Wednesday TV: ‘The Hour’ and The Tree

Good time for a return of “The Hour” (BBC America, 9 p.m.), the stylish and sharply drawn drama chronicling a London newsmagazine at the dawn of British TV and usually involving a juicy scandal to be unraveled.

With loads of period detail and well-appointed sets, it’s “The Newroom” in an era just before “Mad Men” — with Dominic West of “The Wire,” and the terrific Romola Garai leading a strong cast. An ambitious journalist from season one — played by a newly bearded Ben Whishaw — returns to the show just as the Cold War begins and a crime rate is rising. There is new competition for the show and a new head of news to figure out – he’s played by Peter Capaldi of “In the Loop” and “The Thick of It. The government also seems to be hiding a cover-up.  It’s easy enough to jump into the story having not seen season one; this season will last six weeks — enough to get us through the holidays.

Time to flick on the tree lights in New York with the annual “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” (NBC, 8 p.m.), starring a couple of people who happen to have new Yuletide albums out, such as Rod Stewart, Scotty McCreery and Cee Lo Green, as well as Mariah Carey, Tony Bennett, Trace Adkins, Bette Midler, Chris Mann, Billy Crystal, Victoria Justice, the Rockettes and Il Volo. Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie host.

It’s followed by one of those compilations of old holiday skits, “SNL Christmas” (NBC, 9 p.m.) whose main downfall is that it features largely the same sketches every year.

Other holiday effects: The first showing of “Charlie Brown Christmas” (ABC, 8 p.m.) of the season.

She’s already got two shows in prime time, now there’s a third in late night cable as the weekly “Love You, Mean It with Whitney Cummings” (E!, 10:30 p.m.), a comedy talk show with some music, inspired by her friend Chelsea Handler. It may succeed in showing more of her comic style than either “Whitney” or “2 Broke Girls.”

There are showdowns on a couple of fronts on “Nashville” (ABC, 10 p.m.).

People always say their hearts are going to burst through their chests, but it really happens on “Supernatural” (The CW, 9 p.m.).

Richard and Spike scramble to open new restaurants on the first season finale of “Life After Top Chef” (Bravo, 9 p.m.).

New seasons come for “Hot in Cleveland” (TV Land, 10 p.m.) and “Happily Divorced” (TV Land, 10:30 p.m.), both full of guest stars from a different era.

Frances Conroy is the fourth first season cast member to return to “American Horror Story” (FX, 10 p.m.).

There is a Costco flare up on “Modern Family” (ABC, 9 p.m.) and Paul Scheer guest stars as store manager.

Science fiction adaptations are on Turner Classic Movies with “The Time Machine” (8 p.m.), “The Andromeda Strain” (10 p.m.), “Solaris” (12:15 a.m.), “2010” (3:15 a.m.) and “From the Earth to the Moon” (5:15 a.m.).

In college basketball, it’s Virginia at Wisconsin (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), George Washington at James Madison (NBC Sports, 7 p.m.), Purdue at Clemson (ESPNU, 7:15 p.m.), Michigan State at Miami (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.), Boston College at Penn State (ESPNU, 9:15 p.m.), Georgia Tech at Illinois (ESPN2, 9 p.m.) and Ohio State at Duke (ESPN, 9:30 p.m.).

Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Dolly Parton, Kevin McKidd, Chris Byrne. The View: Betty White, Melissa Rycroft. The Talk: Jane Leeves, Perez Hilton, Shaun T, Carnie Wilson. Katie Couric: Magic Johnson, Kathy Ireland (rerun). Ellen DeGeneres: Khloe Kardashian, Damian Lewis, Jane Lynch.

Late Talk
David Letterman: Aerosmith, Judy Greer, Vice President Joe Biden (rerun). Jay Leno: Wanda Sykes, Blake Shelton. Jimmy Kimmel: Eric Bana, Damian Lewis, Wiz Khalifa. Jimmy Fallon: Helen Mirren, Carson Daly, Reggie Fils-Aime, Miguel (rerun). Craig Ferguson: Lewis Black, Karen Gillan, LP. Carson Daly: Dakota Meyer, Lauren Greenfield, the Walkmen (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Dr. Robert Ross. Jon Stewart: Neil Young. Stephen Colbert: Frank Oz. Conan O’Brien: Jessica Biel, Marc Moron, Alice Cooper. Chelsea Handler: Alessanda Ambrosio, Joe Matarese, April Richardson, Jo Koy.