For as big a pop group as they became — and there was a moment following “Saturday Night Fever” when they were ubiquitous — the Bee Gees have never been subject of a thorough biographical film until now. “The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” (HBO, 8 p.m.) tells the story of the Australian brothers who predated the Beatles, had a number of hit singles even before Barry Gibb somehow found his falsetto on “Nights on Broadway,’” leading to the creative heights of the John Travolta soundtrack.
Personifying disco for its moment also meant also being blamed for it and they spent a lot of the later years fighting the backlash, while writing hits for others glad to get them. Barry’s the only one alive to tell the tale, but the film is well balanced with earlier interviews from Robin and Maurice, and rounded out with interviews from stars who’ve been influenced from Justin Timberlake to those who know the pros and cons of brother bands — Noel Gallagher of Oasis and Nick Jonas. It’s a kick to see how their timeless tracks were created; the role Eric Clapton played in bringing them to Miami, and how many of these songs you’ll know by heart.
While there’s two such films streaming, “The Christmas Setup” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.) may be the first gay holiday romance on cable. It stars Ben Lewis and Blake Lee.
Hallmark, meanwhile, tries to put out a better Hannakuh movie than they did last year, with Mia Kirshner, Ben Savage and Harilu Henner in “Love, Lights, Hannukah!” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.).