Month: November 2020

1) “A Nashville Christmas Carol,” 8 p.m., Hallmark. TV loves to mix music and romance. Graceland and Dollywood movies have thrived; a new Dolly Parton film (“Christmas On the Square”) arrives Sunday on Netflix. Here’s a movie filled with people who have had No. 1 country hits (Wynonna, Kixx Brooks, Sara Evans) … or might (RaeLyn) … or is married to somone who has them (Kimberly Williams-Paisley). A producer (Jessy Schram, shown here) does a country-music special with her ex-boyfriend, Read more…

1) “Great Performances: Holiday Inn,” 9 p.m. PBS. With a shutdown on Broadway and beyond, we appreciate a vibrant burst of musical memories. This one happens to have a weak story, brightened by some terrific Irving Berlin songs. A 1942 movie told of an inn that’s open only on holidays. Berlin inserted some songs he’d written previously (“White Christmas” and “Easter Parade”) and wrote more. This stage production (shown here) also added his “Blue Skies,” “Cheek to Cheek” and more. Read more…

1) “Supernatural” series finale, 9 p.m., CW, with preview at 8. For 15 seasons, two brothers(played by  Jared Padalecki, shown here, and Jensen Ackles) have battled demons and intermittently saved the world. In the preview, Eric Kripke says he created the show with “the love of urban legends I’ve had my whole life.” Then he added more. The show, Misha Collins (who plays Castiel) says, has “the most epic mythology humanity can contrive.” We see that in the preview, ranging from angels to Lucifer, from a teen musical to a Scooby-Doo cartoon. Read more…

1) “For Life” season-opener, 10 p.m., ABC. Aaron (Nicholas Pinnock) is a jailhouse lawyer – literally. He got a law degree in prison and uses it to help fellow inmates. (Pinnock is shown here with Dorian Missick.) But as the second season begins, there’s a bigger goal: This is based loosely on the true story of Isaac Wright, who won his own freedom and became a defense lawyer in the outside world. Now Aaron has a complex plan to get his conviction overturned. Success would let him try to rebuild his shaky relationship with his wife, his daughter and the world. Read more…

1) “Big Sky” debut, 10 p.m., ABC. David E. Kelley has written the best shows on broadcast (“L.A. Law,” “Boston Public”), cable (“Big Little Lies”) and beyond (“Goliath”). Now he returns to broadcast, adapting a novel. We meet two sisters, on an empty Montana highway … and a lonely trucker who lives with his badgering mother ,,, and a highway patrolman in a wobbly marriage. And Cody (Ryan Phillippe, shown here), surrounded by two women – his detective partner and his ex-wife. Soon, they’ll intersect. Read more…