— Santa comes early with a sack full of bingeable treats.
Olivia Cooke ("Bates Motel," "Ready Player One") stars as Becky Sharp in a new seven-part U.K. adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel "Vanity Fair," streaming on Amazon Prime.
Cooke’s Becky projects a contemporary sass that never seems out of place in the gorgeous period setting. Look for Martin Clunes ("Doc Martin") among a strong supporting cast.
Thackeray, who also wrote "Barry Lyndon," had a knack for injecting the near-ridiculous into his social satires about clever strivers who upend hidebound and often hypocritical conventions.
A British critic for the Radio Times declared that Cooke may be the best "Becky" ever, comparing her favorably to performances in earlier film and television "Vanity Fair" adaptations starring Joyce Redman (1956), Susan Hampshire (1967), Eve Matheson (1987), Natasha Little (1998) and Reese Witherspoon (2004).
— Sandra Bullock stars in the 2018 adaptation of the post-apocalyptic horror novel "Bird Box" by Josh Malerman. Fresh from a brief theatrical release and streaming on Netflix, it depicts a world beset by some kind of dreadful, creepy entity that causes people to dwell on their worst fears and commit suicide.
Since the viral effect is visual, Bullock and her kids set off in the woods blindfolded to escape the mystery affliction and depart for points unknown. An impressive cast also includes Sarah Paulson and John Malkovich. Is that enough to buy into its many contrivances?
— Netflix begins streaming the documentary series "7 Days Out," showing the intense preparation and anticipation during the week leading up to major events, from the Kentucky Derby to a space launch or the debut of a new fashion line.
Not to be outdone, cable unspools an onslaught of favorites old and new, including "Love Actually" (8 p.m., TBS, TV-14); "Breakfast at Tiffany’s (8 p.m., TCM, TV-G); "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" (9 p.m., Nickelodeon, TV-G) and "War for the Planet of the Apes" (7:35 p.m., Cinemax).
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— LL Cool J hosts "A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-G), a celebration of families changed by adoption.
— Manfred and Kai collaborate on "Midnight, Texas" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Mike shares his feelings about Bud (Robert Forster) on "Last Man Standing" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).
— Ben Whishaw voices the beloved Peruvian bear with a distinctive hat in the 2014 animated adaptation of "Paddington" (8 p.m., Disney, TV-PG).
— The gang concocts fake dating profiles on "The Cool Kids" (8:30 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG).
— Hosts and past champions gather for a holiday helping of "America’s Got Talent" (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG).
— The 2003 Peanuts special "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-G) puts the focus on minor characters Spike and Rerun.
— "The Great Christmas Light Fight" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) showcases the best displays from the past five seasons.
— A female victim had a hothead husband on "Blue Bloods" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
— "Mike Judge Presents: Tales From the Tour Bus" (10 p.m., Cinemax, TV-MA) profiles Betty Davis, a funk star whose suggestive stage routine sparked complaints by politicians and preachers as well as boycotts.
CULT CHOICE
— After stealing the shoes of the woman she’s just killed, a teenage runaway (Judy Garland) embarks on a kaleidoscopic road trip in search of a false idol (Frank Morgan), culminating in the liquidation of her first victim’s sister (Margaret Hamilton) in the 1939 fantasy "The Wizard of Oz" (7:30 p.m., TNT, TV-G).
SERIES NOTES
Intrigue never takes a holiday on "Dynasty" (8 p.m., CW, TV-14) … Weapons of mass destruction on "Hawaii Five-0" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) … Sweet 16 on "Hell’s Kitchen" (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) … Illusionists audition on "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" (9 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) … "Dateline" (10 p.m., NBC) … "20/20" (10 p.m., ABC).
LATE NIGHT
Ellen DeGeneres, Pete Holmes and Cole Swindell appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (11:35 p.m., ABC, r) … Alec Baldwin, Kate Bosworth, Bazzi and Nikki Glaspie visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) … Octavia Spencer, Jesse Williams and Pentatonix appear on "The Late Late Show With James Corden" (12:35 a.m., CBS).
