Betty & Coretta (8pm, Lifetime) - The lives of Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz (the wife of Malcolm X) are chronicled as they carry on as single mothers following the assassinations of their husbands. Stars Mary J. Blige, Angela Bassett and Ruby Dee (narrator).

NFL Honors (9pm, CBS) - Alec Baldwin is joined by celebrities and NFL stars in New Orleans as the league salutes its top players. Awards presented include NFL MVP, Coach of the Year, and the Walter Payton Man of the Year.

Pit Boss (9pm, Animal Planet) - Sebastian's trip to Florida to see his newborn nephew depletes an already understaffed workforce at Shortywood and the kennels. Also, tempers flare between Ashley and Shorty at a minor league baseball game.

Dixie Mafia (10pm, Discovery) - A show examining organized crime on the Gulf Coast. Geaux gangsters?

Austin City Limits (Midnight, UNC-TV) - Country music's Tim McGraw performs a mix of his greatest hits and new songs.

It seems odd to describe a Lifetime movie as 'serious minded,' but that's the word that comes to mind when watching "Prosecuting Casey Anthony" (8 tonight, Lifetime). While not completely without notes of melodrama, the movie presents a clear-eyed and illuminating look at the 'Tot Mom' case.

As the title suggests, the story is told through the perspective of the prosecutor Jeff Ashton (Rob Lowe); he's being interviewed by a TV reporter trying to figure out, as we all are, how he lost the case. Ashton was near retirement and longing for one last case after a near-perfect winning career record. He's brought on by Linda Burdick (Elizabeth Mitchell) who respects his forensic know-how; the third person on the team is Frank George (David Richmond-Peck).

Casey Anthony (Virginia Welch) isn't in the film much; we experience her much like we did in the trial. We see her on video and reacting during the trial, which is a smart decision on the filmmakers' part. Anthony's defense attorney Jose Baez (Oscar Nunez), is both flamboyant and underrated. There's also Anthony's sad/pathetic parents Cindy (Marina Stephenson Kerr) and George (Kevin Dunn).

The story line stays focused on the case, including appearances by Nancy Grace and Jane Velez-Mitchell, except to show through Ashton's relationship with his wife Rita (Marisa Ramirez), how obsessed he becomes with the case.

And he was obsessed, mostly, it seems because Anthony's guilt seemed so obvious, the case such a slam dunk, that every setback, every tactic that Baez came up with seemed to confound the defense. Although squarely in Ashton's court, the film doesn't skirt over the prosecution's mistakes. They were outplayed by Baez, for whom Ashton seems to have real disdain.

Lowe, who also executive produced, is fine as Ashton; he doesn't overplay the emotion (despite the occasional dramatic pause). You get the sense of a man who is highly competent and tightly wound. And maybe a little to confident for his own good.

And maybe for the good of Caylee.

The Amish are hot! Well, on TV. We've had reality shows "Breaking Amish" and "Amish Mafia." And now a (more?) fictionalized version of that (once?) insular part of American culture is presented in not awful/not great "An Amish Murder" (9 tonight, Lifetime), starring Neve Campbell.

Campbell plays Kate, the chief of police in small-town Ohio who, under mysterious circumstances, left the Amish community she now polices. For the most part, her job involves herding loose cows off the road, but one day, a body is found. An Amish girl is dead and the evidence points to a serial killer who terrorized the community years before.

The case brings pressure on Kate, who is new to the job, and pulls her back into the orbit of the family and community that now shuns her. That includes her brother Jacob (played by Christian Campbell, Neve's real-life brother) and Lucas (Jilon Vanover) the man she would have married and whom she abandoned without a word (because of the mysterious circumstances).

Willed to Kill (8pm, Lifetime) - In this Lifetime movie, a female police detective discovers a personal connection to the serial killer she's chasing.

The Mob Doctor (9pm, Fox) - Constantine asks Al Trapani to help locate his estranged son, who's in debt to a dangerous cartel, and in return, Constantine wants Grace to find out what's behind the North Side boss' girlfriend's mysterious ailment.

