Re: Selected programming for Dec. 16-20, 2024

On 12/14/24 10:46 PM, Robin Miller wrote:

         Monday, Dec. 16
  Little Big Town's Christmas at the Opry      (special)         (8-10 pm, NBC)
 A star-studded music special featuring a dazzling array of country's biggest names and hosted by Grammy Award-winning superstars Little Big Town. The celebration will feature a variety of Christmas favorites and holiday classics in front of a live audience at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.

No!

CBS fall finales: The Neighborhood (8 pm), Poppa's House (8:30 pm), NCIS (9 pm), NCIS: Origins (10 pm)

NCIS: NO!!

         Tuesday, Dec. 17
       Streaming:
  The Simpsons: O C'mon All Ye Faithful         (special)       (3:01 am, Disney+)
 This new double holiday episode is exclusive to Disney+.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCnqEOJ_afg

F*** Disney+!

Puff: The Making of a Monster        (documentary)        (3:01 am, Peacock)
 I have no idea what this is, but Google's AI guesses as follows: "Puff: The Making of a Monster Peacock" refers to a fictional Peacock Original documentary series expected to premiere on the streaming service Peacock, likely focusing on the creation of a monstrous or unusual peacock, potentially with a narrative around genetic manipulation or a creature feature storyline; it is listed as a new release coming to Peacock in December 2024.

Gawd, AI text is awful!!
I'm going to guess it's about "Puff the Magic Dragon"?...

     Broadcast and cable:
  CBS fall finales: FBI (8 pm), FBI: International (9 pm), FBI: Most Wanted (10 pm)

FBI: NO!!

         Wednesday, Dec. 18
       Streaming:
  The Secret Lives of Animals        [new; complete limited series]   (12:01 am, Apple TV+)
 Hugh Bonneville narrates a 10-part nature series produced by the BBC.

Where it's revealed the animals all plan to kill us...
Just like "Zoo"!!

Swipe Left or Death      (documentary)        (3:01 am, Tubi)
 Discover the chilling stories of ordinary people who fell victim to the dangers of online dating apps and suffered deadly consequences. May be a three-episode series.

Oh, Tubi, your docs are so exploitive!

     Broadcast and cable:
  iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2024       (special)           (8-10 pm, ABC)
 IHeartMedia will celebrate the holiday season across the nation with its annual "iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Presented by Capital One" - the season's iconic holiday music event, with the year's top artists including Katy Perry, SZA, Tate McRae, Jack Harlow, twenty one pilots, Teddy Swims, Meghan Trainor, Camila Cabello, Kane Brown, Jason Derulo, Benson Boone, Gracie Abrams and more.

No!

         Thursday, Dec. 19
       Streaming:
  Beast Games         [new]          (12:01 am, Prime Video)
 Plagued by controversy during filming, Amazon's new competition series— hosted by MrBeast and pitting 1,000 contestants against each other in physical and mental challenges for a chance to win $5 million—debuts with its first two episodes today. Additional episodes air weekly on Thursdays.

Wait, they're actually going to air this after all of that?!!

Virgin River         (complete season 6)          (3:01 am, Netflix)
 10 episodes; already renewed for season 7.

And I never managed to get through the end of season #3!
I can't believe this show (and "When Calls the Heart") keep going!

Laid         [new; complete season 1]           (3:01 am, Peacock)
 Billed as a "f*cked-up rom-com," Peacock's new sex comedy finds recent Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) playing a woman who learns that all of her former lovers have been dying ("in unusual ways"!), so she embarks on a journey of self-discovery to find out exactly what is wrong with her. This adaptation of an Australian series of the same name also stars Zosia Mamet, Michael Angarano, and Tommy Martinez, while guests include John Early, Kate Berlant, Simu Liu, and Chloe Fineman. All eight half-hour episodes stream today.

I'm pretty sure this ain't my thing...

