The Central Intelligence Agency began as an international spy agency that has in recent decades become something of its own military force. The 12 living current or former directors of the CIA all are interviewed for the two hour documentary “The Spymasters: C.I.A. in the Crosshairs” (Showtime, 9 p.m.) — 13 if you count Saul Berenson of the network’s “Homeland” (Showtime, 8 p.m.).
Mandy Patinkin narrates the overview, which allows some of the directors to disagree over things that once, officials in a civilized country would have never disagreed (the use of torture) as well as the use of armed drones. Some of them continue to use the childish distinctions of “good guys” and “bad guys.”
But the film never takes a point of view or even takes them to task for their inconsistencies, lest they lose their access to officials whose main duty is to cover their backside. Most appalling is the way the film by Jules and Dedeon Naudet (who became 9/11 documentarians when they caught the first plane flying into the World Trade Center) wholly dismisses the exhaustive Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s 2014 report on the CIA’s use of torture, scarcely mentioning it. It’s a reminder that Showtime’s business has come in maintaining a strictly fictional view of the CIA.
The Colin Firth action film “Kingsman: The Secret Service” (HBO, 8 p.m.) makes its premium cable debut. Also on tonight, Cameron Diaz,Leslie Mann and Kate Upton in last year’s “The Other Woman” (Cinemax, 10 p.m.).
Prime time college football includes Notre Dame at Stanford (Fox, 7:30 p.m.) and Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (ABC, 8 p.m.).
With no companion at his side, “Doctor Who” (BBC America, 9 p.m.) goes it alone for once against his greatest challenge: A creature called the Veil.
Who was your favorite punkin chunked? Fans will have voted for them on “Punkin Chunking All-Stars” (Science, 9 p.m.).
The All- Star moniker has to be taken with a bigger grain of salt inan “All-Star Gingerbread Build” (Food, 8 p.m.) involving Ron Ben-Israel, Duff Goldman, Egypt and Drew and Jonathan Scott. And too much salt tastes terrible in a gingerbread house.
Should cooking be such a competition during the holidays? Never mind, here’s the “Christmas Cookie Challenge” (Food, 9 p.m.) in which the aforementioned Duff Goldman is one of the judges.
And there’s no end to animated perennials: the 1969 “Frosty the Snowman” (CBS, 8 p.m.), which is the only time you’ll hear the voice of Jimmy Duante on prime time all year, its 1995 sequel “Frosty Returns” (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) with John Goodman, and Ed Asner and Betty White in the 1996 “The Story of Santa Claus” (CBS, 9 p.m.).
Of course there’s a new TV Christmas romance, “A Christmas Detour” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.) in which Candace Cameron Bure and Paul Greene meet while stranded in a Buffalo hotel. How do they get Bure to do so many of these movies? Well, her daughter Natasha Bure gets to sing a song, “the Only Gift.”
Elsewhere, Meredith Hagner, Travis Milne and Anna Van Hooft star in “A Gift Wrapped Christmas” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.), the second film this season about an overworked executive who learns the true meaning of Christmas and gets some romance, from a perky personal shopper.
On a new “48 Hours” (CBS, 10 p.m.), a woman tries to forgive the man who murdered her sister and brother in law 25 years ago.
It’s one pastor and two dead wives on a two hour “Dateline” (NBC, 8 p.m.).
The Monster of Italy is captured on “Da Vinci’s Demons” (Starz, 8 p.m.). Mussolini?
Ash turns over a new leaf, revealing a new side to himself on “Ash vs. Evil Dead” (Starz, 9 p.m.). It’s probably not restraint.
King Alfred and Uhtred try to unite the Saxon armies to save England on “The Last Kingdom” (BBC America, 10 p.m.).
The lights go out on “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” (OWN, 9 p.m.).
College football today kicks off at noon with Ohio State at Michigan (ABC), Clemson at South Carolina (ESPN), Virginia Tech at Virginia (ESPNU), Georgia at Georgia Tech (ESPN2), Iowa State at West Virginia (Fox Sports 1), SMU at Memphis (ESPNews) and Cincinnati at East Carolina (CBS Sports).
Then at 3:30 p.m., it’s Alabama at Auburn (CBS), Penn State at Michigan State (ESPN), North Carolina at North Carolina State (ABC), Northwestern vs. Illinois in Chicago (ESPNU), UCLA at Southern Cal (ESPN2) and BYU at Utah State (CBS Sports).
Later comes Kansas State at Kansas (Fox Sports 1, 4:30 p.m.), Southern vs. Grambling State (NBC Sports, 5 p.m.), Connecticut at Temple (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Mississippi at Mississippi State (ESPN2, 7:15 p.m.), Florida State at Florida (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.), Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (CBS Sports, 9 p.m.), Arizona State at California (Fox Sports 1, 10 p.m.), Air Force at New Mexico (ESPNU, 10:15 p.m.) and Nevada at San Diego State (ESPN2, 10:45 p.m.).
Men’s college basketball includes Bryant at Georgetown (Fox Sports 2, noon) and Georgia at Seton Hall (Fox Sports 1, 7:30 p.m.).
Pro basketball has Denver at Dallas (NBA, 9:30 p.m.).
A stellar double bill of Jason Isbell and Neko Case is replayed on “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 11 p.m., check local listings).
The “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) with Tracy Morgan and Demi Lovato is rerun. Earlier, it’s one from 2010 with Anne Hathaway and Florence + the Machine at 10 p.m.