Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Monday, December 21. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
WWE Monday Night RAW (USA, 8 p.m.): WWE Week on USA (which began with the Sunday night world television premiere of Santa’s Little Helper) continues with WWE’s yearly experiment in driving die-hard fans crazy (as opposed to its weekly experiments in driving die-hard fans crazy): the “popularity” contest known as the Slammys. With categories like Match Of The Year (hehe, Sting versus Triple H is honestly nominated), Celebrity Moment Of The Year, Best John Cena US Open Challenge, and LOL Moment Of The Year, you get the picture.
In 2014, Roman “The Powerhouse/The Big Dog/Hit Hard, Hit Often/One Versus All/Roman Reigns/The Rock’s Cousin/Potato” Reigns won Superstar Of The Year despite only being out on injury for a good portion of the year. In 2015, he’s been here all 12 months, so now we can really get “#LetRomanWin” trending in time for next year’s Hashtag Of The Year (a real category). Kyle Fowle has been voting non-stop for weeks just for that moment. Don’t let him down.
Super special coverage
Wait, Fargo is over. What goes here now? Um… Just rewatch Fargo. Your friendly neighborhood What’s On Tonight contributor is (when she’s not rewatching Don’t Trust The B— In Apartment 23, that is).
Also noted
The Man In The High Castle (Amazon): Here we go. It’s the season finale of The Man In The High Castle. Bust out the kazoos and streamers… and then throw them away (or save them for the Slammy Awards and then throw them away), because that is completely atonal within the context of The Man In The High Castle. Scott Von Doviak’s review of the penultimate episode notes that “the primary narrative mode for much of this season has been restraint, often to the point of boredom.” Now is the time for the season to prove it wasn’t all for nothing.
The Great Holiday Baking Show (ABC, 10 p.m.): Four episodes? Sounds like the perfect time to have a season finale, if you ask us! And of course you asked us: That’s the entire point of these What’s On Tonights. The season ends with the final three bakers competing in the final three challenges. Who will be the winner?!? Well read Myles McNutt’s review and find out.
Elsewhere in TV Club
We’re not done giving you all Best Of lists, and this time, it’s the best TV performances of 2015. So many people were the best this year. Congratulations to them!
Also, at 11 a.m., check out the latest, Colbert-centric entry into The New Christmas Canon.
What else is on?
The Great Christmas Light Fight (ABC, 8 / 9 p.m.): Are you ready for the two-episode, third season finale of The Great Christmas Light Fight? No, really—are you ready for this? After all, it is an “immensely popular series” (press release’s words, not ours), and that can be a bit overwhelming. Everything about this show reads as a bit overwhelming. “Four festive families from across the country showcase their spectacular displays of Christmas magic, including the Nelson family’s specially converted RGB “star flakes,” hand-built plasma icicles and thousands of lights that illuminate the sky in Elk Grove, CA; the Mish family’s giant 15×15 Seahawks logo and innovative interior water and ice features in Kirkland, WA; the Hoag family’s 30-foot platform of shooting stars and snowflakes and homemade carousel and Ferris wheel in Strongsville, OH; and the Finney family’s star and angel, 50 feet in the air, four eight-foot Bibles, a 14-foot merry-go-round, two snow globes and a 16-foot snow slide in Crossett, AR.” And that’s just the first episode of the night.
The Voice (NBC, 8 p.m.): Is not on tonight. But we bet NBC wishes it were.
Love & Hip Hop (VH1, 8 p.m.): “Rich Dollaz welcomes a new lady into his home; Rah Ali and Yandy face difficulties with their artists; and Papoose warns Remy Ma about her wedding planner. Elsewhere, Amina confronts Tara about Peter’s whereabouts, leading to an unlikely family reunion.” But when do they hip hop?!? (We’re looking at you, Papoose and Remy Ma.)
Bolshoi Babylon (HBO, 9 p.m.): “A look at Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet, and the events surrounding an acid attack against its director that took place in 2013.” Ooh, that sounds interesting.
Vanderpump Rules / Vanderpump Rules: After Show (Bravo, 9 / 11:30 p.m.): “Lisa advises the women to unite and give some payback to their boyfriends for going to Las Vegas, and the men are tempted in Sin City.” So what you’re saying is that the payback is preemptive and the women really should break up with their boyfriends for knowing that they would be “tempted in Sin City” in the first place? Or maybe that’s just what we’re saying.
