Landscapers (HBO, 9:00pm) — The dream pairing of Olivia Colman (The Crown, The Favorite) and David Thewlis (Fargo, I’m Thinking Of Ending Things) leads this inspired-by-real-life story about a couple that apparently murders one of their sets of parents. This ghastly turn of events launches a high-profile investigation, but don’t expect this to be a straight-up retelling in any sense of the word. Rather, director Will Sharpe (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) isn’t afraid to explore fantasy along with the unusual love story of this couple.
The Forever Prisoner (HBO, 10:00pm) — Alex Gibney’s latest explosive documentary dives into the story of Abu Zubaydah, who’s the first high-value detainee (who still remains at Guantánamo Bay) that endures the CIA’s Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, which are widely regarded as torture. It’s a chilling story that challenges the very notion of due process.
Voir (Netflix docuseries) — This project serves as David Fincher’s love letter to cinema. Expect a swath of “visual essays” from Fincher in collaboration with his fellow cinephiles, who will dive deep into iconic movies to discover the true “purpose of filmmaking.” You’ll see some Jaws and Citizen Kane but also The Karate Kid, Mad Max: Fury Road, Kill Bill, Goodfellas, Lawrence of Arabia, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and more. It’s a master class in not only the art of filmmaking but the art of watching movies.
9-1-1 (FOX, 8:00pm) — The 118 must clean up the chaos of Christmas Eve emergencies, so maybe we’ll see some festive-explosive bull semen factories?
4400 (CW, 9:00pm) — Rev’s dealing with his flock while Claudette asserts independence, LaDonna wants to make a move, and Keisha goes on a date.
The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Jonan Hill, Tig Notaro, Dan + Shay
Late Night With Seth Meyers — Michael J. Fox, Kimberly Williams-Paisley & Ashley Williams, Nikki Glaspie
The Late Late Show With James Corden — Zachary Levi, Nicole Byer, Nnena
In case you missed this recent streaming pick:
14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible (Netflix documentary) — A fearless Nepali climber, Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja, feeds into his country’s deep connection to daredevil mountaineering at the top of the world. As the title suggests, he undertakes the mission to climb the world’s 14 highest peak, and he enlists the power of skilled Sherpas to get the job done. In the process, he encounters extreme weather while also processing heavy emotions about his everyday life on sea-level altitude.
