Mike Hughes on TV

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: Christmas music,
8p.m., NBC and TNT.

NBC reruns Michael Buble's special,
with Blake Shelton, Carly Rae Jepsen, Rod Stewart and Elmo. TNT
counters with “Christmas in Washington,” a classy, annual event.

This year's concert is strong on
reality-show people – “American Idol” winner Scotty McReery,
“Voice” finalist Chris Mann and “X Factor” judge Demi
Lovato. Conan O'Brien hosts and also has Megan Hilty of “Smash”
and Diana Ross; Psy closes the show with, of course, “Gangnam
Style.”

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE: “Back to the
Beginning, with Christiane Amanpour,” 9-11 p.m., ABC.

Amanpour often finds herself covering
wars that, she wrote, have “something to do with religion.”

Her own life is the opposite of that
anger, with a Christian mother, Shi'ite Muslim father and Jewish
husband. “The blood of three great peoples runs through the veins
of my son,” she wrote.

So Amanpour spent a year in the Holy
Land and the Heartland, studying the stories and the impact of
Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: End-of-the-world
specials, cable.

This is the final day (Dec.21, 2012) of
the Mayan calendar, causing some people to assume the world is
ending. Naturally, cable steps in.

CNBC has “Apocalypse 2012” at 8
p.m. National Geographic has “Evacuate Earth” at 8 and “The
Mayan Apocalypse 2012” from 9-11; it repeats these from 11 p.m. to
2 a.m. …when, we assume, Mayans somewhere can start hurriedly
making a new calendar.

But the biggest splash is “2012:
(2009), at 8 and 11:30p.m. on FX. John Cusack tries to keep his
family safe as the planet crumbles from volcanoes, earthquakes,
tsunamis and more.

Other choices include:

– Football, 7:30 p.m., ESPN. Bowl
season gains speed, even if the games have non-prestigious names.
This is the Beef 'O' Brady Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla., Central
Florida (9-4) and Ball State (9-3).

– “The Happy Elf,” 8 p.m., CW. An
ordinary story is propelled by terrific music, with Harry Connick Jr.
as narrator, singer and music director. It's followed at 9 by
“Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.”

– “Last Man Standing,” 8 p.m.,
ABC. In a rerun, Boyd's kindergarten has banned volleyball. Mike (Tim
Allen) starts a sort of underground, after-school league.

– “Malibu Country,” 8:30 p.m.,
ABC. In a rerun of a pilot film, a country music star has been
cheating. His wife (Reba McEntire) moves the kids and her mother
(Lily Tomlin) to his former love nest in Malibu, setting up culture
clashes. It's all too broad, but does have some good moments.

– “Christmas With the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir,” 9 p.m., PBS. A musical night has baritone Nathan
Gunn as guest. That's followed at 10 by Laura Bell Bundy
hosting“Christmas at Belmont.”

– “A White House Christmas” (NBC)
or “White House Christmas 2012” (HGTV), 9 p.m. Similar specials
occupy the same hour. NBC's is an instant rerun from Thursday,
interviewing five First Ladies.

– “CSI: NY,” 9 p.m., CBS. In a
rerun, the investigation of a home invasion becomes more complicated
when police learn what a troubled family this is.

– “Blue Bloods,” 10 p.m., CBS.
This rerun finds Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) obsessing on finding the
killer of an undercover cop who was a family friend.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: “The X Factor,”
8-10 p.m., Fox.

Tonight, the show will have its second
champion, complete with a $5 million contract. It will be Carly Rose
Sonenclar, 13; Tate Stevens, 37; or the Fifth Harmony quintet.

And there will be a sign that X-people
sometimes succeed: One Direction performs.

After finishing third in the British “X
Factor,” the group has been big in the U.S. This year, it's had two
top-10 singles, two No. 1 albums and was named by MTV as the year's
top act. Pitbull also performs.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE II: “Elementary,”
10:01 p.m., CBS.

In the aftermath of the school
shooting, CBS has switched reruns. It pulled one involving child
abduction and inserted one in which grown-ups are murder victims.

With either one, viewers get a treat.
Both stories have dazzling detours, sudden surprises and even bursts
of humor, as Sherlock Holmes wedges himself into Dr. Watson's life.

