Get to know the new host of “Late, Late Night,” taking over for Craig Ferguson, when James Corden stars and co-writes in the second season of “The Wrong Mans” (Hulu, online). It wouldn’t seem like the unlikely-guys-in-intrigue comedy would sustain a second season, but it’s more the case of people not wanting the fun to end.
Unseasonable? Not necessarily. It begins with Dean Martin singing “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas” and Corden and his hapless buddy Mat Baynton in the American Southwest, inadvertently getting involved in border crossing caper, even as they still try to figure out who tried to bomb them at the end of season one.
It’s one of the most unusual TV nights of the year — all holiday reruns, little late night activity, virtually no sports. It’s meant to be a Silent Night, but the TV isn’t exactly going off.
So instead, network TV has a greatest hits of its holiday fare from the colorized “I Love Lucy Special” (CBS, 8 p.m.) and the annual running of “It’s a Wonderful Life” (NBC, 8 p.m.) to the recently unearthed and splendid “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol “ (The CW, 8 p.m.).
Others fill their stocking with bunches of sitcoms: “Bob’s Burgers” (Fox, 8 and 8:30 p.m.), “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox, 9 and 9:30 p.m.), “Blackish” (ABC, 9:30, 10 and 10:30 p.m.). Also: “The Middle” (ABC, 8 p.m.) and “The Goldbergs” (ABC, 8:30 p.m.).
The big thing on cable is the start of the 24-hour marathon of “A Christmas Story” (TNT, TBS, 8 p.m.), repeating on the even hours. Just as beloved fare: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (ABC Family, 7 p.m.) and “Elf” (ABC Family, 9 p.m.).
Two of the Christmas specials of “Doctor Who” (BBC America, 6 and 7:20 p.m.) from 2010 and 2011 are rerun.
It’s not like the kids won’t sing along anyway, but the “Frozen Sing-Along Christmas Marathon” (Starz, 3 p.m.) comes with words on the screen.
Non-Christmas specials start to surface including a marathon of 007 films including “Never Say Never Again” (Epix, 5:50 a.m. and 2:05 p.m.), “From Russia with Love” (Epix, 8:05 a.m. and 4:20 p.m.), “A View to a Kill” (Epix, 11:50 a.m.), “Skyfall” (Epix, 8 p.m.) and “Live and Let Die” (Epix, 10:30 p.m.) as well as a documentary, “Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007” (Epix, 10:05 a.m. and 6:20 p.m.).
A different hero also gets the marathon treatment: John Wayne, with “Big Jake” (AMC, 7 p.m.), “Rio Bravo” (AMC, 9:30 p.m.), “Cahill, United States Marshal” (AMC, 12:30 a.m.) and “Chisum” (AMC, 3 a.m.).
There are some interesting movies on here and there including “The Sting” (Sundance, 7:15 p.m.), “Bonnie and Clyde” (Esquire, 10 p.m.) and “Spies Like Us” (Sundance, 10 p.m.).
Animated fare includes “How to Train Your Dragon” (FX, 8 p.m.), “The LEGO Movie” (HBO2, 8 p.m.) and “Kung Fu Panda 2” (FX, 10 p.m.).
All four hours of the recent miniseries “The Red Tent” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.) are on until midnight.
But mostly it’s Christmas fare with “A Christmas Mystery” (ION, 7 p.m.), “A Very Larry Christmas” (BET, 7:30 p.m.), “Deck the Halls” (Cinemax, 8 p.m.), “Twas’ the Night” (Disney, 8 p.m.), “A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas” (FXX, 8 and 10 p.m.), “Black Nativity” (HBO, 8 p.m.), “The Nine Lives of Christmas” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.), “A Christmas Kiss II” (ION, 9 p.m.), “The Best Man Holiday” (HBO, 10 p.m.), “Angels Sing” (Hallmark, 10 p.m.).
It’s a gift bag of holiday themed shorts and features all day on Turner Classic Movies including “The Shop Around the Corner” (4 a.m.) and “Meet Me in St. Louis” (6 p.m.). Then tonight Robert Osborne picks the films with “The Man Who Came to Dinner” (8 p.m.), “Christmas in Connecticut” (10 p.m.), “Cover Girl” (midnight), “Indiscreet” (2 a.m.) and “All Mine to Give” (4 a.m.).
Not much happening in the sports world. But there is Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky (ESPN, noon) in the Bahamas Bowl and Fresno State vs. Rice (ESPN, 8 p.m.).
Late night programming is replaced by “Christmas at the Cathedral – Holy Family” (CBS, 11:35 p.m.), not from the home office in Waterloo, but the St. Joseph Cathedral in Sioux Falls, S.D., and “Christmas Eve at St. Peter’s Bascillica in Rome” (NBC, 11:35 p.m.), where Jimmy Fallon will try to do a karaoke-off with the Pope.
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Dwayne Johnson, Caroline Rhea, cast of “Disney On Ice: Frozen,” Earth, Wind & Fire. The View: Barbara Walters (rerun). The Talk: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Tyler Oakley, the Band Perry (rerun). Ellen DeGeneres: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams, Maroon 5 (rerun). Wendy Williams: Melissa Joan Hart (rerun). Meredith Vieira: Sofia Vergara (rerun). Queen Latifah: Patricia Heaton, Boris Kodjoe, Wolfgang Puck (rerun).
Late Talk
Jimmy Kimmel: Marisa Tomei, Marcus Scribner, Smashing Pumpkins (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Dave Koz (rerun).