Mike Hughes

1) “Must Love Christmas” (2022), 9-11 p.m., CBS. Last year, CBS debuted three Christmas films – one poor, one so-so and this one, which is actually quite good. It has a likable star (Liza Lapira of “Equalizer,” shown here), lush visuals and a solid gimmick: She’s struggling with her Christmas novel and we glimpse at scenes from it. And unlike most of these, we keep guessing about her romantic future. Read more…

1) “Transplant,” 9 p.m., NBC. After a month-long break, “Transplant” returns with perhaps the best episode since its debut, three years ago. Desperate to become a Canadian citizen, Bash (shown here in a previous episode) has gathered paperwork from his Syrian war years. Now an official is asking about his workday; we jump between that government office and hectic moments in the hospital. “Transplant” skillfully shows life-and-death crises and subtle human moments. Read more…

1) “Kennedy Center Honors,” 8-10:30 p.m., CBS. Here’s how to stir a stately Washington, D.C. crowd. This opens with Gloria Estefan’s “Get On Your Feet” and closes with Ariana DeBose singing “Staying Alive.” In between, a Clark Sisters gospel tune has Queen Latifah (shown here in a previous event) leaping to her feet. She’s an honoree, with Dionne Warwick, Billy Crystal, Renee Fleming and Barry Gibb. Even if you tend to skip rap or classical, you’ll like this blend of music and memories.
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1) “NCIS: Sydney,” 8-11 p.m., CBS. As the strikes took hold, CBS grabbed some shows from other countries. The British “Ghosts” has been so-so, but this Australian series is fairly good; now it’s first three episodes rerun. A nasty case forces Americans and Aussies to work together. Naturally, both units are led by telegenic folks(shown here) who dislike each other … but dislike their bosses even more. The result is predictable, but in a good way. Read more…

1) “Call the Midwife” Christmas special, 8-9:30 p.m., PBS. British shows have a tradition of special episodes that air on Christmas Day. That can be clumsy for some shows, but this one — filled with earnest nuns, midwives and others, including a doctor – fits perfectly. There are life-and-death issues here, especially when a snowstorm hits. But there’s also fun: Trixie’s brother takes over the Christmas pageant and Reggie (shown here in a previous Christmas episode) insists on being an angel.
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1) Marathons. On Christmas Eve, TV likes to repeat itself. The delightful “A Christmas Story” (1983, shown here) starts at 8 p.m. on TBS and 9 on TNT; it re-starts every two hours, for 24 hours. The clever “Love, Actually” (2003), merely runs twice, at 6 and 9 p.m. on BBC America. “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946) runs from 8-11 p.m. on NBC – then all day Monday on E. The oddest one? Great American Family has a yule log, from 5 p.m. ET today to noon Monday. Read more…