Pit Boss (9pm, Animal Planet) - In the season premiere, Ashley's in charge when Shorty goes on a book tour, but she clashes with Ronald and Sebastian over a dog rescue.

Cesar Milan's Leader of the Pack (10pm, Nat Geo Wild) - In his new series, dog whisperer Cesar Milan is on a mission to save "unadoptable" dogs and find them homes. Each episode follows a transformation of a damaged dog with no home and little hope, into a balanced, confident animal ready to live a happy life with a new owner.

Austin City Limits (Midnight, UNC-TV) - Jack White performs songs from his 2012 solo album "Blunderbuss."

Miracle on 34th Street (4:45pm, AMC) - Maybe my favorite Christmas movie of all time. Maybe. Edmund Gwenn won an Oscar for his portrayal of the department store Santa on trial to prove he's real in this heartwarming 1947 Christmas fantasy.

White Christmas (7pm, AMC) - Irving Berlin's music plus the singing and dancing of Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney? Yes, it's the 1954 classic "White Christmas." It airs again at 9:45.

Elf (8pm, CBS) - In this 2003 movie, a human (Will Ferrell) who has been raised by elves leaves the North Pole to search for his gruff birth father (James Caan) in New York City. Also stars Zooey Deschanel, Bob Newhart, Edward Asner and Mary Steenburgen.

Baby's First Christmas (8pm, Hallmark) - A new movie in which feuding lawyers spend Christmas together for the birth of their married siblings' son. But when the pair discover their siblings are in major financial trouble, they set out to solve the problem and end up on an adventure around the city.

Merry In-Laws (8pm, Lifetime) - A new movie in which a woman learns that her future in-laws are Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.

The Real St. Nick (10pm, Lifetime) - Another new Lifetime movie, this one about about a psychiatrist who reluctantly falls for a cute guy who is placed in a psychiatric ward after he claims he is Santa Claus.

Hitched for the Holidays (10pm, Hallmark) - A single New Yorker hires a woman to pose as his girlfriend to appease his family during the holidays. But as the two spend more time together attending parties and gatherings, their fake relationship starts to feel real.

Saturday Night Live (11:29, NBC) - Martin Short hosts and Paul McCartney is the  musical guest. 

Frosty the Snowman (8pm, CBS) - Another "Frosty" showing, followed at 8:30 by "Frosty Returns" and at 9 by "The Flight Before Christmas."

Heisman Trophy Presentation (8pm, ESPN) - The 78th ceremony in New York City honors college football's most outstanding player. The finalists include Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, and Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o.

Come Dance with Me (8pm, Hallmark) - An investor (Andrew McCarthy) takes dance lessons in hopes of impressing his boss -- and potential father-in-law -- at a swanky party. But, this being a Hallmark movie, he falls for his dance instructor and has to make a tough decision.

The American Giving Awards (8pm, NBC) - Joel McHale, perhaps the snarkiest man alive, hosts this gala paying tribute to community champions and five U.S. charities. A total of $2 million will be granted to five charitable organizations.

Holly's Holiday (8pm, Lifetime) - A lifetime movie about a handsome mannequin in a Christmas window display that comes to life and becomes the man of an advertising executive's dreams. Unfortunately, even though he's gorgeous, his personality remains a bit lifeless.

30 for 30: You Don't Know Bo (9pm, ESPN) - A documentary about professional football and baseball player Bo Jackson, directed by Michael Bonfiglio.

The 12 Disasters of Christmas (9pm, Syfy) - In this movie, a teenagers enlists the help of her father in order to prevent the end of the world after a number of strange occurrences strike her hometown.

Gary Gulman: In This Economy (10pm, Comedy Central) - Comedian Gary Gulman performs stand-up in Boston. His topics include the financial crisis, renting movies, and a conversation between Donald Trump and Bill Gates.

As I recall Elizabeth Taylor hated being called 'Liz.'

