Re: Selected programming for Nov. 23-29, 2024

On 11/23/24 7:57 AM, Robin Miller wrote:

         Saturday, Nov. 23
  Christmas in the Spotlight      (movie)       (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
 Bowyn is a popular musician and celebrity who, despite always singing about love and relationships, hasn’t found Mr. Right yet. Her fame and busy recording schedule make it nearly impossible to date, but when she meets Drew, a pro football player, backstage at her show, there’s an undeniable spark between the two of them. When Drew publicly declares he has a crush on Bowyn, they decide to give dating a shot, much to the excitement of her manager Mira. With each passing day they spend together, their feelings grow stronger… but can it last in the limelight, especially when they both have such hectic schedules? With people questioning if their feelings for each other are real or just for show, the pressure mounts from the press, paparazzi, their fans and even their family. The pair has until the end of the holiday season to decide if they want to stay together, or let it go down in flames. Stars Jessica Lord, Laith Wallschleger, Jeannie Mai and Haley Kalil.
 https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/christmas-in-the-spotlight
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33338383/

Were you you waiting for them to base a TV movie around Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce?! - Well then, this movie is for you!!  :p
While I've been skipping X-Mas movies so far this year, I think I might watch this one, as it stars Jessica Lord who starred in the fifth season of "The Next Step". She looks totally unrecognizable here, so part of the reason I'm watching is to try to figure out why the girl from season #5 of "The Next Step" is now unrecognizable...

Three Wiser Men and a Boy       (movie)         (8 pm, Hallmark Channel)
 The story begins five years later with the Brenner brothers preparing for another memorable Christmas. In a crazy turn of events, possibly brought on accidently by the brothers themselves, the director of Luke’s son Thomas’ school holiday musical steps down. Luke is desperate to make his son’s stage dreams come true, so he enlists the help of his brothers Taylor and Stephan. Meanwhile, the trio navigates meeting their mom Barbara’s new boyfriend and the brothers grapple with their own feelings about this relationship. In true Brenner brother fashion, they are all in for a Christmas they will never forget. Stars Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker and Margaret Colin.
 A sequel to 2022's "Three Wise Men and a Baby": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22247482/

Bah!

A Little Women's Christmas       (movie)          (8 pm, Great American Family)
 'A Little Women’s Christmas" is a contemporary retelling of Louisa May Alcott's 1868 classic, following the lives and loves of the March sisters in a small Tennessee town at Christmas. Jo March is played by Jillian Murray, Trevor Donovan is Friedrich “Fritz” Baehr, Meg March is played by Jen Lilley, Laura Osnes plays Beth March, Julia Reilly is Amy March, and John is played by Jesse Hutch. The one-and-only Gladys Knight performs “Joy.”

Wow, that's actually kind of an amazing cast for something like this. I might actually try to watch a reairing of this later...

         Sunday, Nov. 24
  Festival of Trees        (movie)        (7 pm, UPtv)
 Jacquie Miller [Kate Miner] is an interior designer desperate to catch a break. The city's annual Festival of Trees decorating competition, known for putting local artists on the map, may be just the answer! But competing with the city's top designers is not for the faint of heart. With the help of her quirky assistant, a charming stranger and an inspirational young girl, Jacquie embarks on a humor-filled and heart-warming journey to create a tree that will knock the stockings off Santa himself. Also stars Greg Perrow and Josie Davis.
 https://uptv.com/movies/festival-of-trees/
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8323340/

Huh, so Josie Davis is still around...

Sincerely, Truly Christmas      (movie)       (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
 When event planner Christina is fired just before Christmas, she makes a wish that magically comes true. Armed with the ability to hear what people want for Christmas, Christina learns that bringing reclusive one-hit-wonder Dan Copen out of retirement could help get her job back. But to get to Dan, she’ll need to go through handsome realtor Robert who needs help finding the perfect Christmas gift for his son. Stars Paula Brancati, Jake Epstein, Howard Hoover, and Phoenix Ellis.

Meh - will probably pass.

