Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Dec.18: Two winners, two Bunkers

1) “All in the Family” and “Good Times,” 8-9:32 p.m., ABC. Here’s an idea worth repeating (often). Take original scripts from Norman Lear comedies; with Lear, 97, co-hosting, perform them live. That was a big success in May; now it’s back, again with Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei (shown here) as the Bunkers, plus Ellie Kemper and Ike Barinholtz. This time, the second show switches from “Jeffersons” to “Good Times”; Andre Braugher and Viola Davis star, with Tiffany Haddish and Corinne Fox. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 17: “Voice” ends, Grinch and Snoopy return

1) “The Voice” finale, 9-11 p.m., NBC. It’s time to name the 17th champion. None of the previous 16 have found mega-success – the closest was Cassadee Pope – but the show draws big ratings. A recap is at 8 p.m., including Monday’s performances. Then the finale has music from the judges, others and the final four – Ricky Duran, 29; Jake Hood, 30; Rose Short, 34 (shown here); and Katie Kadan, 38. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 16: A singing, dancing holiday

1) “Christmas With the Tabernacle Choir,” 9 p.m., PBS. Each year, this offers music on a massive scale – a 360-voice choir plus more than 200 musicians and bell-ringers, inside a packed, 21,000-seat hall. And this year, that revolves around one tiny soul: Kristin Chenoweth, all 4-foot-11 of her, jokes, dances (shown here), rings a big bell, reads part of “The Gift of the Magi” and, of course, sings beautifully. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 15: It’s a musical night

1) “Kennedy Center Honors,” 8:30-10:30 p.m most time zones, but 8-10 p.m. PT., CBS. This is an annual gem, filled with great music and smart little films and tributes. And now it’s more pop than ever. Two great singers, Trisha Yearwood and Carrie Underwood, tackle Linda Ronstadt songs. John Legend, Ne-Yo, Cynthia Erivo and the Jonas Brothers all do the music of Earth, Wind & Fire. There’s classical music (honoring Michael Tilson Thomas), a Sally Field tribute … and even a “Sesame Street” tribute (shown here), with music from Thomas Rhett. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 14: Family fun with Rudolph, Frosty and a mermaid

1) “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman,” 8 and 9 p.m., CBS. These two classics (from 1964 and ‘69) have already had separate runs on CBS this season. Now we can catch them together … with the vastly inferior “Frosty Returns” at 9:30. If you need them again, “Rudolph” and “Frosty” (shown here) will be back-to-back on cable’s Freeform on Dec. 20, 21, 24 and 25. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec.12: Christmas is an adventure and a bake-off

1) “The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition” opener, 9 and 10 p.m., ABC. It’s a double-spice show, with Emma “Baby Spice” Bunton (shown here) and Anthony “Spice” Adams hosting. Paul Hollywood (from the British original) and Sherry Yard are the judges. This starts with 10 contestants, including Brother Andrew Corriende, who briefly managed a bakery and worked as a talent-agent assistant, before becoming a friar. They’ll face three challenges each hour, starting today with cakes and bread Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 11: “Making It” ends; others are close

1) “Making It,” 9 and 10 p.m., NBC. In a world of noisy reality competitions, this is a quiet delight. Its approach is as basic as its contestants – people who create beauty using anything from wood and paper to noodles and balloons. One host, Nick Offerman, is a master craftsman; the other, Amy Poehler, isn’t. Those two (shown here) produce the show and offer puns and droll humor. Still, the real stars have been the contestants – from a teen drop-out to an airplane engineer – who make things. Tonight, one will win $100,000. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 10: Christmas comedies — but not always funny ones

1) “The Conners,” 8 p.m., ABC. A terrific show slides into its “winter break” with a moderately good episode that’s kind of morose. Things are hardest on Denise (Sara Gilberet), who really didn’t need any more bad news. But her dad (John Goodman) finds everyone forgetting his birthday; his new sorta-girlfriend (Katey Sagal) is being sniped at by his late wife’s sister Jackie (Laurie Metcalf). Metcalf (shown here with Goodman) is a skilled actress, but Jackie is written and played way too broadly, one reason this is only kinda good. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 9: fun with broken, bungled lives

1) “The Moodys,” 9 and 9:30 p.m., Fox; concludes Tuesday. As the Moodys (shown here) gathered for the holidays, lives were askew. Sean has cancer. Sean Jr. has job woes; his sister Bridget has cheated on her husband. And their brother Dan? He’s a nice guy who keeps bumbling his life. He broke up with Amy, sent her some plaintive texts, then fell for his friend’s girlfriend. Now Amy has suddenly arrived, ready to join the family and its carolling party. It’s a fine (and sometimes quite funny) mess he’s in. Read more…