‘Seinfeld Story’ glances at the past
Jerry Seinfeld and co-producer Larry David look back at their hit series on “The Seinfeld Story” (10 p.m., NBC).
This enjoyable amble through the past includes well-known anecdotes about the creation of the series. Seinfeld and David revisit a Manhattan deli where they realized that they could create, or at least propose, a comedy series revolving around their pointless banter – a show about nothing, or yada-yada-yada, if you will.
Cast members Jason Alexander, Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus also appear, but in separate segments, so this is not an official cast reunion. David reveals how it took only one glance at Alexander’s audition tape to cast him as George.
Dreyfus’ character wasn’t in the proposed series but came only after NBC suggested that “Seinfeld” could use a woman in the cast.
“Story” is must-see TV for fans of the series. It’s also a blatant plug for the new “Seinfeld” DVD collection. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
On a similar theme, Bea Arthur, Valerie Harper, Rue McClanahan, Betty White and other female second bananas gather for “TV’s Greatest Sidekicks” (10 p.m., Lifetime).
The cast members from “Seinfeld” aren’t the only stars of a bygone NBC comedy to appear today. Look for Eddie, the Jack Russell terrier star of “Frasier,” to appear on “The National Dog Show” (noon, NBC).
Hey, waiter, there’s a hair band in my soup! Dee Snider hosts a holiday dinner at New York’s Hard Rock Cafe on “A Very Classic Thanksgiving” (4 p.m., VH1 Classics). He’s invited some other music-industry veterans (in the spirit of the holidays, we dare not call them has-beens) along, including MC Hammer, Lisa Lisa, Eddie Money and Davy Jones, to reminisce about their golden years.
Music of a different order can be found on “America’s Choir: The Story of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir” (7 p.m., KSPS). The film follows the 150-year-old musical institution over two years on tour in a dozen concerts.
The choir’s all-volunteer members must master a repertoire of more than 1,400 songs, encompassing sacred works, American standards and folk songs from around the globe. “Choir” features performances of the Nigerian tune “Betelehemu” as well as “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” its most requested work. The choir won a Grammy for its 1959 recording of this patriotic song.
Selected PBS stations will also air a “Soundstage” (10 p.m., KSPS) salute to George Jones and his 50 years in country music.
Need some noise to get out of your turkey-induced coma? Riki Rachtman hosts “40 Most Awesomely Bad Metal Songs … Ever” (9 p.m., VH1), a two-hour salute to the songs you love to hate but can’t get out of your head-banging noggin.
Do you prefer your cranberry sauce shaken and not stirred? Spike offers a daylong James Bond marathon, beginning with “Thunderball” (9 a.m.).
Chances are some of you have purchased one of those big, expensive high-definition TV sets and want to watch something – anything – that shows off your gadget to its best advantage. The Discovery HD Channel offers a 15-hour marathon of the network’s most popular and requested high-definition presentations, beginning at 7 a.m., including “American Chopper” (3 p.m.) and “Great White Shark Uncaged” (7 p.m.).
Other highlights
A boy (Peter Billingsley) dreams of an air rifle under the Christmas tree in the first, but hardly the last, airing of the 1983 holiday favorite “A Christmas Story” (midnight, TNT).
You can bet they won’t be breaking wishbones on “Survivor” (8 p.m., CBS).
Tobey Maguire stars in the 2002 comic book adventure “Spider-Man” (8 p.m., Fox).
Marcie saves Charlie Brown from humiliation in the 1973 special “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” (8 p.m., ABC).
AnnaSophia Robb stars in the second helping of the 2004 drama “Samantha: An American Girl Holiday” (8 p.m., WB).
Jim Carrey mugs ceaselessly in the big-screen adaptation of the children’s classic “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (8:30 p.m., ABC), directed by Ron Howard.
A case from the past may have been botched on “CSI” (9 p.m., CBS).
A cola competition on “The Apprentice” (9 p.m., NBC).