To Have and To Holiday        (movie)         (8 pm, Hallmark Channel)
 When Celeste (Madeleine Arthur) gets engaged to Jason (Robert Bazzocchi) after just a few months of dating, her father and the couple’s would-be officiant, Pastor Mark (Eric Close), insists on putting them through a pre-wedding “bootcamp” filled with Christmas-themed challenges. As the couple grows stronger through the festive activities, Celeste considers following her dreams in the fashion industry. Meanwhile, Pastor Mark learns to trust his daughter’s choices, leading to a heartwarming holiday season for the whole family.
 https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/to-have-and-to-holiday
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33829457/

Huh - I'm intrigued by the idea of Madeleine Arthur headlining a X-Mas flick... So, maybe?

Christmas by Candlelight        (movie; US linear premiere)         (8 pm, Great American Family)
 Juliet pitches Christmas candles to her boss to earn a promotion and enlists the help of a candle store owner (Tom) who refuses at first but reluctantly agrees when he realizes the money will help make his daughter’s Christmas wish come true. Stars Erin Agostino and Harmon Walsh. [Originally released last December in Belgium and is currently available on several streaming services in the US.]
 https://www.greatamericanfamily.com/movie/christmas-by-candlelight/
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26925662/

I like Erin Agostino, but I like her better in Lifetime flicks.

The Franchise         (season 1 finale)         (10 pm, HBO)

Never did get to this... Has anyone else finished it?

         Monday, Nov. 25
       Streaming:
  Dear Santa         (movie)         (3:01 am, Paramount+)
 Bobby Farrelly directs Jack Black and Keegan-Michael Key in a holiday comedy about a boy who accidentally addresses his Christmas letter to "Satan" instead of "Santa" and is surprised to receive an in-person response. 1h 43m.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n1GUmAhoTs
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2396431/
 https://www.paramountplus.com/movies/video/LXIS0Y6Dd0D04qRCR_lLx2G6V_4YvV3u/

I like the idea. So, maybe?...

     Broadcast and cable:
  Get Millie Black       [new]              (9 pm, HBO)
 Co-produced with the UK's Channel 4, this five-episode miniseries marks the TV debut for Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James (A Brief History of Seven Killings). Tamara Lawrance stars as Millie-Jean Black, a former Scotland Yard detective who returns to work in her native country of Jamaica, where she investigates missing persons cases.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0wrsROQFbk
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16369304/
 https://www.avclub.com/get-millie-black-review-tv-hbo

So, "Death in Paradise", then?!

         Tuesday, Nov. 26
       Broadcast and cable:
  Murder in a Small Town      (season 1 finale)         (8 pm, Fox)

It'll be interesting to see if this gets a season #2, and if Fox picks it up if it does.

         Wednesday, Nov. 27
       Streaming:
  Our Little Secret      (movie)         (3:01 am, Netflix)
 Two resentful exes are forced to spend Christmas under the same roof after discovering that their current partners are siblings. Lindsay Lohan, Kristin Chenoweth, Tim Meadows, and Ian Harding star in Netflix's holiday-themed rom-com.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcc9G9PXTEE
 https://www.netflix.com/title/81498404

I'm sorry, *what*?!

     Broadcast and cable:
  Christmas under the Lights     (movie)       (8 pm, Hallmark Mystery)
 Emily (Heather Hemmens) is always reluctant to return home to her family’s animal rescue ranch -- but when her mother passes away, her brother Nick requests her help organizing the annual Christmas Carnival. When she arrives, she discovers Nick’s friend, Luke (Marco Grazzini), staying at the ranch -- and that Luke was once a successful artist who works with light. Though initially reluctant to collaborate, Emily and Luke work hard to pull off the best, most light-filled carnival the town has ever seen, a healing celebration of Emily’s mother’s legacy and the magic of Christmas -- and along the way feel sparks of romance as radiant as the lights themselves.

