Get all your holiday wisdom and cool Vince Guaraldi jazz with the umpteenth showing of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (ABC, 8 p.m.), a cartoon gem that has more truth in it than most such specials.
Zendaya joins the judges in the two hour 15th season finale of “Project Runway” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.), where it’s down to Laurence Base, Rik Villa, Erin Robertson and Roberi Parra. Then, almost immediately comes its spawn, “Project Runway Junior” (Lifetime, 10 p.m.), with a second season, with 12 designers arriving in New York, ready for their first challenge.
Thursday Night Football has Giants at Philadelphia (NBC, 8:25 p.m.).
Decadence abounds on two hours of “The Great American Baking Show” (ABC, 9 p.m.) where the menu includes molten lava cakes, truffle and layered mousse cake.
Remaining contestants on “Top Chef” (Bravo, 10 p.m.), meanwhile, has to make a nice Italian meal out of terrible fish.
“Terry Crews Saves Christmas” (The CW, 8 p.m.) isn’t so much about saving people as saving their parties.
Burton hopes to heal the woman in red on the first season finale of “Falling Water” (USA, 10 p.m.).
Romeo talks to his dad, Master P, about career choices on the second season finale of “Growing Up Hip Hop” (WeTV, 9 p.m.).
It’s many happy reruns tonight on CBS, with repeat episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS, 8 p.m.), “The Great Indoors” (CBS, 8:30 p.m.), “Mom” (CBS, 9 p.m.) and three servings of “Life in Pieces” (CBS, 9:30, 10 and 10:30 p.m.).
A drug user is revived after an overdose on “Nightwatch” (A&E, 10 p.m.).
Remaining adventurers build shelters on “Alone” (History, 9 p.m.).
The 15 on “The Selection: Special Operations Experiment” (History, 10 p.m.) have a rescue drill.
Making kid food is paramount on “Beat Bobby Flay” (Food, 10 p.m.).
Josh Flagg is far afield on “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles” (Bravo, 9 p.m.), looking to propose to Bobby in Paris.
They transport a playhouse on “Shipping Wars” (FYI, 9 p.m.).
One present you may not want to open: “Pandora’s Box: Unleashing Evil” (Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.).
A Justin Timberlake lookalike contest is touted as a “Greatest Party Story Ever” (MTV, 10:30 p.m.). There’s another episode on at 10.
Tonight’s Christmas fare on Turner Classic Movies has “Holiday Affair” (8 p.m.), “Remember the Night” (9:45 p.m.), “A Christmas Carol” (11:30 p.m.), “Babes in Toyland” (1:15 a.m.), “Little Women” (2:45 a.m.) and the documentary “A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas!” (5 a.m.).
Elsewhere there is “Elf” (Freeform, 6:45 p.m.), “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” (Disney XD, 7 p.m.), “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” (Starz, 7:25 p.m.), “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas” (Comedy Central, 7:55 p.m.), “Deck the Halls” (AMC, 8 p.m.), “Home Alone: The Holiday Heist” (Disney, 8 p.m.), “My Christmas Love” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.), “Jingle All the Way” (Freeform, 8:55 p.m.) and “I’m Not Ready for Christmas” (Hallmark, 10 p.m.),
The bowl game names just keep getting more amusing. It’s Colorado State vs. Idaho (ESPN, 7 p.m.) in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Men’s college basketball includes a couple of tournaments. In theDiamond Head Classic, it’s Tulsa vs. Stephen F. Austin (ESPNU, 4:30 p.m.), San Diego State vs. Southern Mississippi (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), Utah vs. San Francisco (ESPNU, 11 p.m.) and Illinois State vs. Hawaii (ESPN2, 1:30 a.m.).
In the Las Vegas Classic, it’s DePaul vs. Wyoming (Fox Sports 1, 8:30 p.m.) and Southern California vs. Missouri State (Fox Sports 1, 11 p.m.).
Other games include North Carolina Greensboro at Georgetown (Fox Sports 1, 6:30 p.m.), Marshall at Cincinnati (CBS Sports, 7 p.m.), Yale at Temple (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Kansas at UNLV (CBS Sports, 9 p.m), North Carolina Asheville at Ohio State (ESPN2, 9 p.m.) and LSU at Wake Forest (ESPNU, 9 p.m.).
NBA action includes Lakers at Miami (TNT, 8 p.m.) and San Antonio at Clippers (TNT, 10:30 p.m.).
In late, late cricket action, it’s Sydney Sixers vs. Hobart Hurricanes (NBC Sports, 2 a.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa: Kyra Sedgwick, Kal Penn, DJ Khaled, Christian Slater. The View: Tom Select (rerun). The Talk: Jane Lynch, Fred Willard, Rick Astley (rerun). Harry Connick: Megan Mullally, Frank Pelligrino Jr. Ellen DeGeneres: Diane Keaton, David Blaine, James Charles (rerun). Wendy Williams: Jacques Torres, the cast of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” (rerun). The Real: Debbie Allen, Porsha Williams (rerun).
Late Talk
Stephen Colbert: Will Smith, Anna Kendrick. Jimmy Kimmel: Will Smith, Adam Perry Lang (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Jim Parsons, Dec 99th. Seth Meyers: Matthew McConaughey, Mel B, Cameron Dallas, Craig Finn. James Corden: Queen Latifah, Morris Chestnut, Tracy Ullman, Machine Gun Kelly with Camila Cabello (rerun). Carson Daly: Gretchen Mol, DJ Shadow, Samuel barnett (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Setye Saar (rerun).