Holiday TV: Tabernacle in, “Honors” out (?)

In some ways, TV’s holiday season will feel different this year:
There will be two mega-concerts by the Tabernacle Choir (shown here), instead of one. And there might be no Kennedy Center Honors … at least none as a big-network show.
Those are two things gleaned from the arrival of CBS’ annual list of November and December specials.
The are animated reruns, of course — “Reindeer in Here” and “A Paw Patrol Christmas.” There are specials borrowed from cable channels — “Kids Choice Awards” and “Soul Train Awards.”
And there are some major concerts — a Thanksgiving-night one by Jennifer Lopez and one celebrating the Tabernacle Choir’s 100th birthday.
The choir’s annual Christmas concert (filmed a year in advance) is a massive event in a 20,000-seat Salt Lake City theater, with more than 500 singers and musicians. The one for this year (with Stephanie J. Block, a Tony-winner who has done 10 Broadway musicals) debuts Dec. 14 on PBS and airs often on BYUtv.
But in addition, there will be the 100th-year concert, including Donny Osmond, the husband-wife duo of David Foster and Katharine McPhee and more. It will be filmed at the Holiday Bowl and air Dec. 26 on CBS.
That’s the sort of spot — just before or after Christmas — when CBS has annually aired the much-praised Kennedy Center Honors, which are filmed a few weeks in advance. Things began to fall apart after Donald Trump’s efforts to be included in the building’s name. Last year, ratings tumbled; this year, the ceremony is set for Dec. 7 (for the first time, not in the Kennedy Center). Heading into November, there’s still been no word of honorees or a network.
The CBS schedule has:
— Nov. 14: The Kids Choice Awards, created by Nickelodeon, will be shared by CBS. That’s 8-9:30 p.m., with Alex Warren hosting.
— Nov. 23: The Pillsbury Back-Off, with Drew Barrymore hosting; 8-10.
— Nov. 26: “The J Lo Show” has Lopez’s Las Vegas show; 8-10.
— Nov. 27: The Soul Train Awards, created by BET, move to CBS, 8-10.
— Nov. 28: “A Paw Patrol Christmas,” 8-9.
— Dec. 5: “Reindeer in Here,” 8-9 p.m., repeating Dec. 23. Like “Paw Paw,” it’s the rerun of an animated show.
— Dec. 13 annd 15: “Price is Right” specials, 8-9. The first has a holiday theme; the second marks Drew Carey’s 20 years as host.
— Dec. 26: The Family Film & TV Awards at 8 p.m., followed by “Voices of Hope,” 9-10. That’s the Tabernacle Choir event, hosted by Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner.