Wednesday’s TV highlights: ‘Empire’ on Fox

SERIES

Riverdale FP (Skeet Ulrich) is welcomed back from prison at an event staged by Jughead and Betty (Cole Sprouse, Lili Reinhart) while Archie and Veronica’s (KJ Apa, Camila Mendes) personal dispute takes a backseat to the Black Hood investigation. Madelaine Petsch, Marisol Nichols, Madchen Amick, Luke Perry, Ashleigh Murray and Mark Consuelos also star. 8 p.m. KTLA

Empire While Diana (guest star Phylicia Rashad) seems to have the upper hand in this new episode, she never should count Cookie and Lucious (Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard) out. Andre Royo also stars. 8 p.m. Fox

Speechless JJ and Ray (Micah Fowler, Mason Cook) score tickets to the opening of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” but a classmate schemes to get JJ to let her take Ray’s place. Minnie Driver and John Ross Bowie also star, and filmmaker Kevin Smith guest stars as himself. 8:30 p.m. ABC

SEAL Team It’s a race against time for Jason (David Boreanaz) and the team as they have to spirit a Russian scientist and his wife (guest stars Jon Sklaroff and Svetlana Efremova) across the border of Afghanistan, with special forces operatives from China and Russia in pursuit. Max Thieriot and Jessica Pare also star. 9 p.m. CBS

Dynasty Fallon (Elizabeth Gillies) struggles with a recent heartbreak, while Cristal (Nathalie Kelley) may be in for one of her own when Blake (Grant Show) discovers certain things about her personal history in this holiday episode of the drama. James Mackay, Sam Adegoke and Alan Dale also star. 9 p.m. KTLA

Modern Family Wanting to build his self-confidence after leaving his real-estate firm, Phil (Ty Burrell) goes on a camping trip by himself. Also, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) teaches Cam and Lily (Eric Stonestreet, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) a lesson. Julie Bowen, Ed O’Neill and Sofia Vergara also star. 9 p.m. ABC

Star A radio showcase for the label’s artists backfires and Noah, Alex and Star (Luke James, Ryan Destiny, Jude Demorest) get closer to an implosion of their love triangle. Queen Latifah, Benjamin Bratt, Brittany O’Grady and Michael Michele also star. 9 p.m. Fox

Iron Chef Showdown Detroit’s Kate Williams and Los Angeles chef Ted Hopson face off in a sweet Italian holiday showdown, with the winning chef taking on Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli. Alton Brown hosts. 9 p.m. Food Network

Vikings The Northmen’s celebrations are cut short in the exhausted aftermath of the battle against the English as the sons of the Ragnar Lothbrok are pitted against one another. Alexander Ludwig, Alex Hogh Andersen, Katheryn Winnick and Gustaf Skarsgard star. 9 p.m. History

American Housewife Katie and Greg (Katy Mixon, Diedrich Bader) get a new perspective on parenthood by making friends with a childless couple (guest stars Fiona Gubelmann and Ryan Hansen). 9:30 p.m. ABC

Criminal Minds The team heads to Roswell, N.M., to investigate the deaths of two conspiracy-group members in this new episode directed by series star Joe Mantegna. Paget Brewster, Matthew Gray Gubler, A.J. Cook, Adam Rodriguez, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler and Daniel Henney also star. 10 p.m. CBS

Chicago P.D. After the daughter of a judge (guest star John Pankow) dies, the investigation leads to a drug operation that involves a doctor. Jason Beghe, Monica Barbaro, Jesse Lee Soffer, Elias Koteas, Marina Squerciati, Patrick John Flueger and Tracy Spiridakos also star. 10 p.m. NBC

South Park The townspeople are angry that the president is scaring their children in the season finale of the raunchy animated comedy. 10 p.m. Comedy Central

Knightfall This 10-part scripted historical action drama goes inside the Knights Templar, the medieval military order entrusted with protecting the most precious relics in Christianity. Tom Cullen, Padraic Delaney and Simon Merrells star. 10 p.m. History

