What To Watch: One Direction, Two Benched, Mozart, Shrek And More
On TV this Tuesday: NBC tells all about One Direction, Amazon spins a classical tale, Eliza Coupe this week gets Benched twice, and marathons of three popular procedurals abound. Here are 10 programs to keep on your radar.
Showtimes for December 23, 2014
Mozart in the Jungle
Premiere, 10 episodes: Created by Paul Weitz (About a Boy), Roman Coppola (The Darjeeling Limited) and Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore), this drama takes you behind the curtains at the fictional New York Symphony. Lola Kirke, Gael Garcia Bernal, Malcolm McDowell and Bernadette Peters star.
Law & Order: SVU
Through 7 pm | If it's the holiday season, it must be time for an SVU marathon. Or even when it's not. (See the full line-up here.)
Bones
Through 8 pm | Commemorate the recent 200th episode with this run of five Season 1 outings, plus others. (See line-up.)
Criminal Minds
Through 11 pm | This marathon opens with Season 4's "Cold Comfort" (guest-starring Cybil Shepherd) and closes with the Season 9 finale "Angels"/"Demons." (See line-up.)
One Direction: The TV Special
This hour-long special promises "a rare inside look 
at the wildly popular band through a combination of documentary material (from the South American leg of their “Where We Are" tour), comical stunts (always high-larious) and musical performances.
Shrek the Halls
It's Christmas Eve and everyone is filled with cheer -- except for Shrek. But for the sake of Fiona and the kids, he tries to get into the spirit of things as only an ogre can.
The Year: 2014
This two-hour, Robin Roberts-hosted special hosted reflects on the year's lows and highs, including racial unrest in Ferguson, Miss., the Ebola outbreak, the ISIS threat and (on the lighter side) headline-making celebrity happenings.
Benched
In the first of two new episodes, a conflicted Nina discovers that Trent and the DA’s office are plotting to arrest the city’s homeless. Then at 10:30, Nina sets up a friend (guest star Erinn Hayes) with Phil, while a female judge (Molly Shannon) takes a shine to Carlos.
Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce
Abby starts to date Nate (C. Thomas Howell), a married dad with whom she had an emotional affair during her marriage; Max and Ford are given an award by LGBT activist Adele Northrop (Orange Is the New Black's Laverne Cox).
Kelly Clarkson's Cautionary Christmas Music Tale
Filmed in 2013, Kelly Clarkson and guests such as Blake Shelton, Reba McIntyre and Robin Williams celebrate the holidays with a musical morality tale.