Year: 2020

1) “Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire,” 8 p.m., CBS. Amid the cascade of look-alike Christmas cartoons, we need variety. That’s what we get from this drolly clever film and (at 8:30) it sequel, “Legemd of the Lost Tribe.” These were made in England, then redubbed with Americans (plus Hugh Grant as Blitzen) doing the voices. Ben Stiller plays Robbie (shown here), whose dad is Rudolph; his real dad (Jerry Stiller) plays Old Jingle and Trash Bag. Britney Spears is Donner, with Leah Remini as Vixen. Read more…

1) “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (shown here), 8 p.m.,, NBC. Here is one of TV’s all-time greatest moments, a perfect blend of two witty geniuses – author Dr. Seuss and animator Chuck Jones. Catch it often; It will be on TBS on Dec. 6 and 13, on TNT on Dec. 17 and then back to NBC on Dec. 25. Read more…

1) “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” 9 a.m. to noon, NBC, repeats 2-5 p.m. It’s not like the spectacle (shown here) of previous years; floats and balloons will travel one block, in front of NBC cameras, with no one curbside. But there will be spectacle, Santa and performances, some taped in advance. The “Hamilton” cast will be there; so, separately, will Leslie Odom Jr., who won a Tony in the show. Other casts are “Mean Girls,” “Get Ready,” “Jagged Little Pill”; individuals include Dolly Parton, Bebe Rexha, Sofia Carson, many more. Read more…

1) “Nature: Santa’s Wild Home,” 8 p.m., PBS. On the Northern edge of mainland Europe is Lapland (shown here), the legendary home of Santa Claus and the real home of giant herds of reindeer. This Finnish turf is both gorgeous and harsh. Summers are brief, beautiful and filled with mosquitoes; bears eat 80 pounds a day, to prepare for hibernation. Musk oxen don’t hibernate; they simply stand in the wintger cold, not moving. There are other fascinating scenes here, from soaring owls to orcas gulping swarms of herring. Read more…

1) “NCIS,” 8 p.m., CBS. This is the 400th episode of a show that seems eternal. “JAG” had 10 seasons, the last two overlapping with its spin-off, “NCIS” … which has just started its 18th season … and has two more spin-offs, in their seventh and 12th years. That adds up to 47 seasons (26 years) of Naval crimesolvers. Tonight flashes way back to when Gibbs (Mark Harmon) tackled his first case. Sean Harmon plays a younger version of his dad, which he’s done six previous times; he’s shown here, right, with a younger version of Ducky. Read more…