Soccer Mania in Wrexham & Beyond, Mister Rogers’ YouTube Neighborhood, Inside a Criminal Mind, Back to Nature on NBC

Welcome to Wrexham

Presented in Christmas storybook fashion, the latest chapter of the scrappy Welsh soccer team’s 2025-26 battles within the intense Premier League finds holiday spirit wavering after a crushing loss and an uncharacteristic fumble by gifted goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo. But with four games scheduled between Dec. 26 and Jan. 4, and a third-round draw in the FA Cup tournament, there’s hope for redemption, including for eager midfielder Ollie Rathbone, returning from an injury that put him unhappily on the sidelines. The episode steps away from the pitch for moving segments on the team’s Welsh translator, Maxine, who bonds with Rob Mac‘s stepmom, Jill, while being treated for cancer, and on a local seamstress who hopes her toy bears sewn from discontinued jerseys will find a place in the team’s merchandise store.

With the World Cup launch just a week away, soccer-themed specials are all the rage. Examples: Deestroying the Pitch (streaming on Tubi), featuring YouTube star Deestroying (aka Donald De La Haye) experiencing World Cup fever on the streets of host cities L.A., Miami, and Toronto. Also on Tubi: the series finale of Destination World Cup 2026.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

The global digital neighborhood just got a little bit kinder with the launch of the beloved children’s series’ first YouTube channel. Fred Rogers‘ gentle message of tolerance and respect has never been more welcome, and fans can see how it all began when the channel premieres with five episodes, including the 1968 series debut. Episodes will roll out weekly, expanding to a rotation of 10 full-length episodes at any time. The channel will also feature clips, shorts, monthly compilations, and livestreams, with plans for archival and behind-the-scenes extras. Put on your sneakers, button the cardigan, and relive the good times.

Criminal Minds: Evolution

The criminal mind that continues to fascinate and bedevil the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) is that of Elias Voit (Zach Gilford), the notorious “Sicarius” serial killer, who takes center stage again when one of his trademark kill kits is found near the discovery of a body from a four-year-old cold case, with a second person still missing. Are these victims that Voit failed to mention during his confessions? When he demands to be taken from prison to North Carolina to locate the other body, the skeptical BAU agents wonder if this is a pretext for a calculated escape. The truth is, as usual, more complicated.

The Americas

The more you know, the more you can appreciate the wonders of nature. That’s the thinking behind encore editions of last year’s acclaimed nature series, narrated by Tom Hanks. As a curtain-raiser to next week’s premiere of a new natural history series, Surviving Earth, episodes of The Americas are now enhanced with pop-up “fun facts” and more insights about subjects, including, in back-to-back episodes, the wildlife in Mexico and the frozen North. In future weeks, episodes will air following Surviving Earth at 9/8c.

Squatters: Get the F*** Out of My House

While a similar series (Squatters) airs weekly on A&E, a six-part docuseries from executive producers Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos explores one of the worst nightmares of any homeowner: unwanted intruders who won’t leave. Each episode features the case of unwitting victims confronted by squatters who’ve found loopholes that allow them to live in homes they don’t own, manipulating the legal system against the frustrated people who are desperate to evict them.

INSIDE THURSDAY TV:

• NHL Stanley Cup Finals (8 pm/ET, ABC): They swept their conference finals, but can the Vegas Golden Knights perform similar magic in the run to the Stanley Cup? The Carolina Hurricanes hope to tie the series in Game 2.
• Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries (9/8c, UPtv): Cheryl (Galadriel Stineman) tackles another historical puzzle after the discovery of hidden wartime treasures.

ON THE STREAM:

• Pop Culture Jeopardy! (streaming on Netflix): The two-part final round begins, with the final three teams vying for the $300,000 grand prize.
• The Terror: Devil in Silver (streaming on AMC+ and Shudder): In the horror series’ penultimate episode, New Hyde is in danger of being shut down after the latest death at the haunted mental hospital, but the supernatural forces aren’t finished yet.
• The Murder of Rachel Nickell (streaming on Netflix): A British documentary revisits the 1992 murder of 23-year-old Rachel Nickell, stabbed to death while walking her dog on Wimbledon Common with her 2-year-old son Alex as the sole witness.