Matt's Weekend Picks: December 17-19

Christmas in Washington(Friday, 8/7c, TNT)

It's the most wonderful time of the year — for musical holiday specials, at the very least. Mariah Carey, who kicked the TV week off with an ABC Christmas special on Monday, is part of the all-star lineup of this concert extravaganza, taped last weekend at the gorgeous National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Ellen DeGeneres hosts, and joining Carey onstage are an eclectic group including Glee's Matthew Morrison, iCarly's Miranda Cosgrove, Annie Lennox, Maxell and Andrea Bocelli. Stay tunes at 9/8c for a holiday showing of The Wizard of Oz, a classic that makes any night feel like a holiday.

 

Ricky Gervais: Out of England 2 — The Stand-Up Special (Saturday, 10/9c, HBO)

The mischievous British clown, who's hosting the Golden Globes again next month, returns to his home base of HBO (where his triumphant Extras aired and where a second season of The Ricky Gervais Show will premiere in January) for his second U.S. stand-up special. Taped in Chicago in October, this blast of cheerful bad taste tackles such politically incorrect subjects for humor as heroine, famine, animal homosexuality, the recession — and Noah's Ark. If you're easily offended, be forewarned.

 

Saturday Night Live (Saturday, 11:30/10:30, NBC)

DUDE! Look who's hosting SNL for only his second time: Jeff Bridges, on a hot streak after his Oscar win (for Crazy Heart) with two big December releases: TRON: Legacy and the True Grit remake. The guy's got range, and let's hope the SNL writers will take full advantage. But we can't imagine a night of comedy featuring Bridges that won't ask him to reprise his iconic character of The Dude from The Big Lebowski.

 

Survivor: Nicaragua (Sunday, 8/7c, CBS)

You know the drill by now. The final contestants battle it out in the last immunity challenges, and those left standing will face interrogation from the jury, who will ultimately decide the winner of $1 million. Will it be one of the young upstarts or could an old-timer win the big prize? The two-hour finale and live coronation will be followed by a cast reunion, this time made more interesting by the prospect of watching the season's two quitters — the obnoxious NaOnka and the mostly invisible Purple Kelly — to be raked over the proverbial coals.

 

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