It’s been six years since “Fear Factor” (NBC, 8 p.m.) has been on the air and what have we learned? Eating bugs can be icky, but that’s not the half of it.
Promos indicate it’s a bigger budget production now, with huge stunts aimed at the HD crowd. And yet it’s also following that other, lazier NBC reality edict: Stretching out everything to two hours. What may be amusing for 15 minutes will likely be excruciating at about 110. Joe Rogan returns to host (with giant explosions all around him apparently).
It will be a tricky transition to “Rock Center with Brian Williams” (NBC, 10 p.m.), which “Fear Factor” fans will be surprised to learn is not about rock climbing. Tonight the show’s newest correspondent makes her debut, Chelsea Clinton, alongside more of a veteran, Ted Koppel.
A season finale comes for one of the most welcome new shows of the season, “Enlightened” (HBO, 9:30 p.m.), with Laura Dern perfectly balancing corporate world hysteria with mystic spiritualism, and the nagging urge to do something different in the world. Too bad there isn’t a marathon leading up to the finale, or at least a repeat of last week’s exquisite episode.
“Stephen King’s Bag of Bones” (A&E, 9 p.m.) comes to a conclusion. Part one reruns at 7 p.m. if you want to make a night of it.
They usually show “The Hollywood Christmas Parade” (Hallmark, 6 p.m.) a little closer to the date. But they parade around Hollywood dressed-up all year round.
The second most popular Charlie Brown Christmas special gets an airing, “I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown” (ABC, 8 p.m.) and the 2003 production, compared to the original, is something of a dog.
Holiday movies tonight include “The 12 Dates of Christmas” (ABC Family, 7 p.m.), “White Christmas” (AMC, 8 p.m.), “Christmas in Paradise” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.), “Christmas Child” (Lifetime Movie Network, 8 p.m.), “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (ABC Family, 9 pm.), “Nothing Like the Holidays” (Lifetime, 10 p.m.) and “All She Wants for Christmas” (Lifetime Movie Network, 10 p.m.).
The 1951 version of “A Christmas Carol” (TCM, 8 p.m.) with Alastair Sim as Schrooge kicks off another night of all-Dickens with “Oliver Twist” (TCM, 9:45 p.m.), “Nicholas Nickleby” (TCM, midnight), and “Great Expectations” (TCM, 2 a.m.).
On night two of Big Cat Week, researchers seek to track female jaguars in “Hunt for the Shadow Cat” (Nat Geo Wild, 9 p.m.). It’s followed by an effort to catch pumas and jaguars in Costa Rica through thermal and infrared cameras in “Night Stalkers: Jaguar Ambush” (Nat Geo Wild, 10 p.m.).
This week’s episode of “2 Broke Girls” (CBS, 8 p.m.) is moved up a half hour, followed by a rerun. They are followed by Christmas episodes of “Two and a Half Men” (CBS, 9 p.m.) and “Mike & Molly” (CBS, 9:30 p.m.).
It’s St. Louis at Seattle on Monday Night Football (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.).
Now just weeks away, apparently, a documentary “2012 Apocalypse” (Discovery, 8 p.m.) may help you plan.
Did you even know there even was a “Dr. Dolittle 3” (ION, 8 p.m.)?
One of the winners from Oprah’s “Your OWN Show” competition actually starts his: “Rollin’ With Zach” (OWN, 8 p.m.) is a travel show for the physically challenged.
On a new episode of “The Layover” (Travel, 9 p.m.), Anthony Bourdain visits Miami.
Brenda’s parents (played by Barry Corbin and Frances Sternhagen) visit for the holiday on a new episode of “The Closer” (TNT, 9 p.m.). Last week’s Christmas episode replays at 8.
In hockey, it’s New Jersey at Tampa Bay (Versus, 7 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa: David Hyde Pierce, Chris Byrne, Taye Diggs. The View: Donald Trump. The Talk: Kim Cattral, Dylan Walsh. Ellen DeGeneres: Allison Janney, Maggie Elizabeth Jones. Wendy Williams: Jonah Hill, Alysia Joy Powell, Common. Rosie O’Donnell: Jane Fonda.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Scarlett Johansson, Julie Chen, Robert Griffin III. Jay Leno: Charlize Theron, Kevin Hart, Foster the People. Jimmy Kimmel: Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, L.A. Reid, Anna Faris, the Kooks. Jimmy Fallon: Robert Pattinson, Mike White, Hunter Hayes (rerun). Craig Ferguson: Cat Cora. Tavis Smiley: Michelle Rhee. Carson Daly: Wiz Khalifa, Izzy Paskowitz, Manchester Orchestra (rerun). Jon Stewart: Anne Burrell. Stephen Colbert: Samuel L. Jackson. Conan O’Brien: Rob Lowe, Adam Pally, Noel Gallagher. Chelsea Handler: Toni Braxton, Margaret Cho, Diablo Cody, Fortune Feimster.