“Empire” might be taking its seasonal break, but that doesn’t mean its main characters aren’t still around to entertain. In the show’s timeslot this week is “Taraji and Tarrence’s White Hot Holidays” (Fox, 9 p.m.) with Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard, Cookie and Lucious Lyon of “Empire,” sing songs of the season and host Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx and John Legend in one of the few new network music holiday specials.
Another broadcast network takes a different tack in filling time during the December break: magic. The two hour “Mat Franco’s Got Magic” (NBC, 8 p.m.) has the magician wowing passerby in street magic and celebrities in Las Vegas as well. It’s topped by the one hour magic special “The Illusionists” (Fox, 10 p.m.), taken from the Broadway-style show but shot at the Orpheum in Los Angeles, featuring Andrew Basso, Jeff Hobson, Yu Ho-Jin, Kevin James, Adam Trent, Don Sperry and Jonathan Goodwin.
Turner Classic Movies’ month-long Wednesday night salute to Frank Sinatra continues with the documentary “Sinatra Sings” (8 p.m.), featuring performances from over the years, and continues with his roles in “From Here to Eternity” (9:15 p.m.), “The Devil at Four O’Clock” (11:30 p.m.), “The Detective” (1:45 a.m.) and “The First Deadly Sin” (4 a.m.).
One of the great underrated comedies, “The League” (FXX, 10 p.m.) logs its final episode. It’s only the season finale, though for “You’re the Worst” (FXX, 10:30 p.m.), which will return with a new season.
The challenges are getting more brutal on “Survivor” (CBS, 8 p.m.).
Christmas is celebrated on all of the ABC comedies with Hanukah on “The Goldbergs” (ABC, 8:30 p.m.), a cabin Christmas retreat for “Modern Family” (ABC, 9 p.m.) and its own new traditions on “Black-ish” (ABC, 9:30 p.m.).
The changing manner of celebration over the years is marked in “Christmas Through the Decades” (History, 10 p.m.).
Other holiday fare: the movies “The Polar Express” (ABC Family, 6:30 p.m.), “Scrooged” (AMC, 8 p.m.), “The Flight Before Christmas” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.), “Christmas at Cartwright’s” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.), “Elf” (ABC Family, 9 p.m.), “All She Wants for Christmas” (Lifetime, 10 p.m.), “Angel of Christmas” (Hallmark, 10 p.m.) and “A Christmas Carol” (AMC, 10 p.m.).
Santa may not have a North Pole to go home to if the Arctic continues to freeze as it does. So two guys racing there have to be fast to avoid breaking through the ice on the two hour “Melting: Last Race to the Pole” (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.).
“Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles” (Bravo, 9 p.m.) has a season finale.
ON the new “Rich in Faith” (Oxygen, 10 p.m.) Kanye pastor Rich Wilkerson tries to start a church in Miami with his wife and fellow preacher DawnChere. It follow another new show, “Finding My Father” (Oxygen, 9 p.m.), yet another one of those shows in which relatives are reunited.
Ryan Murphy’s “Scream Queens” might be over for the season, but “American Horror Story: Hotel” (FX, 10 p.m.) extends its stay.
Staying up on the news, “South Park” (Comedy Central, 10 p.m.) has all of its citizens get armed.
Jeb’s cousins up north: “Alaskan Bush People” (Discovery, 9 p.m.).
Men’s college basketball includes Niagara at St. John’s (Fox Sports 1, 5 p.m.), Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), Howard at Purdue (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Nebraska at Creighton (CBS Sports, 8 p.m.), UNLV at Wichita State (ESPN2, 9 p.m.) and Dayton at Vanderbilt (ESPNU, 9 p.m.).
NBA action includes Chicago at Boston (ESPN, 7 p.m.) and Atlanta at Dallas (ESPN, 9:30 p.m.).
In the NHL, it’s Boston at Montreal (NBC Sports, 7:30 p.m.) and Pittsburgh at Colorado (NBC Sports, 10 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Donald Trump, John Bodega, Chris Isaak. The View: Ron Howard. The Talk: Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockers, Elizabeth McGovern, Robin Quivers. Ellen DeGeneres: Nick Cannon. The Real: Rev. Run & Justine Simmons. Meredith Vieira: Amanda Peet, the Rockets.
Late Talk
Stephen Colbert: Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Allen Leech, Adam McKay, Kurt Vile. Jimmy Kimmel: Wanda Sykes, Lewis Hamilton, Band of Merrymakers. Jimmy Fallon: Amy Poehler, Kevin Nealon, Lalah Hathaway. Seth Meyers: Adam Driver, Jesse Plemons, Aretha Franklin. James Corden: Tyler Oakley, Hank Azaria, Rick Ross. Carson Daly: Amy Landecker, Miami Horror, Wild Child. Tavis Smiley: Harvey Keitel. Trevor Noah: Marion Cotillard. Conan O’Brien: Anna Faris, Deepak Chopra, Moody McCarthy.