MacGruber Comes Full Circle, Magic Mike Gets Real, HBO Max Bows Station Eleven

An SNL sketch spoofing a TV series (which was later adapted into a feature film) becomes a television series itself as Will Forte brings MacGruber to Peacock for an eight-episode first season today. Also today, Magic Mike spawns a new reality competition series, HBO Max bows its Station Eleven adaptation, and the Days of Our Lives crew reunites for A Very Salem Christmas. Here’s what’s new and noteworthy on TV this Thursday:

MacGruber: Complete first season. After rotting in prison for over a decade, MacGruber (Will Forte) reunites with Vicki St. Elmo (Kristen Wiig) and Dixon Piper (Ryan Phillippe) to take down Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth (Billy Zane, taking over for Mickey Rourke). Watch trailer. Streaming on Peacock

Finding Magic Mike: Complete first season. Brace yourself: ten regular guys are put through the paces of a Magic Mike Live bootcamp, where they learn to perform sexy dance routines in hopes of being crowned the “real” Magic Mike and winning a handsome cash prize. Guest judges include Whitney Cummings, Nikki Glaser, and Robin Thede. Watch trailer. Streaming on HBO Max

Station Eleven: Limited series premiere. Based on Emily St. John Mandel’s bestselling novel, this post-apocalyptic saga follows the survivors of a devastating flu as they attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world. Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Daniel Zovatto, David Wilmot, and Lori Petty star. Watch trailer. Streaming on HBO Max

Miss America: Special presentation. The famed pagaent jumps to streaming for its first ceremony in two years, one that will also mark its centennial birthday. 8:00 PM ET on Peacock

Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss: Original documentary. HBO’s Music Box series wraps its first season with an in-depth look at the life and legacy of wunderkind rapper Juice WRLD, who died following a drug overdose in December 2019. Watch trailer. 8:00 PM ET on HBO

Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas: TV movie. When Will Horton (Chandler Massey) is tasked with writing a screenplay before Christmas Eve, he crafts a festive story based on his family and friends in Salem that combines feel-good holiday movie tropes with daytime soap twists. Watch trailer. Streaming on Peacock

Grey’s Anatomy: Fall finale. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Hamilton (Peter Gallagher) prepare for a milestone on their project, Link (Chris Carmack) fights to spend the holiday with Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) as a family, and Schmitt (Jake Borelli) is faced with a difficult decision during surgery. Watch preview. 9:00 PM ET on ABC

South Park: Post Covid: The Return of Covid: Special presentation. Picking up where they left in last month's South Park: Post Covid special, Stan and Kyle travel back in time to prevent the pandemic from ever happening and save Kenny's life. Watch trailer. Streaming on Paramount+  

A California Christmas: City Lights: Original film. One year after falling in love in A California Christmas, Callie and Joseph (real-life couple Lauren and Josh Swickard) are happier than ever, but when business and family obligations call them back to the city, it threatens to derail their romance. Watch trailer. Streaming on Netflix

Anne Boleyn: New episode. Anne (Jodie Turner-Smith) is haunted by nightmares of her stillborn son, but when she realizes his loss puts her position at court in jeopardy, she sets out on a new mission to secure her daughter’s right to the throne. Streaming on AMC+

Dead Asleep: Original documentary. Skye Borgman (Abducted in Plain Sight) directs this documentary about Randy Herman Jr., who claimed he was sleepwalking when he killed his roommate Brooke Preston in 2017. The film features exclusive interviews with Herman and his family, attorneys, and experts in parasomnia to give viewers an inside look at the controversial case. Watch trailer. Streaming on Hulu

And Just Like That: New episode. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) searches for a new normal after suffering a devastating loss, Charlotte (Kristin Davis) navigates her own feelings of grief, and Miranda's (Cynthia Nixon) dependence on alcohol deepens. Streaming on HBO Max

Firebite: Series premiere. AMC+ puts a new spin on the vampire genre in this fantasy series about two Indigenous Australian hunters battling the last colony of vampires in the middle of the South Australian desert in 1788. Rob Collins and Shantae Barnes-Cowan star. Watch trailer. Streaming on AMC+

Dogs of the Year: Special presentation. Hosts Kevin Frazier and Keltie Knight celebrate dogs who've gone above and beyond in The CW’s year-end event. 8:00 PM ET on The CW

Thursday Night Football: The Los Angeles Chargers host the Kansas City Chiefs in a game with major playoff implications. 8:20 PM ET on FOX

MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Special presentation. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga team up for a special Unplugged episode featuring stripped-back duets and solo songs from their new album. 9:00 PM ET on MTV

CLASSIC HOLIDAY MOVIES AND SPECIALS

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Jim Carrey plays the misanthropic Grinch, a solitary creature who tries to ruin Christmas by stealing gifts from nearby Whoville, in Ron Howard's 2000 adaptation of Dr. Seuss' beloved book of the same name. Watch trailer. 3:30 PM ET on Freeform

Home Alone: Eight-year-old troublemaker Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) must protect his house from a pair of burglars when he’s accidentally left by his family before their Christmas vacation in this 1990 classic. Watch trailer. 6:00 PM ET on Freeform

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) decides to play it safe and celebrate the holidays at home, only to have Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), an out of control dog, and a series of inevitable mishaps threaten to blow up his holiday cheer faster than a match tossed in a backed-up sewer line. 8:00 PM and 10:15 PM ET on AMC

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York: History repeats itself when nine-year old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally separated from his family and find himself on his own in the big city. Watch trailer. 8:30 PM ET on Freeform

Visit our Holiday Viewing Guide for a complete listing of where to watch classic holiday specials and movies throughout the month of December.

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.