas Eve after he swerves his car and runs off the road to avoid hitting a stray dog. The adorable mutt immediately attaches himself to this stranger, who would like to do the same with the free-spirited town veterinarian who frankly could use some real Christmas magic herself. Andra Fuller, Rhyon Nicole Brown, Melissa Murray-Mutch and Chris Shields star in this holiday romance.
9:30 p.m. on FOOD Throwdown With Michael Symon
Iron Chef and restaurateur Michael Symon travels to the home turf of some of the best chefs in the game to challenge them to a throwdown with their signature dish in this new culinary competition. Tonight’s premiere, which includes two back-to-back episodes, begins as Symon takes on former fine dining chef Mike Abdoo from Pig Beach, a dining hotspot in Brooklyn, N.Y., who slings a mean burger piled high with pulled pork.