Glitzy new Christmas specials have become increasingly rare. So it’s worth noting that “Barry Manilow’s A Very Barry Christmas” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-G) was taped live at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino, where he recently performed his 637th show, breaking Elvis Presley’s record for the number of performances on the same stage.
Speaking of longevity, Manilow has been a fixture of pop music for a good half century now. “Mandy” hit the charts in 1974. Before that, he gained notoriety for being Bette Midler’s piano accompanist when they performed at a popular New York City bathhouse.
Look for a blend of Manilow’s many hits with holiday favorites. There’s even a campy mashup of hot chocolate and “Copacabana.” You can probably figure out the pun involved.
Even before his collaboration with Midler, the irrepressibly talented Manilow composed tunes for popular commercials. He wrote “You Deserve a Break Today” for McDonald’s and “Like a Good Neighbor” for State Farm insurance, among many.
So, who better to “jingle” all the way?
— The recently settled writers and actors strikes have forced programmers to innovate. CBS has attracted audiences with recycled airings of “Yellowstone.” Now it turns to an unscripted favorite to fill a schedule affected by a six-month production shutdown.
So how can you make something “new” without the contributions of actors and writers? The network invites three former “Big Brother” guests, Derek Xiao, Tiffany Mitchell and Jordan Lloyd, to preside over “Big Brother: Reindeer Games” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).
Nine participants will compete in holiday-themed games. As with the summer helping of “Big Brother,” one player will be eliminated per episode. But these Christmas-season contestants will not be incarcerated in the big house, so there will be no evictions. Nobody wants to see players thrown out into the fake snow.
— The 2023 “POV” (10 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings) documentary “How to Have an American Baby” uses overlapping anecdotal accounts to expose a shadowy underground market. Businesses in China organize seminars to train expectant mothers how to travel to the United States and give birth while on “vacation” in order to secure citizenship for their newborns.
In the United States, a dodgy network of maternity hotels and wards have emerged to serve these “tourists” as they face the uncertainties of pregnancy far from home and family. So, in addition to spotlighting a kind of black-market trafficking, “How To” is shot through with scenes of bored and anxious women, creating an atmosphere of ennui and dislocation.
— TCM unspools two U.K. dramas from the 1960s featuring theme songs that became hits on the music charts. Lulu’s rendition of the theme to “To Sir With Love” (8 p.m., TV-PG) was the top-selling single of 1967. Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s theme to the 1966 drama “Alfie” (10 p.m., TV-PG) hit the charts in the U.K. for Cilla Black and for Dionne Warwick in the United States.
TONIGHT’S HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS
— A foundling (Will Ferrell) travels to New York to find his real father (James Caan) in the 2003 comedy “Elf” (8:15 p.m., AMC, TV-PG).
— College friends and rivals reunite for the holidays 15 years after graduation in the 2013 comedy “The Best Man Holiday” (8 p.m., BET, TV-14).
— A struggling pastry chef makes it to a gingerbread competition in the 2017 romance “The Sweetest Christmas” (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
— Jim Carrey stars in the 2000 live-action adaptation of “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (8:20 p.m., Freeform, TV-PG). Directed by Ron Howard and narrated by Anthony Hopkins.
— Sassy, underappreciated women contend with husbands, kids, parents and in-laws over the holidays in the 2017 comedy “A Bad Moms Christmas” (8:30 p.m., E!, TV-14).
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— “The Voice” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) features performances by nine finalists.
— The New York Giants host the Green Bay Packers in Monday Night Football action (8 p.m., ABC, ESPN).
— A WWII veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) falls under the spell of a cult leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman) in the 2012 drama “The Master” (8:55 p.m., HBO2). Phoenix stars in Ridley Scott’s epic new “Napoleon” biopic.
CULT CHOICE
Friends (Sean Penn and Nicolas Cage) spend an idyllic California summer before facing Marine service in World War II in the 1984 drama “Racing With the Moon” (7 p.m., Showcase). Elizabeth McGovern (“Downton Abbey”) also stars.
SERIES NOTES
Gordon Ramsay hosts “MasterChef Junior: Home for the Holidays” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Jimmy Fallon welcomes Mark Wahlberg, Elle Fanning and Carin Leon on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Dua Lipa and Marcus Gilmore visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC).