[roll]

         Thursday, Nov. 28  [Thanksgiving]
       Streaming:
  Sweethearts         (movie)         (3:01 am, Max)
 Two college freshmen pull a "Turkey Dump" and break up with their high school sweethearts over "Drunksgiving"--the one chaotic night before Thanksgiving in their hometown that puts their codependent friendship to the test. Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga star.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIyJ-1-wThY
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14636214/

Uh...?...

     Broadcast and cable:
  Debbie Macomber's Joyful Mrs. Miracle        (movie)          (8 pm, Hallmark Channel)
 Three adult siblings (Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, Matthew James Dowden, Max Lloyd-Jones) return to their childhood home at Christmas to honor their late grandmother’s wishes and try to agree on new leadership for the family’s company. Enter Annie Merkel (Rachel Boston) ­ also known as Mrs. Miracle ­ who poses as an estate planner and uses her special brand of Christmas magic to help the family find common ground and rekindle their bonds. As the siblings try to sort things out, Charlotte also finds herself reconnecting with Austin (Tanner Novlan), the manor’s caretaker and her first love.
 https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/debbie-macombers-joyful-mrs-miracle
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33669124/

Geezus, they're replacing Doris Roberts with Rachel Boston?!!
I'm actually legitimately outraged...  >:/

         Friday, Nov. 29
       Streaming:
  Nutcrackers        (movie)          (12:01 am, Hulu)
 A change of pace for director David Gordon Green following four straight horror films, this family holiday comedy follows Ben Stiller's Michael, a workaholic city-slicker who must leave Chicago to take care of his deceased sister's four sons until they can find a foster home. Linda Cardellini, Tim Heidecker, Edi Patterson, and Toby Huss also star, while the four children are played by the real-life siblings who inspired the story (their mother is Green's longtime friend). Despite somewhat lackluster reviews following the film's TIFF premiere a few months ago, Hulu paid an estimated $10 million to acquire the film at the festival and will make it a streaming exclusive. 1h 44m.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iBuf0Sq-cw
 https://www.metacritic.com/movie/nutcrackers/     [score 53]
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30144381/

I'm not sure I'm sold...

The Agency          [new]           (3:01 am, Paramount+ With Showtime)
 An English-language adaptation of the acclaimed, long-running French spy series The Bureau (aka Le Bureau des Légendes), "The Agency" follows an undercover CIA agent (Michael Fassbender) who is recalled to London to abandon his secret identity and begin a major new mission—a mission that gets complicated when a romantic interest from his undercover life suddenly appears. There are big names on both sides of the camera in this 10-episode season, which is adapted by Tony-winning playwright Jez Butterworth and his brother John-Henry Butterworth (Ford v Ferrari, Edge of Tomorrow). Joining Fassbender in the cast are Richard Gere, Jeffrey Wright, Jodie Turner-Smith, Katherine Waterston, Hugh Bonneville, and John Magaro. Directors include Joe Wright (Atonement, Hanna) and Grant Heslov, while the latter also produces alongside George Clooney. The series will also air on the Showtime cable channel beginning on Dec. 1. Ten episodes; two stream today, with the rest released once weekly through Jan. 24.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAxMy31nffA
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv817ouw7qE
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26656917/

I'm very likely to watch this. I may even just watch it weekly.

Sidelined: The QB and Me      (movie)        (3:01 am, Tubi)
 A headstrong dancer [Siena Agudong] and a cocky quarterback [Noah Beck] fight against their feelings for each other as their post-grad future threatens to keep them apart. Also stars Drew Ray Tanner, James Van Der Beek and Deborah Cox. 1 hr 39 min.
 https://tubitv.com/movies/100028262/sidelined-the-qb-and-me
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0gjQQepXRQ
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19704542/

Huh... Maybe?

Out Come the Wolves      (movie)       (3:01 am, Shudder)
 At a cabin deep in the wilderness, a weekend of hunting turns to mayhem and a fight for survival when a pack of wolves attack a man, his female best friend and her fiance. Stars Missy Peregrym, Joris Jarsky and Damon Runyan; 1h 26m.
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4853290/    [rating 4.6]

Nobody gets The Shudder!!