     Broadcast and cable:
  My Husband's Other Face      (movie)        (8 pm, LMN)
 After health issues and infidelity, Nicole’s personal life seems to be falling apart. When she finds out she’s miraculously pregnant, she takes a tip from her best friend to go to a seemingly magical herbal healer and ends up getting a tincture to make her husband fall back in love with her. But despite warnings that she would lose something when she gained his love, Nicole goes through with it – ­and gets a lot more than she bargained for. Stars Brooke Burfitt, Braxton Angle, Courtney Elvira, Mike Boland, and Dana Anderwald.
 https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/my-husbands-other-face
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31390710/

Of course!

Trading Up Christmas      (movie)       (8 pm, Hallmark Mystery)
 Michelle (Italia Ricci) is the dreamer of her family, always brimming with imaginative ideas to make the world a better place. This Christmas, her sister Keri desperately needs a new home, and Michelle hatches a creative plan to help. Starting with just a Christmas stocking, she sets out to trade her way up to something far greater—a house for Keri. While Keri dismisses it as a far-fetched idea, local reporter Dan (Michael Xavier) is intrigued. Assigned to cover Michelle's story, Dan follows her closely, and as her plan gains attention, he starts to see the world through her hopeful eyes. As Michelle and Dan grow closer, so do their feelings for each other. But when it seems her plan has failed and she fears ruined her relationship with Keri, Michelle is ready to give up. It's Dan’s love and belief in her that reignites hope just when she needs it most.
 https://www.hallmarkmystery.com/trading-up-christmas/
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33906572/

Gotta love how neither this, nor IMDb, indicate who the Keri actress is!
(Poor Michael Xavier seems to be losing his hair...  :(  )

Nate Bargatze's Nashville Christmas         (special)         (9-10 pm, CBS)
 "A festive variety show with Nate's signature comedic charm, holiday fun, and musical performances."

No!

Barry Manilow's A Very Barry Christmas       (special)       (10 pm, NBC)
 Re-airing of special from 2023.

That's pretty cheap, as Manilow has permanently retired now, yeah?...

         Friday, Dec. 20
       Streaming:
  Juror #2          (movie; streaming premiere)          (3:01 am, Max)
 While serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, a family man finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma, one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict or free the wrong killer. Stars Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons and Kiefer Sutherland. 2024 film; 1h 54m. Directed by Clint Eastwood.
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27403986/    [rating 7.1]

Meh - not sure how I can fit this in...

X-Rated Queen        [new; complete season 1]       (3:01 am, Max)
 The story of a young woman from a small Polish town who escapes to West Germany and finds herself drawn into the world of adult entertainment. Polish series?

I feel like this is probably a tease...

Adopted      (movie)        (3:01 am, TubI)
 A couple’s hopes of adopting the perfect child unravel as their new son reveals a dark side, bringing terror into their lives. Stars
Drew Sidora,

Wait! "Drew" Sidora is a woman?! (And she was in the original "Step Up"!!)

Daniel J. Johnson, Jayden Augirre, Victoria Nuckles, Livvy Neachell, George La Buck, Marques Houston and Shalet Monique. 1 hr 23 min.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvIBq5zaoVg
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33347919/
 https://tubitv.com/movies/100029715/adopted

Anyway, this is a Tubi original I'll be passing on - I hate the Lifetime flicks about evil children too (outside of maybe the "Bad Seed" flicks...).

Last Straw        (movie)         (3:01 am, Shudder)
 A small town killing spree lands on the doorstep of a rural diner, where a young waitress [Jessica Belkin] must fight for her life over the course of one long night. 1h 23m.
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24249072/     [rating 5.4]

Damn. Nobody gets The Shudder, but I really like Jessica Belkin - I would try to watch this if Spectrum would ever follow through and give me AMC+...

     Broadcast and cable:
  National Christmas Tree Lighting     (special)        (8-9 pm, CBS)

No!

Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays      (special) (9-10 pm, CBS)
 Join Josh Groban for a night of music, comedy, and storytelling and celebrate the transformative power of family.
 https://www.cbs.com/shows/josh-groban-friends-go-home-for-the-holidays/

No!

 (end)

A lot of holiday flotsam, and not much else this week...  :/