Kennedy Center Honors, ‘Out of Bounds’ With Antonio Brown, King of Collectibles, ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ and More Christmas Classics

Special

8/7c

What do Rocky Balboa, Broadway’s original Phantom of the Opera, an iconic rock band, a country-music legend, and a disco diva have in common? They are this year’s Kennedy Center Honors recipients, the first honorees under a new regime. Kurt Russell salutes Sylvester Stallone, with Arturo Sandoval (a 2024 Kennedy Center honoree), and composer Bill Conti performing the Rocky theme. Frasier‘s Kelsey Grammer leads the tribute to Phantom Tony winner Michael Crawford, with Broadway’s Laura Osnes joined by David Phelps for a Phantom medley. Country stars Brooks and Dunn, Vince Gill, and Miranda Lambert participate in the celebration of honoree George Strait. Elle King belts “I Will Survive” during a segment in honor of disco diva Gloria Gaynor that also features Deniece Williams. And Garth Brooks kicks off the Kiss tribute, with Cheap Trick delivering “Rock and Roll All Nite.”

Documentary Premiere

9/8c

The docuseries devotes two hours to the controversies surrounding former NFL star Antonio Brown, whose career was clouded by legal trouble and erratic behavior on and off the field. More recently, Brown was the subject of an international manhunt after a shooting incident outside a celebrity boxing event in May, leading to his extradition from Dubai and a charge of attempted second-degree murder, for which he is currently on house arrest. The special widens its focus to explore the public’s fascination with the downfall of polarizing celebrities.

“We are going global,” Ken Goldin crows in Season 3 of the reality series that goes inside the workings of his auction house. Goldin Auctions was recently acquired by eBay, expanding the reach of a business that Goldin immodestly envisions being worth $1 billion in what he calls a “Ken-aissance” for rare collectibles — including a Cheeto shaped like a Pokémon character.

TCM’s yuletide marathon of holiday-related movie classics began over the weekend and continues through Christmas Day. Tuesday’s highlight is the beloved 1944 Judy Garland musical (8/7c), directed by her then-husband Vincente Minnelli, that introduced the haunting “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” to the pantheon of immortal holiday songs. Followed by another Garland favorite, 1949’s In the Good Old Summertime (10/9c), co-starring Garland and Van Johnson as workplace rivals who are secretly pen pals, a farcical situation (earlier dramatized in The Shop Around the Corner) that culminates at Christmastime and would later serve as inspiration for You’ve Got Mail and the Broadway musical She Loves Me.

Streaming Premiere

The romantic drama based on Colleen Hoover‘s best-seller makes its streaming debut, starring Allison Williams and Mckenna Grace as Morgan and Clara, mother and daughter whose relationship is strained after a tragic accident reveals unsettling truths about their family. Dave Franco and Mason Thames co-star as their respective love interests.