Fox’s Four Funniest Families Cover Story this

By Breanna Henry TV Media

Cuddle up for a festive, fun-filled night on Fox, when the four funniest animated families on television celebrate the holidays with new Christmas specials, airing Sunday, Dec. 15. The festive episode of “The Simpsons” (titled “Bobby, It’s Cold Outside”) is the show’s 20th Christmas special, while “Bless the Harts” is celebrating its first (titled “Miracle on Culpepper Slims Boulevard”). Add to that a “Bob’s Burgers” special (“Have Yourself a Maily Linda Christmas”) and one from “Family Guy” (“Christmas is Coming”), and you’ve got a full night of animated fun.

“The Simpsons” is known for its celebrity guest voices (many celebs lend their own voices to a storyline that’s making fun of them). A special episode is the perfect time to show off how many celebs still love this show, and “Bobby, It’s Cold Out side” goes all out. “NCIS: New Or leans” star Scott Bakula and former Microsoft CEO-turned-LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer both lend their voices to the episode, which also fea tures the return of the most notorious Simpsons villain: “Frasier” star Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob. It seems some evil-doer is traips ing around Springfield stealing

Christmas packages off of people’s doorsteps (a timely subject), and this no-goodnik must be tracked down if there is to be any hope of saving Christmas. In completely unrelated news, this year’s Springfield Mall Santa is none other than famed actor, professor, scientist, former mayor and convicted murderer Robert Underdunk Terwilliger Jr. PhD — more commonly known as Sideshow Bob. The episode title riffs on the song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” which was written by a man named Frank Loesser in 1944 to sing with his wife at parties. Despite never mentioning anything holiday-related, the 75-year-old tune has been intrinsically linked to Christmas.

“Bless the Harts” is the baby of Fox’s Animation Domination time only its ninth episode overall, and having to follow a series with 672 episodes (and a movie) under its belt might seem difficult if it weren’t for how much heart “Bless the Harts” has shown throughout its freshman season, particularly in the way it has chosen to avoid tropes associated with low-income families, a category that the Harts fall into.

Rather than having a deadbeat, alcoholic (or worse) boyfriend, Jenny (voiced by Kristen Wiig of “Saturday Night Live” fame) has Wayne (Ike Barinholtz, “The Mindy Project”), who certainly won’t be winning any awards for book smarts, but who wants nothing more than to care for her and her family. In “Miracle on Culpepper Slims Boulevard,” the show’s creator, Emily Spivey, voices

Late Laughs

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Christmas party, but after seeing the extravagance of Louise’s home, Jenny begins to feel insecure about the kind of holiday she is able to provide for her own family, and her mother, Betty (Maya Rudolph, “The Good Place”), tries to focus on how she can stick to a budget but also “win” at Christmas gift-giving.

It’s hard to believe “Bob’s Burgers” is already in its 10th season (with a movie set to premiere next year), especially since the writers have been able to keep each episode as fresh and funny as the first. In “Have Yourself A Maily Linda Christmas,” the Belcher matriarch, Linda (hilariously voiced by comedian John Roberts, who based his performance on his own mother), wants some extra spending money for the holidays, so she gets a temp job at a post office. However, Linda discovers an undelivered package and ends up going a little off-book to ensure it reaches its intended

While mom is out saving the day, Bob (H. Jon Benjamin, “Archer”) and Tina (Dan Mintz, “Adventure Time”) end up stuck at home with her difficult parents. The younger kids, Gene (Eugene Mirman, who also voices a main character in “Archer”) and Louise (Kristen Schaal, “The Last Man on Earth”), are scrambling at the last minute to find the perfect gift for their eccentric older sister.

A new poster for the upcoming season of The Bachelor was just released and the slogan for this season is “Expect Turbulence.” When they saw, Spirit airlines was like, “Hey! Get your own damn slogan!”

According to a new study, 50% of people don’t change their underwear every day. Yeah, HALF. So if you change yours every day, that’s great, but odds are the person who sat in your seat last night didn’t.

Jimmy Kimmel Live

We heard today from a gentleman named David Holmes of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. He’s the guy who overheard Trump on that phone call with Ambassador Gordon Sondland. And the reason he overheard it is because the president’s volume knob was turned up to 11 that day. Well you know, the thing is, the human voice really reverberates from inside a tanning bed.

Late Night With Seth Meyers

According to sources, President Trump has abandoned plans to increase restrictions on vaping out of fear that it could hurt his re-election chances. Because right now he’s polling at 83% among high school dirtbags.

