Screentime December 11–17, 2022

CoVer sTory

By Jay Bobbin

For the holiday season, and to mark a milestone for the classic Disney movie, “Beauty and the Beast” is going hybrid.

In the style used for a 2019 television staging of “The Little Mermaid,” new live-action sequences will be combined with portions of the animated film in the ABC special “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” Thursday, Dec. 15. Technically, it’s the 31st anniversary of the 1991 classic that included the voice of the late Angela Lansbury among others ... but the saga of Belle and the prince cursed to be the Beast has stood the test of time, with the Disney variation earning Oscars for

the title song and the overall score.

A large and diverse cast has been assembled for the live-action parts of the new rendering, led by Oscar and Grammy winner H.E.R. as Belle and Josh Groban as the Beast. Also on board: the much-honored Rita Moreno as the narrator, Shania Twain as Mrs. Potts; Martin Short as Lumiere; David Alan Grier as Cogsworth; Joshua Henry (“Hamilton”) as Gaston; Rizwan Manji as Le Fou; Jon Jon Briones as Maurice; and Leo Abelo Perry as Chip.

Variety-show veteran Hamish Hamilton, who also guided the aforementioned “Little Mermaid” revision, is directing the new “Beauty and the Beast.” Co-star Grier

says it was significant to move from a rehearsal studio to the Disney lot, and he reports that the set looks “really great, beautiful and impressive.” He relates the experience to live telecasts of “The Wiz” and “A Christmas Story” that he was in: “It’s all kind of within the same realm, but this (new production) is definitely unique.”

Though Grier enjoys being in the new cast of “Beauty and the Beast,” he hasn’t necessarily gotten to work with everyone. He explains, “Josh Henry’s stuff is kind of separate from Martin (Short) and me. My scenes are mostly with Martin and H.E.R. and Shania Twain. And I love Martin; that’s really why did this project. When they called, I said, ‘If Martin’s

really going to do it, I’ll say ”Yes“ today.’ ”

A 2020 Tony Award winner for “A Soldier’s Play,” Grier has had an active year, having also co-starred in Hulu and FX’s limited series “The Patient” and filmed the musical version of “The Color Purple” that’s due in theaters late next year. However, he knows “Beauty and the Beast” is its own creature.

“The technical parts are probably the most challenging,” Grier notes. “It’s a huge stage with dancers, little kids, technicians, everything ... and I’m trying not to be in the way. ‘Be Our Guest’ is a big number, but it looks really cool, and what the director and choreographer have shown us is really exciting.”

The animated Disney movie is part of Thursday’s new ABC special “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.”

The STREAM Scene

“ The Bad Guy”

From Italy comes this dark comedy about a Sicilian prosecutor who spent his life fighting organized crime accused of being one of was targeting a mobster sets him on a course of revenge. Luigi Lo Cascio, Claudia Pandolfi, Vincenzo Pirrotta and Selene Caramazza head the cast. (ORIGINAL)

“Kindred” Octavia E. Butler’s novel ser ved as the basis for this drama series about a young Black woman who embarks on her future only to find herself pulled in time, emerging at plantation to which her family is linked. Mallori Johnson stars as the central character, Dana James; Micah Stock, Ryan Kwanten and Gayle Rankin also star (ORIGINAL)

Where all the top choices can be found in one place!

personal and professional life of billiards player Jea nette “The Black Widow” Lee, who always has a twofingered glove on her bridge hand and a stony, icy glaze that never seems to change, is chronicled in a new “30 for 30” episode Tuesday on ESPN. To

“Last

Chance U: Basketball”

The sophomore round of this documentar y series returns to East Los Angeles College in the wake of the COVID epidemic that cut short the team’s 2020 championship run and finds head coach John Mosley going into the season with an almost entirely new roster including talented but troubled Division 1-level athletes looking for a last chance. (ORIGINAL)

In Focus

“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Season 3” (Prime Video — season premiere, Dec. 20)

The third season of this original action thriller finds Ryan (John Krasinski) work ing as a CIA case officer in Rome, when he learns that the Sokol Project, a secret plan to restore the Soviet Empire, is being resurrected more than 50 years after it was thought to have been shuttered. Wen dell Pierce and Michael Kelly also return; new cast members include Nina Hoss and Betty Gabriel.

