All-star casts re-create episodes of ‘70s favorites on “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘All in the Family’ and ‘Good Times’” (8 p.m., ABC). Viola Davis, Andre Braugher, Jay Pharoah, Asante Blackk, Corinne Foxx and Tiffany Haddish appear as part of the greater Evans family orbit. Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei play Archie and Edith Bunker.
These live performances remind us of television’s earliest days, when many shows were broadcast live. They also reflect how the best sitcoms of the pre-reality and single-camera eras unfolded like little stage plays taped before live audiences.
— The cast members of “Born This Way” (9 p.m., A&E, TV-PG) reflect on their personal changes over four seasons of the series on the Christmas-themed season finale.
— “Finding the Way Home” (9 p.m., HBO, TV-PG) follows eight children who have moved from orphanages and institutions to loving families. Spanning the globe from Brazil, Bulgaria, Haiti, Nepal, India and Moldova, the film sheds light on the estimated 8 million children currently growing up in orphanages. “Finding” was inspired by the efforts of J.K. Rowling’s Lumos Foundation, established to end the institutionalization of children worldwide by 2050. Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”) narrates.
— What do you get when you combine a bleak Nordic-noir murder mystery with the holiday season? “Wisting,” the new miniseries streaming on AMC’s premium service Sundance Now, comes to mind.
Things seem merry and bright when we first see a set of skis out on the bright snow. Even better, our Scandinavian friend is out to cut down a Christmas tree! Then we spot a decomposed dead body among the pines and firs, and “Wisting” establishes its downbeat tone.
Sven Nordin (“Lilyhammer”) stars as a glum Norwegian homicide detective and recent widower whose attractive daughter is assigned to investigate the sad death of a neighbor who expired in his recliner in front of the television set and was left unattended for months on end.
While writing her article on societal isolation and loneliness, she comes a little too close to dad’s investigation into the Christmas tree body, a victim linked to an American case involving a brash FBI agent (Carrie-Anne Moss, “The Matrix”).
If you can handle the layers of gloom, “Wisting” is intelligent, gripping and artfully shot.
TONIGHT’S HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS
— A donkey leads his friends on a mission to attend the birth of Jesus in the 2017 animated film “The Star” (7 p.m. and 8:45 p.m., FXM, TV-PG), featuring the voices of Steven Yeun, Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Keegan-Michael Key, Kelly Clarkson, Patricia Heaton, Kristin Chenoweth, Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry, and Oprah Winfrey.
— A 2000 special animates a 1979 novelty song on “Grandma Got Run Over by A Reindeer” (8 p.m., CW, TV-G).
— A woman needs a fake boyfriend around the holidays to fool her family in the 2019 romance “Holiday Date” (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
— A busy entrepreneur feels overwhelmed by family in the 2019 comedy “Merry Liddle Christmas” (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-PG).
— An innocent (Will Ferrell) seeks his biological father (James Caan) in the 2003 comedy “Elf” (8 p.m., AMC, TV-PG), directed by Jon Favreau (“The Mandalorian”).
— A ghastly animated approximation of Tom Hanks appears as the conductor in the 2004 adaptation of the children’s book “The Polar Express” (8 p.m. and 10 p.m., WE, TV-G).
— Dean Cain hosts “Masters of Illusion: Christmas Magic” (9 p.m., CW, TV-PG).
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— A winner emerges on the finale of the 39th season of “Survivor” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).
— NBC offers three repeat hours of “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways” (8 p.m., TV-PG).
— All will be revealed over the two-hour season finale of “The Masked Singer” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).
CULT CHOICE
Naturalists help their orphaned pet lioness Elsa readjust to the wild in the 1966 drama “Born Free” (10:30 p.m., TCM, TV-PG). Musical score by John Barry of Bond movie fame.
SERIES NOTES
Dre dreams of an old sitcom on “black-ish” (9:30 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) … On two helpings of “mixed-ish” (ABC, r, TV-PG): solstice (10 p.m.); pageant fever (10:30 p.m.).
LATE NIGHT
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II appears on “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt, Dua Lipa and James Blake on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … John Mulaney and Rodrigo Santoro visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC) … Melissa McCarthy guest-hosts Laura Dern and Mark Duplass on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:35 a.m., CBS).
