The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306
8 pm/ET HBO2
For years, Rev. Samuel "Billy" Kyles wondered why he alone was with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968, at the age of 39. By the end of this stirring, Oscar-nominated 2008 documentary, you'll hear Kyles' conclusion. Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, the film tells the story of King's support for the strike by the city's sanitation workers, and shows footage of what turned out to be the last of his many memorable speeches.
Read on for previews of Lost, American Idol, Spectacle and Top Chef: New York.
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George Carlin: The Mark Twain Prize
9 pm/ET PBS (check local listings)
Calling George Carlin "cranky" is akin to calling the Mona Lisa "well done" — it's on target but misses the mark. The comedian, who passed away last year, was best known for spurring a Supreme Court case, hosting the first Saturday Night Live, and provoking much thought and many more laughs. Here, he's posthumously awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where spiritual heirs Lewis Black, Bill Maher, Garry Shandling and Jon Stewart as well as contemporaries Joan Rivers and Lily Tomlin are on hand.
Read on for previews of Katie Couric: "All Access" Grammy Special, Lost, Spectacle and Life.
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Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2009
10 pm/ET ABC
Start off your New Year's Eve party by joining Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest in Times Square.
Read on for previews of Spectacle, New Year's Eve with Carson Daly, New Year's Eve Live and the Entourage marathon.
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Christmas in Washington
8 pm/ET TNT
It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas at the 27th annual holiday songfest.
Read on for previews of Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, Top Chef, Spectacle and White House Christmas 2008.
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