The second season of “The Hour” (BBC America, 9 p.m.) gets extra credit for keeping us entertained with well-paced, gripping, beautifully looking period drama at a time when most TV has dried up.
For tonight’s season finale, there are a lot of threads to wrap up, including the military industrial invasion of England, a sexual blackmail scheme, a long lost daughter and the state of television journalism.
Other networks meanwhile are cleaning out the cupboards. Fox, for example is spending the next two nights showing exclusively the Howie Mandel flash mob series “Mobbed” (Fox, 8 and 9 p.m.). Tonight, a fire chief will be surprised in the first hour; a woman trying to snare a co-worker will surprise him in the second hour. And let us crown Howie Mandel as king of the short-term holiday series.
Reruns abound, but there’s a full slate of new episodes of “Whitney” (NBC, 8 p.m.), “Guys with Kids” (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) and “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC, 9 p.m.).
It’s Louisville vs. Florida (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.) in the Orange Bowl.
If your resolution is to start watching “Nashville” (ABC, 10 p.m.), there’s a catch-up clip show summary on tonight to get you up to date.
There’s a lot to talk about on a new “Inside the NFL” (Showtime, 9 p.m.).
The world didn’t end but there is something called “Doomsday Volcanoes” discussed on a new “Nova” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings). And a new series on volcanoes follows called “Life on Fire” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings).
Esther is supposed to make a surprising revelation on a new “Amish Mafia” (Discovery, 9 p.m.). What? That the whole series is as fake as it looks?
Oh, the humanity: A new special on the “Hindenberg” (Destination America, 10 p.m.). follows the repeat of another disaster, “What Sank Titanic?” (Destination America, 8 p.m.).
The conclusion of a two part 2012 clip countdown concludes on “The Soup” (E!, 10 p.m.).
A steakhouse in Washington state gets the once over on a new “Restaurant: Impossible” (Food, 9 p.m.).
Monsignor Howard meets the Devil on “American Horror Story” (FX, 10 p.m.). High level meeting.
“Stalked: Somebody’s Watching” (Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.) follows the case of someone who stalked an “American Idol” contestant.
Tickle gets busted on “Moonshiners” (Discovery, 10 p.m.), possibly for having a name like Tickle.
A second season start comes for “Ice Cold Killers” (Investigation Discovery, 9 p.m.), in which several young women are killed in North Pole, Alaska.
A strange new concern for Oprah Winfrey’s channel as a couple episodes of “Extreme Couponing” (OWN, 8 and 8:30 p.m.) leading to a “Super Saver Showdown” (OWN, 9 p.m.) and some “Sweepstakers” (OWN, 10 p.m.).
The International Fresh Faces contest in Kentucky is the battle on “Toddlers & Tiaras” (TLC, 9 p.m.), leading to a new episode of the pint-size cheer competition “Cheer Perfection” (TLC, 10 p.m.).
When U.S. fast food joints go international, they have to adapt with things like date donuts according to the series “Fast Foods Gone Global” (Travel, 10 p.m.).
A month-long, 38 film salute to actress Loretta Young begins on Turner Classic Movies with the 1928 “Laugh, Clown, Laugh” (8 p.m.), followed by “Platinum Blonde” (9:30 p.m.), “Taxi!” (11:15 p.m.), “Life Begins” (12:30 a.m.), “The Squall” (1:45 a.m.) and “Show of Shows” (3:45 a.m.).
In men’s hoops, it’s Duke vs. Davidson (ESPN2, 7 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Matthew Morrison, Whitney Cummings. The View: Geena Davis, Dr. Lindsey Duncan, Chuck Nice, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino (rerun). The Talk: Howie Mandel, Angela Parker. Ellen DeGeneres: Rihanna, Blue Man Group (rerun).
Kelly & Michael: Matthew Morrison, Whitney Cummings. The View: Geena Davis, Dr. Lindsey Duncan, Chuck Nice, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino (rerun). The Talk: Howie Mandel, Angela Parker. Ellen DeGeneres: Rihanna, Blue Man Group (rerun).
Late Talk
David Letterman: Kathy Griffin, Chris Pratt, Big Boi. Jay Leno: Kevin Hart, Betty White, Dwight Yoakam. Jimmy Kimmel: Kirstie Alley, Dave Salmoni, Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Fred Armisen, Common, Shae Bradley & Shain Gandee, Lupe Fiasco. Craig Ferguson: Michael Clarke Duncan, the Imagineers (rerun). Carson Daly: Elvis Mitchell, Joe Letteri, Wolf Gang (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Aimee Mann (rerun). Conan O’Brien: Aziz Ansari, Chuck Lorre, Kendrick Lamar (rerun). Chelsea Handler: Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine (rerun).
David Letterman: Kathy Griffin, Chris Pratt, Big Boi. Jay Leno: Kevin Hart, Betty White, Dwight Yoakam. Jimmy Kimmel: Kirstie Alley, Dave Salmoni, Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Fred Armisen, Common, Shae Bradley & Shain Gandee, Lupe Fiasco. Craig Ferguson: Michael Clarke Duncan, the Imagineers (rerun). Carson Daly: Elvis Mitchell, Joe Letteri, Wolf Gang (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Aimee Mann (rerun). Conan O’Brien: Aziz Ansari, Chuck Lorre, Kendrick Lamar (rerun). Chelsea Handler: Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine (rerun).