CATEGORY: DRAMA
Hard-boiled dames
Now that scripted TV dramas are offering reruns for most of December, leave it to TNT to give us original episodes of “The Closer” and “Saving Grace.” The enormously popular “Closer” serves up a two-hour episode with a Christmas theme. Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) and her beau, Fritz (Jon Tenney), are spending the holidays with Brenda’s parents (Barry Corbin and Frances Sternhagen) when the gang-style robbery of an armored car results in the death of two security guards. While doing her best to keep her meddlesome folks entertained, Brenda calls on Flynn and Provenza for support on the case, while doing her best to keep her meddlesome folks entertained. Brenda uses some unorthodox tactics to stop her murderer and his gang from killing again.
A new episode of “Saving Grace” follows “The Closer.” The gritty Holly Hunter drama sends her character, Grace, to investigate a deadly school bus accident that has homicidal overtones. Just as she goes to question the owners of the bus, tornadoes rip through Oklahoma City, trapping both Grace and her prime suspect in a collapsed building.
THE CLOSER
Monday, 8 p.m., TNT
SAVING GRACE
Monday, 10 p.m. TNT
CATEGORY: COMEDY
Losing the Christmas spirit
The holidays often bring out the worst in people and a special episode of “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” bears that out. Curtis needs to go with the flow when a Hawaiian vacation that he has planned with Ella (Cassi Davis) is postponed and he sinks into a major Christmas funk. It seems that Ella wants to celebrate the big day with C.J.’s kids, who are alone together for the first time since their mom left. Madea (Tyler Perry) makes a return visit to the Payne household to teach Curtis a lesson.
TYLER PERRY’S HOUSE OF PAYNE
Wednesday, 10 p.m., TBS
CATEGORY: COMEDY
Fooled around and fell in love
Jack (Alec Baldwin) is reluctant to go public with his relationship with his new girlfriend, C.C. (Edie Falco), but she’s pressuring him to put it out there. Meanwhile, Liz (Tina Fey) continues to appease both Tracy (Tracy Morgan) and Jenna (Jane Krakowski) as stars as “TGS with Tracy Jordan” by faking a satellite transmission to accept an award from the Pacific Rim Emmys. Jenna is furious and pulls several diva stunts, hiring two personal assistants and showing up late for rehearsals.
30 ROCK
Thursday, 8:30 p.m., NBC
CATEGORY: DRAMA
Another nervous bride
Will Kitty (Calista Flockhart) and her presidential candidate fiance, Robert (Rob Lowe), really get married on “Brothers & Sisters”? It’s been a bad season for weddings on prime time, with endangered ceremonies turning up on “Ugly Betty” and “Dirty Sexy Money.” Meanwhile, Kitty’s mom Nora (Sally Field) continues to date Stan (Chevy Chase) and aging floozy Holly (Patricia Wettig) gets a surprise visit from an old friend, played by Wettig’s real-life husband, show executive producer Ken Olin.
BROTHERS & SISTERS
Sunday, 10 p.m., ABC
CATEGORY: MADE FOR TV
A place called home
A 12-year-old girl who has bounced around the foster-care system is the focus of “Pictures of Hollis Woods,” an original TV film starring Sissy Spacek and Alfre Woodard. Woodard plays a frustrated social worker who places Hollis (Jodelle Ferland) with a retired art teacher. It’s a good match. Both Josie, the teacher (Spacek), and the girl are artists. Everything’s going great until Hollis realizes that Josie is becoming unusually forgetful. Before her social worker catches on, Hollis makes a bold escape, with Josie in tow.
PICTURES OF HOLLIS WOODS
Sunday, 9 p.m., CBS