Come holiday time, U.S. networks suspend their regular series and turn to music or other specials. But in the U.K., the tradition is to put out special episodes of great series.
So tonight, here’s a one shot, two-hour “Luther” (BBC America, 9 p.m.), starring the man who should be Bond, Idris Elba, who just earned his third Golden Globe nomination for the role last week. Here, he’s left the detective’s job, but is drawn back by a case that involves cannibalism. Ruth Wilson is gone as his vexing Alice Morgan (vexing someone else entirely on “The Affair”), but Luther can find his own problems.
The second coolest black guy on TV tonight might be Barack Obama, who goes to Alaska on an episode of “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” (NBC, 10 p.m.), something Teddy Roosevelt totally would have done. Here he observes Exit Glacier, which seems to be sadly living up to its name.
Least cool black guy on TV is Darius Rucker, hosting “American Country Countdown’s Top 10 Stories of 2015” (Fox, 8 p.m.) with performances by Carrie Underwood, Little Big Town and Jason Aldean.
A slew of pop stars come out for the “IHeartRadio Jingle Ball” (The CW, 8 p.m.) from Madison Square Garden, with Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Nick Jonas, The Weeknd, Calvin Harris and 5 Seconds of Summer.
Yes, I thought she was retired too. But here’s “Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2015” (ABC, 9:30 p.m.). Her choices are Bernie Sanders, Amy Schumer, Tracy Morgan, Ronda Rousey, Misty Copeland, Donna Karan and probably Donald Trump.
What’s the big holiday prize on “Big Bang Theory” (CBS, 8 p.m.) Sheldon and Amy have sex. And it’s dirty Christmas carols on “Life in Pieces” (CBS, 8:30 p.m.).
Steve Carell goes “Inside the Actors Studio” (Bravo, 8 p.m.).
Something usually good happens when Bruce Springsteen shows up on “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC, 11:35 p.m.). Jeffrey Tambor and Chris Stapleton are also on. To counter, “Conan” (TBS, 11 p.m.) has everybody involved with the new “Star Wars” movie.
Seems like bait and switch when the subject of “Monsters Inside Me” (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.) is: “Christmas baby.”
Controversy about his personal life may have bumped the scheduled repeat of “Blake Shelton’s Not So Family Christmas” for “Kelly Clarkson’s Cautionary Christmas Music Tale” (NBC, 9 p.m.). It runs alongside the actually pretty amusing animated special “How Murray Saved Christmas” (NBC, 8 p.m.).
It runs against strong animated holiday competition, Disney’s “Prep & Landing” (ABC, 8 p.m.) and its sequel, “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” (ABC, 8:30 p.m.).
Other Christmas fare includes “The Polar Express” (ABC Family, 8 p.m.), “Miracle on 34th Street” (AMC, 8 p.m.), “On the Twelfth Day of Christmas” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.), “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” (ABC Family, 9 p.m.), “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (Hallmark, 10 p.m.) and “A Muppets Christmas” (AMC, 10:30 p.m.).
Plus there’s the reality competition “Santas in the Barn” (truTV, 9 p.m.), running just before a new “Billy on the Street” (truTV, 10:30 p.m.).
Oh boy, ads! But you’ll be the judge if they’re the “Funniest Commercials of the Year”“(Spike, 10 p.m.).
Another big scoop from the Disney vault on Turner Classic Movies, hosted by Leonard Maltin, has the 1948 Burl Ives movie “So Dear to My Heart” (8 p.m.), a trio of cartoons from different decades, “The Grasshopper and Ants” (9:30 p.m.), Chip ’n’ Dale vs. Donald Duck in “Corn Chips” (9:38 p.m.), and Pluto in “Rescue Dog” (9:45 p.m.), then the 1961 musical “Babes in Toyland” (10 p.m.) with Ray Bolger and Annette, the outdoor drama “Never Cry Wolf” (midnight), the Arctic nature feature “White Wilderness” (2 a.m.), Donald and Goofy in “Polar Trappers” (3:30 a.m.) and David Hartman in the 1974 “The Island at the Top of the World” (3:45 a.m.).
Thursday night football has Tampa Bay at St. Louis (NFL, 8:25 p.m.
In NBA action, it’s Oklahoma at Cleveland (TNT, 8 p.m.) and Houston at Lakers (TNT, 10:30 p.m.).
Men’s college basketball includes Marshall vs. West Virginia (ESPNU, 7 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Kurt Russell, Dya. The View: Barbara Walters, Mary-Louise Parker. The Talk: Mike Epps, Hayley Orrantia. Ellen DeGeneres: Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Dax Shepard. Wendy Williams: Monica, Brian Balthazar, Vikki Ziegler. The Real: Babyface. Meredith Vieira: Andy Cohen.
Late Talk
Stephen Colbert: Michael Moore, U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power, Michael C. Hall, cast of “Lazarus.” Jimmy Kimmel: Ryan Seacrest, Giada De Laurentiis, Gavin James. Jimmy Fallon: Bruce Springsteen, Jeffrey Tambor, Chris Stapleton. Seth Meyers: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Ike Barinholtz, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Paula Pell, Ilan Rubin. James Corden: Seth MacFarlane, Lily Tomlin. Carson Daly: Luke Bracey, Zella Day, Torres. Tavis Smiley: Elizabeth Banks. Trevor Noah: Will Ferrell. Conan O’Brien: Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, John Bodega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, J.J. Abrams.