It was Laura Ingram’s bigoted dismissal of LeBron James’s political views that provides the title of his documentary “Shut Up and Dribble” (Showtime, 9 p.m.), a three-part documentary about athletes who have stood up for what they believe in and why it’s important.
College football swamps prime time with UCLA at Oregon (Fox, 7:30 p.m.), Alabama at LSU (CBS, 8 p.m.) and Oklahoma at Texas Tech (ABC, 8 p.m.) — plus all the games listed below.
The second original Yuletide romance this season stars Danielle Panabaker as a woman who returns home to help her aunt win a cookie contest only to rediscover a childhood friend (Matt Long) in “Christmas Joy” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.). It’s also a little early for “Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas” (Bravo, 7 and 9:15 p.m.).
In the made-for-TV thriller “The Perfect Mother” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.) Sunny Mabrey plays a mommy blogger who is targeted by an obsessive teen (Audrey Whitby).
The new “Chad Loves Michelle” (OWN, 9 p.m.) follows the relationship of Michelle Williams and her fiancé, pastor Chad Johnson,
The final chapter in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” series “Fifty Shades Freed” (HBO, 8 p.m.) makes its premium cable debut with Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. It only got 12 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Also on tonight is Jim Caviezel as Luke in “Paul, Apostle of Christ” (Starz, 8:15 p.m.), and “An Ordinary Man” (Starz, 11 p.m.), in which Ben Kingsley plays a former Serbian military general on the lam.
On the second episode of “Watergate” (History, 9 p.m.) John Dean testifies and exposes the coverup.
Rescue calls come in hot and heavy on “Pit Bulls and Parolees” (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.).
Two women are sent home on the dating show “Ready to Love” (OWN, 10 p.m.).
If he doesn’t outsmart himself, he’ll host the true crime series “Murder in the Family with Geraldo Rivera” (Reelz, 9 p.m.) covering crimes that happen to celebrities. First up are the decade-old murders of Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew.
A 2011 case is the subject of “The Disappearance of Phoenix Coldon” (Oxygen, 7 p.m.).
“Ghost Adventures” (Travel, 9 p.m.) visits a haunted reform school in Idaho.
Turner Classic Movies goes on cattle drives with the Western double feature of “Red River” (8 p.m.) and “Cowboy” (10:30 p.m.).
The noir film is “The Sniper” (midnight), followed by a couple of dramas set in Paris, “Valmont” (2 a.m.) and “Les dames du Bois de Boulogne” (4:15 a.m.).
College football begins at noon with games that include Louisville at Clemson (ABC), Nebraska at Ohio State (Fox), Texas A&M at Auburn (ESPN), Michigan State at Maryland (ESPN2), Memphis at East Carolina (ESPNU), Oklahoma State at Baylor (Fox Sports 1) and Air Force at Army (CBS Sports).
Games at 3:30 have Georgia at Kentucky (CBS), West Virginia at Texas (Fox), Florida State at N.C. State (ABC), Iowa at Purdue (ESPN2), Navy at Cincinnati (ESPNU), Tulane at South Florida (CBS Sports, 3:30 p.m.) and Kansas State at TCU (Fox Sports 1).
Then comes Penn State at Michigan (ESPN, 3:45 p.m.), Connecticut at Tulsa (CBS Sports, 7 p.m.), Duke at Miami (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), Houston at SMU (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Notre Dame at Northwestern (ESPN, 7:15 p.m.), USC at Oregon State (Fox Sports 1, 10 p.m.), BYU at Boise State (ESPN2, 10:15 p.m.), San Diego State at New Mexico (ESPNU, 10:15 p.m.), Fresno State at UNLV (CBS Sports, 10:30 p.m.) and California at Washington State (ESPN, 10:45 p.m.).
Basketball includes Boston at Indiana (NBA, 7 p.m.).
Hockey has Toronto at Pittsburgh (NHL, 7 p.m.).
Auto racing has NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (NBC Sports, 4:30 p.m.).
Horse racing has its Breeders’ Cup (NBC Sports, 1 p.m.; NBC, 2:30 p.m.).
In college hockey, it’s Ohio State at Notre Dame (NBC Sports, 7:30 p.m.).
A new episode of “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 11 p.m., check local listings) features Miguel and Alessia Cara.
Jonah Hill returns to host “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) with musical guest Maggie Rogers.