A Saturday Night Live Christmas (NBC, 9 p.m.): As with the SNL Thanksgiving special (and all of the show’s specials, really), you know what you’re going to get here: two hours of Schweddy Balls.
Christmas With The Mormon Tabernacle Choir Featuring Santino Fontana and the Sesame Street Muppets (PBS, 9 p.m.): It’s a long title, but it’s really all you need to know. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir! Santino Fontana! The Sesame Street Muppets! Like we said: all you need to know.
Major Crimes (TNT, 9 p.m.): TNT is almost ready to completely join the rest of television in the midseason finale train, so here we go with Major Crimes’ “Penalty Phase.” “Sharon and the team track an unhinged killer making his own film, with his victims as the stars as a new romance takes wing.” We’re going to go out on a limb and assume that the “new romance” part is actually supposed to be a separate part of the synopsis. Unless Major Crimes is trying to tell us that Sharon falls for this “unhinged killer.” Now that is one hell of a midseason finale.
Après Ski (Bravo, 10 p.m.): It’s the season one finale of Après Ski, and if you thought the show would get any less dramatic as it wraps up, then you really gave it a lot more thought than we did. “Jim tries to prove his worth as manager in the Season 1 finale. Also: Bobby sets up a meeting with Joey, but his hangover threatens his credibility; Jim faces a difficult client; and hard-partying clients from Texas exasperate Lynsey.” Who had “clients from Texas” in the Après Ski pool? Time to collect.
Barbara Walters Presents American Scandals (Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.): This week’s episode is the most holiday spirited of them all: “Mary Kay Letourneau: Forbidden Love.” So grab the whole family and gather around the television to watch a story of long-lasting love. Happy Holidays!
Legends (TNT, 10 p.m.): Legends appears to be running out of legends pretty quickly—this week’s episode is titled “The Second Legend Of Dmitry Petrovich”—which means that maybe that whole cancelation thing wasn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world. Speaking of, let’s see what’s happening in the world of Legends: “In present day Prague, Kate goes missing, and Martin fears she’s been abducted. Martin makes a risky proposition to Nina and Simon in an effort to bring her to safety. Gabi discovers that Blazek may have a dangerous connection to Tamir. In 2001 Prague, Ballard and Gabi use questionable methods to threaten Dmitry. In 1985 England, Alex suspects his friend Terrence has resorted to ruthless tactics.” Dates! Places! Legends!
Super Into (TruTV, 10:30 p.m.): Tonight, Super Into delves into the “private passion” of LA Lakers shooting guard Nick Young: sneakers. That’s right—an NBA player is obsessed with sneakers. According to the episode synopsis, it’s “an obsession so enormous that he’s dedicated an entire guest house at his home to accommodating the hundreds of sneakers in his possession.” Super Into is basically Cribs now. Huh.
Miracle On 34th Street (AMC, 5:30 / 8 / 10:15 p.m.): If you plan to watch this Christmas classic today and somehow miss it, that’s on you, buddy.
Christmas With The Kranks / The Santa Clause 2 (FX, 6 / 8 p.m.): On the other hand, if you want a double feature that will really get your family in the holiday spirit—you know, blind rage—this one is for you.
Sister Act / Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit (Lifetime, 6 / 8 p.m.): This is really more of a public service announcement that Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit is on. Sorry, Harvey Keitel.
Sports, sports, all type of sports
Miami Beach Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. South Florida (ESPN, 2:30 p.m.)
Barclays Premier League Soccer: Arsenal vs. Manchester City (NBC Sports, 2:55 p.m.)
Women’s Basketball: Florida State at Arizona State (ESPNU, 5 p.m.)
College Basketball: Providence at Massachusetts (CBS Sports, 7 p.m.)
College Basketball: Appalachian State at North Carolina (ESPN2, 7 p.m.)
College Basketball: Eastern Kentucky at West Virginia (ESPNU, 7 p.m.)
College Basketball: Chicago State at Marquette (FS1, 7 p.m.)
NBA Basketball: Magic at Knicks (FSN, 7:30 p.m.)
Monday Night Football: Lions at Saints (ESPN, 8:15 p.m.)
College Basketball: Pepperdine at Gonzaga (ESPN2, 9 p.m.)
College Basketball: Oregon at Alabama (ESPNU, 9 p.m.)
College Basketball: North Texas at Creighton (FS1, 9 p.m.)
In case you missed it
Flesh And Bone: Molly Eichel classified this episode of Flesh And Bone as “overstuffed,” which is certainly something.