The A Word Paul’s (Lee Ingleby) deepest, long-repressed feelings about Joe’s (Max Vento) autism rise to the surface when Nicola (Vinette Robinson) makes a video of the odd behaviors. Greg McHugh, Christopher Eccleston, Morven Christie and Molly Wright also star. 10 p.m. Sundance

Happy! Christopher Meloni stars as a drunken and corrupt ex-cop whose life is turned around by the surreal intervention of Happy (voice of Patton Oswalt), a tiny, imaginary and relentlessly chipper winged horse, in this new adaptation of a graphic novel by Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson. 10 p.m. Syfy

Broad City The women try to celebrate a milestone in their friendship, but things get dangerous when they witness something horrible in the season finale. 10:30 p.m. Comedy Central

SPECIALS

Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist Sigourney Weaver, who portrayed Fossey in the 1988 film “Gorillas in the Mist,” narrates this three-part documentary special that explores the mysteries of the wildlife expert’s life and death. 9 p.m. National Geographic

TALK SHOWS

CBS This Morning Kevin Allocca, YouTube; director Guillermo del Toro; Octavia Spencer. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS

Today Time Person of the Year reveal; Ed Helms. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC

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

Good Morning America Gwendoline Christie; Kane Brown performs. (N) 7 a.m. KABC

Good Day L.A. Brian Fogel (“Icarus”); chef Cat Cora. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV

Megyn Kelly Today (N) 9 a.m. KNBC

Live With Kelly and Ryan Gwendoline Christie; Matt Smith; Seal performs. (N) 9 a.m. KABC

The View Ed Helms. (N) 10 a.m. KABC

The Wendy Williams Show Sheryl Lee Ralph “DIVAS Simply Singing!” fundraiser. (N) 11 a.m. KTTV

The Talk Jeffrey Donovan; Jaymes Vaughan; Smokey Robinson performs. (N) 1 p.m. KCBS

The Dr. Oz Show Germ-laden surfaces to avoid at the mall food court; Naomi Judd’s battle with depression. (N) 1 p.m. KTTV

The Doctors Smartphone zombies; an antidote for edible marijuana overdoses; longer lashes; flu shot. (N) 2 p.m. KCBS

Steve Christopher Meloni (“Happy!”); Nev Schulman and Max Joseph; Tia Mowry. (N) 2 p.m. KNBC

Harry Cyndi Lauper; astronaut Peggy Whitson; Jason Mitchell. (N) 2 p.m. KTTV

Dr. Phil Members of a secret Facebook group accuse a woman of various crimes but have no proof. (N) 3 p.m. KCBS

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Neil Patrick Harris (“Genius Junior”); Padma Lakshmi; Chris Stapleton performs. (N) 3 p.m. KNBC

The Real Tank (“Savage”). (N) 3 p.m. KTTV

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Musician St. Vincent. (N) 11 p.m. Comedy Central

Conan Denis Leary; Frankie Shaw; Khalid Rahmaan. (N) 11 p.m. TBS

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon John Cena; Bridget Everett; Beck performs. (N) 11:34 p.m. KNBC

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Ed Helms; Christopher Jackson; Bleachers perform. (N) 11:35 p.m. KCBS

Jimmy Kimmel Live Neil Patrick Harris; Vanessa Kirby; Jules Sylvester. (N) 11:35 p.m. KABC

Tavis Smiley Civil rights activist Myrlie Evers-Williams. (N) midnight KOCE

The Late Late Show With James Corden Kristen Wiig; Seth MacFarlane. (N) 12:37 a.m. KCBS

Late Night With Seth Meyers Dax Shepard; Lily James; Max Brooks; Brooks Wackerman. (N) 12:37 a.m. KNBC

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

Last Call With Carson Daly Katee Sackhoff; musician (Sandy) Alex G; Katie O’Brien. (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. 3 - 9, 2017 in PDF format

This week’s TV Movies

ed.stockly@latimes.com