Wednesday’s TV highlights: ‘Designated Survivor’ on ABC

SERIES

Riverdale A face-to-face confrontation with the Black Hood proves dangerous for Betty and Archie (Lili Reinhart, KJ Apa). Camila Mendes, Cole Spouse and Skeet Ulrich also star. 8 p.m. KTLA

Empire In the drama’s fall finale Lucious and Cookie (Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson) unite against Diana Dubois (guest star Phylicia Rashad) as Eddie Barker (guest star Forest Whitaker) starts to wind down his current association with the music label. Taye Diggs and Demi Moore also continue their guest roles. 8 p.m. Fox

The Librarians The fantasy series returns for a fourth season with two new episodes. Rebecca Romijn and Noah Wyle star. 8 and 9 p.m. TNT

Speechless A situation during the holidays makes Dylan (Kyla Kenedy) decide to stop talking in order to get a better sense of JJ’s (Micah Fowler) life. Also, Maya (Minnie Driver) meets the mother (guest star Sarah Chalke) of Ray’s (Mason Cook) girlfriend. 8:30 p.m. ABC

Dynasty The Carringtons’ plans for a peaceful holiday are spoiled as Blake (Grant Show) battles with his father (guest star Bill Smitrovich) for control of the company. 9 p.m. KTLA

Modern Family James Van Der Beek (“Dawson’s Creek”) guest stars as Pam’s (guest star Dana Powell) former beau, whose sudden reappearance makes Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) hope that she finally might leave. Ed O’Neill, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell and Sofia Vergara also star. 9 p.m. ABC

Star The musical showcase is staged and the winner declared as the show ends the first half of its season. Queen Latifah stars with guest stars Paris Jackson and Keke Palmer (“Scream Queens”). 9 p.m. Fox

Vikings Guided by the mystic visions of Bishop Heahmund (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), the Saxons devise a shrewd battle plan that could prove effective. Alexander Ludwig, Katheryn Winnick and Alex Hogh Andersen also star. 9 p.m. History

Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist This new episode recalls when David Attenborough arrived to film the gorillas, resulting in one of television’s most treasured experiences with animals in the wild. 9 p.m. National Geographic

Designated Survivor First Lady Alex Kirkman (Natascha McElhone) offers testimony to the FBI, an action that could go a long way toward determining what becomes of her, while the president (Kiefer Sutherland) tries to deal with an extremist group that is in the path of a forest fire. Italia Ricci also stars. 10 p.m. ABC

Ozzy and Jack’s World Detour Ozzy and Jack head to Arizona for a camping trip with Jack’s daughter Pearl, but plans to take the family to the Grand Canyon go awry in this new episode featuring a visit with rock star Billy Idol. 10 p.m. A&E

The A Word The members of Joe’s (Max Vento) family get together for a special end-of-the-year show at his old school and it becomes clear how much all of these people mean to him. Lee Ingleby, Christopher Eccleston, Molly Wright and Pooky Quesnel also star in the season finale. 10 p.m. Sundance

Happy! Sax (Christopher Meloni) crashes an ultra-high-stakes poker game, where he hopes to win weapons and cash to facilitate his escape from New York, while Happy (voice of Patton Oswalt) tries his best to convince Sax that he’s a father. Elsewhere, Sax’s ex-wife, Amanda (Medina Senghore), and ex-lover, Merry (Lili Mirojnick), team up to rescue Hailey (Bryce Lorenzo). 10 p.m. Syfy

Mr. Robot Elliot (Rami Malek) tries to save Darlene (Carly Chaikin), but things don’t go as planned and Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) must decide whether to step up or step back in the season finale. 10 p.m. USA

Knightfall The new episode “Find Us the Grail” finds Landry and Parsifal (Tom Cullen, Bobby Schofield) on the trail of a killer. Elsewhere, the unexpected arrival of Pope Boniface (Jim Carter) in Paris threatens to disrupt the carefully laid plans of De Nogaret (Julian Ovenden). Padraic Delaney, Simon Merrells, Olivia Ross and Ed Stoppard also star. 10 p.m. History

