‘Survivor’ Finale, Holiday Comedy Episodes on NBC, ‘Shatner in Space,’ ‘Hand of God’ on Netflix

Survivor

The twists just kept coming during the 41st season, but now it’s crunch time for the final five castaways to duke it out for a chance to argue why the last players standing deserve the $1 million reward. (If Ricard makes it to the very end, he’d seem to be a lock.) For the first time since the legendary first season, the winner will be revealed live on location—followed by the traditional after-show, where some of the bolder contestants can explain their strategies and relive their highs and lows.

Young Rock

Notably devoid of comedy in prime time this fall, NBC compensates with special holiday episodes of its sitcoms that will be returning at midseason (Kenan in January, Young Rock and Mr. Mayor in March). Young Rock offers a twist on A Christmas Carol as the younger versions of Dwayne Johnson argue amongst themselves about who had the worst Christmas ever. (The moral: “Christmas is what we make of it.”). Kenan (NBC, 8:30/7:30c) revolves around the Atlanta station’s annual “Wake Up with Kenan” Holiday Spectacular on Christmas Day, with Santa Kenan (Kenan Thompson) rattled when brother/manager Gary (Chris Redd) begs off playing his elf to woo a new client. Mr. Mayor (NBC, 9/8c) welcomes guest stars Taran Killam (as a mentalist) and 30 Rock’s Scott Adsit for a wacky riff on Christmastime in L.A., a city whose lack of a suitable Christmas song keeps Jayden (Bobby Moynihan) busy on Dec. 22, which the mayor’s staff has declared “L.A. Christmas Eve.”

Shatner In Space

“My time in space was the most profound experience I could have ever imagined,” gushes William Shatner, who at 90 became the oldest person in space when he and three other passengers experienced a 10-minute suborbital flight aboard a Blue Origin vessel in October. An hourlong special follows the Star Trek icon before, during and after this transcendent event.

The Hand of God

Another week, another Oscar contender on Netflix, this time from the foreign-film arena. Oscar-winning writer/director Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty, The Young Pope) borrowed from his own coming-of-age in 1980s Naples, Italy, to tell the emotional story of teenage Fabietto (Filippo Scotti), whose excitement over the visit of soccer great Diego Maradona is tempered by a tragic accident.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Will Ireland ever be the same after this irreverent gang brings their brand of blarney to the emerald isle? In back-to-back episodes set in Dublin, Dee (Kaitlin Olson) gets cast in an Irish soap opera as an “Obnoxious American MILF,” then Mac (Rob McElhenny) decides to join the seminary. Holy sacred cow!

Inside Wednesday TV:

• iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2021 (8/7c, The CW): Among those scheduled to perform at the annual holiday concert festival: Ed Sheeran, BTS, Dua Lipa, Jonas Brothers, Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Saweetie and Kane Brown.
• The Enchanted Christmas Cake (8/7c, Lifetime): You knew there would be at least one new holiday movie, right? Smallville’s Erica Durance is a struggling baker hoping to rescue the family bakery by helping a sympathetic producer (Robin Dunne) behind the scenes of a Christmas special for a renowned chef.
• The Masked Singer (8/7c, Fox): In a holiday-themed season finale, the final singers—Bull from Group A, Queen of Hearts from Group B—will be unmasked, with one awarded the Golden Mask Trophy.
• Nick News (7:30/6:30c, Nickelodeon): A new edition of the youth-oriented news program, hosted by Jamie Yuccas of CBS News, features a report from Afghanistan about female students fighting for an education after the Taliban re-enacted restrictive rules for girls over 11.
• Twenties (10/9c, BET and BET Her): In the Season 2 finale of the L.A.-based comedy, Hattie (Jojo T. Gibbs) discovers a new side to her relationship with her father when she and the gang check out his comedy show.
• Foodtastic (streaming on Disney+): Ever envisioned a Millennium Falcon that’s good enough to eat? That’s the idea behind this whimsical competition among food artists who create art and sculptures made entirely of edibles. Each challenge is inspired by an iconic brand or title within the Disney empire (Star Wars, Avengers, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, The Muppets).
• Rumble (streaming on Paramount+): An animated family film set in a world where professional Monster Wrestling is all the rage focuses on teenage Winnie (Miracle Workers’ Geraldine Viswanathan), who’s coaching an underdog monster all the way to the center ring.
• Ron’s Gone Wrong (streaming on Disney+ and HBO Max): More family animation in the comic misadventures of Barney, a socially awkward middle-schooler (Jack Dylan Grazer), and Ron (Zach Galifianakis), his malfunctioning “B*bot” digital companion designed to be his best friend. If only Ron had the right code.