During his testimony today, Gordon Sondland said that he was involved in efforts to pressure Ukraine because he and other diplomats, quote, “followed the president’s orders.” And then Trump said, “Look, I don’t know the president, I’ve never met the president …”

7 Number of cities in a Dickens novel

8 “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968) mainframe

9 D.C. clock setting

11 Animated sitcom about the Belcher family

13 Animated sitcom that has a recurring character voiced by Kelsey Grammer

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By Jessica Gosse TV Media

WHAT’S NEW ON AMAZON PRIME

“The Aeronauts”

There is a tradition in Hollywood of strong acting pairs working together repeatedly — think Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks of “You’ve Got Mail” (1993), “Sleepless in Seattle” and more, or Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling of “La La Land” (2016), “Crazy, Stupid, Love” (2010) and more. Joining that tradition are British actors Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne. After the success of their 2014 film “The Theory of Everything” (which earned them both Academy Award nominations, and a win for Redmayne), they team up once again to star in “The Aeronauts,” premiering Friday, Dec. 20. The film depicts the true story of pioneer meteorologist James Glaisher (Redmayne) and balloon pilot Amelia Wren (Jones) as they set off on an 1862 expedition to fly higher than anyone in history in an open balloon, and expand their knowledge of the weather. The scientist and the daredevil seem an unlikely duo, but both have something to prove to the world: Glaisher’s colleagues scoff at his theories of weather prediction, and Wren’s family doesn’t support her flying. Their physical and emotional limits are tested and their mission for answers becomes a fight for survival as the balloon reaches the edge of the atmosphere and they reach for the stars.

“The Wedding Year”

Everyone reaches the point in their life when it seems like everyone they know is getting married. Sarah Hyland (“Modern Family”) brings that period to life when “The Wedding Year” premieres Friday, Dec. 20. Hyland stars as Mara, a 27-year-old commitment-phobe who starts to freak out when she has seven weddings to go to in a year, and must take her new boyfriend. Hilarity ensues as she deals with her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend, her bridezilla sister, and a co-worker, who has some very spe- cific ideas about what Mara should say in a toast. Jenna Dewan (“World of Dance”), Anna Camp (“Perfect Harmony”), Matt Shively (“The Real O’Neals”) and Tyler James Williams (“Whiskey Cavalier”) also star in this deeply relatable comedy.

WHAT’S NEW ON NETFLIX

“The Witcher”

Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski’s bestselling book series makes the jump to the small screen when this highly anticipated new series premieres Friday, Dec. 20. The saga has been adapted before, first as the somewhat unsuccessful 2001 film “The Hexer,” which became a 13-episode TV series of the same name the following year; then as a far more successful video game, which was first released in 2007, followed by sequels; and finally as a short film released in 2017. Now, Netflix takes its shot at adapting the saga, with Henry Cavill (“Man of Steel,” 2013) starring as mutated monster hunter Geralt of Rivia, who struggles to find his place in a world where people tend to be worse than the monsters he faces. The talented cast includes Anya Chalotra (“Sherwood”), newcomer Freya Allan, and MyAnna Buring (“Ripper Street”). The streaming giant is already showing a lot of faith in this series: it’s already been picked up for a second season, and between sian comedian is bound to make an impression as he pokes fun at politics, speculating on how efficiency in the U.S. would rise with an AsianAmerican president, and discussing the effects of consumerism. While it is all in the name of comedy, Chieng actually knows what he’s talking about: he earned dual degrees in law and commerce from the University of Melbourne in Australia. Don’t miss this comedy special full of ideas about how to really make America great again.

WHAT’S NEW ON HULU “Killing Eve” Season 2

the large, established fan base of the material, and the production value and star power behind the new series, it’s safe to say that if you’ve been missing “Game of Thrones,” this series may just fill the void. All nine episodes of the first season of “The Witcher” premiere this Friday.

“Ronny Chieng: Asian Comedian Destroys America!”

On Tuesday, Dec. 20, “The Daily Show’s” Ronny Chieng makes his Netflix debut with the premiere of this new comedy special. The Malay-

Emmy award winner Jodie Comer (“My Mad Fat Diary”) and Golden Globe winner Sandra Oh (“Grey’s Anatomy”) return to the world of espionage in Season 2 of this critically acclaimed series, premiering Wednesday, Dec. 18. Oh stars as the incredibly intelligent — and incredibly bored — MI5 officer Eve Polastri, whose spy-life fantasies are left unfulfilled by her desk job. Comer stars opposite her as the Russian assassin Villanelle. The two quickly become entangled in an intense game of catand-mouse with their relationship becoming more and more complex, resulting in a shocking climax at the end of the first season. Now, Eve and Villanelle continue their convoluted tango of constantly trying to kill and evade each other. The first season is available now on Hulu, and with only eight 45-minute episodes, it’s easy to catch up in time for the launch of the eight episodes that make up Season 2.

“MIX: Meisei Story”

Anime and sports come together on Thursday, Dec. 19, when this new Hulu series premieres. The animated show serves as a sequel to the bestselling manga series “Touch,” which sold more than 100 million copies.

“MIX: Meisei Story” follows the lives of stepbrothers Touma and Suichirou as they play on the Meisei High School baseball team. The brothers train hard in the hopes of helping the team return to nationals and living up to the legacy of their fathers.

Ad Astra

When human life on Earth is threatened by power surges in the solar system, Maj. Roy McBride (Pitt), the son of celebrated astronaut H. Clifford McBride (Jones), is notified by U.S. Space Command that the current disturbance is happening because of the defunct Lima Project, which was created 26 years ago by his father, who hoped to find intelligent life. After receiving in- formation that his missing father may still be alive, Roy accepts a mission to travel into the solar system to not only locate his father, but also find the source of the mysterious power surges threatening human life.

Director:JamesGray.Stars:Brad Pitt,TommyLeeJones,RuthNegga,DonaldSutherland,LivTyler, KimberlyElise.2019.123mins.Action.