Star Wars ‘Skeleton Crew,’ ‘Superman & Lois’ Finale, New Dalgliesh Mysteries, Sajak at the Wheel Again

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

The most Disneyfied Star Wars spinoff to date, reminiscent of the animated Star Trek: Prodigy in premise, has a little Goonies in its DNA as it introduces four kids from a futurized-suburban planet who embark on the galactic adventure of a lifetime — by accident. “Don’t you ever want to do anything exciting?” says imagination-prone Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) to his more cautious blue-elephant pal Neel (Robert Timothy Smith) before they cross paths with scrappy rebel Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) and her sidekick KB (Kyriana Kratter) on the site of what turns out to be a buried starship. Curiosity gets the better of them, and before you know it, the foursome set off into hyperspace, their only companion a broken-down droid, SM 33 (the amusing voice of Nick Frost). Like Dorothy in Oz, they’re eager to get back home — well, Wim not so much (“We just got here!” he gushes) — and maybe a cloaked mystery man played by Jude Law will get them there. But not before more misadventures in a galaxy far, far away. Launches with two episodes, then airing weekly on Tuesdays.

Superman & Lois

The network lowers the curtain on its superhero era when this high-flying action series closes out its four-season run, the last remnant of The CW’s DC Comics-inspired franchise (which began way back at The WB with Smallville before morphing into the Arrowverse). In the series finale, the Kents — Clark (Tyler Hoechlin), Lois (Elizabeth Tulloch), and their superpowered sons (Michael Bishop and Alex Garfin as Jonathan and Jordan) — unite to save their beloved Smallville from Lex Luthor’s (Michael Cudlitz) evil master plan.

Dalgliesh

Saints be praised, the late P.D. James’ renowned literary detective, Commander Adam Dalgleish, is back for a second season of two-part mysteries based on her acclaimed novels. Tony winner Bertie Carvel returns as the pensive, cerebral sleuth in Death in Holy Orders, where a seminary in West Sussex is the setting for the grisly killing of an unpopular senior clergyman. Seems someone skipped the “Thou Shalt Not Murder” seminar.

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune

Pat Sajak may have retired from the daily syndicated version, handing off hosting duties smoothly to Ryan Seacrest, but he’s back to preside over the celebrity version in a holiday episode (the series will return later in 2025). His guests, playing for charity, include Chance the Rapper, living legend Dionne Warwick, and Lil Jon. Followed by a new “holiday extravaganza” episode of Press Your Luck (9/8c) and a repeat episode from 2023.

What We Do in the Shadows

In an homage to 1979’s The Warriors, the brilliant supernatural comedy sends its wacky vampire quartet out of Staten Island to attend the “Eternal Lifetime Achievement Award” ceremony for Baron Afanas (Doug Jones), with all of New York’s eclectic vampire gangs gathered for the occasion. Their former “familiar,” Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), isn’t invited, because they feel he’s abandoned their family unit for his job in the outside world. But when things go sideways and the Staten Island 4 run for their lives with no safe passage home, who they gonna call?

INSIDE MONDAY TV:

• SpongeBob SquarePants (5/4c, Nickelodeon; streaming on Paramount+): In a holiday special, part of the cartoon’s 25th-anniversary celebration, the Cheeks family springs into action to save Christmas for Bikini Bottom after one of Sandy’s experiments backfires.
• The Voice (8/7c, NBC): Live for the first time this season, the Top Eight perform in front of the celebrity coaches — Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, Michael Bublé, and Gwen Stefani — in hopes of moving on to the live finale. Results will be announced Tuesday.
• 9-1-1: Lone Star (8/7c, Fox): In the eventful fall finale, Owen (Rob Lowe) is offered a tempting gig that could take him out of Texas, while Carlos (Rafael Silva) moves a step closer to bringing down his father’s killer.
• The Neighborhood (8/7c, CBS): Guess who’s coming to visit: character actor Glynn Turman, guest-starring as Tina’s (Tichina Arnold) newly single dad. Followed by Poppa’s House (8:30/7:30c), where Poppa (Damon Wayans) clashes with Junior (Damon Wayans Jr.), and Nina (Tetona Jackson) when he insists his ex, Catherine (Wendy Raquel Robinson), not be included in a new family photo.
• NCIS (9/8c, CBS): A confidential informant alerts Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) that top-secret information is in danger of being sold. Followed by NCIS: Origins (10/9c), where Randy (Caleb Foote) gives rookie Gibbs (Austin Stowell) tips on how to work a protective detail while the team investigates the murder of a Navy priest killed (possibly by mistake) in his confessional booth.
• Kids Baking Championship: Frosting the Snowman (9/8c, Food Network): Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown host a one-off special welcoming four young bakers to create handmade yummies for Santa’s helpers, with a $10,000 prize of baking tools and equipment for the winner.
• 90 Day: The Last Resort (9/8c, TLC): Six veteran couples from the 90 Day franchise, who still insist on working out their relationship issues on camera, head to an Arizona oasis bootcamp to work with counselors and therapists and decide whether they’ll stay together or be canceled. Followed by Last Resort: Between the Sheets (10/9c), where the discussion continues.
• TMZ’s Merry Elfin’ Christmas (9/8c, Fox): Celebs including Nick Cannon, Jay Leno, Flavor Flav, Lisa Vanderpump, and Daymond John dish on 2024’s highs and lows with the muckraking TMZ crew.