The X-Factor (8pm, Fox) - The winner is crowned in the first season finale.

Disney Prep & Landing (8pm, ABC) - A veteran elf (voice of Dave Foley) is passed over for a promotion and instead gets paired with an eager rookie. The two encounter a violent snowstorm on Christmas Eve, making their job more challenging. "Prep & Landing 2" follows at 8:30, and "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown" airs at 9.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (9pm, ABC Family) - A classic. Family man Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is determined to stay home and provide a warm, fun-filled Christmas for his family. But things don't go exactly as planned.

Braxton Family Values (9pm, We) - Toni needs surgery, so the family gathers around her.

Prime Suspect (10pm, NBC) - NBC is burning off another new episode while they think no one is watching. While, I'm watching. Tonight Jane and Evrard investigate a murder in Chinatown that occurred during a game of mahjongg. Also, Reg shares a secret about Jane with Matt.

The League (10pm, FX) - Two new episodes close out Season 3 tonight. In the first episode, Kevin and Jenny bet on the playoffs and Taco wants Ruxin to get more invovled with Taco Corp. In the second, Taco teams up with the Chicago Bears RB Matt Forte for the Shiva and Sacko Bowls.

A Home for the Holidays with Martina McBride (8pm, CBS) - Martina McBride hosts this 13th annual event to raise awareness about adoption. Musical performances by McBride, Justin Bieber, Mary J. Blige, and others.

The X-Factor (8pm, Fox) - The remaining acts perform in part one of the two-part season finale.

Work of Art (9pm, Bravo) - Season 2 ends with the final artists at work on a full solo exhibition, then presenting their collections at a grand gala opening. The episode ends with the naming of the winner. Kymia Nawabi of Durham is one of the finalists in the competition. (If the competition was for nicest artist, she'd win in a landslide.)

American Horror Story (10pm, FX) - In tonight's season finale, Constance, one of the few actual living humans left in this series, schemes to raise Tate's demon baby as her own. Jessica Lange (right) was nominated last week for both SAG and Golden Globe awards for her portrayal of Constance. Excited to see how long it takes dense Ben (Dylan McDermott) to figure out what kind of hell he's dealing with -- and if North Carolina's Lost Colony and the Croatoan mystery get another shout-out this week.

Top Chef: Texas (10pm, Bravo) - The chefs concoct quick-fire dishes based on fans' Twitter instructions. Then the chefs honor their culinary teachers by creating a tribute meal. Singer Patti LaBelle is the guest judge.

Hot in Cleveland (10pm, TV Land) - The ladies treat their neighbors to makeovers, while Elka adjusts to dating a younger man (John Mahoney).

The Exes (10pm, TV Land) - Haskell's online girlfriend pays a surprise visit, but she's also in for a shock because Haskell has been using Phil's picture as his own.

The X-Factor (8pm, Fox) - The competition is down to the final five acts.

Harry's Law (9pm, NBC) - Harry, Oliver, and Cassie defend a mother accused of euthanizing her infant son who had an incurable debilitating disorder.

Becoming Santa (9pm, OWN) - An unjolly guy decides to recapture his lost Christmas spirit by becoming a Santa Claus. But before donning the red suit, writer-producer Jack Sanderson must go to Santa School.

Happy Endings (9:30pm, ABC) - A cash-strapped Max (Adam Pally, right) agrees to play Santa for Penny's charity function. Also, Jane realizes she accidentally gave her housekeeper the cash she'd put aside to pay for a Christmas vacation instead of the $200 Christmas tip that she intended. "The Middle" and "Modern Family" also have Christmas-themed episodes tonight.

American Horror Story (10pm, FX) - Violet learns about the rules of the house and Constance is questioned by police. We also learn how Larry got burned (it wasn't trying to save his family, says show creator Ryan Murphy).

CSI (10pm, CBS) - The CSIs work with the FBI to investigate the murder of a rancher who is also a ballistics expert.

Revenge (10pm, ABC) - Emily uncovers something Nolan has been hiding and uses it to take aim at Tyler. Also, Victoria reclaims some of her lost power, but her relationship with Conrad grows more sour.

Psych (10pm, USA) - I am excited to see any episode titled "The Tao of Gus." Tonight, Shawn and Gus hide a witness at a remote commune populated by eccentric intellectuals while they investigate a murder that the witness claims occurred in broad daylight.

The 86-year-old Durham man who has sued Fox's "The X-Factor" and its executive producer Simon Cowell, has launched a website with a petition he hopes will get him another chance to be on the show.

Hy Marks flubbed his "X-Factor" audition in June after he says the show's producers wore him out filming promotional spots for the new series. Marks and his son Stephen Marks of Florida, who also auditioned, say that after hours of grueling work in the 90+ degree Miami heat, the elder Marks was too wiped out to deliver a good audition.

Their lawsuit, filed in September, requested that the "The X-Factor" give Marks another chance to audition under normal conditions.

The new website, HyMarksSings.com, has video of Marks singing and a petition you can sign if you want to see him on "The X-Factor."

"The X-Factor" debuted well in September but has slipped in the ratings. They are currently down to 12 acts. The next episode airs Wednesday night at 8 p.m. 

