SoCal TV, Dec. 15-21: ‘An Evening With Dua Lipa,’ ‘Meet Me in St. Louis,’ ‘The Gospel Messiah’ and more
TV shows, movies, sports and specials on broadcast, cable and streaming this coming week
Welcome to an all-new TV or Not TV roundup of new and noteworthy programming on broadcast, cable and streaming this coming week. I’m Matt Cooper, former listings coordinator for the Los Angeles Times’ Calendar.
Sunday — Dec. 15
A New York City designer hooks up with a hunky Scotsman in the TV movie “Christmas in Scotland.” With Jill Winternitz. 5 p.m. GAF
See how they’re decking the halls at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. this holiday season in the new special “White House Christmas 2024.” With First Lady Jill Biden. 6 p.m. HGTV
A disgraced TV actress hooks up with a hunky B&B owner/astronomy teacher/widower in the new TV movie “Following Yonder Star.” With Brooke D’Orsay. 8 p.m. Hallmark Channel
A New York fashionista hooks up with a hunky alpaca farmer/single dad in the new TV movie “Christmas on the Alpaca Farm.” With Kirsten Comerford. 8 p.m. Lifetime
The new concert special “An Evening With Duo Lipa” captures the British Albanian pop star performing with a live orchestra as well as duetting with music legend Elton John at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall. 8 p.m. CBS
“Very Scary People,” the true crime series hosted by Donnie Wahlberg, launches a new season with an episode profiling the notorious Cleveland Strangler. 9 p.m. Investigation Discovery
See how our serial-killer anti-hero earned his stripes in “Dexter: Original Sin.” “The OA’s” Patrick Gibson plays the younger version of Michael C. Hall’s character in this new prequel to the dark 2006-13 drama. With Christian Slater. 10 p.m. Showtime
Monday — Dec. 16
And this bird can’t sing: “The Chelsea Detective” investigates the murder of a pop star in the mystery drama’s Season 3 Christmas special. With Adrian Scarborough. Anytime, Acorn TV
The new special “Little Big Town’s Christmas at the Opry” sees the Grammy-winning country group sharing the stage with Kelsea Ballerini, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, Kirk Franklin, Kate Hudson, et al. 8 p.m. NBC
The tragic death of singer and former One Direction member Liam Payne in Buenos Aires in October is probed on a new “TMZ Investigates.” 8 p.m. Fox
The poignant 2024 documentary “Blink” follows a family on a quest to see as much of the world as possible before their three children lose their eyesight due to a rare and incurable disease. 9 p.m. National Geographic
What they did in the shadows shall forever remain in the shadows when the satirical, vampirical comedy series “What We Do in the Shadows” ends its run after six seasons. With Matt Berry. 10 p.m. FX
Tuesday — Dec. 17
You gotta be a football hero! The new docuseries “Aaron Rodgers: Enigma” gets up close and personal with the controversial superstar quarterback. Anytime, Netflix
The new standup special “Ronny Chieng: Love to Hate It” catches the comic and “Daily Show” correspondent cracking wise about politics, the interwebs and more. Anytime, Netflix
Ho, ho … d’oh! Spend Christmas in Springfield with “The Simpsons” as the long-running animated series presents a special streaming-only double-length episode. Anytime, Disney+
“Sister Boniface Mysteries,” the “Father Brown” spinoff starring Lorna Watson as a crime-solving nun, offers its own Christmas episode. Anytime, Acorn TV
The new concert special “Joy — Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir” includes guest appearances by Broadway’s Michael Maliakel and “Downton Abbey’s” Lesley Nicol. 8 p.m. KOCE
Amen to this! A beloved oratorio gets a jazz and R&B-style makeover courtesy of acclaimed conductor Marin Alsop, et al., in the new concert special “Too Hot to Handel — The Gospel Messiah.” 9:30 p.m. KOCE
Controversial comic Dave Chappelle of “Chappelle’s Show” fame is profiled on the season finale of the docuseries “Black Comedy in America.” 10 p.m. Vice Network
If you build it… The origins of the popular video game known as Minecraft — ask your grandkids — are explored on the season finale of “Game Changers.” 11 p.m. Discovery Channel
Wednesday — Dec. 18
Everyone’s favorite irascible celebrity chef is here to help you set your holiday table in the new limited series “Gordon Ramsay’s Festive Home Cooking.” Anytime, Hulu
“American Factory” filmmaker Julia Reichert, who died in 2022, is seen and heard discussing her award-winning career in the 2024 documentary short “Julia's Stepping Stones.” Anytime, Netflix
Ain’t nobody here but us chickens! “The Secret Lives of Animals” are explored in this new nature series narrated by “Downton Abbey’s” Hugh Bonneville. Anytime, Apple TV+
Who’s getting married and who will be moving on? Find out in the season finale of the reality series “The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On” co-hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey. Anytime, Netflix
See who outwitted, outplayed and outlasted whom in the season finale of the long-running reality competition “Survivor” hosted by Jeff Probst. 8 p.m. CBS
Katy Perry, Jason Derulo and SZA are among the myriad music stars getting their jollies in the concert special “iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2024.” 8 p.m. ABC
