Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Dec. 14: finals for survivors and Lego folks

1) “Survivor” finale, 8-10 p.m., CBS, with reunion at 10. There’s one sorta-old guy, surrounded by youth. That’s Mike Gabler, 52, (shown here, left, in last week’s episode) who works with surgeons who insert heart-valve catheters. He faces Cassidy Clark, 26, a designer; Karla Cruz Godoy, 28, an educational project manager; Owen Knight, 30, a college admissions director; and Jesse Lopez, 30, who has a doctorate in political science. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 13: “Voice” leads a musical night

1) “The Voice” finale, 8-11 p.m., NBC. It’s time for the 22nd champion … eventually. At 8 p.m. is a recap of previous performances; from 9-11 p.m. is a surge of music — Blake Shelton with his three finalists (Brayden Lape, Bryce Leatherwood, Bodie) and with Kane Brown. Camila Cabello and John Legend sing with their finalists, Morgan Myles and Omar Cardona. Also: Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert and more, including the previous winners (shown here), the sibling trio Girl Named Tom. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 11: CBS folks must love Christmas

1) “National Christmas Tree Lighting,” 8 p.m., CBS. It was on Christmas Eve in 1923 that the first national tree was lit. It’s been an annual event (shown here) ever since; here’s the 100th; LL Cool J hosts the telecast, with music by Gloria Estefan, Shania Twain, Andy Grammer, Joss Stone and the Army band. For another Washington visit, catch HGTV at 6 p.m.; it looks at the White House Christmas decorations. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 10: two funny Martins, two animated classics

1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Steve Martin and Martin Short (or Steve Martin Short for, well, short) combine to host., with Brandi Carlile as music guest. Martin has hosted “SNL” 14 times – going back 46 years — but hasn’t done it in the past dozen years. He also co-hosted once (with Short and others), co-hosted the Oscars (with Alec Baldwin) and stars with Short and Selena Gomez in the dandy “Only Murders in the Building” (shown here). Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 9: Christmas classics collide

1) Christmas classics, 8-10 p.m. Here are three of the best holiday films — each made for theaters, not TV. “A Christmas Story” (1983), on TNT, alternates between nostalgia and cynicism, as a boy (Peter Billingsly, shown here) struggles with a 1940s holiday. “Scrooged” (1988), on the Paramount Network, is a satire, with Bill Murray as a cold-hearted TV executive. “Elf” (2003), at 8 and 10 on AMC, has a guy (the 6-foot-3 Will Ferrell) realizing he’s not really an elf. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec.8: Horns wail, Todd flails

1) “CMA Country Christmas,” 9 p.m., ABC. Some great back-up musicians make all the difference here. A house band, with a rousing horn section, backs many of the vocals; also, Molly Tuttle brings her gifted bluegrass group. And yes, the singers are quite good. There’s Carly Pearce (shown here), who hosts, plus Scotty McCreery, Maren Morris, Dan + Shay and more. At times, the music is too relentlessly peppy, but then the War and Treaty duo blasts a powerful “O Holy Night.” Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 7: “Amazing” and starry finales

1) “The Amazing Race” finale, 9 p.m., CBS. History says the first “Bachelorette” was a former Miami dancer who choose a firefighter; they’re still married. Now we see a similar duo – a Miami dancer (Michelle Burgess) and her husband, a firefighter (Luis Colon). They face a couple that met on “Big Brother” and twins (shown here), adopted from Korea, who accidentally discovered each other via DNA tests; they met in person this year, on their 36th birthday. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec.6: awards and games and such

2) “People’s Choice Awards,” 9-11 p.m., NBC and E. For three years, this was confined to cable, where it belongs. Last year, it added NBC, with Kenan Thompson hosting; now it does that again. Categories range from silly (“favorite bromance”) to solid (movie of the year). There are special awards for Ryan Reynolds, Shania Twain and Lizzo – who also has nominations for her reality show and her “About” Damn Time” song. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 5: “Oz,””Grinch” and “Voice”

1) “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), 7:30 and 8 p.m., TNT, with “Oz” repeating at 10:15. Here are two of the all-time greats, proving that family-friendly tales – ones with warmth and optimism – can be done with intelligence. “Grinch” (shown here) reflects the brilliance of Dr. Seuss and animator Chuck Jones. “Oz” peppers a lively story with strong music, including the Oscar-winning “Over the Rainbow.” Read more…