The biggest episode of “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) in years comes tonight when one of the show’s biggest cast members returns to host for the first time. Eddie Murphy will be under a lot of pressure to revive many of his great old characters, but he’s also moved on. Almost as big a deal: musical guest Lizzo. It’s the best Christmas week show they could imagine. The rerun at 10 p.m. is last year’s Christmas episode with Matt Damon hosting, with Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus.
There’s a pretty good Christmas tradition on “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 11 p.m.) as well — the replay of a 1978 episode featuring Tom Waits, back when he was doing “I Wish I was in New Orleans,” “Burma Shave” and of course a sweet little medley of “Silent Night” and his “Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis.”
Prime time has Boise State vs. Washington (ABC, 7:30 p.m.) in the Las Vegas Bowl, topping a day of bowl games listed below.
It doesn’t seem like they’d blend all that well, but here’s “Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir featuring Kristin Chenoweth” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings).
Tonight’s episode of “Secret Life of the Zoo” (Animal Planet, 10 p.m.) is titled “O Come All Ye Mongoose.”
The teen drama “A Sun is Also a Star” (HBO, 8 p.m.) about deportation, with Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton, makes its premium cable debut as does “Men in Black: International” (Starz, 8 p.m.) with Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson.
Food Channel comes around on other holidays with its first “Ultimate Hanukkah Challenge” (Food, 10 p.m.) hosted by Molly Yeh.
Hallmark takes another stab at a Hanukah / Christmas blend in “Double Holiday” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.) with Carly Pope and Kristoffer Polaha as a couple of rivals who must plan the office Christmas party together.
In “The Christmas Hotel” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.), Tatyana Ali plays a hotel manager transferred to her hometown where she runs into a childhood beau (Sean Patrick Thomas).
The two qualify for participation in “Battle of the Christmas Movie Stars” (Lifetime, 11 a.m.) which is among people who have been in Lifetime Christmas movies this season.
Christmas movies tonight include “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (AMC, 8 p.m.), “Office Christmas Party” (FX, 8 and 10:16 p.m.), “A Beauty & the Beast Christmas” (Ion, 9 p.m.), “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (Telemundo, 9 p.m.; Freeform, 9:15 p.m.), “Christmas at the Plaza” (Hallmark, 10 p.m.), “Rediscovering Christmas” (Lifetime, 10 p.m.), “Four Christmases” (AMC, 10:15 p.m.), “A Royal Christmas Ball” (Ion, 11 p.m.), “Christmas Evil” (TMC, 9 p.m.), and, uh, “Die Hard” (MTV, 10 p.m.).
“Kill Bill- Volume 1” (Fuse, 9 p.m.) is followed by “Kill Bill – Volume 2” (Fuse, 11:30 p.m.).
College football bowl games include North Carolina A&T vs. Alcorn State (ABC, noon) in the Celebration Bowl, Central Michigan vs. San Diego State (ESPN, 2 p.m.) in the New Mexico Bowl, Liberty vs. Georgia Southern (CBS Sports, 2:30 p.m.) in the Cure Bowl, SMU vs. Florida Atlantic (ABC, 3:30 p.m.) in the Boca Raton Bowl, Florida International vs. Arkansas State (ESPN, 5:30 p.m.) in the Camellia Bowl, and Appalachian State vs. UAB (ESPN, 9 p.m.) in the New Orleans Bowl.
Other games include Montana State at North Dakota State (ESPN2, 2 p.m.) and Weber State at James Madison (ESPNU, 6:30 p.m.) in the FCS semifinals.
And it’s West Florida vs. Minnesota State (ESPNU, 3 p.m.) in the Division II championship.
There’s a host of college basketball games today including Indiana at Notre Dame (ESPN, noon), Virginia Commonwealth at Wichita State (ESPN2, noon), Kansas at Villanova (Fox, noon), Stamford at Georgetown (Fox Sports 1, noon), South Florida vs. Florida State (Fox Sports 2, noon), Texas at Providence (Fox, 2 p.m.), Florida vs. Utah State (Fox Sports 1, 2:30 p.m.), UCLA vs. North Carolina (CBS, 3 p.m.), Ohio State vs. Kentucky (CBS, 5:30 p.m.), Minnesota vs. Oklahoma State (ESPN2, 5:30 p.m.), Dayton vs. Colorado (CBS Sports, 6:30 p.m.), Northwestern at DePaul (CBS Sports, 8:30 p.m.), LSU vs. Southern California (Fox Sports 1, 9 p.m.), St. John’s vs Arizona (ESPN2, 10 p.m.) and Nevada vs. Saint Mary’s (ESPN2, 12:30 a.m.).
The world cup is held in freestyle skiing (NBC Sports, 7 p.m.) and snowboarding (NBC Sports, 10 p.m.).