The X-Factor (8pm, Fox) - Auditions continue tonight and tomorrow night.

H8R (8pm, CW) - Tonight, Kim Kardashian meets a hater. In other words, Kim Kardashian meets America.

Suburgatory (8:30pm, ABC) - A new comedy about a single dad (Jeremy Sisto) who moves his teenage daughter (Jane Levy) from Manhattan to the suburbs so that she might be exposed to more wholesome influences. It's very funny (my short review). Also stars Cheryl Hines and Ana Gasteyer.

Happy Endings (9:30pm, ABC) - In the Season 2 premiere, Penny ponies up to buy  her first home, which she hopes will be just the thing to turn her life around. Meanwhile, it's the one-year anniversary of Alex and Dave's aborted wedding and Jane thinks the two exes should engage in an honest dialogue about the non-event.

Luther (10 pm, BBC America) - Idris Elba returns as the tortured British detective John Luther for four new episodes. When we last saw them, Luther; his homicidal stalker Alice; and Luther's wife lover are standing on a train platform, after Alice blew away Luther's best friend, a dirty detective. (We hear Alice has a smaller presence this time.) This season, Luther hunts down a masked killer.

Revenge (10pm, ABC) - Emily goes after the hedge-fund manager who helped get her father thrown in prison, and she and Daniel have their first date.

Nova (10pm, UNC-TV) - Survivors of the 2011 Japanese tsunami reflect on decisions that saved their lives. Features professional and amateur video of the disaster as it unfolded.

Extreme Couponing (10pm, TLC) - Two episodes tonight, but the 10:30 episode features a North Carolina woman. Read more about that controversial episode.

The X-Factor (8pm, Fox) - The season premiere of Simon Cowell's new singing competition show, which is sure to give "American Idol" a run for its money. Tonight features auditions in LA, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Seattle and Newark. Another episode airs tomorrow night at 8. If you're an "American Idol" fan, should you bother watching this one too? I say yes. More details here.

The Middle (8pm, ABC) - In the one-hour season premiere, the Hecks go on a camping trip, which sparks honeymoon memories for Frankie and Mike, whose honeymoon campout was spoiled by Mike's gloomy former classmate (Ray Romano).

Up All Night / Free Agents (8pm, NBC) - NBC's new comedies premiered last week but move into their regular time slots tonight.

Modern Family (9pm, ABC) - Another one-hour premiere, which begins with a Pritchett family vacation at a dude ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In the second half hour, Mitchell and Cameron plan to break the news of adopting another child, although this may not sit well with Lily. Brace yourself: the adorable Lily has been recast this season.

Harry's Law (9pm, NBC) - Season two gets a bit of a makeover. Brittany Snow and Aml Ameen are out, and Mark Valley ("Human Target," "Boston Legal") and Broadway actress Karen Olivo are in. Christopher McDonald (fast-talking Tommy Jefferson) is a regular. In tonight's season premiere, which beings a three episode arc, the show brings in guest actors Alfred Molina and Jean Smart.

Criminal Minds (9pm, CBS) - In the seventh season opener, the team's actions in the aftermath of the loss of Prentiss are questioned by a Senate committee, and a familiar person unexpectedly appears to rally them.

CSI (10pm, CBS) - Season 12 begins with the lab getting a new supervisor (Ted Danson, right), who helps the CSIs investigate multiple shootings and stabbings on a public tram. Danson may finally be what gets me to try to watch this show, which for some reason, I've never taken to.

Revenge (10pm, NBC) - The series premiere of a drama about a young woman (Emily VanCamp from "Brothers & Sisters) who returns to the Hamptons with a new identity to get revenge on people who destroyed her family years ago. My review. 

Law & Order: SVU (10pm, NBC) - SVU starts its 13th season without star Christopher Meloni, who opted not to return. In tonight's opener, an Atlanta detective (Kelli Giddish) joins the squad as Benson (Mariska Hargitay) tries to cope with the aftermath of a chaotic shooting in the precinct.

Not in Our Town: Light in the Darkness (10pm,  UNC-TV) - A documentary on the efforts of the Long Island town of Patchogue to address the underlying causes for a fatal 2008 hate crime attack on Ecuadorian immigrant Marcelo Lucero by a group of teens.

"The X-Factor"
Wednesday, 8 p.m. on Fox 

Yes, "The X-Factor" is a lot like "American Idol."

But based on the 12-minute presentation reel made available by Fox (the same network that airs "Idol"), it's like someone (Simon Cowell) took "American Idol" and revamped it, making it totally fresh and exciting.

The similarities between the shows are pretty obvious: "The X-Factor" is a singing competition show and two of the judges are Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul. The biggest difference is that there's no age limit for the contestants. Also, groups can compete. And the first time the judges (Cowell, Abdul, former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, and former Chairman of Island Def Jam L.A. Reid) see the contestants, the singers are on a stage with full musical backup and a big, live audience. But even though the performers have presumably already made it through a round or two of auditions to get the spot before judges, that doesn't mean there aren't also some clunkers and weirdos (because they know we like that stuff too).