Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Tuesday, Dec. 20. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
The Larry Sanders Show (3 p.m.): Have you been reading Kyle Ryan’s coverage of this classic HBO comedy? Well, you should have been, because it’s been really great, and today would be a great time to jump on board. Why? Because there’s absolutely nothing on television tonight, and we did our due diligence and checked. You might as well turn the set off and hang out with family. Once you get done reading Kyle’s Larry Sanders thoughts, of course.
TV CLUB CLASSIC
The Muppet Show (1 p.m.): So Sandy Duncan and Candice Bergen walk into one of Erik Adams’ Muppet Show reviews, and… this feels like the start of a really, really strange, potentially disturbing story. But wasn’t Sandy Duncan great on Scooby Doo?
TV CLUB ADVENT CALENDAR
The Claymation Christmas Celebration (Monday): Erik Adams checks out the 1987 special that seems almost completely of its time now, down to the ethnic caricatures and the obsession with raisins that sing Motown classics.
WHAT ELSE IS ON?
Lidia Celebrates America/Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Christmas (PBS/BBC America, 8 p.m./10 p.m.): PBS and BBC America offer two takes on preparing a big meal for the holidays. Gordon Ramsay, of course, is known for his holiday cheer.
Dirty Jobs (Discovery, 9 p.m.): Mike Rowe heads out into the field to work with paleontologists. Here at What’s On Tonight are good friends with a paleontologist, and we can assure you they get all the fastest cars and best-looking women.
Flip Men (Spike, 10 p.m.): The only description the episode summary offers is “Mike overpays for a property with a mysterious dungeon,” which just makes us think this might be the best episode of television ever produced.
Chopped (Food, 10 p.m.): Tonight, the contestants have to use vanilla ice cream in the dessert round. Gee. That sounds like the toughest challenge ever! Who would have thought of putting vanilla ice cream in a dessert? Certainly not us!
Monsters (TMC, 8 p.m.): The premise of this movie—guy has to escort a girl through a Central America that’s overrun by monsters—is a whole lot more compelling than what’s on screen, but this is still worth watching for its effects and weird story.
The American (Cinemax, 8:15 p.m.): This cool, cerebral thriller mostly confused American audiences when it debuted last year, but we liked it, particularly George Clooney in a minimalist role and the excellent direction of Anton Corbijn.
St. Petersburg Bowl: Marshall vs. Florida International (ESPN, 8 p.m.): Sometimes, we think some of these bowl games are just still around because they give ESPN something to put on the air in primetime in late December.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Terra Nova (Monday): There are only a handful of shows in television history that have featured a man outrunning an explosion and a dinosaur all at once, but this was one of them. Pity, then, that it was so boring, or so Rowan Kaiser would suggest.