SundayThe highly anticipated premiere of "Teen Mom 2" doesn't arrive until Jan. 11, but those who can't wait to catch up with former "16 & Pregnant" participants Kailyn, Chelsea, Jenelle and Leah will be pacified by "The Girls of Teen Mom 2" (9 p.m., MTV), which may help explain why these young women are becoming as popular (and annoying) as the stars of "Jersey Shore."
MondayFox is dropping more than a million bucks on "Million Dollar Money Drop" (7 p.m., KMSP, Ch. 9). The network is giving the new game show a prime-time slot every night through Thursday. Contestants start off with $1 million and risk a portion of their bundle, depending on how sure they are of answering the questions correctly. Two reasons to believe the show won't "drop" off the schedule after this inaugural week: host Kevin Pollak, who is warm without being cheesy, and the questions, which are quite challenging and entertaining.
TuesdayThe season finale of "Skating With the Stars" (7 p.m., KSTP, Ch. 5) features Bethenny Frankel, Rebecca Budig and Jonny Moseley, prompting network executives to retitle the showdown "Skating With Who in the Heck Are These People?" The winner gets exactly two minutes in the spotlight and a chance to ride the Zamboni.
Wednesday"Top Ten Monks" (7 p.m., HBO2) takes an in-depth look at the actors who were finalists for the role of supersleuth Adrian Monk before the role went to Tony Shalhoub. No, wait, it's about Cistercian monks in Austria who have become unexpected pop stars with their Gregorian chants. Either way, it sounds like a fascinating documentary.
ThursdayLate-night hosts have their Christmas traditions, just as we do. For "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" (10:35 p.m., KARE, Ch. 11) that means a visit from frequent guest Marjorie Johnson, the Robbinsdale baker who has almost as many blue ribbons as Leno has jokes about George W. Bush. "The Late Show With David Letterman" (10:35 p.m., WCCO, Ch. 4) will once again celebrate the holidays with Jay Thomas recounting his adventures as the Lone Ranger and a performance by Darlene Love, who was recently tapped for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
NEAL JUSTIN
