What's worth watching next week? Here are some suggestions.
Don't miss
- "Men of a Certain Age," Monday, TNT. Some things really do get better with age -- like this humorous slice-of-life drama about three guys tiptoeing their way through the minefield of mid life. In Season 1, the show became more enjoyable as the characters deepened and the angst lessened. Now, "Men" appears poised to become one of TV's true gems. As Season 2 opens, we find Joe (Ray Romano) wading back into the dating pool and trying to rekindle his dream of becoming a professional golfer. Meanwhile, Owen (Andre Braugher) is starting to regret his decision to hire Terry (Scott Bakula) at his father's car dealership.
Other bets
- "The Simpsons," Sunday, Fox. "The Simpsons" takes a cue from its annual "Treehouse of Horror" special to air its first multistory Christmas episode. One tale finds the Springfield clan in Scrooge mode, prompting Marge to solicit holiday tips from Martha Clause (guest voice Martha Stewart).
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- "VH1 Divas Salute the Troops," Sunday, VH1. The annual salute to women who rock turns the spotlight on its audience: Servicemen and women at various military bases. Kathy Griffin is our host for performances by Katy Perry, Sugarland, Nicki Minaj and others.
- "The Hasselhoffs," Sunday, A&E. Just when you thought reality TV had exhausted all its vanity projects, here comes "The Hasselhoffs," a navel-gazing series about single-dad, David, and his two daughters. Yes, we're rolling our eyes, too.
- "American Country Awards," Monday, Fox. Did we really need another show to honor country music stars? Apparently someone thinks so. "American Country Awards" winners are determined by fans voting. Among the performers: Trace Adkins, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts and Reba McEntire.
- "The Closer," Monday, TNT. One of cable TV's most popular shows, "The Closer" returns for a five-episode holiday run. As usual, Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) has her hands full trying to figure out why one of her colleagues was ambushed in the streets.
- "A Charlie Brown Christmas," Tuesday, CBS. We've seen it a zillion times, but this classic still gets to us with its simple, yet powerful, message -- and, of course, that lovably puny tree.
- "Glee," Tuesday, Fox. Clueless Brittany (Heather Morris) still believes in Santa Claus. Meanwhile, a certain devious faculty member becomes a gift-hording Grinch.
- "Mythbusters," Wednesday, Discovery. Adam and Jamie take on a request from a fan with some big-time clout: Barack Obama. The president challenges them to retest the myth in which Greek scientist Archimedes set a Roman fleet ablaze using only mirrors and sunlight.
- "Community," Thursday, NBC. The delightful, yet lightly viewed sitcom continues to surprise us with a surreal holiday-themed episode in which the cast appears as stop-motion animated characters.
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- "A Barbara Walters Special: Oprah, the Next Chapter," Thursday, ABC. One of two specials Thursday featuring Babs, it has the journalist sitting down with the daytime TV titan Oprah to discuss her upcoming cable venture. Immediately following is "Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2010."
- "Supernatural," Friday, The CW. Yikes, this has trouble written all over it. Dean (Jensen Ackles) considers a deal in which he would act as the Grim Reaper for 24 hours in exchange for Sam's (Jared Padelecki) soul.
- "Frosty the Snowman," Saturday, CBS. After all these years, "Frosty the Snowman" remains oh so cool. Why? Because he really knows how to rock a corncob pipe and a button nose.
