CBS, 8:00 p.m. ET
Now that we’re into Thanksgiving leftovers, we’re also, sigh, into Christmas and related holiday TV specials. Tonight is one of the earliest ones – not only in terms of the 2019 calendar, but also in terms of its original production. This tabletop Christmas special was an early entry in this TV genre, premiering way, way back in 1964 – the same television year in which Ed Sullivan presented The Beatles.
TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET
This month, one of TCM’s theme is remakes, and tonight’s prime-time lineup is devoted to “Silents to Sound.” The first example of the month: a silent 1925 version of Ben-Hur, followed by the much more familiar 1959 full-color, full-sound, widescreen epic starring Charlton Heston. The first entry, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, is shown at 8 p.m. ET, followed at 10:45 p.m. ET by the shorter title, but much longer movie, Ben-Hur (pictured).
Fox, 9:00 p.m. ET
SEASON FINALE: The acting in this Fox series, about a serial murderer and his son, has been better than the writing. But if you’ve stuck with it this far, at least you’ve made it to the end of Season 1. Will there be a Season 2? The odds are good, but these days, little on broadcast TV can be taken for granted.
HBO, 9:00 p.m. ET
Like another HBO series, Watchmen, this series gets better, and showcases additional strong performers and performances, each week. His Dark Materials is not in the same league as Watchmen, but it’s rapidly defining the players and strategies on its particular chess board.