“National Treasure: Edge of Histor y” (Dec. 14)

From director Mira Nair (“Monsoon Wedding,” “Queen of Katwe”) comes this actioner that follows 20-year-old Dreamer Jess (Lysette Olivera), who sets off on an exploration to discover the myster y of her family histor y and seeks to recover historical lost treasure with the help of her friends. (ORIGINAL)

Sports Zone

sunday

1:00 p.m. WIVB-4 NFL Foot ball New York Jets at Buf falo Bills. (N) (Live) Å

WSEE-35 WUTV-29 NFL Football (N) (Live) Å

WNYW-5 NFL Football Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants. (N) (Live) Å

ESPN Women’s College Basketball Louisville at Kentucky. (N) (Live) Å

GOLF PGA Tour Golf QBE Shootout, Final Round. (N) (Live) Å

2:00 p.m. WGRZ-2 WICU12 PGA Tour Golf QBE Shootout, Final Round. (N) (Live) Å

ESPN2 College Basketball Oklahoma State vs Virginia Tech. (N) (Live) Å

2:30 p.m. FS1 Horse Rac ing America’s Day At the Races. (N) (Live) Å

3:00 p.m. WKBW-7 Wom en’s College Basketball Connecticut at Maryland. (N) (Live) Å

ESPN NHL Hockey Colo rado Avalanche at St. Louis Blues. (N) (Live) Å

4:00 p.m. ESPN2 College Basketball Marquette at Notre Dame. (N) (Live) Å

4:25 p.m. WNYW-5 NFL Football Tampa Bay Buc caneers at San Francisco 49ers. (N) (Live) Å

WUTV-29 NFL Football (N) (Live) Å

4:30 p.m. FS1 College Bas ketball Maryland vs Ten nessee. (N) (Live) Å

6:00 p.m. ESPN2 College Basketball Oregon State at Texas A&M. (N) (Live) Å

MSG NBA Basketball Sac ramento Kings at New York Knicks. (N) (Live)

6:30 p.m. FS1 College Bas ketball Seton Hall at Rut gers. (N) (Live) Å

8:00 p.m. ESPN2 NBA G League Basketball Stock

ton Kings at G League Ig nite. (N) (Live) Å

8:15 p.m. WGRZ-2 WICU-12 NFL Football Miami Dol phins at Los Angeles Char gers. Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins face Justin Herbert and the Chargers. Tagovailoa and Herbert were picked consecutively in the 2020 NFL draft, fifth and sixth overall respec tively. Tua struck first by tossing two TDs during a 29-21 triumph in 2020. (N) (Live) Å

Monday

6:30 p.m. SNY College Basketball Sacred Heart at Stony Brook. (N) (Live) 7:00 p.m. MSG NHL Hockey New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers. (N) (Live)

ROOT NHL Hockey Dallas Stars at Pittsburgh Pen guins. (N) (Live)

8:00 p.m. ESPN NFL Foot ball New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals. The Patriots head to the Grand Canyon State to line up against the Cardinals. New England has won seven of the last eight meetings with Arizona after the Cardinals took six of the first seven. Arizona hasn’t bested New England at home since 1991. (N) (Live) Å

8:15 p.m. ESPN2 NFL Foot ball Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli: New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals. (N) (Live) Å 9:00 p.m. FS1 College Bas ketball Arizona State vs Creighton. (N) (Live) Å

Tuesday

2:00 p.m. WNYW-5 WUTV29 FIFA World Cup 2022 Semifinal: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å 7:00 p.m. ESPN2 College Basketball The Citadel at North Carolina. (N) (Live) Å

FS1 College Basketball Southern at Xavier. (N) (Live) Å

MSG NHL Hockey Dallas Stars at New Jersey Devils. (N) (Live)

SNY College Basketball Princeton vs Iona. (N) (Live)

7:30 p.m. TNT NBA Basket ball Golden State Warriors at Milwaukee Bucks. (N Subject to Blackout) (Live) Å

9:00 p.m. ESPN NHL Hock ey Washington Capitals at Chicago Blackhawks. (N) (Live) Å

ESPN2 College Basketball Memphis at Alabama. (N) (Live) Å

10:00 p.m. TNT NBA Basket ball Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers. (N Subject to Blackout) (Live) Å

Wednesday

2:00 p.m. WNYW-5 WUTV29 FIFA World Cup 2022

Semifinal: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

7:00 p.m. ESPN2 College Basketball Ohio vs Florida. (N) (Live) Å

FS1 College Basketball Drexel at Seton Hall. (N) (Live) Å

7:30 p.m. ESPN NBA Bas ketball New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls. (N) (Live) Å

