Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 30: a masked winner and a festive tree-lighting

1) “The Masked Singer” finale, 8-10 p.m., Fox. The first hour reviews what’s happened so far – which is a lot. The show has unmasked a boxer (George Foreman), a wrestler (Chris Jericho), a captain (William Shatner), real singers (Gloria Gaynor, Montell Jordan) and more. Last week it ousted Ray Parker Jr. (the “Ghosbusters” guy) and comedian Nikki Glaser. In the second hour, the finalists – the Lambs trio (shown here) and Harp – try for the championship. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 28: Bright lights, strong singers … and Bumper

1) “The Great Christmas Lights Fight” opener (shown here), 8-10 p.m., ABC. For six hours (over three Mondays), we’ll see supersized holiday displays. Each hour has four homes, with one chosen as the winner. Tonight has a piano and a mini-golf course, both playable, and a ride through Lollipop Land. One display sprawls over a 90-acre farm; another (on a mere four acres) glows with 250,000 lights. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 27: a busy night for dance, music, more

1) “Magical Musical Celebration,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. Now ABC seizes the holiday. It debuts “Mickey Saves Christmas” (simulcast on Disney cable channels) at 7, reruns “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” at 7:30, then has two hours in Disney parks. There’s music from Derek Hough (shown here) and his sister Julianne Hough, who are the hosts, pluys Maren Morris, Ne-Yo, Meghan Trainor, Becky G, Jordin Sparks, Il Volo, Chloe Flower, Black Eyed Peas, Run DMC and David Foster and Katharine McPhee. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 26: Awards show nudges cartoons aside

1) “TheGrio Awards,” 8-10 p.m., CBS. In a late switch, CBS has pushed two Christmas cartoons to next Saturday. Instead, it debuts these awards for Black icons (plus “Jeffersons” producer Norman Lear). Patti LaBelle (shown here) will sing and receive an award. Also singing are Yolanda Adams, Tyrese and Fantasia. Other awardees are Dave Chappelle, Jennifer Hudson, Kenan Thompson, Queen Latifah, Tyler Perry, Ben Crump, Allyson Felix and more. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 25: Grinch, Frosty, Josh, more

1) “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” 8 p.m., NBC. One of TV’s greatest half-hours(shown here) sprang from a convergence of genius. Dr. Seuss wrote the witty story and Chuck Jones – a mastermind behind Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner – animated it brilliantly. Boris Karloff narrated and Thurl Ravenscroft (the voice of Tony the Tiger) sang about a mean one, Mr. Grinch. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 24: Parade launches Christmas season

1) Thanksgiving Day parade, 9 a.m. to noon, NBC and CBS (but on the West Coast, CBS will delay until about 1 p.m. PT. The mega-parade has 12 bands, lots of balloons and 28 floats, often with stars onboard. It will be Jimmy Fallon with the Roots, Mario Lopez with his family, Gloria Estefan with her daughter and granddaughter and Santa (shown here) wrapping things up. Near the start, NBC has the Broadway casts of “Funny Girl,” “The Lion King,” “A Beautiful Noise” and “Some Like It Hot”; CBS counters with the casts of “Moulin Rouge” and “Six.” Read more…

Best bets for Nov. 23: ancient Egypt, modern Thanksgiving

1) “Tutankhamun: Allies and Enemies,” 8 and 9 p.m., PBS. It was 100 years ago (this Saturday, Nov. 26) that Howard Carter chiseled a peephole. “Can you see anything?” his patron asked. The reply: “Yes, wonderful things.” After five years, he had found the tomb of King Tut (depicted here); 5,398 objects, mostly gold, were there. This film looks back and leaves questions: We still don’t know who was Tut’s mother, how he died or whether this was meant to be his tomb. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 22: native star, country chaos

1) “American Masters,” 9-11 p.m., PBS. Buffy St. Marie (shown here) tells of being bullied and blacklisted, of being abused as a child and of surviving (barely) a dangerous romance. Still, she has emerged as a vibrant force – a singer, songwriter, actress and Indian-rights activist. Her “Universal Soldier” has been recorded by 157 people; her “Up Where We Belong” won an Academy Award. Here’s a compelling portrait of a zestful performer at 81. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 21: current stars, eternal Lansbury

1) Angela Lansbury tribute, Turner Classic Movies. Here’s a full day with Lansbury, who died last month at 96. It starts at 6:15 a.m. with “National Velvet” (1944) and ends with the 3:45 a.m. “Sweeney Todd” – the only nod to her mastery of musicals. There are some obscure films and then the three that brought her Oscar nominations – “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962) at 8, “Gaslight” (1944, when she was 18; she’s shown here behind Ingrid Bergman) at 10:15 and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (1945) at 12:15 a.m. Read more…