ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
Every once in a while, a TV sitcom takes on the holiday spirit by coming up with a hybrid holiday of its own (yes, I’m talking about you, Seinfeld). Tonight on The Goldbergs, Beverly tries to concoct a more exciting holiday to compete with Christmas – and creates “Super Hanukkah.”
TCM, 9:00 p.m. ET
TCM continues to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Frank Sinatra (perhaps you’ve heard?) by presenting another batch of movies and specials featuring him tonight. Chief among them, at 9 p.m. ET: 1953’s From Here to Eternity, which starred Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed – but counted as a major comeback vehicle for Sinatra.
PBS, 10:00 p.m. ET
This series uses some very modern technology – in this case, 3D laser scanning – to probe some very ancient wonders. In tonight’s new episode, structural engineer Steve Burrows and host Dallas Campbell try to figure out how the Incan city of Machu Picchu was constructed, and why. One of the things they learned had to do with where all the bodily wastes went – and their discovery, you might say, uncovers a veritable royal flush. Check local listings.
AMC, 10:00 p.m. ET
Made for CBS as a holiday telemovie in 1984, this version of the Charles Dickens classic story is one of the best. It’s got Frank Finlay as Jacob Marley, and David Warner as Bob Cratchit, but really soars because George C. Scott is perfectly cast as the snarling, scowling Ebenezer Scrooge. Great Scott!
FX, 10:00 p.m. ET
Tonight’s episode title is “She Wants Revenge.” The exact identity of “She” is not made clear, and on this series, there are an awful lot of female suspects. One of them, clearly, is Ramona Royale, the latest femme fatale played on this anthology series by Angela Bassett.