How to Survive a Plague 10 p.m., PBS
David France's riveting documentary on the early activist push to demand action against the threat of AIDS comes to PBS's "Independent Lens" series at a critical time — as reports show a rise in unprotected sex among gay men, and attitudes toward and cautions against the spread of HIV grow concerningly slack. Culled from hundreds of hours of footage and interviews with members of ACT UP and TAG and other witnesses to the crisis, France's deftly paced chronicle manages to enrage and inspire in equal measure.
Do the Right Thing 10 p.m. Flix
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It's been 25 years since that one corner of Bed-Stuy erupted and tore apart Sal's Famous Pizza, and even in the dead of winter, Spike Lee's sweeping vision (and equally sweeping score) can still make it feel like the hottest day of the summer. This one is well worth a revisit. (Oh, and if these two picks are a little too heavy for your post-holiday downtime, Isaac Mizrahi is hawking gross clutches on QVC right now, and I'm telling you: It's everything. Pictured (from left): Richard Edson and Lee.
Happy New Year Charlie Brown 8 p.m., ABC
Dog primps bird.
Rudolph's Shiny New Year 8:30 p.m., ABC
Reindeer jumps shark.
All the Best, All the Worst 2013 10 p.m. CNN
Good/grief.
Michael Andor Brodeur is assistant arts editor at the Globe. He can be reached at mbrodeur@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @MBrodeur.