1) Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade (shown here in a previous year), 8:30 a.m. to noon, NBC; repeating at 2 p.m. This opens with music from Cynthia Erivo and then Lainey Wilson; the Broadway casts of “Ragtime,” “Just in Time” and “Buena Vista Social Club”; and the Rockettes. Then the parade — 11 bands, 28 floats and Santa — proves that the Christmas season has begun. Read more…
1) Parade preview (8 p.m.) and “A Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving” (9-11 p.m.), NBC. Now we know the holidays are starting. First, is a preview of Thursday’s Macy’s parade; there are glimpses of floats, plus interviews with Jewel, Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Caillat, Then is the annual collection of “SNL” Thanksgiving sketches (shown here in a previous year). Read more…
1) “Dancing With the Stars” finale, 8-11 p.m.,, ABC and Disney+. Five people remain, ranging from conservationist Robert Irwin, 21, (shown here with Witney Carson) to actress Elaine Hendrix, 53. Others are gold-medal gymnast Jordan Chiles and TikTok star Alix Earle, both 24; and Dylan Efron, 33, who does YouTube adventures with his brother Zac. One will be the 34th champion. Read more…
1) “Everybody Loves Raymond” reunion, 8-9:30 p.m. today, CBS. It’s time to celebrate one of TV’s great shows. Over its nine seasons, “Raymond” drew seven best-comedy Emmy nominations, winning twice. Now its 30th anniversary will be celebrated with clips, tributes to the late Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle, and a reunion of the other stars, including Ray Romano and Brad Garrett. They’re shown here, with the latter overshadowed, as usual. Read more…
1) “The Great Escaper” (2023), 9 p.m., PBS. Always a neatly understated actor, Michael Caine, now 92, has a role that fits perfectly. It’s a quietly moving (and true) story of a vet, turning 90 as time neared for the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Glenda Jackson, who died at 87 in the year this movie debuted, is excellent as his wife; they’re shown here. Read more…
1) “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story,” 8-10 p.m., Hallmark. Last year, Hallmark scored with a love story set among Kansas City Chiefs fans. Now we meet adamant Buffalo Bills fans. Morgan and Gabe (shown here) don’t seem to realize they should be a couple. Then she learns that a mysterious benefactor helped her uncle (Joe Pantoliano) long ago. The Bills help her search. Read more…
1) “The American Revolution” finale, 8 p.m., PBS, rerunning at 10:11. Both sides had thought a British victory was inevitable. Now life flips: Washington makes false documents, saying he’ll attack New York; then he lets them be stolen. Instead, he marches South, joining the French navy to trap the enemy and (depicted here) triumph. Soon, an epic war — and a brilliant Ken Burns documentary — conclude. Read more…
1) “9-1-1: Nashville,” 8-11 p.m., ABC. The Thursday dramas are resting; they’ll be back, with new episodes, on Jan. 8. For tonight, we can catch up on this show’s first three episodes. The opener has a tornado threatening a country-music festival. The second sees the storm batter a water tower; the third has a child in a trailer, hanging off a bridge. LeAnn Rimes (shown here) co-stars as a struggling country-music singer. Read more…
1) CMA Awards, 8-11 p.m., ABC. There are familiar stars here, including Lainey Wilson (who hosts), Kelsea Ballerini (shown here), Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert and Kenny Chesney. But there are also new-artist nominees — Stephen Wilson Jr. (alone and with Shaboozey) and Trent Wetmore. And Luke Combs links with rapper BigXthaPlug. Read more…
1) “Murder in a Small Town,” 8 p.m., Fox. Beautifully directed by Amanda Tapping (the “Stargate” star), this is as gorgeous visually as it is nasty emotionally. Short on sleep, Sid crashed his police car into a woods; Karl (left, the police chief), fresh from an argument with Cassandra, is in Seattle to confront the artist/serial killer (center) he arrested. The rest is grimly compelling. Read more…
