TV tonight: 'Modern Family,' 'Nova' on Neil Armstrong
Christmas in Rockefeller Center
NBC, 8 ET/PT
Once again, NBC marks the lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center with a primetime special, this time featuring scheduled performances by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, Cyndi Lauper, Idina Menzel, LeAnn Rimes and Trisha Yearwood, among others. The hour is hosted by Today anchors Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Natalie Morales — who may be in a particularly festive mood, having been spared a proposed shakeup by the sudden dismissal of their new boss. If that doesn't increase your holiday spirit, what would?
Modern Family
ABC, 9 ET/PT
The best shows usually manage to attract the best guests. If you need proof, check out Modern Family, which boasts a guest appearance by 3rd Rock from the Sun Emmy-winner Kristen Johnston. Let's hope the show provides her with a better showcase than she's currently getting on TV Land's The Exes, because she certainly deserves one.
Nova: First Man on the Moon
PBS, 9 ET/PT (times may vary)
Nova offers a rare, intimate look into the life and career of Neil Armstrong, a man whom most of us only know as the first person to set foot on the moon. Oh, and because this is a PBS science program, and not some bit of ratings-grabbing cable hokum, it will be assumed (correctly) that Armstrong did indeed land on the moon. Conspiracy theorists need not apply.