Trevor Noah Leaves ‘Daily Show,’ Kelli Giddish Departs ‘SVU,’ ‘Harry & Meghan’ Tell All to Netflix, ABC Goes Country with CMA Christmas and Reba Profile

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

No longer “Trevor who?,” the South African-born comedian wraps up his seven-year run as The Daily Show host with a look back at the turbulent world he satirized so well as well as a look toward the future. The show returns in the new year (Jan. 17) with a variety of guest hosts including Al Franken, Chelsea Handler, D.L. Hughley, Leslie Jones, John Leguizamo, Hasan Minhaj, Kal Penn, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, Marlon Wayans and members of the Daily Show correspondent/contributor crew. But for now, let the focus rest on Noah as he takes a well-deserved final bow.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Ending an even longer tenure, Kelli Giddish turns in her badge after 11 seasons as Detective Amanda Rollins on TV’s longest-running procedural. After taking a bullet in the Season 24 premiere, Rollins has decided to move on, despite Capt. Olivia Benson’s (Mariska Hargitay) misgivings, but given the strength of Amanda’s romantic relationship with colleague-turned-ADA Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino), we probably haven’t heard the last of her, even if we won’t see her as much going forward. That’s how the Dick Wolf revolving door operates.

Harry & Meghan

When opening up to Oprah isn’t enough… The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, better known as Harry and Meghan, take control of the narrative in a six-part documentary—three episodes this week, three more next Thursday—that also includes commentary from friends, family and historians to put this royal romance, and its turbulent fallout, into perspective.

CMA Country Christmas

Now in its 13th year, the Country Music Association’s annual holiday songfest is hosted by Carly Pearce (who performs “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “Man with the Bag”) from Nashville. Also delivering classic and contemporary Christmas tunes: Scotty McCreery, Maren Morris, Dan + Shay, Steven Curtis Chapman, Old Dominion, Molly Tuttle and The War and Treaty.

Superstar

The network keeps the country vibe going with a new installment of its biographical docuseries, profiling the versatile Reba McEntire, who’s currently knocking them dead (possibly literally) in ABC’s Big Sky: Deadly Trails. Reba’s success as a concert and recording artist was followed by triumphs on TV (including her Reba sitcom) and on Broadway (Annie Get Your Gun), all of which she reflects upon, with testimonials from the likes of Carrie Underwood, Wynonna Judd, Dolly Parton, Kristen Chenoweth, Vince Gill, Nick Jonas and many more.

The Yule Log:

• Scentsational Christmas (8/7c, Lifetime): Nanzeen Contractor is a perfumer who goes home for inspiration to create the perfect holiday scent, but ends up working with a handsome writer (Mykee Selkin) to keep her late mother’s candle business alight.
• A Gingerbread Christmas (8/7c, Food Network) and Candy Coated Christmas (10/9c, Food Network): Direct from discovery+, this double feature lets Food Network stars Duff Goldman and Ree Drummond moonlight in made-to-order holiday movies.
• A Miracle Before Christmas (streaming on BET+): A relationship therapist (LeToya Luckett) gets help from an angel to fix her own marriage during the holidays.
• Rebroadcasts include 1970’s animated Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town on ABC (8/7c) and the two-hour Silent Night: A Song for the World (8/7c) on The CW.

Inside Thursday TV:

• Law & Order (8/7c, NBC): Detective Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) and Executive ADA Price (Hugh Dancy) do some soul-searching about their place in the justice system when a murder suspect escapes custody after waiting months to be heard in court, leading to a hostage situation.
• Ghosts (8:30/7:30c, CBS): Jazz Age spirit Alberta’s (Danielle Pinnock) first-hand knowledge of Prohibition might come in handy when Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) host a whiskey-tasting event without a proper liquor license—just in time for the Hudson Valley Liquor Authority to come knocking.
• Retrograde (9/8c, National Geographic Channel): Matthew Heineman’s gripping documentary tracks the last nine months of America’s war in Afghanistan through the chaotic withdrawal. The film begins streaming Friday on Disney+ and Sunday on Hulu.
• Doom Patrol (streaming on HBO Max): The damaged superheroes are back for a fourth season, jumping into the future where they’re faced with their imminent demise. Also returning, for a third season: the slice-of-urban-life comedy South Side, from Diallo Riddle and Bashir and Sultan Salahuddin.
• The Real Housewives of Miami (streaming on Peacock): The fifth season of Sunshine State shenanigans kicks off with four episodes, others following weekly.