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee This new episode looks at the aftermath of the special Senate election in Alabama. 10:30 p.m. TBS

SPECIALS

Golden Globe 75th Anniversary Special Debra Messing and Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace”) serve as hosts of this new two-hour special airing a month before the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. presents its annual honors for movies and television programs. With Nicole Kidman, Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kate Winslet and others. 9 p.m. NBC

TALK SHOWS

CBS This Morning Former Vice President Joe Biden; inventor James Dyson. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS

Today Hugh Jackman; Rossen Reports. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC

KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA

Good Morning America Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Nick Jonas. (N) 7 a.m. KABC

Good Day L.A. Rebecca Romijn; Dr. Travis Stork (“The Bachelor”); Gabrielle Anwar; Rose Parade hosts Leeza Gibbons and Mark Steines. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV

Megyn Kelly Today Teens who walked away from football to focus on mental health; Hanukkah cooking with Jamie Geller. (N) 9 a.m. KNBC

Live With Kelly and Ryan Margot Robbie (“I, Tonya”); Christina Hendricks. (N) 9 a.m. KABC

The View Former Vice President Joe Biden. (N) 10 a.m. KABC

The Wendy Williams Show Todrick Hall (“Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall”). (N) 11 a.m. KTTV

The Talk Nick Cannon; Paula Abdul. (N) 1 p.m. KCBS

The Dr. Oz Show Saving time in the morning and while shopping and cooking. (N) 1 p.m. KTTV

The Doctors A disabled professional dancer; a vegan burger that bleeds; help for Demi Lovato’s depression. (N) 2 p.m. KCBS

Steve Jack Black (“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”). (N) 2 p.m. KNBC

Harry John Cena; inventors Joy Mangano and Sandra Martin; Caleb McLaughlin (“Stranger Things 2”). (N) 2 p.m. KTTV

Rachael Ray (N) 2 p.m. KCOP

Dr. Phil In their final moments, teen girls may have recorded images and audio of their killer. (N) 3 p.m. KCBS

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp and Brittany Snow; Mario and Courtney Lopez; Sia performs. (N) 3 p.m. KNBC

The Real Jordan Fisher; following up with a Hurricane Harvey survivor. (N) 3 p.m. KTTV

Tavis Smiley Nan Aron, Alliance for Justice; Laurie Metcalf (“Lady Bird”).(N) 11 p.m. KOCE

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Microsoft CEO and author Satya Nadella (“Hit Refresh”). (N) 11 p.m. Comedy Central

Conan Owen Wilson; Noah Gardenswartz performs. (N) 11 p.m. TBS

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Michael Shannon; Alison Brie; Jaboukie Young-White; Jamaaladeen Tacuma performs. (N) 11:34 p.m. KNBC

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Nick Jonas; Dennis Rodman; Jeezy performs with Tory Lanez. (N) 11:35 p.m. KCBS

Jimmy Kimmel Live Terry Bradshaw; Yvette Nicole Brown; John Legend performs. (N) 11:35 p.m. KABC

The Late Late Show With James Corden Dwayne Johnson; Jack Black; Tim Minchin performs. (N) 12:37 a.m. KCBS

Late Night With Seth Meyers Sarah Paulson; Judd Apatow; Grant Morrison; Mark Guiliana performs. (N) 12:37 a.m. KNBC

Nightline (N) 12:37 a.m. KABC

Last Call With Carson Daly Director Rian Johnson; the Dirty Nil performs; wildlife expert Coyote Peterson; My Ticket Home. (N) 1:38 a.m. KNBC

Customized TV listings are available here: www.latimes.com/tvtimes

Click here to download: TV listings for the week of Dec. 10- 16, 2017, in PDF format

This week’s TV Movies

ed.stockly@latimes.com