Music on TV This Week: The Beatle and the Stones

As we move headlong into the holiday season, expect to see a lot more specials, concert films and the like fill out the the schedule. For this shortened Thanksgiving week, there are some good ones as well, including PBS' LENNONNYC, which looks back at the former Beatle after his move to New York in 1971.

Director Michael Epstein's LENNONNYC comes at a time when John Lennon is on the minds of many, as he would've turned 70 years old last month, while next month marks the 30th anniversary of his death. Relying on old footage, never-before heard studio talkback of Lennon along with interviews with Yoko Ono, Elton John and others, the film is a touching look at a superstar trying to take a step out of the limelight and live life as a New Yorker. The film airs as part of PBS' American Masters series on Monday night.

Elsewhere, there are a couple concert documentaries making their respective debuts. On Thanksgiving, ABC is airing Beyonce: I Am... World Tour, featuring the athletic singer and guest appearances from Kanye West and hubbie Jay-Z. NBC counters with a pre-taped Taylor Swift special featuring performances of her bazillion selling Speak Now.

Finally, for Thanksgiving, VH1 properties are giving us three nights packed with The Rolling Stones concert films. On Wednesday, VH1 Classic airs the Hal Ashby (Shampoo, Harold & Maude) directed Let's Spend the Night Together, from their mega-selling 1981 arena tour. On Thanksgiving night, VH1 Classic airs two more, starting with Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones, featuring footage from their acclaimed Exile on Main Street tour in 1972, and then the special In Rehearsal: The Rolling Stones at Montreux, which features never-before aired footage of the band rehearsing for the Montreux festival from that very same year. Then on Friday, there's a simulcast on VH1, VH1 Classic and Palladia of the 2008 Martin Scorsese concert documentary Shine a Light, taken from their 2006 tour.

Picks for the week
Monday, November 22
ABC: The View: Beyonce
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Authority Zero
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Taylor Swift
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Villagers (REPEAT)
PBS: LENNONNYC: John Lennon
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Justin Timberlake
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Ne-Yo
Tuesday, November 23
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Ke$ha
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: Cee-Lo Green (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: My Chemical Romance
IFC: 360 Sessions: Craig David
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Regina Spektor
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Off! (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Bon Jovi
VH1: NWA - Dangerous Group: NWA, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, MC Ren
Wednesday, November 24
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Metric
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: John Legend (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: N.E.R.D.
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: City and Colour (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Neon Trees
SYNDICATION: Live With Regis and Kelly: Elton John & Leon Russell
Thursday, November 25
ABC: Beyonce's 'I Am...' World Tour: Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kanye West
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Nelly (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Off!
NBC: Taylor Swift: Speak Now: Taylor Swift
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: James Otto and Ronnie Milsap
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Lissie (REPEAT)
Friday, November 26
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Atomic Tom (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Bon Jovi (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: My Chemical Romance
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Aaron Neville
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: She & Him (REPEAT)
VH1: Shine a Light: The Rolling Stones
Saturday, November 27
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Kanye West (REPEAT)
PBS: Austin City Limits: R.E.M. (REPEAT)