What's On Tonight (Saturday): I'm dreaming of a Luminare Christmas

Luminare Christmas concert (via YouTube)

My job... it's just beach! Here's what's on television for tonight, Saturday, December 16!

Our Top Pick tonight is Luminare Christmas! (AXS TV, 7:30 p.m.). This visual concert special from John Blasucci (Mannheim Steamroller) and Dennis DeYoung (Styx) "reimagines several beloved Christmas classics, in addition to a roster of all-new original material that is sure to get viewers in the spirit of the season as they celebrate the joy and majesty of the most wonderful time of the year."

Elsewhere, Kate McKinnon returns to be Live from New York, Planet Earth examines humans, Jack Taylor goes to Ovation, Naruto fights solo, HBO makes TV part of the Barbie world, and Leo Reich seeks laughs.

(All times are Eastern. All listings are new unless otherwise stated. For more listings, visit The Futon Critic or Zap2it.)

ON THIS SITE

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EARLY STREAMING & EVENING

⭐🎄 Luminare Christmas! (AXS TV, 7:30 p.m.): SPECIAL. Luminare Christmas brings viewers a holiday concert event that reimagines several Christmas classics that will leave them feeling the joy and majesty of the most wonderful time of the year."

WHAT ELSE IS ON

📡 Jack Taylor (Ovation, 7 p.m. / Acorn TV, now): Series premiere

🇰🇷 Maestra: Strings of Truth (Hulu, 8:50 a.m.)

🇰🇷 My Demon (Netflix, 8 a.m.)

🇰🇷 Welcome to Samdal-Ri (Netflix, 8:30 a.m.)

🕗 8 P.M. EASTERN / 🕖 7 P.M. CENTRAL

🎥🎄 Designing Christmas with You (Great American Family): More than a millennia ago, much of the southern coastal lands of the Christmas continent were ruled by leprechauns. After a few centuries of conflicts for territory, they entered an era of peace. No leprechaun would be more powerful than Ádh. With his wife, Tuar Ceatha, he brought numerous factions and tribes under his banner. However, as his popularity grew, so did his lust for power, which began by taking local control from cities. He often talked with his wife about remaking the continent in his image, a place ruled by leprechauns and no other species to dare rival them. As they moved forward with their vision, Tuar Ceatha died of an illness, causing Ádh to spiral. He was no longer just a modest self-important ruler, he was Ádh the Ruthless, the Leprechaun Emperor. For the next 3 decades he fought tooth and nail to make his and his wife's vision come true. He waged exhaustive wars with the gnomes and trolls and put dissenters in labor camps. The military campaigns slowed after defeat by the elves in Pine Valley but Ádh's empire had more than doubled in size. Thousands were displaced, and the Leprechaun population lived in fear. Ádh had spies everywhere and further consolidated power by eliminating states. But when he becomes ill in his 28th year as ruler he never recovers -- because none of his staff want to help him get well.

🎥🎄 The Holiday Proposal Plan (Lifetime): Sparks fly when travel columnist Sonny Kravitz and her ex-boyfriend team up to help their best friends get engaged during Christmastime.

Planet Earth III (BBC America & AMC+): Whenever the troubles of a species is discussed, it usually makes me go "Ugh, goddam humans. Fucking everything up." Here's an episode about humans! 

🎥🎄 Sealed with a List (Hallmark Channel / Peacock, Sunday): Dolly Sue and Aaron Drumaí, the mayors of neighboring towns Pumpkin and Spice, are taking their relationship to the next level. They've already sealed their relationship with their engagement, and now they want to move in together. However, that's a problem because whoever moves to the other's town won't be eligible to run for re-election. It's a conflict they knew was coming but didn't want to confront it. Aaron is the less popular elected official of the two, but as a member of a legacy family, he can probably make it anywhere. Sticking to public office, Dolly might have a hard time in Pumpkin after the city Christmas tree burning last year -- which she didn't do! The two opt to hash it out one night, compiling a list of what they want to do in their lives and examine the needs and necessity of their mayoral positions. Then it's decided, Aaron will move to Spice with Dolly and go back to the family's farming operations, though mother will have stern words for this decision. She was seeking someone in the family to make better political connections. 

