Tonight is the Season Finale of Terra Nova. Tuesday night watch Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas. Wednesday night it's a musical Christmas special with A Home for the Holidays with Martina McBride. Thursday night is the Season Finale of The X Factor. Friday night Chuck takes on a Santa suit. Saturday night it's time for It's a Wonderful Life. Sunday night make it a Doctor Who Christmas.
US television highlights for the week of December 19, 2011. Times are ET, shows are new unless noted as repeats. Tagged for your pleasure: tvtw .
Monday
Terra Nova, Occupation. 8:00pm, Fox.
The 11th Pilgrimage arrives in Terra Nova and the Phoenix Group in 2149 makes its move to plunder the past; Jim and Taylor team up to fight the Phoenix Group; a colonist makes the ultimate sacrifice that will change life in Terra Nova forever.
Terra Nova, Resistance. 9:00pm, Fox.
* * * Season Finale * * * The 11th Pilgrimage arrives in Terra Nova and the Phoenix Group in 2149 makes its move to plunder the past; Taylor and Jim team up to fight the Phoenix Group; a colonist makes the ultimate sacrifice that will change life in Terra Nova forever.
The Closer, Road Block. 9:00pm, TNT.
The death of a young girl sparks an all out investigation into a hit-and-run case in which the poor girl was left to die after being hit by an unknown vehicle while riding her bike; a scandal threatens to rattle the life of the Police Commissioner.
Rock Center with Brian Williams. 10:00pm, NBC.
An intricate, long-running scandal involving the theft of newborns is investigated; people's attitudes regarding Muslims are changed through comedy; the prognosis of Bryan Stow, the fan who was beaten after the opening day Dodgers - Giants game.
Rizzoli & Isles, Don't Stop Dancing, Girl. 10:00pm, TNT.
A tragic death befalls the mother of a rising dance star during a competition, which leads to Jane and the rest of the team having to hunt down clues about the killer responsible, but the case quickly takes an unexpected turn.
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Holiday. 10:00pm, Travel.
Alone and bereft, Anthony finds himself sequestered in a surreal version of the Ace Hotel in his hometown of New York on Christmas; Anthony's daydreams become animated stories of bizarre traditions, and he learns the true meaning of Christmas. Repeat from just last week.
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Tuesday
A Christmas Carol, 1984 movie, 2 hrs., 8:00pm, AMC.
On Christmas Eve, an old, ill-tempered businessman learns a lesson in compassion when three ghostly spirits force him to examine the failings of his greed-fueled existence, as well as the desolate future that awaits him if he refuses to change. Stars: George C. Scott, Nigel Davenport, Frank Finlay, Edward Woodward, David Warner, and Angela Pleasence.
Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas, special, 2 hrs., 9:00pm, NBC.
A two-hour holiday special features holiday-themed skits ranging from a brand-new sketch featuring Gilly, the infamous troublemaker, to older holiday classics from "SNL's" 35-year history, which include "NPR's Delicious Dish and the Schweddy Balls."
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Wednesday
The X factor, Season Finale Part 1. 8:00pm, Fox.
The finalists sing their hearts out on their last performances of the competition; the remaining singers and their mentors work on material that they feel will be impressive enough to show their star power and lead them to the grand prize. 1½ hrs.
A Home for the Holidays with Martina McBride, special, 1 hr., 8:00pm, CBS.
Country superstar Martina McBride hosts performances by Justin Bieber, Mary J. Blige, Gavin DeGraw, OneRepublic, and Christina Perri; Katherine Heigl, her sister Meg Heigl-Beltran and Denise Richards set to present stories of foster adoption.
American Horror Story, Afterbirth. 10:00pm, FX.
The Harmon's newly born infant is in danger of being taken by their sadistic neighbor as she attempts to formulate a plan to steal the child and raise it as her own, but Tate is determined to stop the demented woman at all costs.
Top Chef, Tribute Dinner. 10:00pm, Bravo.
This week's quickfire challenge turns America's at-home viewers into the boss when the chefs must create their dish based on incoming Twitter messages, and later the chefs create dishes that pay homage to the person that taught them how to cook.
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Thursday
The X Factor, Season Finale Part 2, 8:00pm, Fox.
The remaining finalists, along their mentors, hope that their last performances were impressive enough for voters; hoping to be crowned winner of the overall competition, the acts eagerly await their fate; Justin Bieber and several others perform. 2 hrs.
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown, special, 1 hr., 9:00pm, ABC.
Rerun decides that he wants a dog more than anything else in the world, but when his parents won't budge, and Charlie Brown won't help him out, he decides to adopt Spike, Snoopy's brother, after a holiday visit.
