1) “CMA Christmas,” 9:01 p.m., ABC. This hour has plenty of country stars — Jordan Davis, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Riley Green, Lady A and Little Big Town. But it also nudges elsewhere. There’s contemporary Christian singer Lauren Daigle (hosting with Davis), gospel’s Bebe Winans (shown here) and blues stars Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Read more…
1) “Holiday Spectacular,” 8-10 p.m. today, ABC. Here’s the sort of spectacle Disney savors — bright colors and cheery music, inside theme parks. Derek Hough (shown here amid Disney fol;k) hosts and performs; also performing are Nicole Scherzinger, Bebe Rexha, Aloe Blacc, Trisha Yearwood, Gwen Stefani, Coco Jones and Benji and Joel Madden. Read more…
1) Animation, 8-11 p.m., ABC. Here’s a rarity for a broadcast network — a three-hour burst of Christmas cartoons. First are two “Prep & Landing” tales, focusing on the guys in Santa’s elite advance team. Then comes a new one (shown here) at 9, seeing them panic when things go wrong. That’s followed by “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” and “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.”
Read more…
1) “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas,” 8-10 p.m., Hallmark. One day after the Opry has its 100th-birthday event, here’s a film celebrating past and present. Gentry is whisked back 30 years, to when her late father was an opry star. There’s lots of music, plus old and new Opry people, from Bill Anderson and Pam Tillis to Brad Paisley (shown here) and Mickey Guyton. Read more…
1) “Holiday Spectacular,” 8-10 p.m. today, ABC. Sprawling across the Disney parks, this has bright colors and cheery music. Derek Hough hosts and performs; also performing are Nicole Scherzinger (shown here), Bebe Rexha, Aloe Blacc, Trisha Yearwood, Gwen Stefani, Coco Jones and Benji and Joel Madden. This also airs at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday on Freeform. Read more…
If you missed Monday’s “Everybody Loves Raymond” special, don’t fret.
In a quick change, CBS will rerun it at 9 p.m. Friday (Nov. 28).
And yes, this is one special worth repeating. It overflowed with humor and moments of warmth Read more…
Some supersized shows are on the way.
They range from woolly mammoths in the ice to Tom Cruise leaping between planes. They also include the simple world of Henry David Thoreau and the complicated one of the “Far Cry” videogame. Chronologically, that includes: Read more…
1) “A Paw Patrol Christmas,” 8 p.m., CBS. Santa has a cold and Mayor Humdinger has a scheme: He’ll head to the North Pole and grab all the presents for himself. The others may have a better plan. “Paw Patrol” (shown here) is one of only two new primetime cartoons for the holidays; the other (a third “Prep & Landing” tale) airs at 9 p.m. Sunday on ABC. Read more…
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…
Best-bets for Dec. 8: games, drama and wonderment 
Best-bets for Dec. 7: near the end of “The Road” 
Best-bets for Dec. 6: big games and big laughs 
