Month: November 2021

1) “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” 8 p.m.NBC. Here is one of TV’s top moments, still the best after 55 years. It started with the wit and warmth of Dr. Seuss’ book. Then Chuck Jones – the genius behind Road Runner and many Bugs Bunny cartoons — brilliantly animated it. He included Boris Karloff as the droll narrator, with Thor Ravenscoft booming a song about the mean one, Mr. Grinch (shown here). NBC will also have it on Christmas night; in between, it airs Dec. 11 on TBS and Dec. 17 on TNT. Read more…

1) “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” 9 a.m. to noon, NBC, CBS and Peacock. Last year, the parade (shown here in a previous year)was TV-only, confined to a single block. Now it sprawls anew, with 10 bands. 36 inflatables, 800 clowns and 28 floats, many containing singers – Rob Thomas, Mickey Guyton, Jordan Fisher, Jimmie Allen, Nelly, more. Early, NBC adds Carrie Underwood, the Rockettes and the casts of “Annie Live” and Broadway’s “Six,” “Wicked” and “Moulin Rouge”; CBS adds “Chicago” and “Waitress.” Read more…

1) “Secrets of the Dead,” 10 p.m., PBS. Back in 1607, the painter named Caravaggio was fleeing from murder charges. He reached Malta … fled again the next year … but left behind some of his greatest works. In 1984, one of them (shown here) was stolen; three years later, it was returned and arrests were made. That story is told zealously by Father Marius Zerafa, now 92, in a beautifully filmed hour. A painter, sculptor and Oxford grad, Zerafa spent eight months negotiating for the painting’s return. Read more…

1) “New Amsterdam,” 10 p.m., NBC. It’s time for Max to leave the hospital; he promised to move to England with his loved one, Dr. Helen Sharpe.(They’re shown here in a previous episode.) What could possibly slow their departure? How about a lethal, hospital-wide epidemic? There are a couple flaws here — a minimizing of what would be an intense CDC presence, also, some over-the-top scenes with parents in deep denial. Still, it’s an excellent episode. Read more…

1) “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” 8 p.m., CBS. Everyone seems to be starting Christmas early this year, so Rudolph (shown here) arrives three days before Thanksgiving. He’ll be back on CBS on Dec. 19, with several Freeform stops in-between. More cartoons – MANY more – will arrive Friday and Saturday. Read more…

1) “American Music Awards,” 8-11 p.m., ABC. Cardi B (shown here) hosts a show stuffed with stars. One song links BTS and Megan Thee Stallion; another has Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean. There’s even a boy-band mash-up, with New Edition and New Kids on the Block. Other performers include Kane Brown, Bad Bunny and Olivia Rodrigo … who leads with seven nominations. She’s up for artist of the year, alongside The Weeknd (with six nominations), BTS, Drake, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. Read more…