Tonight's story has seemingly unrelated
victims … plus a key suspect who has been in a coma for weeks. Then
Holmes, beautifully played by Jonny Lee Miller, makes it all seem
elementary.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: “CMA Country
Christmas,” 9-11 p.m., ABC.

Just a month before her son was born,
Jennifer Nettles was a zestful host. She soloed and linked with John
Legend (for a gorgeous “O Holy Night”) and Lady Antebellum.

Some songs are merely OK; others are
superb. There's a lush “O Come All Ye Faitfhful” from Martina
McBride, two terrific numbers apiece from the Band Perry, Little Big
Town, Keith Urban and Legend.

A few other non-country people join in,
including Colbie Caillat and (in an amazing red dress) Katherine
Jenkins. It's a strong evening.

Other choices include:

– “A White House Christmas,” 8
p.m., NBC. Meredith Vieira looks at the people and the décor. She
talked with White House staffers as they prepared this year's
decorations; she also interviewed Michelle Obama. Laura and Barbara
Bush, Hillary Clinton, Roslynn Carter and some of their children.

– “The Big Bang Theory,” 8 p.m.,
CBS. In a rerun of the season's second episode – a good one –
Howard is being mocked by other astronauts and Penny is thinking
about breaking up with Leonard.

– Football, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN. The bowl
burst speeds up now, with four games in three days. This one is in
San Diego, with Brigham Young (7-5) facing the home-town team, San
Diego State (9-3).

– “Two and a Half Men,” 8:31
p.m., CBS. This rerun has Mimi Rogers as Walden's mom.

– “Burn Notice,” 9-11 p.m., USA.
Michael's life never gets easy. In this season-finale, assassins are
closing in on him; Sam (Bruce Campbell) is wounded and is captured,
along with Jesse (Coby Bell).

– “Project Nim,” 9-10:45 p.m.,
HBO. We might expect a happy story of a chimpanzee's success;
instead, we get a sobering story of human failings. The project to
teach a chimp sign language was scattered and, worst, had no exit
plan to care for Nim afterward. This exhaustive documentary includes
virtually all the key people, some revealing their own mistakes.

– “Jersey Shore” finale, 10
p.m., MTV. You didn't expect this show to leave quietly, did you? Its
final push starts at midnight; after 22 hours of reruns, the final
new episode airs at 10 p.m. That will be followed by a reunion that's
live – with censors warily manning a tape-delay – at 11:01 p.m.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: “Home For the
Holidays,” 8 p.m.,CBS.

Each year, this blends talented singers
and warm stories of adoption. Now Rachel Crow provides both.

She spent her first year in three
foster homes, before being adopted by Kelly and Barbara Crow. “They
gave me the love and support to follow my dreams,”she says.

Those dreams involved music. “She
became this tiny girl with the big voice,” Barbara Crow says.

At 13, she finished fifth on “X
Factor”; now, at 14, she's had some TV roles, cut a record and
sings here, along with Melissa Etheridge, Phillip Phillips, Matchbox
Twenty and the hosts, Rascal Flatts.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE II: “20/20,”
9:31-11 p.m., ABC.

This has been a busy time for Katie
Couric, launching her daily talk show while doing specials for ABC
News. This one will try to sum up the year in 89 minutes.

The presidential race may dominate, but
there are also tragedies created by nature (Hurricane Sandy) and man
(the shootings in a Colorado movie theater). And there are the
controversies surrounding David Petraeus, movie stars and England's
royal family.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: Miss Universe,
8-10 p.m., NBC.

For the first time, this beauty pageant
moves into December. It shares the month with Rudolph, Frosty, the
Nativity story and the Victoria's Secret fashion show. Life is
strange sometimes.

Hosting are people from two of NBC's
cable channels, Andy Cohen of Bravo and Guiliana Rancic of E.

Other choices include:

– “The X Factor,” 8-10 p.m., Fox.
Heading into the final two nights of the season, every judge –
except Demi Lovato – has one act with a shot at the prize. Britney
Spears has Carly Rose Sonenclar, 13; L.A. Reid has Tate Stevens, 37;
Simon Cowell has the teen group Fifth Harmony.

