By now you should know how to react to the return of “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” (Netflix, streaming). The comeback of the TV series featuring a mother-daughter team that speed their way through wisecracking dialog like somebody from some old screwball comedy is either a reason to take the rest of the holiday weekend off to binge the four 90 minute episodes (one for each season, get it?) or to avoid it so assertively you may prefer to be inside a Black Friday scrum.
Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel are both back in Stars Hollow long after anyone thought they’d be. Many of the supporting cast are on hand as well, though not all. Here’s a story I wrote about them when they announced plans last summer.
Also online, the former “Daily Show” short-timer and co-anchor on “Saturday Night Live”s Weekend Edition has his own standup comedy special with “Michael Che Matters” (Netflix, streaming).
The best thing on TV this week, “Search Party” (TBS, 11 p.m.) wraps up its first season already. Now go back and binge watch yourself.
On “Live from Lincoln Center” (BS, 9 p.m.), Chinese pianist Lang Lang plays work from Rufus Wainwright, Regina Spektor, Suzane Vega and Jerry Douglas are among those who join in to perform works by Bernstein, Copland, Gershwin Lou Reed, Don Henley, Alicia Keys and Danny Elfman.
Sometimes wildlife photographers don’t think their footage is enough to entice viewers, so they needlessly anthromorphize the creatures or, in the case of the new “Savage Kingdom” (Nat Geo Wild, 9 p.m.), try to explain it as if it were all “Game of Thrones.” They even have a guy from that HBO series narrating — Charles Dance who played Tywin Lannister.
Christmas specials have been unleashed and the animated ones all seem to be playing at the same time. Fred Astaire and Mickey Rooney lend voices to the 1970 cartoon “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” (ABC, 8 p.m.) with young Santa, Bergermeister Meisterberger and the rest. It plays opposite the now 50-year-old “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (NBC, 8 p.m.), the 16 year old “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” (The CW, 8 p.m.) and the 1969 “Frosty the Snowman” (CBS, 8 p.m.), featuring the voices of Jackie Vernon and Jimmy Durante, followed by the 1992 sequel, “Frosty Returns” (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) with Jonathan Winters and John Goodman.
Here’s something new: Audra McDonald, Zoysia Mamet of “Girls” and Jim Gaffigan are guest stars on a “Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas” (HBO, 7 p.m.).
“Disney Parks Presents: A Descendants Magical Holiday Celebration” (Disney, 8 p.m.) is a special featuring the stars of the series “Descendants” as well as Kelly Clarkson, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood and others.
The story of an autistic young man who could communicate only through Disney films has been told a lot. It’s told again on “20/20” (ABC, 10 p.m.).
A former con woman agrees to drive an older woman crazy so her children can inherit her fortune on the made-for-TV “Her Last Will” (Lifetime Movie Network, 8 p.m.). Rya Kihlstedt, Harriet Harris, Patrick Fischer and Fiona Dourif star. Promos say it’s “Part one of Kill Me Now Weekend.”
Every Hallmark Christmas movie has the same plot: A woman goes to a small town celebrating Christmas traditions. This time it’s Alicia Witt in “Christmas List” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.).
A new series proclaims “Truth is Stranger Than Florida” (Investigation discovery, 10 p.m.). But is it? It follows “Deadly Women” (Investigation Discovery, 8 p.m.) and “Wives with Knives” (Investigation Discovery, 9 p.m.).
Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard are on the two hour “Tanked: Sea-lebrity Edition” (Animal Planet, 8 p.m.).
Easter brunch is marred on “Married to Medicine Houston” (Bravo, 9 p.m.).
“A Haunting” (TLC, 9 p.m.) begins a new season.
I thought for sure the month-long Friday night salute to Natalie Wood on Turner Classic Movies would end with “Miracle on 34th Street.” Instead, it’s “Inside Daisy Clover” (8 p.m.), “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice” (10:15 p.m.), “Brainstorm” (12:15 a.m.), “The Candidate” (2:15 a.m.) and “Meteor” (4:15 a.m.).
During the day, there are some swell Fred Astaire – Ginger Rogers musicals including “Roberta” (TCM, 6:30 a.m.), “Follow the Fleet” (TCM, 8:30 a.m.), “The Gay Divorcee” (TCM, 10:30 a.m.), “Swing Time” (TCM, 12:30 p.m.), “Carefree” (TCM, 2:30 p.m.), “Shall We Dance” (TCM, 4 p.m.) and “Top Hat” (TCM, 6 p.m.).
There is a lot of college football and basketball on today. On the gridiron, as they say, are Northern Illinois at Kent State (CBS Sports (noon), North Carolina State at North Carolina (ESPN, noon), Houston at Memphis (ABC, noon), Arkansas at Missouri (CBS, 2:30 p.m.), Washington at Washington State (Fox, 3:30 p.m.), Boise State at Air Force (CBS Sports, 3:30 p.m.), Texas Christian at Texas (Fox Sports 1, 3:30 p.m.), Nebraska at Iowa (ABC, 3:30 p.m.), Louisiana Tech at Southern Mississippi (ESPNews, 4 p.m.), Toledo at Western Michigan (ESPN2, 5 p.m.), Baylor at Texas Tech (ESPN, 6 p.m.), Cincinnati at Tulsa (ESPN2, 8:30 p.m.) and Arizona State at Arizona (ESPN2, 9:30 p.m.).
In men’s hoops, it’s Iowa State vs. Miami (ESPN2, 11 a.m.), Wichita State vs. Michigan State (ESPN2, 1 p.m.), Temple vs. West Virginia (ESPN2, 3 p.m.), Virginia vs. Iowa (CBS Sports, 7 p.m.), Northern Colorado vs. Bucknell (Fox Sports 1, 8 p.m.), Butler vs. Arizona (Fox Sports 1, 10:30 p.m.) and Providence at Memphis (CBS Sports, 9:30 p.m.).
Pro basketball includes Golden State at Lakers (NBA, 10:30 p.m.).
Hokey includes Rangers at Philadelphia (NBC, 1 p.m.), in a rare network game.
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa: Susan Lucci, Craig Bierko, Pentagoni, Andy Cohen. The View: Billy Bob Thornton. Chelsea Handler: Milo Ventimiglia, Kyra Sedgwick. Harry Connick: Cuba Gooding Jr., Jill Kargman, Daniel Sunjata. Ellen DeGeneres: Colin Farrell, Laverne Cox, John Legend (rerun). Wendy Williams: Kathy Griffin. The Real: Rutina Wesley (rerun).
Late Talk
All reruns: Stephen Colbert: Tiger Woods, Elijah Woods, Jorge Ramos. Jimmy Kimmel: Casey Affleck, Laurie Hernandez, Garth Brooks. Jimmy Fallon: Justin Timberlake, Tracey Ullman, Stanaj. Seth Meyers: Billy Bob Thornton, Lily Collins, Sanjay Gupta. James Corden: Rob Lowe, J.K. Simmons, Eliza Skinner. Carson Daly: Joy Reid, Holy Ghost, Michael Rosenbaum.