Kiera Knightley stars as a wife and mother who also is a spy in the new series “Black Doves” (Netflix), set in London. It also stars Sarah Lancashire and Ben Whishaw.
Elsewhere, Natalie Dormer plays an investigative journalist in Cape Town, South Africa, investigating corruption in town after her brother is murdered in the new “White Lies” (Sundance Now, streaming).
Check the cheer and the electric bills as the 12th season begins for “The Great Christmas Light Fight” (ABC, 8 p.m.), the seasonal house display competition.
Lest you think the franchise is dead, here’s “MTV Unplugged Presents: LL Cool J from the Rock the Bells Festival” (MTV, 10 p.m.) in which he performs his hits and is joined on one by Jennifer Lopez from his 2022 festival.
Another heritage rapper and suddenly ubiquitous TV star may be stretching it on his latest episode “Snoop Dogg’s Fatherhood: Cori & Wayne’s Story” (E!, 10 p.m.) in which his daughter plans her wedding.
Ali Wong provides the voice of the new animated series “Sentry Chau vs. the Underworld” (Netflix streaming) about a Chinese-American living in a Texas town who learns of her supernatural powers and the demon who is after her.
“Crime Scene Kitchen” (Fox, 9 p.m.) awards a team $100,000 in the third season finale.
A new season starts for the spoiled rich Charlestonites on “Southern Charm” (Bravo, 9 p.m.).
“Matlock” (CBS, 9 p.m.) works on the case of a woman suing after problems following a clinical trial.
There’s a Christmas episode of “Elsbeth” (CBS, 10 p.m.).
“You Better Watch Out” (Lifetime Movie Network, 8 p.m.) is a pretty good title for a thriller set at Christmastime. Monaye Moyes, Michael Silberblatt and Lisa Long star in the story about a kidnapping at a small town airport.
Rose looks for a diary to back up her biography of Isaac on “Ghosts” (CBS, 8:30 p.m.).
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” (NBC, 8 p.m.), from 1966, is still probably the best version of the Dr. Seuss tale. It kicks off a night of hoary Yuletide fare, with “Frosty the Snowman” (NBC, 8:30 p.m.), from 1969.
Georgie joins a church so he can sell them tires on “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” (CBS, 8 p.m.).
“House of Villains” (E!, 9 p.m.) throwsthe six who remain into a Battle Royale.
Volcanic rock terraces in Indonesia make for some “Mysterious Islands” (National Geographic, 9 p.m.).
One of the “Mountain Men” (History, 9 p.m.) begins the 1,000 mile Iditarod with a 16-dog team.
“Ancient Bodies: Secrets Revealed” (National Geographic, 10 p.m.) may find evidence of human sacrifice in a German village.
Mickey Rooney is the star of the month on Turner Classic Movies and he made so many of them, the Thursday salutes will run day and night, starting with his work in the 1930s in “The Beast of the City” (6 a.m.), “Broadway to Hollywood” (7:30 a.m.), “The Chief” (9 a.m.), “The Life of Jimmy Dolan” (10:15 a.m.), “Death on the Diamond” (noon), “Hide-Out” (1:30 p.m.), “Manhattan Melodrama” (3 p.m.), “Down the Stretch” (5 p.m.), “Riffraff” (6:15 p.m.), “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (8 p.m.), “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (10:30 p.m.), “Ah, Wilderness!” (12:15 a.m.), “Stablemates” (2 a.m.), “Lord Jeff” (3:45 a.m.) and “The Devil is a Sissy” (5:15 a.m.).
Thursday night football has Green Bay at Detroit (Prime Video, 8:15 p.m.).
Basketball has Denver at Cleveland (NBA, 7 p.m.) and Houston at Golden State (NBA, 10 p.m.).
Hockey has Seattle at Islanders (Hulu, 7:30 p.m.).
Men’s college basketball includes Purdue at Penn State (Fox Sports 1, 6:30 p.m.).
Women’s games include Kentucky at North Carolina (ESPN2, 5 p.m.), Texas at Notre Dame (ESPN, 7 p.m.). Ole Miss at NC State (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), Duke at South Carolina (ESPN, 9 p.m.), Stanford at LSU (ESPN2, 9 p.m.) and Alabama at California (ESPNU, 9 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos: Bob Mackie. The View: Cast of “Elf the Musical.” The Talk: Dave Annable. Kelly Clarkson: Beat Street AZ. Drew Barrymore: Ariana Grande. Jennifer Hudson: Brian Tyree Henry.
Late Talk
Stephen Colbert: Kate McKinnon, Peter Sarsgaard, Ben Folds. Jimmy Fallon: Billy Eichner, Chris Martin, Dick Van Dyke, Thee Sacred Souls. Jimmy Fallon: Angelina Jolie, Sebastian Stan, Andrew Ridgeley, Laura Peek. Seth Meyers: Molly Shannon, Brooks Wheelan (rerun). Taylor Tomlinson: Jordan Temple, Carmen Christopher, Robby Hoffman. Daily Show: Charles Yu.