TV This Week: Dec. 16 - 22: ‘Gossip Girl’

Click here to download TV listings for the week Dec. 16 - 22 in PDF format

This week’s TV Movies

SUNDAY

Spruce up! Neil Patrick Harris hosts “The National Christmas Tree Lighting 2012” in Washington, D.C. With Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat, the Fray, “American Idol’s” Phillip Phillips, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Ledisi and James Taylor. (KOCE, 7 p.m.)

“VH1 Divas 2012” gets a groove as it celebrates dance music and pays tribute to departed divas Whitney Houston and Donna Summer. Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Kelly Rowland and Jordin Sparks perform; Adam Lambert hosts. (VH1, 9 p.m.)

MONDAY

Goodbye, “Gossip Girl.” For its series finale, the Manhattan-set drama promises to reveal the identity of the titular dirt-disher and resolve the on-again/off-again saga of Chuck and Blair (Ed Westwick and Leighton Meester, above). (KTLA, 8 p.m.)

TUESDAY

A depressed Charlie Brown. Snoopy’s decked-out doghouse. The music of Vince Guaraldi. Dancing Peanuts. The smallest, saddest tree you ever saw. Linus’ recitation from the Gospel of Luke. “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” (ABC, 8 p.m.)

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” See why the Founding Fathers saw fit to keep church and state separate in “First Freedom: The Fight for Religious Liberty.” (KOCE, 8 p.m.)

WEDNESDAY

Beauties and beasts: The world’s loveliest ladies take part in the “The 2012 Miss Universe Competition,” and wrestling’s hulking heroes salute our armed forces in the 10th annual “WWE Tribute to the Troops.” (NBC, 8 p.m.; USA, 9 p.m.)

THURSDAY

If Doomsday really is Friday, Dec. 21 — as those who misinterpret the Mayan calendar insist — how would you spend your last night? Hopefully, you’d have something better to do than watch the new special “2012 The End Is Now.” (History, 9 p.m.)

FRIDAY

This time, it’s biblical: In the two-part special “Back to the Beginning With Christiane Amanpour,” the journalist visits the sacred sights and revisits the shared stories of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Concludes Dec. 28. (ABC, 9 p.m.)

SATURDAY

Arrrrrr! Oops, sorry, the R on this keyboard sticks sometimes. Are you ready for some swashbuckling? From the creators of “Wallace & Gromit” and “Chicken Run,” it’s the 2012 stop-motion animated tale “The Pirates! Band of Misfits.” (Starz, 9 p.m.)