Year: 2019

1) “CMA Country Christmas,” 9-11 p.m., ABC. Here’s country crossover, with music from Nashville and beyond. Tricia Yearwood sings and hosts, introducing country people (Chris Janson, Brett Young, Chris Young) and groups (Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Runaway June). She also has stars from gospel (shown here, CeCe Winans and King & Country), pop (Tori Kelly) and Broadway (Kristin Chenoweth). Read more…

1) “Making It” opener, 10 p.m., NBC; continues through Thursday, then Dec. 9-11. There are plenty of TV competitions, but this one stands out. Give credit to Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman (shown here), the former “Parks and Recreation” colleagues. He’s a craft master, she’s not; as hosts, they bring quiet humor. They’re also producers, with likable contestants. They range from a teen drop-out to a scientist, from a calligrapher to a bomber engineer. Using noodles or clothes pins or whatever, they do great work. Read more…

1) “25 Days of Christmas” start, Freeform. It’s the 23rd year of this marathon, packing the month with holiday movies and more. That starts mildly – “Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish” at 7 a.m. – and soon gets better. There are “Simpsons” Christmas reruns (shown here) at 1:15, 1:45 and 2:15 p.m., followed by Tim Allen’s “Santa Clause” trilogy at 2:45, 4:50 and 6:55 and Jim Carrey’s “Grinch” at 9. Read more…

1) “Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire” and its sequel, 8 and 8:30 p.m., CBS. We’re used to cartoons that are brash and frantic. Here’s the opposite, with droll, dry wit. It’s British, of course; the voices were re-cast for us, using one Brit (Hugh Grant as Blitzen) and lots of Americans. Ben Stiller voices Robbie (shown here), with Britney Spears as Donner, Leah Remini as Vixen and Jim Belushi as Santa. Read more…

1) “Great Performances: Kinky Boots,” 9 p.m., PBS. In a five-Friday stretch, PBS has had a vast range. It’s had a serious drama, a Shakespearean comedy and three musicals – one silly, one heavy and now “Kinky” (shown here), with a shoe company switching to flashy footwear. Onstage, this was a big hit; it won six Tonys, including best musical and score. On TV, Cyndi Lauper’s vibrant music only partly makes up for the cardboard characters, including a central guy who temporarily goes bad, for plot convenience. Read more…

1) Thanksgiving Day Parade, 9 a.m. to noon, NBC.and CBS, Here are all the elements to launch TV’s Christmas season – noise, color, size and Santa. The parade (shown here) are 11 bands, 1,000 clowns, 1,200 cheerleaders and dancers and 26 floats, many bearing lip-syncing star –.Ciara, Chicago, Lea Michele, Billy Porter, Black-Eyed Peas and more. Networks also add separate acts, especially early. CBS has Miranda Lambert; NBC opens with “Sesame Street” Muppets and has the casts of four musicals. Read more…