Between streaming and cable, viewers have a seemingly endless variety of things to watch. Here is a selection of TV shows and specials that are airing or streaming this week, Dec. 1-6. Details and times are subject to change.
A Canadian hockey romance, the wild west and a séance gone wrong.
A novel by Rachel Reid is getting the TV treatment with the new series “Heated Rivalry.” The show follows two hockey players, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), who play for fictitious rival teams. But competitiveness isn’t the only vibe between the two — there is also a lot of sexual tension. From Sochi, Russia, to Montreal, Canada, an undercover fling spices things up on and off the ice. The first two episodes are now available to stream on HBO Max and there will be new episodes dropping every Friday.
Meanwhile another rivalry, south of Canada and about 170 years in the past: The new series “The Abandons” tells the story, set in the Washington Territory in 1854, of the conflict between two matriarchs, with Gillian Anderson starring as Constance Van Ness and Lena Headey as Fiona Nolan. The families are intertwined by secrets, land and star-crossed lovers; the series will drop all at once. Streaming Thursday on Netflix.
Though there have been countless films and television shows about the dangers of toying with the supernatural, sometimes a séance seems innocent enough. In the new Australian series “Playing Gracie Darling,” the titular character went missing after a group of her friends performed a séance that went awry. Now, 27 years later, one of those friends — Joni, who is now a child psychologist — receives a call that another Darling sibling has mysteriously disappeared and decides to try to figure out what exactly went wrong. Streaming Monday on Paramount+.
Reigniting feuds, new faces and sports commentary.
Season 3 of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” has included baby daddy drama, roles on “Dancing With the Stars” and endless fights about hair extensions. Now it’s time to hash out all of the conflicts during a reunion, this time hosted by Stassi Schroeder of “Vanderpump Villa,” which feels appropriate given the amount of cross promotion between the two shows. The reunion will also feature the show’s husbands, a.k.a. DadTok. Streaming Thursday on Hulu.
Why should sports commentary be given only by sportscasters? That’s the question the new show “Reality Hot Seat” dares to ask. “Boston” Rob Mariano from “Survivor,” Heather Gay from “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” and Kate Chastain from “Below Deck” will provide their thoughts live while the Houston Texans play the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. There will certainly be lots for the group to gab about. Sunday at 8 p.m. on Peacock.
Out with the old, in with the new: That’s the mode for the 12th season of “Vanderpump Rules.” Though it is technically a continuation of the original show, there will be an entirely new cast. This comes after Scandoval — when two of the cast members, Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval, broke up because he had been having an affair with another co-star — irreparably split up the original cast. Now a new set of servers at Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurant Sur in West Hollywood are ready to hook up with each other, start fights and slack off at work — which is really all that you can ask for from a reality show. Tuesday at 9 p.m. on Bravo and streaming the next day on Peacock.
Celebrating the holidays.
This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, which had a 130-mile journey from East Greenbush, N.Y., is ready to make its debut. The 75-year-old Norway spruce will be adorned with 50,000 multicolored LED lights and a 900-pound, nearly 10-foot-long Swarovski crystal star. Michael Bublé, Kristin Chenoweth, Marc Anthony and the Radio City Rockettes are set to perform during the “93rd Annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center” special, and Reba McEntire will host. Wednesday at 8 p.m. on NBC.
If you miss “Dancing With the Stars” after last week’s finale, you’re in luck. “Dancing With the Holidays” is taking place back in the ballroom, which will be decorated for the season, as the pro dancers of the show perform holiday-themed routines. Tuesday at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Things are getting festive and cozy over in Montecito, Calif., where the Duchess of Sussex is prepping for the holidays in her new special, “With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration.” Naomi Osaka, Lindsay Roth and Prince Harry stop by to help with crafts, cocktails and lots of merriment. Streaming Wednesday on Netflix.
Shivani Gonzalez is a news assistant at The Times who writes a weekly TV column and contributes to a variety of sections.
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