For those who can’t wait until next month for their fix of Lady Mary on “Downton Abbey,” Michelle Dockery, with her hair down, plays a single mother circa 1976 who suddenly stumbles on her mother’s past in the two part miniseries “Restless” (Sundance, 9 p.m. ).
Based on the William Boyd novel, it all works because we can believe the paranoid mother, played by Charlotte Rampling. She looks like she could be Dockery’s mother, just as Haley Atwell, resembles a younger Rampling in her sebgments, following her immersion into a spy agency just before World War II, under the guise of an international news agency. Rufus Sewell and Michael Gambon are also featured in the caper.
Sundance has had some success aggregating such works in the past, presenting the miniseries “Carlos” and the film “Appropriate Adult” last year. Next year, it will present its first original drama series. “Restless” concludes with part two next Friday.
Getting a sneak peak at new games, such as https://tridewi.xyz/, is just as important as awarding present ones in “Spike TV’s 10th Annual Video Game Awards” (Spike, 9 p.m.). Samuel L. Jackson returns to host; Linkin Park and Tenacious D perform.
“Sexy Baby” (Showtime, 10 p.m.) is a documentary about the effect of the internet and porn on three women. One is a kindergarten teacher in North Carolina who gets surgical work to keep up with online women; another a former porn star who teaches pole dancers and, perhaps most chillingly, a 12 year old freaked out by what she finds accidentally online. (Of course cable networks like Showtime are also to blame with their late night offerings like “Dave’s Old Porn” (Showtime, midnight).
There’s a repeat of this year’s compilation “SNL Christmas” (NBC, 8 p.m.), which actually does a good job in mixing in more recent holiday skits.
Other holiday fare tonight includes “The Santa Claus” (ABC Family, 7 p.m.), “The Christmas Heart” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.), “The Santa Claus 3: The Escape Clause” (ABC Family, 9 p.m.) and “Santa Jr.” (Hallmark, 10 p.m.).
And Austin & Ally join forces with Jessie for the hour long crossover special “Austin & Jessie & Ally All Star New Year” (Disney, 8 p.m.).
An arms dealer is caught and used for leverage on “Nikita” (The CW, 8 p.m.).
Pearl Harbor Day is marked mostly on Turner Classic Movies all day with “Cry of Battle” (7 a.m.), “They Were Expendable” (8:45 a.m.), “Task Force” (11 a.m.), “Air Force” (1 p.m.), “From Here to Eternity” (3:15 p.m.), and “Tora! Tora! Tora!” (5:30 p.m.).
And in case you think you’ve seen the war from all its angles, how about “WW2 from Space” (History, 9 p.m.).
Emile Hirsch, who was in the feature “Into the Wild” (Animal Planet, 10 p.m.) follows the bootsteps of his character to travel through remote Alaska on “Back to the Wild” (Animal Planet, 10 p.m.).
Comedian Billy Eichner, guy who takes interaction with the public a litle too literally, is back, with a new season of “Funny or Die’s Billy on the Street” (Fuse, 10 p.m.).
Tonight, it’s all Ernst Lubitsch with the start of a month-long, 14-film, Friday night salute to the director, starting with “The Loves of Pharoah” (8 p.m.), “The Smiling Lieutenant” (10 p.m.) and “The Shop Around the Corner” (midnight). Then it’s two films about women’s wrestling, “Below the Belt” (2 a.m.) and “…All the Marbles” (3:45 a.m.).
NBA action includes Celtics at 76ers (ESPN, 7 p.m.) and Lakers at Thunder (ESPN, 9:30 p.m.). In college hockey, it’s Michigan State at Notre Dame (NBC Sports, 7:30 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Keira Knightley, Donnie Wahlberg. The View: Albert Brooks, Mike Tyson. The Talk: Reba McEntire, Mark Feuerstein. Katie Couric: Stars of “Storage Wars: Texas.” Ellen DeGeneres: Christina Aguilera.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Dustin Hoffman, One Direction. Jay Leno: Leslie Mann, Jim Rome, Garbage. Jimmy Kimmel: Melissa Rycroft, Reba McEntire, Mike Tyson, Future (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Elijah Wood, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Big Boi with Little Dragon, Mike McCready. Craig Ferguson: Julie Delpy, Lamorne Morris, Richie Sambora. Carson Daly: Robert Greene, Divine Fits (rerun).
Tavis Smiley: Michael Connelly. Chelsea Handler: Blake Shelton, Brody Stevens, Arden Myrin, Chris Hardwick (rerun).