Prime Suspect, The Great Wall of Silence, 10:00pm, NBC.
Jane and Evrard are called in to investigate a murder involving a heated game of mahjong gone wrong, but their visits to Chinatown yield little results as it becomes clear that all of the witnesses are suddenly disappearing.
The League, St. Pete, 10:00pm, FX.
The excitement of the Play-offs lead to Kevin and Jenny to making a high-stakes bet with one another; Ruxin is pestered by Taco to aid him in his new company but Pete uses the opportunity to lure him into an elaborate trap.
Beavis and Butt-head, School Test; Snitchers. 10:00pm, MTV.
Beavis and Butt-head's preparation for an upcoming exam is disrupted by Principal McVicker after he discovers what they are doing, and later, the two teenaged friends wind up testifying on the witness stand during a real trial.
The League, The Funeral, 10:30pm, FX.
In the final stretch of the season, Taco gets a little help with his lineup from a professional, while a player in the league turns up missing from the action, so the remaining guys fight to take control of the unattended team.
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Friday
Shrek the Halls, special, ½ hr., 8:00pm, ABC.
The curmudgeonly ogre Shrek tries to overcome his case of the holiday bah-humbugs and enjoy a relaxing Christmas with his family, but when Donkey, Puss-in-Boots, Gingerbread Man and the rest show up, his plans for peace and joy get sidetracked.
Chuck, Chuck Versus the Santa Suit. 8:00pm, NBC.
Chuck and Sarah discover who's attempting to destroy Carmichael Industries; Ellie's plans for Christmas begin to fall apart; Morgan and the crew battle with angry customers when a computer virus threatens to ruin Christmas at the Buy More.
A Christmas Carol, 1999 movie, 2 hrs., 9:00pm, TNT.
A wealthy, bitter old man is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmases yet to come on Christmas Eve, and they show him the error of his ways and give him a chance to change. Stars: Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Joel Grey, Desmond Barrit, Ian McNeice, and Saskia Reeves.
Grimm. 9:00pm, NBC.
A homicide detective suddenly begins to experience a series of disturbing visions that he can't explain, until he learns that he is a member of an elite group charged with the task of hunting and destroying supernatural creatures and villains.
Sanctuary, Sanctuary for None, Part 1. 10:00pm, Syfy.
Helen Magnus is approached by a notorious leader in Hollow Earth who is looking for assistance in building a new home on Earth's surface for displaced insurgents, but problems arise when the world's government gets involved.
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Saturday
The Sound of Music, 1965 movie, 4 hrs., 7:00pm, ABC.
Sent to serve as governess to a stern Austrian naval officer's difficult children, a novice nun with doubts about her future teaches her young charges the joy of music as the family deals with the growing power of Germany's Third Reich. Stars: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Richard Haydn, Eleanor Parker, Peggy Wood, and Ben Wright.
It's a Wonderful Life, 1946 movie, 3 hrs., 8:00pm, NBC.
On Christmas Eve, a discouraged, suicidal man gains a new perspective on life when his guardian angel grants him a chance to see what the lives of his friends, family and neighbors in his small town would have been like if he had never been born. Stars: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, and Beulah Bondi.
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Sunday - Christmas
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, special, ½ hr., 8:00pm, ABC.
A mean-hearted hermit descends into an unsuspecting town, looking to act out his plan to ruin Christmas that involves stealing all of the presents, food and decorations, but he ends up learning the true meaning of the holiday instead.
Sunday Night Football, Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers. 8:15pm, NBC.
The most-played rivalry in the NFL is renewed, and Chicago leads the all-time regular season series with Green Bay, 91-84-6, but the Packers have won four of the last five meetings, including a 27-17 victory at Soldier Field in Week 3.
Doctor Who, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. 9:00pm, BBC America.
The Doctor encounters a young widow and her two children after they escape from war-torn London in the midst of World War II, and he decides to give the devastated family a Christmas gift that leads them to a magical wintry world. 2½ hrs.
Iron Chef America, NICA Winner 4 vs. Casanova. 9:00pm, Food Network.
Beverly Hills executive chef Victor Casanova decides to put his Italian cooking skills to the test and enter the extreme heat of Kitchen Stadium to challenge the newest Iron Chef in an intense culinary competition of epic proportions.
Leverage, The Lonely Hearts Job. 9:00pm, TNT.
The team sets out to recover a generous charity leader's missing wife after she's abducted, but in order to save the helpless woman, they are forced to infiltrate an intricate business scam, which proves to be more difficult than they expect.