The perennial Charles Dickens tale gets a very dark reading in the new, feature-length “FX’s A Christmas Carol” (FX, 7:30 p.m.). Guy Pearce of “Momento” stars as a younger-than-usual version of Ebenezer Scrooge. The new version is written by “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight and produced in part by Tom Hardy and Ridley Scott. Andy erkis is the ghost of christmas past, Stephen Graham is Jacob Marley and Charlotte Riley is the ghost of christmas present.
Politicked out? The sixth Democratic Presidential Debate (PBS, CNN, 8 p.m.) is held in Los Angeles with the fewest qualifying candidates yet: Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang. A labor dispute that threatened the event at Loyola Marymount University was settled. Moderators include Judy Woodruff, Amna Nawaz and Yamiche Alcindor of PBS and Tim Alberta of Politico.
And politically incorrect as ever is the meat parade that is The 2020 Miss America Competition (NBC, 8 p.m.), from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. Kit Hoover and Mario Lopez host.
Taylor Swift, Lizzo, Billie Ellish, Katy Perry, Camila Cabello, Jonas Brothers, BTS & Halsey are among the stars performing the “iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2019” (CW, 8 p.m.).
“Disney Prep & Landing” (ABC, 8 p.m.) and “Disney Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice” (ABC, 8:30 p.m.). Also the 2017 “Gwen Stefani’s You Make It Feel Like Christmas” (NBC, 10 p.m.) finds a new life.
Holiday competitions include “The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition” (ABC, 9 p.m.) opposite “Santa’s Baking Blizzard” (Food, 9 p.m.). There’s a holiday angle to “Forged in Fire: The 12 Cuts of Christmas” (History, 10 p.m.).
And there’s a winter wonderland theme on “Project Runway” (Bravo, 9:30 p.m.).
Then there is a downside to Christmas, I suppose, as seen on “Holiday ER” (TLC, 10 p.m.).
In the new French imported series “Twice Upon a Time” (Netflix, streaming), Gaspard Uiliel plays a man who finds he can go back in time through a mysterious box he receives. He uses it to try to repair a relationship with Freya Mavor.
The new documentary “After the Raid” (Netflix, streaming) looks at an immigration raid and the small town church caught in the middle of it.
Marion catches the attention of multiple exes on “Ex on the Beach” (MTV, 9 p.m.).
The Joan Blondell salute on Turner Classic Movies continues with “Topper Returns” (8 p.m.), “Cry ‘Havoc’” (9:45 p.m.), “Off the Record” (11:30 p.m.), “Bullets or Ballots” (12:45 a.m.), “We’re in the Money” (2:15 a.m.), “Three Men on a Horse” (3:30 a.m.) and “Two Girls on Broadway” (5 a.m.).
Earlier in the day are melodramatic males: with Montgomery Clift in “I Confess” (6 a.m.), Dirk Bogarde in “Victim” (8 a.m.), Paul Newman in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (9:45 a.m.), James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause” (11:45 a.m.), Albert Finney in “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning” (1:45 p.m.), Warren Beatty in “All Fall Down” (3:30 p.m.) and Troy Donahue in “Parrish” (5:30 p.m.).
NBA action has Lakers at Bucks (TNT, 8 p.m.) and Houston at Clippers (TNT, 10:30 p.m.).
Hockey has Islanders at Boston (NBC Sports, 7 p.m.).
Men’s college hoops include Wofford at Duke (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), Maryland at Seton Hall (Fox Sports 1, 7 p.m.) and North Carolina State at Auburn (ESPN2, 9 p.m.).
It’s Baylor vs. Wisconsin (ESPN, 7 p.m.) and Stanford vs. Minnesota (ESPN, 9:30 p.m.) in the NCAA women’s college volleyball semifinals.
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest: Anna Kendrick, Kathleen Turner, Lewis Capaldi. The View: Greta Gerwig, Boris Kodjoe, Nikole Hannah-Jones. The Talk: Ana Gasteyer, Brigitte Nielsen. Ellen DeGeneres: Shin Lim, Rhea Butcher. Kelly Clarkson: Jennifer Hudson, Joel Kim Booster. Tamron Hall: LaChanze, Celia Rose Gooding. Wendy Williams: Morris Day. The Real: Stacey Abrams.
Late Night
Stephen Colbert: Jennifer Hudson, Jonathan Pryce, Sharon Van Etten with Norah Jones. Jimmy Kimmel: Margot Robbie, Gov. John Kasich, White Reaper. Jimmy Fallon: Kate McKinnon, Noah Baumbach, Dua Lipa. Seth Meyers: John Lithgow, Ana Gasteyer. James Corden: Mariah Carey, Billie Ellis, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, Rebel Wilson, Jason Derulo, Francesca Hayward, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tom Hooper. Lilly Singh: Charlize Theron. Trevor Noah: Mehdi Hasan. David Spade: Nicole Byer, Greg Fitzsimmons, Ron Funches. Conan O’Brien: Adam Sandler.