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Executive producer Robert Halmi Sr. manages to butcher another classic tale with "Alice" (8 p.m. Sunday and Monday, SyFy), an oversaturated retelling of Lewis Carroll's wonderful original. In this outing, the "girl" is a twentysomething action star who must outwit the assassin White Rabbit and keep the evil Queen (a slumming Kathy Bates, above) from taking over Wonderland. In other words, no time for tea.

Despite her promise to put a Louisville slugger to both headlights, Carrie Underwood maintains one of music's most wholesome images, making her the ideal host of her own Christmas shindig. "Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special" (7 p.m., KMSP, Ch. 9) is sprinkled with standards, but the most promising performances are a cutie-pie tribute to girl groups (with Kristin Chenoweth and Christina Applegate) and a candy-cane sweet rendition of "I Will Always Love You" with Dolly Parton.

When "Better Off Ted" (8:30 p.m., KSTP, Ch. 5) debuted last season at a time when solid sitcoms were few and far between, it seemed like a godsend. Now, it's just another reason to confirm ABC's status as the go-to network for comedy. The series is not as clever as "Modern Family" or "The Middle," but it's still irresistible, thanks to Portia de Rossi, doing a delicious impersonation of an ice queen, and Andrea Anders, who has taken a thankless girl-next-door role and made it something special. Welcome back, goofballs.

Those who can't wait for U2's performance in the Twin Cities next June can thank Elvis Costello for giving us an early holiday treat. Bono and the Edge appear on the season premiere of "Spectacle: Elvis Costello With ... " (9 p.m. St. Paul & midnight Minneapolis, Sundance) and while the conversation zings along, it's the music that sticks out, particularly a rendition of "Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad," which Bono wrote for Frank Sinatra, and a mash-up of "Get on Your Boots" and "Pump It Up."

Alec Baldwin recently said he'll quit acting after his contract expires on "30 Rock" (8:30 p.m., KARE, Ch. 11), despite the fact that his onscreen girlfriends have included Isabella Rossellini, Jennifer Aniston, Salma Hayek, Emily Mortimer and Edie Falco. Tonight, you can add Julianne Moore to the list. Alec, explain again why you want to quit?

NEAL JUSTIN