Best known for his hot temper and salty language, Gordon Ramsay is also a world-renowned chef and energetic mentor.

Tonight on “Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live” (8 p.m., Fox), he promises to patiently take America by the hand and teach us to prepare a sophisticated three-course meal. Even if you’ve never lifted a sauce pan in your life, Ramsay insists that you will be able to prepare Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Chili Peppers and Tomatoes appetizer; Steak Diane with Sauteed Potatoes and Peas as the main course; and Quick Tiramisu for dessert. Just as long as you keep quiet and do exactly what he says.

• It ain’t easy being a teenage medium. For the second season, “Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal” (8 p.m., A&E) profiles young people who profess the ability to see and communicate with the dead. As you might imagine, this can result in misunderstandings and a sense of isolation. “Children” also features psychic Chip Coffey, who has developed a kind of classroom for the gifted and talented of the paranormal variety.

• And when these kids graduate, they can attend “Paranormal State” (9 p.m., A&E). Now in its fourth season, this series follows a group of Penn State students who hunt down hauntings for a special brand of extra credit.

• “Mysteries of Mary Magdalene” (7 p.m., National Geographic) examines one of more enigmatic figures from the New Testament, subject to various interpretations over the centuries, most recently in the bestselling mystical potboiler “The Da Vinci Code.”

• In a similar vein, “Frontline” (8 p.m., PBS, check local listings) repeats “From Jesus to the Christ: The First Christians.”

• DVDs available today include “Cake Boss” and “Robot Chicken,” Season 4. And nothing says Christmas like the “Criss Angel Mindfreak” Collector’s Edition Megaset under your tree.

Tonight’s other highlights

• Seven contending a-cappella groups sing guilty-pleasure songs before one faces elimination on “The Sing-Off” (7 p.m., NBC).

• A taunted outcast learns the true meaning of the holiday in the 1965 special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (7 p.m., ABC).

• The top six perform on the first half of the season finale of “So You Think You Can Dance” (7 p.m., Fox).

• Never quite a classic, the 1999 holiday special “Olive, the Other Reindeer” (7 p.m., Cartoon Network) is not without its charms. Drew Barrymore provides the voice of the lead character.

• Adjusted for inflation, the 1939 epic “Gone With the Wind” (7 p.m., Eastern, TCM) remains the all-time box-office champ.

• Rose gets wind of unpleasant news on “Better Off Ted” (8:30 p.m., ABC).

• Stars of the network recall their holiday favorites on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” (8:30 p.m., Food).

• A judge’s decisions seem fishy on “The Good Wife” (9 p.m., CBS).

• Kevin Nealon hosts “Funniest Commercials of the Year: 2009” (9 p.m., TBS).