Month: December 2021

1) “Ghosts,” 8:31-11 p.m., CBS. In a rough season for comedies, “Ghosts” has done well. So CBS polled viewers and will rerun their five favorites here. First (shown here), Pete wants to see his wife, who’s still alive; at 9:01, Thorfinn wants a Viking funeral, now that his bones have been found; at 9:30, Samantha – the only living person who sees the ghosts – helps them play Dungeons & Dragons with her husband Jay. At 10, a music fan researches Alberta’s life; at 10:30, Hetty accidentally inhabits Jay’s body. Read more…

1) “Kennedy Center Honors,” 9-11 p.m., CBS. Each year, this celebrates the greats with smart films and potent performances. To honor Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler, Justino Diaz and Motown founder Berry Gordy, we get great songs from Andra Day, Kelli O’Hara, Billy Porter, Norah Jones and more, including a superb finale with Stevie Wonder (shown here in a previous performance. But the surprise is the tribute to “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels. From Steve Martin to three “Weekend Update” desks, it ripples with wit. Read more…

1) “The Bachelorette” finale, 8 p.m., ABC, with “After the Rose” at 10. Michelle Young (shown here) started with 30 guys and has gradually shed 28 of them. (The 28th, last week, was Joe Coleman who, like her, is a Minnesotan and a former college basketball player.) Young, 28, is a 5th-grade teacher who once led the Bradley basketball team with 12 points per game. Her final two choices are Brandon Jones, 26, a traveling-nurse recruiter from Portland, Oregon, and Nayte Olukoya, 27, a sales guy from Winnipeg Read more…

1) “One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga,” 8-9 p.m., CBS. Alzheimer’s has robbed Bennett of most of his memories, but he still does songs beautifully. On his 95th birthday, he did this gorgeous concert in Radio City Music Hall. Gaga opened the show, then introduced her friend (they’re shown here) and later joined him for duets. Backed by great musicians – her quartet, his quintet and an orchestra – they gave a triumphant show, which reruns here. Read more…

1) “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (shown here), 7:30 p.m., PBS. One of the best moments in TV history came because there wasn’t time to meddle. Coca-Cola ordered a holiday special on a tight deadline and there was no time for CBS to second-guess Charles Schulz. He promptly broke all the TV traditions; there was primitive animation, kids’ voices, a jazzy score and even a tad of Scripture. Officials considered junking it … then found that viewers loved this blend of wit and emotion. It’s also on Apple TV+. Read more…

1) “Grinch” and more, TNT. Three of the best Christmas shows are packed into one night. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (shown here) – a wondrous mix of humor and emotion – is at 7 and 9:30 p.m., each time leading into a terrific movie. It’s “A Christmas Story” (1983) at 7:30 and Patrick Stewart’s “Christmas Carol” at 10. Both will be back on Christmas night – “Grinch” on NBC, “Story” in a 24-hour marathon. Read more…