The third offering of NBC’s holiday time live musicals, “The Wiz: Live!” (NBC, 8 p.m.) is a mix of stunt casting (Crazy Eyes as the Good Witch; Mary J. Blige as the Wicked Witch), fanciful costumes and hip-hop updating in music and dance of the 1970s Baum variation that seemed corny when it came out.
Instead of multiple stages as in last year’s “Peter Pan,” this one will take place on one fixed stage, better to adapt it to an actual Broadway run, which will occur next year.
Newcomer Shanice Williams is Dorothy in the adaptation that will include Queen Latifah in another royal role, the Wizard of Oz herself. Also: Ne-Yo as the Tin Woodsman, David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion, Amber Riley as the Good Witch of the North but Uzo Aruba as Glinda (I’m sorry wasn’t Glinda the Good Witch of the North once the same person?). Stephanie Mills, who originated the Dorothy role on Broadway’s original “Wiz” returns as Aunt Em and the rapper Common is enlisted as the Oz gate keeper (who is named here Bouncer). In the role Michael Jackson had in the film version, Broadway’s Elijah Kelley plays the scarecrow. Cirque du Soleil acrobats have been added for spectacle and bounce. There will be no one big intermission per se, but more than a dozen five-minute ones.
The all black musical plays opposite an a nearly all white music special (save for Darius Rucker), “CMA Country Christmas” (ABC, 9 p.m.) with LeAnn Rimes, Martina McBride, Charles Kelley, Kelsea Ballerina, and Jewel doing holiday fare with a twang. Plus the scourge of the seasonal specials, Pentatonix.
On the new series “Food Porn” (FYI, 9 p.m.), Michael Chernow will track down the origin of dishes found on Instagram and likely benefit from the title, which is the most searched on many websites using those two words.
It’s just the second half of the season premiere of “Top Chef” (Bravo, 10 p.m.) and they’re already being made to open pop-up restaurants in L.A.
The young designers on “Project Runway Junior” (Bravo, 9 p.m.) have to design collections tied to decades they had no part in.
The Christmas tie-in for “House Hunters” (HGTV, 10 p.m.)? A couple looking for a home in Santa Claus, Ind.
One bad way to find a house: Without looking inside first. That’s the premise of “Flip or Flop” (HGTV, 9 p.m.), starting its fourth season.
Julianne Moore acts on demand for tourists caught on “Billy on the Street” (truTV, 10:30 p.m.).
George Sanders is featured on Turner Classic Movies tonight with “Lured” (8 p.m.), “The Gay Falcon” (10 p.m.), “The Moon and Sixpence” (11:15 p.m.), “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (1 a.m.), “Man Hunt” (3 a.m.) and “The Saint Strikes Back” (4:45 a.m.).
Thursday night football has Green Bay at Detroit (NFL, 8:25 p.m.).
NBA action includes Oklahoma City at Miami (TNT, 7 p.m.) and San Antonio at Memphis (TNT, 9:30 p.m.).
Men’s college basketball has Kentucky at UCLA (ESPN, 9 p.m.). In women’s games, it’s Louisville at Michigan State (ESPN2, 7 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Carrie Fisher, Chris Byrne. The Talk: Dolly Parton, Debbie Matenopoulos, Jason Santos. Ellen DeGeneres: Sofia Vergara. Wendy Williams: Robyn Moreno, Brandy Norwood. The Real: Ashanti. Meredith Vieira: Matt McGorry, LeAnn Rimes.
Late Talk
Stephen Colbert: Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Public Image Ltd., Cee-Lo Green (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: Maya Rudolph, Adam Scott. Jimmy Fallon: Mindy Kaling, Daisy Ridley, Gwen Stefani. Seth Meyers: Rainn Wilson, Elizabeth Hurley, Seal, Jeremy Gara (rerun). James Corden: Mark-Paul Vosselaar, Tone Bell, Tennis, Taissa Farming (rerun). Carson Daly: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tone Bell, Tennis, Taissa Farmiga (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Andrew Garfield. Trevor Noah: Idris Elba. Conan O’Brien: Will Forte, Kether Donohue, Weezer (rerun).