Don’t miss this: Chuck Barney’s TV show picks for Dec. 24-30
DON’T MISS: “The 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors”—This year’s celebration of the arts spotlights dancer Carmen de Lavallade, singer Gloria Estefan, hiphop artist and actor LL Cool J, producer Norman Lear and musician Lionel Richie. The event—filmed in Washington, D.C. earlier this month—features appearances and/or performances by Meryl Streep, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Eva Longoria, Becky G, Dave Chappelle, Rob Reiner, Anthony Anderson, Rita Moreno, Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes, Luke Bryan, Misty Copeland and more. 8 p.m. Tuesday, CBS. Other bets: SUNDAY: Frank Capra’s classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” returns for another airing and you know the drill: Every time you watch it, an angel gets his wings … or a TV executive gets a raise … Or something like that. 7 p.m., NBC.
SUNDAY: OK, so maybe Fox’s live musical version of “A Christmas Story” didn’t rock your world. No worries. The original 1983 film gets the marathon treatment again and we triple-dog dare you to watch it for all 24 hours. 7 p.m., TBS.
MONDAY: It’s two “Grinches” for the price of one tonight. There’s the 1966 animated classic narrated by Boris Karloff, followed by the highly inferior 2000 live-action film starring Jim Carrey as the ol’ grouch who is as cuddly as a cactus. 7 and 7:30 p.m., NBC.
MONDAY: Regeneration happens. This year’s “Doctor Who Christmas Special”—“Twice Upon a Time”—is the swan song for the 12th Doctor Peter Capaldi, and will introduce No. 13, Jodie Whittaker. 8 p.m., BBC America.
MONDAY: In the “Call the Midwife Holiday Special,” Poplar lies under a thick blanket of snow in the coldest winter in 300 years. It forces the midwives to battle the weather, ice, power outages and frozen pipes to provide care for their patients. 8 p.m., PBS.
TUESDAY: “The Sultan and the Saint” tells the little-known story of St. Francis of Assisi and the Sultan of Egypt, Muhammad Al-Kamil. They were two charismatic men of different faiths who risked it all to end the Crusades. Jeremy Irons narrates. 7 p.m., PBS.
WEDNESDAY: Tonight’s installment of “Nova” is titled “Day the Dinosaurs Died.” We join scientists as they investigate how an asteroid slammed into Earth and vanquished the giant beasts 66 million years ago. 8 p.m., PBS.
THURSDAY: “Apple Music’s Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story” is a documentary that explores the history of Bad Boy Entertainment, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ hip-hop label. Featured artists include Jay Z, Usher, Nas, Lil’ Kim and Faith Evans. 7 p.m., Fox.
FRIDAY: The “American Masters” series presents “This is Bob Hope,” a profile that looks back on the life and career of the legendary funny man. Billy Crystal gives voice to Hope’s writings and the film includes remarks from Woody Allen, Margaret Cho, Conan O’Brien, Brooke Shields, Dick Cavett and others. 8 p.m., PBS.
SATURDAY: As the suspenseful crime thriller “Ten Days in the Valley” continues, Jane’s search for Lake reaches a climax. Meanwhile, Ali finds herself in an unexpected situation with PJ, Jane’s drug dealer. 9 p.m., ABC.