WHAT ELSE IS ON

🏈 2023 LA Bowl (ABC): UCLA vs. Boise State

All Elite Wrestling: Collision (TNT)

🎥 Barbie (HBO / Max, now)

Love & Marriage: Huntsville (OWN)

📺🎄 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (CBS)

🎥 Shrek 2 (The CW / Peacock, now)

🎥 Svengoolie (MeTV): The Night Walker

Love & Marriage: Huntsville (via Giphy)

🕘 9 P.M. EASTERN / 🕗 8 P.M. CENTRAL

📺🎄 ALF (Catchy Comedy): Spend the weekend with Christmas episodes. Hours and hours of Christmas episodes from TV shows of all types (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All in the Family, Night Court, Dobie Gillis, Our Miss Brooks, Newhart, etc.). In this particular slot is the final to a two-part ALF. "ALF and the Tanners prepare to spend Christmas in a cabin. When the owner comes to visit them, ALF accidentally jumps into his trunk and he is taken to a hospital and given away as a Christmas gift to a little girl."

🎥🎄 The Christmas Detective (OWN): A neighborhood's Christmas spirit is ruined when a painting is stolen. Kate hopes to restore joy by bringing back the painting and enlists help from her detective ex.

WHAT ELSE IS ON

🏈 2023 Independence Bowl (ESPN, 9:15 p.m.): California at Texas Tech

📺🎄 Frosty the Snowman / Frosty Returns (CBS)

Heartland Docs, DVM (National Geographic Wild)

Legends of the Fork (A&E)

🕙 10 P.M. EASTERN / 🕘 9 P.M. CENTRAL

48 Hours (CBS / Paramount+, Sunday): In "The Journals of Maria Muñ," a nurse anesthetist's wife is found dead with a puzzling combination of drugs in her system and a pinprick mark on her right elbow crease.

🎥🎄 A Christmas Intern (Lifetime): Cecilia discovers that retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be and visits her daughter Alexis, who runs an online gift giving business. Cecilia becomes an intern at the startup and the two learn the importance of family.

Leo Reich: Literally Who Cares?! (HBO): SPECIAL. Leo Reich, this self-diagnosed important young mind faces the swirling uncertainty of our collective future, asking the big questions, such as: "Is this helping?," "Am I hot?," and "No offense guys but literally what is going on?"

WHAT ELSE IS ON

Buddy Valastro's Cake Dynasty (A&E)

📺 SNL Vintage (NBC): Austin Butler, Lizzo (17 Dec 2022)

Leo Reich (via Giphy)

💤😴 LATE NIGHT 😴💤

📺 IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix (Adult Swim, 2:30 a.m.): River confides in Miss Satomi about quitting the team.

Naruto: Shippuden (Adult Swim, 2 a.m.): Kaguya sends Sasuke into another dimension, leaving Naruto to fight her on his own.

One Piece (Adult Swim, 1:30 a.m.): Accompanied by the dwarves, Usopp and Robin arrive in Dressrosa as legendary heroes. Nami struggles miserably in her fight against Giolla.

📺 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (MeTV, 2 a.m.): The Seaview is sent to investigate a mysterious cloud that has caused widespread destruction around the world.

WHAT ELSE IS ON

📡 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Adult Swim, midnight / Netflix, now)

📡 Dr. Stone: New World (Adult Swim, 12:30 & 1 a.m. / CrunchyRoll & Funimation, now)

Saturday Night Live (NBC & Peacock, 11:30 p.m.): Kate McKinnon, Billie Eilish✔️

Saturday Night Live (via Giphy)

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Key Sources: The Futon Critic; IMDb; TV Passport; Zap2it
⭐: Top Pick
💲: Game show
📡: Linear broadcast

🇰🇷: Korean Drama
🎥: Movie
📺: Throwback

🎄: Holiday program

✔️: Video/gif/photo included

Happy watching, everyone!

Reminder: SNL is tomorrow, so the Sunday WOT will be posted a few minutes early!