Kennedy Center Honors
Bluesman Buddy Guy, actor Dustin Hoffman, late-night host David Letterman, ballerina Natalia Makarova, and the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin are honored in a Washington, D.C., ceremony that was taped earlier this month. Highlights include presentations by Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Tina Fey, plus performances ranging from ballet to blues and rock ’n’ roll. Caroline Kennedy hosts. Wednesday, Dec. 26, at 9 p.m., CBS
American Masters: Joffrey—Mavericks of American Dance
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Fifty-six years ago, Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino set out to create a truly American ballet company, one that drew from classical ballet yet also embraced music and ideas emanating from contemporary culture. A company that began as a small troupe crossing the country in a station wagon became one of the world’s most prominent dance institutions. Performance footage and taped interviews with the late founders help bring the story to life. Friday, Dec. 28, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
American Experience: The Abolitionists
On the Emancipation Proclamation’s 150th anniversary, this three-part documentary series chronicles the long struggle of anti-slavery activists in both the North and the South. Well-mounted re-enactments help tell the intertwined stories of Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Angelina Grimké, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and John Brown. Tuesdays, Jan. 8–22, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Africa
The makers of the acclaimed nature series Life spent more than four years shooting on location in Africa to create this new seven-part documentary, which promises footage of species and animal behaviors never before filmed. Highlights include a battle for dominance among male giraffes in Namibia and perhaps the last great rhinoceros gathering on earth. Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 10 p.m., Discovery
Banshee
There’s a new sheriff in town, and he’s sworn to clean up Banshee, Pa. The twist is, he’s an imposter, fresh out of prison after 15 years. This new drama from Alan Ball (True Blood) is an interesting blend of film noir (the outsider in a corrupt town, the bad guy who isn’t as bad as he lets on) and contemporary action thriller, spiced with generous doses of violence and sex. Antony Starr stars. Friday, Jan. 11, at 10 p.m., Cinemax
Other highlights
Great Performances: Broadway Musicals—A Jewish Legacy
A tuneful tribute to Jewish-American contributors to the modern musical, including Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim. Tuesday, Jan. 1, at 9:30 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Deception
Meagan Good stars in this new drama as a detective who infiltrates a wealthy family to investigate the suspicious death of her childhood friend. Monday, Jan. 7, at 10 p.m., NBC
70th Annual Golden Globe Awards
Tina Fey (30 Rock) and Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) co-host the Hollywood Foreign Press Association honors. Sunday, Jan. 13, at 8 p.m., NBC
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