The masks come off and the latest winner is announced as the celebrity vocal competition “The Masked Singer” wraps its 12th season. Nick Cannon hosts. 8 p.m. Fox
Efforts to combat climate change and build a more sustainable future are surveyed in the new special “The Earthshot Report” hosted by “Ted Lasso’s” Hannah Waddingham and featuring an appearance by Britain’s Prince William. 8 p.m. KOCE
“Nova” details the archaeological discoveries made beneath a Paris landmark while it was being restored following a devastating 2019 fire in the new episode “Lost Tombs of Notre Dame.” 9 p.m. KOCE
The two-part special “The Texas Cheerleader Murder Plot” revisits the bizarre tale of a Houston woman convicted in 1996 of attempting to hire a hit man to dispatch the mother of her teen daughter’s cheerleading rival. 9 p.m. Investigation Discovery
Thursday — Dec. 19
Internet personality Jimmy Donaldson, better known as “MrBeast,” puts contestants through a variety of over-the-top challenges in the supersized reality competition “Beast Games.” Anytime, Prime Video
Erin Cahill and the aforementioned Brooke D’Orsay co-star in “Deck the Halls on Cherry Lane,” the last of three new sequels to the 2023 TV movie “Christmas on Cherry Lane.” Anytime, Hallmark+
They’ll be there for you: Superfans put their knowledge of the 1994-2004 sitcom “Friends” to the test in the new competition series “Fast Friends” hosted by comic Whitney Cummings. Anytime, Max
A single gal (“Everything Everywhere All at Once’s” Stephanie Hsu) is shocked to learn that several of her former lovers have kicked the bucket before their time in the new mystery comedy “Laid.” Anytime, Peacock
This just in… “Fringe’s” Anna Torv plays a superstar TV anchor plying her trade in 1980s Australia in the imported drama “The Newsreader.” Anytime, Sundance Now
May the best woman win! Three neighbors take part in an annual holiday competition in the new TV movie “Queens of Christmas.” With Essence Atkins, Terri J. Vaughn and Vanessa Bell Calloway. Anytime, BET+
Nobody’s boldly going anywhere anymore as the animated sitcom/franchise entry “Star Trek: Lower Decks” ends its five-season run. Anytime, Paramount+
Our gal Melinda (Alexandra Breckenridge) continues to go with the flow as the small-town romantic drama “Virgin River” returns for a sixth season. Anytime, Netflix
The new special “Nate Bargatze’s Nashville Christmas” has the comic and podcaster making merry with famous faces including Jelly Roll, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker and Martina McBride. 9 p.m. CBS
Paging Indiana Jones: Modern-day archaeologists scour the Middle East for the “Lost Treasures of the Bible” in this new docuseries. 9 p.m. National Geographic
Friday — Dec. 20
The new standup special “Ilana Glazer: Human Magic” features the former “Broad City” co-star waxing comedic about her teen years, motherhood and more. Anytime, Hulu
A family man (“The Favourite’s” Nicholas Hoult) faces a crisis of conscience when he lands in the jury box for a headline-making murder trial in Clint Eastwood’s 2024 thriller “Juror #2.” With Toni Collette, J. K. Simmons and Kiefer Sutherland. Anytime, Max
A young waitress working the late shift alone at her family’s roadside diner has a long night ahead of her in the 2023 horror thriller “Last Straw.” With Jessica Belkin and Jeremy Sisto. Anytime, Shudder
The 2024 historical drama “The Six Triple Eight” salutes the efforts of the U.S. Army’s all-Black, all-female 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion during WWII. With Kerry Washington, Susan Sarandon and Oprah Winfrey. Anytime, Netflix
Clang, clang, clang! A “Classic Christmas Marathon” gets underway with Judy Garland in the nostalgic 1944 MGM musical “Meet Me in St. Louis” directed by Garland’s then husband-to-be Vicente Minnelli. 5 p.m. TCM
Country music’s Mickey Guyton is your hostess with the mostest for the “National Christmas Tree Lighting” in Washington, D.C. Performers include James Taylor, Trisha Yearwood and Trombone Shorty. 8 p.m. CBS
Student singers and musicians from Concordia University down in Irvine make a joyful noise in the new special “Come and See! A Concordia Christmas.” 8 p.m. KOCE
“Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays” has the aforementioned crooner joined by Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, et al. for this year’s edition of the annual special to awareness of adoption. 9 p.m. CBS
Saturday — Dec. 21
A lovelorn pop singer heads home to Dallas where she reconnects with her former musical partner in the new TV movie “Get Him Back for Christmas” starring real-life married couple Alexa and Carlos PenaVega. 5 p.m. GAF
A webpage editor hooks up with the hunky owner of a dog shelter in the new Seattle-set TV movie “Happy Howlidays.” With Jessica Lowndes. 8 p.m. Hallmark Channel
A novelist struggling to finish her latest book hooks up her former crush, a hunky woodworker, in the new TV movie “A Carpenter Christmas Romance.” With Sasha Pieterse. 8 p.m. Lifetime
Former cast member Martin Short takes his third turn — or fifth, but who’s counting — as host on a new “Saturday Night Live.” With musical guest, Irish singer songwriter Hozier. 8:29 and 11:29 p.m. NBC
A jewelry designer meets a man that she just might want to have “put a ring on it” someday in the new TV movie “24-Karat Christmas.” With Samantha Marie Ware. 9 p.m. OWN
(All times Pacific; programming subject to change without notice)