     Broadcast and cable:
  A '90s Christmas        (movie)         (6 pm, Hallmark Channel)
 Workaholic lawyer Lucy Miller is celebrating her promotion alone on Christmas Eve when a mysterious rideshare experience transports her back to 1999. Reliving the holiday with her mom, sister and best friend ­not to mention her high school crush ­Lucy gets a second chance to understand where her relationships went wrong. Will this magical journey help her rewrite her future or leave her destined to be alone? Stars Eva Bourne and Chandler Massey.
 https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/a-90s-christmas
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16270280/

Eva Bourne from "Beyond the Black Rainbow"?! That makes this a "maybe"!

Don't Let Him Find You      (movie)        (8 pm, LMN)
 When housewife Alex saves a woman’s life and a video of her heroic deed goes viral, a crime reporter shows up at her door claiming he knows her true identity. As Alex struggles to keep her dark past hidden from her husband and daughter, the reporter is found murdered; now the primary suspect, Alex must elude police while trying to uncover the identity of the killer. Stars Brianna Cohen, Audrey Lynn-Marie, and Philip Boyd.
 https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/dont-let-him-find-you
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32589546/

Brianna Cohen is LMN's latest "It Girl"... Anyway, of course, yes!

Deck the Walls        (movie)          (8 pm, Hallmark Channel)
 Rose is a Chicago-based interior designer, whose brother Sal is responsible for a Christmas Charity House Flip back in their suburban Ohio hometown. When a budget crisis puts this important project in danger, Rose reluctantly returns during the holidays to try to save the day. Not ready to face the ghosts of her past, Rose’s plan is to get in, get it done, and get out ASAP. But before she knows it, she is face-to-face with Brysen, her brother’s best friend, contractor and who just so happens to be the bane of Rose’s youth. With the help of friends and family, and buoyed by the season of giving, the trio figures out a way to work together for this worthy cause. As Rose works, she discovers unexpected love and deeper purpose along the way. Stars Ashley Greene, Wes Brown and Danny Pellegrino.
 https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/deck-the-walls
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33885024/

So, Ashley Green is still doing X-Mas flicks for Hallmark, huh?

A Cinderella Christmas Ball         (movie)          (8 pm, Great American Family)
 In "A Cinderella Christmas Ball," Chelsea Jones (Danica McKellar) is a dance instructor and studio owner in Chicago who inspires kids to find themselves through dance. Just before Christmas, Chelsea discovers a photo she’s never seen before. Chelsea thinks the young woman is her birth mother who passed away when she was only five years old. The woman is in a wedding dress tugging on the hand of a man wearing a wedding ring, but that is all that can be seen of the man Chelsea believes may be her father. The photo’s handwritten inscription reads, “Our place, Havenshire, December 23, 1984.” With only the Internet, a plane ticket, and lifelong determination to go on, Chelsea now has four days in Havenshire to solve the mystery of her birth family. Along the way, she’ll have to sneak into a castle, teach a stubborn Prince [Oliver Rice] how to dance, and be in just the right place on Christmas Eve when the bells toll.

Nah.

Blue Bloods: Celebrating a Family Legacy       (special)        (9-10 pm, CBS)
 https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/releases/?view=110607-cbs-presents-blue-bloods-celebrating-a-family-legacy-an-entertainment-tonight-special-to-air-friday-nov-29

Double nah!!

Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary         (documentary)         (9 pm, HBO)
 This entertaining documentary traces the evolution of Yacht Rock, a genre that rocks, but not too hard. Starting with Steely Dan in 1976 Los Angeles, the film highlights the rise of key players like Toto, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, and Christopher Cross, their sophisticated musicianship, and their collaborations with rock and R&B artists. Filled with fascinating anecdotes, the film celebrates these universally appealing, sometimes mocked, yet well-loved songs, revealing their enduring cultural impact.
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34280353/
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a55pyQsI3GQ

Wow. [sigh...]

 (end)

Well, at least LMN is giving us something new on Friday!