NBC Lights Up The Holidays with Christmas in Rockefeller Center

David Letterman was never a fan, but the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is how many people from around the country mark the beginning of the holiday season. This year's event just may be the most lavish lighting celebration yet, with appearances by a host of live performers and NBC personalities.

HOLIDAY SPECIAL: The Today Show's Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, Craig Melvin and Hoda Kotb host the 87th annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting in Christmas in Rockefeller Center, with performances by Gwen Stefani, Idina Menzel, Ne-Yo, John Legend, Chicago, and many more. The Radio City Rockettes will also be on hand to kick off the festivities. 8:00 PM ET on NBC

LIMITED SERIES PREMIERE: Freshly dumped Dan Moody (Francois Arnaud) returns home to celebrate Christmas with his folks in The Moodys, only to discover the family home is in shambles, his cantankerous parents Sean (Denis Leary) and Ann (Elizabeth Perkins) are only growing edgier with age, and his other siblings are also planning to spend the holidays at home, despite the general dysfunction and the presence of but one functioning bathroom. The six episode series begins tonight and concludes next week. Primetimer's Joe Reid has this preview. 9:00 PM ET on FOX

SERIES PREMIERE: Discovery Channel's newest series pits man against beast, or more specifically, Man vs. Bear, with a trio of humans competing with a trio of bears, in a series of challenges designed to test the limits of each species' speed, strength, and endurance. Read our review. 9:00 PM ET on Discovery

NEW EPISODE: After a week off for Thanksgiving, The Masked Singer is heading into the homestretch with eight mystery performers remaining. Taking the stage tonight are Butterfly, Thingamajig, Tree and Fox. 8:00 PM ET on FOX

SERIES PREMIERE: Steven Toast (Primetimer favorite Matt Berry) is a classically trained actor striving to get his life in order in Toast of London. Separated from his wife, crashing on a friend's couch, and appearing in a play so unpopular that strangers regularly assault him on the streets of London, nothing in Steven's life is going according to plan, much to his misery, but to the likely delight of viewers everywhere. 12:00 AM ET on IFC

ALSO TODAY

• Magic for Humans returns for a second season of illusions, surprises, and laughs. Streaming on Netflix
• Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas is a holiday romance with an unexpected and spectral twist. 9:00 PM ET on Freeform
• Vikings returns for its sixth season of pilgrimage and plunder. 9:00 PM ET on History

Mike Attebery is Senior Editor at Primetimer and the author of seven mystery thrillers. Follow him on Twitter at @mikeattebery.