Diane Kruger stars in the limited series Little Disasters as a “perfect mom” who may be hiding the truth about her infant child’s injury. Matlock‘s midseason finale delivers some new cliffhanging bombshells. NBC looks back at the year in entertainment in a prime-time Access Hollywood special. Ghosts reveals some surprising truths about its Jazz Age ghost, Alberta.
Paramount+
Little Disasters
If the Golden Globe-nominated All Her Fault wasn’t already enough of a parent’s nightmare, this gripping six-part limited series (available as a binge) is enough to give any mom and dad a few sleepless nights. Diane Kruger stars as “perfect mother” Jess, whose overprotective approach to her children (including extreme vaccine skepticism) comes under scrutiny when she brings her infant daughter to a London ER. The doctor on duty is her friend Liz (Jo Joyner), who can’t reconcile Jess’s explanation with the injuries she sees on little Betsey and reluctantly calls in social services. The fallout ripples not just through Jess’s family, but also affects Liz’s and that of their friend group, including the bohemian Mel (Emily Taaffe) and privileged Charlotte (Shelley Conn). In classic tradition, there are many secrets lurking beyond what happened to this unfortunate baby.
CBS
Ghosts
Who was Jazz Age diva Alberta Haynes (Danielle Pinnock) before she took the name Alberta, and what dark secret does she seem to be hiding? That’s what Thor (Devan Chandler Long) and, eventually, boyfriend Pete (Richie Moriarty) want to know. And this mystery could also be the key to winning over “Creepy Todd” Pearlman (Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll), who’s now a successful podcaster whom Sam (Rose McIver) hopes can help boost her book’s underwhelming sales.
Michael Yarish/CBS
Matlock
The twists just keep coming on this offbeat legal drama, with Matty (Kathy Bates) too preoccupied with her crusade to get justice for her daughter and take down Senior (Beau Bridges) to focus on decorating for Christmas this year. A merger is looming, but an unexpected event leaves the firm in limbo and Matty reassessing next steps with co-conspirator Olympia (Skye P. Marshall). Their case of the week, involving a firefighter who’s been harassed because of his sexual orientation, brings up the issue of accountability—something haunting their conflicted associate Sarah (Leah Lewis), who’s been doing Senior’s bidding lately. The cliffhangers in this midseason finale are doozies.
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
The Yule Log: A special holiday edition of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (8/7, ABC) features comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, country star Meghan Trainor, and actor Taye Diggs spinning the wheel for charity. Followed by two episodes of The Great Christmas Light Fight (9/8c and 10/9c). NBC brings back Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (8/7c) for a second showing this year and repeats last year’s all-star special, Jimmy Fallon’s Holiday Seasoning Spectacular (10/9c). While not exactly a holiday movie, is there ever a bad time to rewatch the heartwarming Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors (8/7c, The CW)? BET+ streams Never Alone for Christmas: Memphis, a companion piece to 2023’s Never Alone for Christmas movie, this time featuring two women in Memphis, a Beale Street blues singer (K. Michelle, who sings two original holiday songs) and a dating coach (Melissa L. Williams), who help each other reignite their dormant love lives.
NBC 2025 Year in Review Presented by Access Hollywood (9:15/8:15c, NBC): Access Hollywood‘s Mario Lopez and Kit Hoover lead a rundown of the year’s top entertainment stories. While corporate synergy will no doubt put Wicked: For Good (from parent company Universal) high on the list, expect recaps of headline events, including the Sean Combs trial, the engagement of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, pop-culture breakthroughs, including KPop Demon Hunters, and notable passings, including Ozzy Osbourne, Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, and more.
INSIDE THURSDAY TV:
- Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage (8/7c, CBS): New parents Georgie (Montana Jordan) and Mandy (Emily Osment) are not happy when Grandma Audrey (Rachel Bay Jones) disciplines baby CeeCee without their permission.
- Hell’s Kitchen (8/7c, Fox): What could go wrong when the chefs have to work together to make Chinese dishes in tag-team style? They’ll also need to put power plays aside while each leads a course during a VIP charity dinner benefiting Feeding America and Stand Up to Cancer. Followed by a new episode of Next Level Baker (9/8c).
- Music Box: Wizkid: Long Live Lagos (9/8c, HBO): The music docuseries anthology profiles Nigerian superstar Wizkid as he prepares for a performance at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
- Elsbeth (10/9c, CBS): Tony winner Laura Benanti returns as supermodel Nadine Clay when Elsbeth (Carrie Preston) and Officer Hackett (Tony winner Lindsay Mendez) investigate a faded supermodel from the 1990s (Emmy-winning My Name Is Earl and Mom star Jaime Pressly) who’s out for revenge.
- The Assassin (streaming on AMC+): Things get dicey for former assassin Julie (Keeley Hawes) and son Edward (Freddie Highmore) when word gets out about the massacre on the island, and they become targets of a manhunt.
- The Beach Hotel (streaming on Viaplay): The soapy Swedish mystery series set at a luxurious and sun-drenched European resort returns for a fourth season of intrigue, with four episodes dropping this and next Thursday.
