Lady Gaga & The Muppets’ Holiday Spectacular, Thursday, 9:30 p.m., ABC
In one of the strangest bits of showbiz synergy since David Bowie did a duet of “The Little Drummer Boy” with Bing Crosby, fading pop star (already?) Lady Gaga teams up with the Muppets for a campy holiday special. ABC is hoping the special will somehow be avant-garde; Gaga hopes to sell copies of her new CD “Artpop.” (The two creative forces will also appear in a movie later this year called “Muppets Most Wanted.”) As part of the “special,” Gaga goes backstage with the Muppets and presumably uses her voice with one of them. Gaga will also do a duet with Kermit the Frog on “Applause,” one of her biggest hits. Sir Elton John, RuPaul and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also appear.
Barbra Streisand: Back to Brooklyn, Friday, 9 p.m., NBC
She left a housing project at 3102 Newkirk Ave. when she was 16 to become Barbra Streisand (right). Last year, Babs returned home for two concerts at the Barclay Center. People from around the world came to see her sing her greatest hits. “I love people from Brooklyn. Because they’re real. Down to earth. They tell it like it is,” said Babs to a crowd of 19,000. Backed by a 60-piece orchestra, Babs does 27 songs — some old, some new — and there is a montage of scenes from childhood, including her alma mater, Erasmus Hall High School; the Loews Kings Theatre, where she was an usher; and Brighton Beach. “The last time I sang in Brooklyn was on a stoop on Pulaski Street,” she says. Until the concerts at the Barclay Center.
Chicago Fire, Tuesday, 10 p.m., NBC
When the shooting of a young girl happens in their neighborhood, Cruz (Joe Minoso) and his brother, Leon (Jeff Lima), are forced to think about the gang they have tried to escape. The battle between Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) and McLeod (Michelle Forbes) escalates and Isabella (Mena Suvari, right) convinces Mills (Charlie Barnett, left) to dress up for a fancy gala. Meanwhile, Lt. Casey (Jesse Spencer) is sad Dawson (Monica Raymund) won’t be coming by as much now that his parental duties are over, Shay (Lauren German) is fed up with the firehouse and digs in deeper with Devon (Vedette Lim); and Zoya’s (Larisa Polonsky) visa is expiring, prompting her to come up with a Plan B.
Masters of Sex, Sunday, 10 p.m., Showtime
When Masters (Michael Sheen) and Johnson (Lizzy Kaplan) decide to film external reactions in the study, they must convince Jane (Helene Yorke, pictured) that their footage won’t cross the line into pornography. Haas (Nicholas D’Agosto) and Vivian’s plans for a church wedding are sidetracked. Libby (Caitlin Fitzgerald) keeps her pregnancy a secret from Masters. Meanwhile, Estabrooks (Ann Dowd) observes Masters and Johnson’s intimate relationship.
2 Broke Girls, Monday, 8:30 p.m., CBS
Max (Kat Dennings, right) attempts to make a good impression on her first day of pastry school, but finds Deke (Eric Andre), the class clown, to be extremely distracting — and intriguing. Meanwhile, Caroline (Beth Behrs) dresses to impress Max’s handsome teacher, Nicolas (Gilles Marini).
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday, 9 a.m., NBC
The newest Snoopy balloon (right) will be unveiled at the 87th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving parade; it will be his seventh appearance since the 1960s. Trying to compete with his star power will be marching bands and various celebrities on floats. Like the Robertson family from A&E’s hit series “Duck Dynasty.” There will also be performances by the Goo Goo Dolls, Kristen Chenoweth, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Sharon Jones, The Dap Kings, and Gavin DeGraw. Jimmy Fallon will make an appearance along with NFL legend Joe Namath. There will be performances by the Radio City Rockettes and Broadway’s best musicals, including “Matilda,” and “Motown.” The Big Apple Circus, Sesame Street and Cirque du Soleil will also get in on the act.