– “Noel” (2004), 8-10 p.m., CW.
On Christmas Eve, the lives of troubled strangers link, in ways that
are sometimes emotional and sometimes just contrived. A so-so story
is semi-saved by a top cast, with Susan Sarandon, Paul Walker,
Penelope Cruz, Chazz Palminteri (who directed) and Robin Williams.

– “The Middle,” 8 p.m., ABC.
After losing her job, Frankie insists there will be no more dead-end
work; this time, she'll learn a skill. Also in this rerun, school
starts and Sue finds someone to mentor.

– “The Hurt Locker” (2008), 8-11
p.m., FX. Here's the tough Iraq War film that won six Oscars,
including best picture, director (Kathryn Bigelow) and script (Mark
Boal). It airs three weeks before the broad opening of the
Bigelow/Boal “Zero Dark Thirty,” which has four Golden Globe
nominations.

– “The Neighbors,” 8:30 p.m.,
ABC. In a rerun, Marty and Debbie don't want their friends to meet
the outer-space aliens who live next door. Alas, the neighbors crash
poker night and a night on the town.

– “Modern Family,” 9 p.m., ABC.
This funny rerun raises the possibility of two major turning points –
a vasectomy for Phil and a job for Cam.

– “Chicago Fire,” 10 p.m., NBC.
Firefighters enter upscale worlds. After they save a luxury
townhouse, they're accused of stealing a $50,000 necklace. And Casey
is invited by Monica to a fancy party. 

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: “A Charlie Brown
Christmas,” 8-9 p.m., ABC.

One of TV's all-time great moments
returns. This isn't one of those shows that pops up every few days;
it ran once on Nov. 28, repeats tonight, then returns to the shelf
for 11months.

The hour is rounded out with a
seven-minute “Prep & Landing” tale, “Operation Secret
Santa.”

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: “The Voice, 8-9
p.m., 9-11 p.m., NBC.

Last year, Blake Shelton's team came up
with the champion. Now it has a 2-1 shot at repeating.

Two Shelton people are in the finals –
Cassadee Pope, 22, of Los Angeles and Terry McDermott, 35, a Scottish
native living in New Orleans. They face one person (Nicholas David,
31, of Eagan, Minn.) from Cee Lo Green, no one from Adam Levine (who
had the first-year winner) or Christina Aguilera.

A compacted version of Monday's episode
is at 8; then, eventually, we'll have a champion.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: “First
Freedom,” 8-9:30 p.m., PBS (check local listings).

Assembled for the first time, our
Founding Fathers had a question: Should the first Continental
Congress start with a prayer? They voted no; there were too many
differing faiths.

Then Ben Franklin, a Congregationalist,
proposed that an Episcopal priest give a prayer the next day.
America's church-and-state compromise was beginning.

This documentary has pluses (rich
re-creations, elaborate research) and flaws (wordy narration that's
blandly delivered), but it tells a powerful and important story.

Other choices include:

– “Mankind: The Story of All of
Us,” 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., History. In six weeks and 12 hours, this
immensely ambitious series has taken us from cavemen to – in a
finale from 9-11 p.m. – the high-tech, atomic age. Now you can
catch it all in one gulp.

– “Raising Hope” and “Ben and
Kate,” 8 and 8:30 p.m., Fox. Here are three generations of talent.
In a funny rerun, we meet Sabrina's self-centered mom (Melanie
Griffith) and – via tape at her own funeral – grandmother (Tippi
Hedren). Then Kate lies about her home, to get a better school
district. She's played by Dakota Johnson, the daughter of Griffith
and Don Johnson and granddaughter of Hedren.

– “NCIS,” 8 p.m., CBS. As the
team probes a murder, Abby is excited about the holidays, but Tony
has misgivings: His dad (Robert Wagner) is back in town.

– “NCIS: Los Angeles,” 9 p.m.,
CBS. At Christmas time, don't expect the team to be together. Eric
and Nell are at headquarters, Hetty takes a trip and the others have
a probe aboard an aircraft carrier.

– The Mindy Project, 9:30 p.m., Fox.
In a rerun of the terrific pilot film, we see Mindy (Mindy Kaling, of
“The Office”) as a doctor and a hopeless romantic who crumbles at
her ex-boyfriend's wedding.