But I bet she didn't hate that as much as she'd hate "Liz & Dick" (9 p.m. Sunday, Lifetime), the TV movie about her love affair with Richard Burton, starring Lindsay Lohan and Grant Bowler.  

It's not exactly disrespectful using the nickname the actress hated so much. The film makes a big deal about the fact that the couple helped herald the era of stars being hounded by paparazzi with their scandalous affair, and in tabloid culture they were 'Liz & Dick.' (Combining their names a la Brangelina would have been far worse. Try it.)

Yet that paparazzi-bait note is pretty much all the movie has to hang its hat on. It's all shallow replications of Elizabeth Taylor outfits and hairstyles, and Taylor/Burton fights and meltdowns without much insight or energy.

Stalked at 17 (8pm, Lifetime) - In this new Lifetime movie, a 17-year-old girl is stalked by the deceptive and dangerous father of her child when she tries to flee from him.

The Good Witch's Charm (9pm, Hallmark) - In the fifth entry of this magic-infused film series, Cassie (Catherine Bell, left) becomes tabloid fodder after an interview snafu leaves many wondering if she's a witch. Meanwhile, Jake (Chris Potter) investigates a string of burglaries in town.

Rise of the Zombies (9pm, Syfy) - The survivors of a zombie plague risk life and limb to find a scientist who they believe can save mankind from the walking dead (note: "the walking dead" lowercase).

The Dark (9pm, Discovery) - A team of biologists and wildlife experts observe the behavior of nocturnal animals. Possums!

Celebrity Ghost Stories (9pm, BIO) - Lewis Black encounters ghosts in a Michigan forest. Then he screams at them and they run away.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - A pit bull is saved from drowning in a canal by a young girl after it evaded Tia for weeks. Also, Tia must hire another parolee when twenty new puppies arrive at Villalobos.

Austin City Limits (Midnight, UNC-TV) - The Shins perform songs from their 2012 "Port of Morrow" album. Also, Dr. Dog perform songs from their 2012 "be the Void" album.

When I first heard that Whitney Houston's family was doing a reality show, I  shook my head in dismay, jumping to conclusions without seeing a single shot.

But now that I've seen an episode of "The Houstons: On Our Own" (9 tonight, Lifetime), I feel better. I may be judgmental, but I'm also vindicated. This is an awful, awful show, one that's painful to watch and impossible to justify.

The show features Pat Houston, Whitney's sister-in-law and manager; Gary Houston, her older brother; Pat and Gary's daughter Rayah; Cissy Houston, Whitney's mom, and most tragically Bobbi Kristina, Whitney and Bobby Brown's daughter. Nick Gordon, a young man Whitney took in and to whom we learn Bobbi Kristina is now engaged, is also featured.

Winged Planet (8pm, Discovery) - A rare and intimate look at birds in the wild is achieved using special cameras mounted on the back of the birds' backs.

Abducted: The Carlina White Story (8pm, Lifetime) - A young woman solves her own kidnapping and is reunited with her biological parents 23 years after she was abducted as an infant from a New York hospital. Based on the true story of the young woman, Carlina White, and Ann Pettway, the Raleigh woman who was convicted of the kidnapping and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Aunjanue Ellis (left), who played Yule May in "The Help," plays Pettway. A "Beyond the Headlines" special focusing on the real life players, including White and interviews with her birth parents, airs at 10. Adrienne reviews.

Bedlam (9pm, BBC America) - The second season begins with a young woman who can see ghosts arriving at Bedlam Heights to search for Jed.

Parking Wars (9pm, A&E) - In the Season 7 opener, a Trenton driver becomes outraged and a ticket writer is attacked in Detroit.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - In the Season 4 premiere, Tia relocates to New Orleans' 9th Ward, where she hopes to build a new Villalobos and recruit local parolees to join her staff.

Billy the Exterminator (10pm, A&E) - In the sixth season premiere, Billy and Ricky take on venomous pit vipers. Later, Billy is asked to remove mysterious critters from a tropical rain forest habitat.