‘Being the Ricardos,’ ‘Bachelorette’ Finale, Jim Gaffigan a ‘Comedy Monster,’

Writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos, starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as Lucy and Desi, goes behind the scenes with I Love Lucy during a tumultuous week. Michelle makes her choice—or does she?—on the Bachelorette finale. Jim Gaffigan performs stand-up in a new Netflix special. Seasonal music rings throughout the White House in an In Performance at the White House special.

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Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem are Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz—or as millions of TV viewers knew them in the 1950s, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo—in Aaron Sorkin’s enjoyable if overly busy behind-the-scenes look at I Love Lucy during an especially busy week leading up to taping. Conflating several events into a melodramatically compressed time frame, Ricardos opens with a scandal, when the nation’s favorite redhead is accused of being a “red”—Communist—during the McCarthy witch hunt. (It isn’t true.) While this crisis unfolds, Lucy—shown in the movie’s best scenes to be a true and exacting student of comedy—announces to horrified network execs and sponsors that she’s pregnant, and insists that Lucy Ricardo will also be on camera, then unheard of. Adding brilliant support are character actors Nina Arianda and J.K. Simmons as picture-perfect replicas of Vivian Vance and William Frawley, Lucy’s Ethel and Fred Mertz.

ABC

It’s time for Michelle Young to choose—between Brandon J and Nayte, with Mexico as a scenic backdrop when her parents and sister show up to get a measure of the new men in her life. Following the climactic reveal, an After the Final Rose wrap-up (10/9c) gives Michelle, her suitors and other Bachelor Nation personalities the chance to weigh in.

“Monster” seems an awfully strong word for this deceptively mild-mannered comedian, who fans know to be a wizard with a well-timed punch line. More famous lately for his whimsical regular appearances on CBS Sunday Morning, Gaffigan returns to the stand-up stage for his ninth comedy special (the sixth available to stream on Netflix), riffing on topics relatable to all.

With Christmas just a few days away, get in the mood with a music special filmed throughout the decorated White House, as artists perform in iconic spots including the East Room, the State Dining Room and the Blue Room, where the official White House Christmas tree is located. Jennifer Garner hosts the special, with remarks by the President and First Lady and performances by Andrea Bocelli (with Matteo and Virginia Bocelli), Camila Cabello, Eric Church, Jonas Brothers, Norah Jones, Pentatonix, Northwell Health Nurse Choir, Voices of Service and the United States Marine Band.

Inside Tuesday TV:

• NFL Special (6:30/5:30c, 3:30 pm/PT, Fox): Rescheduled because of COVID-19 disruptions, the games go on with either the Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams or Washington Football Team at Philadelphia Eagles. (The two-hour Fantasy Island special has moved to Thursday.)
• The Christmas Ball (8/7c, Lifetime): An out-of-work ballerina (Deidre Mullins) cools her toes in England, where she learns to metaphorically tango with a historian (Nick Hendrix) whose restoration project includes reviving a tradition of Christmas Regency balls.
• Song & Story: Amazing Grace (9/8c, OWN): In the first of a series of uplifting movies inspired by iconic anthems, a painter (Bresha Webb) who feels lost just might be found when she befriends an optimistic clothing-store owner (Getenesh Berhe) who helps lead her on a path toward forgiveness.
• Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (10/9c, HBO): A year-end roundtable features host Bryant Gumbel debriefing correspondents Mary Carillo, Jon Frankel, Andrea Kremer, Soledad O’Brien, David Scott and Kavitha Davidson on the top sports stories of 2021, including the impact of COVID-19.
• Top Gear (10/9c, BBC America, streaming on AMC+): In the season finale, hosts Freddie, Chris and Paddy look for cool and cheap cars for three newly licensed young drivers, who then embark on a rambunctious road trip through the scenic Cornish coast.
• The Last O.G. (10:30/9:30c, TBS): The comedy’s fourth season ends with Tray (Tracy Morgan) preparing for his kids’ high-school graduation, but the proud papa could be in for a setback should his less-ethical moves to save the community center become public.
• The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula (streaming on Shudder): The grand finale of the Goth/horror version of RuPaul’s Drag Race decides which of the final contestants will win the title of Dragula: The World’s Next Drag Supermonster and a $100,000 prize.

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