Considering it’s the week leading into Christmas, there is an impressive amount of fun new content to sample.
Amazon Prime on Tuesday brings back the third season of “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” starring John Krasinski after an extended COVID-19 break. The second season debuted more than three years ago.
Netflix’s popular and often mocked “Emily in Paris” comes back the same day for its third season.
The streaming service also paid a bundle for two sequels to the 2019 murder mystery “Knives Out.” The sequel called “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” out on Friday, was in theaters for a week and received excellent reviews.
And Netflix has a prequel Sunday to its hugely successful series “The Witcher.”
Mariah Carey, on CBS, airs a concert featuring many of her takes on Christmas classics as well as “All I Want for Christmas is You” on Tuesday (and Wednesday on Paramount+.)
Paramount+ also introduces the streaming debut of the monster Tom Cruise sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” on Thursday while Disney+ on Friday tees up “Strange World,” one of its poorest performing animated films in recent times.
CBS, in the meantime, celebrates Paul Simon on Wednesday while Peacock brings “The Best Man” cast back together on Thursday for a new series.
This covers Monday, Dec. 19, through Sunday, Dec. 25.
MONDAY
“Lego Masters: Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular” 8 p.m. Fox (new series) — Robin Thicke, Finesse Mitchell, the late Leslie Jordan and Cheryl Hines are contestants.
‘His Dark Materials” 9 p.m. HBO — Will and Lyra journey into the Land of the Dead in search of Roger.
“American Dad” 10 p.m. TBS (17th season finale) — Roger plots revenge after his Christmas sex party is stolen.
“The Wheel” 10 p.m. NBC (new series) — Contestants receive help from celebrity guests Cat Cora, Mark McGrath, Todrick Hall, Steve Kornacki, Christina Ricci and Amber Ruffin to answer trivia questions tackling a range of categories from Beyoncé and the ‘90s to elections and more.
TUESDAY
“Welcome to Chippendales” 12:01 a.m. Hulu — As Steve’s financial woes mount, Nick offers on a lifeline in the form of a proposal that would take Chippendales global.
“Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All” 8 p.m. CBS — Filmed in New York City at Madison Square Garden, the concert special will feature the singer-songwriter performing a repertoire of her festive holiday hits, including the perennial favorite, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
“Ice Cold Catch” 10 p.m. Discovery (new series) —When a newly-engaged American defense contractor and a struggling British yacht stewardess leave their thankless jobs behind to pursue highly-paid fishing jobs in Iceland, they discover a whole new realm of larger-than-life characters and unanticipated stakes.
WEDNESDAY
“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” 12:01 a.m. Amazon (third season debut) — John Krasinski returns as Ryan after a long gap created by the pandemic.
“Emily in Paris” 3:01 a.m. Netflix (third season debut) — One year after moving from Chicago to Paris for her dream job, Emily finds herself at a crucial crossroads in every aspect of her life.
“National Treasure: Edge of History” 3:01 a.m. Disney+ — After Jess discovers her late mother’s involvement in the treasure hunt, she becomes even more determined to unravel the secrets her mother never told her about their past.
“Fuhgettabout Christmas” 8 p.m. VH1 — When an Italian American superstar realizes her family is fed up with her workaholic ways, she gets help from her celebrity friends, Santa, and magical elves to give them the best Christmas ever.
“Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon” 9 p.m. CBS — Honoring Paul Simon with performances from Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Eric Church, Rhiannon Giddens, Susanna Hoffs, Jonas Brothers, Angélique Kidjo, Ledisi, Little Big Town, Dave Matthews, Brad Paisley, Billy Porter and more.
“The Wheel” 10 p.m. NBC— Celebrity guests Judge Greg Mathis, Ricki Lake, Mark Sanchez, Amber Ruffin, Justin Willman and Tori Spelling lend their expertise in a variety of categories.
THURSDAY
“Fleishman Is in Trouble” 12:01 a.m. Hulu on FX — Libby learns of previously unknown dimensions to the Fleishman divorce.
“The Best Man: The Final Chapters” 3:01 a.m. Peacock (new series) — Based on the eponymous Universal film franchise written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee, the series will catch up with Harper, Robyn, Jordan, Lance, Quentin, Shelby, Candace, and Murch as relationships evolve and past grievances resurface in the unpredictable stages of midlife crisis meets midlife renaissance.
“Top Gun: Maverick” 3:01 a.m. Paramount+ (streaming debut) — The biggest movie of 2022 is finally available on streaming.
“Branson” 10 p.m. HBO (finale) — The history of Virgin Galactic, from conception to test flights
“The Wheel” 10 p.m. NBC — With categories including cakes, horse racing, percussion and more, contestants are supported by celebrity experts Buddy Valastro, Amber Riley, Jaime Camil, Carnie Wilson, Steve Kornacki and Sheila E.
FRIDAY
“Echo 3″ 12:01 a.m. Apple TV+ — Prince and Bambi negotiate the hard way, crossing a line. Violetta probes the government’s possible involvement.
“Mosquito Coast” 12:01 a.m. Apple TV+ — Charlie and Allie trek through the jungle to uncover Guillermo’s secret. Margot learns Richard’s true intentions at Casa Roja.
“Mythic Quest” 12:01 a.m. Apple TV+ — Ian’s and Poppy’s clashing office preferences put them at odds. Jo and Brad team up to get rid of a pest in David’s office.
“Saving Christmas Spirits” 3:01 a.m. AMC+ — The movie sees American archaeologist Lucy Stewart spend her Christmas break in the Scottish Highlands on a quest to find the ruins of a shrine to the ancient goddess Beira, the Queen of Winter. She checks into the local manor house, where she meets charming distillery owner Duncan, who offers to guide her through the countryside.
“Strange World” 3:01 a.m. Disney+ — The movie bombed in the theaters but maybe it’ll find an audience on the streaming service.
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” 3:01 a.m. Netflix — The sequel to the 2019 hit film brings back Daniel Craig but the rest of the cast is brand new, including Janelle Monae, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Ed Norton and Leslie Odom Jr.
“The 24th Annual A Home For the Holidays at the Grove” 8 p.m. CBS —Features stories of adoption from foster care in hopes of raising awareness about the issue. Gloria Estefan hosts.
“The Wheel” 10 p.m. NBC — Celebrity guests Tom Bergeron, Shawn Johnson East, Captain Lee Rosbach, Kyla Pratt, Victor Cruz and Debbie Gibson lend their expertise to contestants in a wide range of hilarious categories.
WEEKEND
“A Christmas Story” 8 p.m. Saturday TBS annual marathon for 24 hours — I triple dog dare you to watch this 12 times in a row.
“Home Alone” 8 p.m. Saturday CBS — “Keep the change, ya filthy animal!”
“The Witcher: Blood Origin” 3:01 a.m. Sunday Netflix (new limited series) — In an elven world 1,200 years before Geralt of Rivia, the worlds of monsters, men and elves merge to become one — and the very first Witcher arises.
“George & Tammy” 9 p.m. Sunday Showtime — When George calls her bluff, the two legends find themselves singing much sadder songs.
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