What to watch to get you through TV’s usual Christmastime dead zone:
“The Good Wife” (Friday, 8 p.m., CBS)
The Julianna Margulies vehicle is the sedan of law dramas – nothing too exciting, but usually pretty reliable. So a three-hour “marathon” of the series probably wouldn’t be enough reason to give up a party with friends, but it could be enough to keep you entertained as you hide out in the den during that extended family gathering. And although the second episode explains why you’re seeing so much of Amanda Peet this season, the third episode in which Alicia’s mother (played by Stockard Channing) comes to visit is your best bet of the bunch.
Cowboy Marathon (Tuesday, 9:30 a.m., AMC)
Want to ignore the holiday altogether? Hitch your wagon to AMC’s cowboy marathon, including Clint Eastwood’s dark, dark “High Plains Drifter,” a whole slew of John Wayne flicks, and Robert Redford’s “Jeremiah Johnson,” the movie that will make you feel less guilty about being a reclusive slug.
“Ben and Kate” (Wednesday, 8 p.m., Fox)
Like many good comedies as of late, this show grew on Mama with repeated viewings, so the four-episode mini-marathon may be just what you need to give the quirky brother-sister comedy another chance. You also have the option of Fox’s other comedy mini-marathons to get you through the holiday – “Raising Hope” on Monday, “New Girl” on Tuesday and “The Mindy Project” on Thursday.
End of the world movie marathon (Thursday, 8 p.m., Syfy)
Just in case the Mayan prediction about the end of the world is wrong, Syfy loads up with a movie night followed by a “Star Trek” marathon and the US premiere of British import “K-9,” which is a comedy spinoff for Doctor Who’s robotic dog (yeah, it doesn’t make any sense to me either).
“Leverage” (Tuesday, 10 p.m., TNT)
The writers penned this episode to be the series finale for the con artists, in case they weren’t picked up for another season, so expect some closure for Nate (Timothy Hutton) as he follows a lead on his son’s killer. Featuring guest stars Catherine Dent of “The Shield” and Mark Sheppard of “Supernatural,” the episode is preceded by a new episode of “Rizzoli & Isles,” which makes TNT the only channel airing something besides reruns and “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Christmas night.