HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET
I haven’t seen this infamous 2015 film adaptation of the equally infamous hit book, about a young woman who meets a handsome billionaire and gets drawn into his world of dominance and submission sex play. But now, if you’re curious, you can see it, starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, in the privacy of your own home – and, I suspect, be amazed that something so tame raised such a ruckus, and sold so many copies, and tickets. But I’ll watch, even though I suspect it might be bad. Why? I guess, like most TV critics, I’m a masochist.
Lifetime, 8:00 p.m. ET
Almost 50 years ago, Muppets creator Jim Henson and collaborator Jerry Juhl made notes and an outline for a new Thanksgiving project they were concocting, about a bunch of new whimsical creatures hidden away with an eccentric aunt in a remote cabin. Those notes stayed buried in a box since the Sixties, until recently, when Henson’s daughter Lisa found them, and decided to resurrect them as a new special. Mary Steenburgen stars – and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges acts as a tongue-in-cheek presenting host, acting a bit like like Fred Rogers, right down to the familiar Mister Rogers cardigan.
TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET
This 1968 action movie, starring Steve McQueen and directed by Peter Yates, remains famous for its streets-of-San-Francisco car chase – and duly so. Watch it all these years later, and it’ll still get you, and have you pushing your own imaginary brake pedal.
BBC America, 9:00 p.m. ET
Tonight’s new episode is called “Face the Raven,” but I don’t want to face it – because promos declare that one of the familiar Doctor Who characters will not survive this particular adventure… and very soon now, this series has to find a way to write Jenna Coleman, as Clara, out of the show, so this could be it. She’s my all-time favorite among the companions to the Doctor, so I approach tonight’s show with a heightened degree of apprehension.
Sundance, 10:00 p.m. ET
You know the phrase, “I wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this”? Well, on this French import of a spooky TV series, many people are. And they’re not sure what to do next… but they’re starting to come up with plans.
NBC, 11:29 p.m. ET
Matthew McConaughey is the guest host, returning to SNL for the first time in a dozen years, for this last show of the month – and the musical guest, whose first album in years has gotten tons of press attention, is Adele.