– “The Iranian Americans,” 9:30
p.m., PBS (check local listings). This should be required viewing for
anyone who also sees “Shahs of Sunset.” Before sampling all of
that reality-show misbehavior, watch this documentary about the
solid, family-based lives of many Persians in the U.S.

– “Vegas,” 10 p.m., CBS. After
robberies at Savino's casino, the sheriff's son works there
undercover.

– “Leverage,” 10 p.m., TNT. One
of TV's smarter shows may be ending; producers consider next week's
episode the possible finale. If so, we'll forgive the fact that
tonight's plot – an instant Christmas-toy sensation – is wildly
unbelievable. It's still a pleasure to see good actors in a
passionate story.

– “Meet Me in St. Louis” (1944),
10 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies. Beautifully directed by Vincente
Minnelli, this has become a holiday favorite. Judy Garland, later
Minnelli'swife, introduced “Have Yourself a Merry Little
Christmas,” but the Oscar nomination went to “The Trolley Song.”

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: “1600 Penn”
debut, 9:31 p.m., NBC.

During Bill Pullman's previous
presidency (in “Independence Day”), he only had to worry about
saving the planet from aliens. Now he has bigger woes, in this
advance peak at a show that arrives Jan. 10.

His son (Josh Gad) has the good
intentions of a golden retriever, but not the good sense. His spouse
(Jenna Elfman) must explain to school kids what “trophy wife”
means. Also, his daughter's pregnant.

There's more, including an
international conference at the White House. The result is ragged,
but fun.

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE: “Gossip Girl”
finale, 8-10 p.m., CW.

For five-and-a-half seasons, “Girl”
has drawn a tiny audience – it recently finished dead-last among
118 shows in the weekly Nielsen ratings – yet has created stars,
fashion trends and conversations.

Now it concludes its 10-episode
mini-season. At a party, characters learn who has been writing those
texts under the name “gossip girl.” Clips and interviews round
out the night.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: “Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition,” 8-10 p.m., ABC.

Here's the episode that ABC scheduled
for last Monday, then – quite late – pushed back a week.

At the core is a North Carolina family
that had been taking care of one or two foster kids at a time. Then
it learned that the latest one, a teen boy, has four siblings. Soon,
it adopted all five.

Now the team creates a new house. There
are splendid little touches (including a cozy study nook) inside and
big ones outside – including a drive-in movie theater, complete
with screen and pseudo-cars.

Other choices include:

– “The Voice,”8-9:31 p.m., NBC.
Three people get one more chance to impress viewers, before a
champion is announced Tuesday. Two – Cassadee Pope, 22, and Terry
McDermott, 35 – are from Blake Shelton's team; Nicholas David,
31,is from Cee Lo Green's.

– “How I Met Your Mother,”8-9
p.m., CBS. In an expanded, holiday episode, Barney is ready to
propose to Patrice. Ted isn't sure he should tell Robin.

– “Dreamworks Dragons,” 8 p.m.,
Fox. The “How to Train Your Dragon” characters star in a new
cartoon. The dragons have vanished for the holiday, leaving the
humans lonely and curious.

– “Ice Age: Mammoth Christmas,”
8:30 p.m., Fox. This drolly clever cartoon rerun finds Sid the Sloth
on a mission to the North Pole, to get off the naughty list.
Reluctantly, Manny follows him.

– “Happiness Is a Warm Blanket,
Charlie Brown,” 9-10 p.m., Fox. This quietly entertaining film, a
direct-to-video release last year, finds forces threatening Linus'
security blanket.

– “2 Broke Girls,” 9 p.m., CBS.
They've barely opened their cupcake shop, but Max and Caroline
already have to scramble to pay the rent. That leaves them dealing
with some shady characters.

– “Picture Paris,” 9 p.m., HBO. A
former “Saturday Night Live” star and TV writer, Brad Hall seemed
to disappear after producing “Watching Ellie” – starring his
wife, Julia Louis-Dreyfus – in 2002-3. Now he's back, writing and
directing this half-hour gem. Louis-Dreufus plays an American who
obsesses on her trip to Paris. She gets there, amid sudden (and quite
funny) surprises.

– “Hawaii Five-0,” 10 p.m., CBS.
Carjackers should really make better choices; tonight, one tries to
take McGarrett's car. Also, McGarrett and Katherine (Michelle Borth)
search for a missing dad.