1) “Holiday Spectacular,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. The next few weeks will have plenty of specials, bubbling with bright colors and Christmas music, That starts from Disneyland and Disney World. Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribiero host and sing. Other performers: Elton John (shown here with the hosts), Carly Pearce, John Legend, Pentatonix, Leslie Odom Jr. and Ava Max. Read more…
1) “Grinch” and “Reindeer in Here.” We can catch back-to-back animation – old and new, great and fairly good. First is the superb “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” at 7:30 p.m. on Bravo. Then switch to CBS for “Reindeer in Here” (shown here), a good-enough hour from 2022. Moving to a new town, a boy feels lonely … until a confused reindeer needs help saving Christmas. Read more…
Here’s a list of Christmas TV, from the classics (“Rudolph” is shown here) to a few new music specials and a LOT of new movies. All of this is subject to change and (especially) additions, See separate story here, for an introduction and explanation.
PARADES
— Nov. 28: Thanksgiving Day Parade, 8:30 to noon, NBC and Peacock, repeating at 2 p.m. The 98th edition has 22 floats, 11 bands,17 balloons and 10 performance groups. NBC also adds the Rockettes and the Broadway casts of “The Outsiders,” “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Death Becomes Her.”
— Dec. 14: “Hollywood Christmas Parade,” 8-10 p.m., CW.
— Dec. 25: “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Parade,” 10 a.m. to noon ET (but 5-7 a.m. PT and MT), ABC. Music performances and parade at Disney World and Disneyland. Read more…
Ready or not, TV is starting its Christmastime avalanche.
That starts with the Thanksgiving Day parade and ends with Christmas Day movie marathons . Over a four-week stretch (see the separate story for a full list), it will range from the classics – Rudolph and Frosty, Scrooge and the Grinch (shown here) and more – to the new.
Well, a few new things, anyway. Read more…
1) “Henry Mancini: 100,” 9 p.m., PBS. Linking a concert, recording sessions and more, we hear the range of Mancini music, from frisky (“Pink Panther,” “Peter Gunn”) to warm, with “Moon River” and “Days of Wine and Roses” done twice. There’s too much bland talk, alongside great vocals — Michael Buble (shown here), Cynthia Erivo, Monica Mancini — and instrumentals. Read more…
There are crimesolvers whose stories keep being retold.
They include Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and – of current interest –Adam Dalgliesh. And yes, there’s a trend there.
All are from British authors; all (except Holmes) are from women, combining clever mysteries with a rich sense of character detail.
Now it’s time for Dalgliesh (shown here in a previous season). On three Mondays, the Acorn streamer (www.acorn.tv) has one of his stories. Read more…
1) “Christmas in Rockefeller Center,” 8-10 p.m. Wednesday (Dec. 4), NBC. Here’s a familiar Christmas combination — spectacle (including the Rockettes and the lighting of a mega-tree) plus music. That includes Kelly Clarkson (shown here at last year’s show), the host, plus Jennifer Hudson, Dan + Shay, Megan Hilty, Raye, Coco Jones, Thalia, The Backstreet Boys, and Little Big Town. Read more…
1) Thanksgiving Day parade (shown here in a previous year), 8:30 a.m. to noon, NBC and Peacock. It will be a mega-parade — 22 floats, 11 bands,17 balloons, 10 performance groups, one Santa. And NBC adds Rockettes, more dancers, soloists (Jennifer Hudson, Billy Porter, Kylie Minogue) and the Broadway casts of “Hell’s Kitchen,” “The Outsiders” and “Death Becomes Her.” Read more…
1) “The Untold Story of Mary Poppins,” 9-11 p.m., ABC. The movie and its stars seems eternal. Julie Andrews (shown here), now 89, and Dick Van Dyke, turning 99 on Dec. 13, still perform; co-composer Richard Sherman died in May, at 95. Here’s a view of the film, which ABC airs Thursday. It won five Oscars, including one for Andrews and two for the Sherman brothers. Read more…
Interesting things can be found in odd, unvisited corners of the TV world,
One of those corners is any Tuesday on Fox. That’s where you’ll find:
— On Nov. 26, the season-finale of “Murder in a Small Town.” Flaws and all, it’s an excellent hour; if need be, it could be considered a good series-finale.
— On Dec. 3, back-to-back episodes of “Accused” (shown here). The two hours are wildly different in tone; they remind us why people hate and/or love anthologies. Read more…
