Best Bets: "The Iron Lady," "Survivor" finale and a crime thriller from Norway

(CBS) Movie lovers will find themselves with more choices than they have time for this weekend as studios continue to roll out Oscar contenders at the box office. Some of the year's most eagerly awaited films make their debut in theaters on Friday.

These include the Margaret Thatcher biopic "The Iron Lady" starring Meryl Streep; the Sherlock Holmes sequel "Sherlock Holmes: Dark Shadows" starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law; and Roman Polanski's "Carnage," with Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly and Christoph Waltz.

And that's only the start of what is shaping up to be a busy holiday week in the entertainment industry.

If you prefer your movies on the small screen, the release Tuesday of "The Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and "Kung Fu Panade 2" may be welcome news. On Friday, the Matt Damon movie "Contagion," a hit in theaters in early fall, will be out on DVD.

Also look for a number of your favorite TV shows to draw to a close. "Survivor: South Pacific" has one more Wednesdsay night episode to air this week before Sunday night's finale and reunion show. Showtime's "Homeland" is also coming to its season's end.

PBS will air a holiday special "Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle Choir," featuring "American Idol" alum David Aucheleta on Tuesday.

Snoop Dogg And Wiz Khalifa have an album, "Mac & Devin Go To High School" comng out on Tuesday.

Hitting bookshelves this week is "The Leopard" by Jo Nesbo," a crime writer who has been described as the Norwgeian Stieg Larsson, and "Locked On," a new Tom Clancy espionage novel featuring his recurring characters, Jack Ryan Sr. and Jack Ryan Jr.

What are you looking forward to this week? Tell us in the comments below.