MSG NBA Basketball New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls. (N) (Live)

TNT NHL Hockey Detroit Red Wings at Minnesota Wild. (N Subject to Black out) (Live) Å

9:00 p.m. ESPN2 Col lege Basketball Western Kentucky at Louisville. (N) (Live) Å FS1 College Basketball UCLA at Maryland. (N) (Live) Å

10:00 p.m. TNT NHL Hockey Vancouver Canucks at Cal gary Flames. (N Subject to Blackout) (Live) Å 10:05 p.m. ESPN NBA Bas ketball Minnesota Timber

BY JAY BOBBIN

BY GEORGE DICKIE

Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone, Joel Embiid. Yes, if you’re talking greatest centers in Philadelphia 76ers history, one must include the seventh year big man out of Kansas in the same breath with the two Pro Basketball Hall of Famers. And if the 28-year-old Cameroonian can continue his stellar play into his 30s, he ll likely be joining them in those hallowed halls in Springfield. His career stats of 26.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game are certainly comparable to Malone’s (20.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks) although Chamberlain’s (30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds) were otherworldly and amassed at a time when he was literally head-and-shoulders above the competition as one of the league’s few seven-footers. These days, seven-footers are common and even playing point guard. Embiid also earned a comparison with the great Wilt the Stilt last month. Within a two game span, he scored 42 points in a Saturday, Nov. 12, game against the Hawks followed by a 59-point performance against the

on Sunday If you’re scoring at home, that’s 101 points in less than 24 hours. Though it’s not in the class of Chamberlain’s 100-point single-game output in 1962, it certainly evoked memories

wolves at Los Angeles Clip pers. (N) (Live) Å

3:30 a.m. GOLF DP World Tour Golf AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, First Round. (N) (Live) Å

6:00 a.m. GOLF DP World Tour Golf AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, First Round. (N) (Live) Å

Thursday

7:00 p.m. ESPN Women’s College Volleyball NCAA Tournament, First Semifinal: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å ESPN2 Women’s College Basketball South Carolina vs South Dakota State. (N) (Live) Å

MSG NHL Hockey Toronto Maple Leafs at New York Rangers. (N) (Live) ROOT NHL Hockey Pitts burgh Penguins at Florida Panthers. (N) (Live)

9:30 p.m. ESPN Women’s College Volleyball NCAA Tournament, Second Semi final: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

3:30 a.m. GOLF DP World Tour Golf AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, Second Round. (N) (Live) Å

Friday

11:30 a.m. ESPN College Football HomeTown Lend ers Bahamas Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs Alabama-Birming ham. (N) (Live) Å

3:00 p.m. ESPN College Football Duluth Trading Cure Bowl: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

6:00 p.m. GOLF Golf PNC Championship Pro-Am. (N) (Live) Å

6:30 p.m. FS1 College Bas ketball Xavier at George town. (N) (Live) Å

7:00 p.m. ESPN2 College Football FCS Division I Championship, Semifinal: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å SNY College Basketball Delaware at Princeton. (N) (Live)

7:30 p.m. ESPN NBA Bas ketball Golden State War riors at Philadelphia 76ers. (N) (Live) Å 8:00 p.m. MSG NBA Bas ketball New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls. (N) (Live)

8:30 p.m. FS1 College Bas ketball Creighton at Mar quette. (N) (Live) Å

10:00 p.m. ESPN NBA Bas ketball Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers. (N) (Live) Å 10:30 p.m. ESPN2 NLL La crosse Panther City LC at Las Vegas Desert Dogs. (N) (Live) Å 3:00 a.m. GOLF DP World Tour Golf AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, Third Round. (N) (Live) Å 6:00 a.m. GOLF DP World Tour Golf AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, Third Round. (N) (Live) Å

saTurday

10:00 a.m. WNYW-5 WUTV29 FIFA World Cup 2022 Third-Place Play-Off: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å 11:00 a.m. ESPN College Football Wasabi Fenway Bowl: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

12:00 p.m. WKBW-7 College Football Cricket Celebra tion Bowl: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å ESPN2 College Basket ball Indiana at Kansas. (N) (Live) Å MSG College Basketball Missouri vs UCF. (N) (Live)

12:30 p.m. WNYW-5 WUTV29 College Basketball Providence at Seton Hall. (N) (Live) Å

1:00 p.m. WIVB-4 WSEE-35 College Basketball Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å CNBC College Football HBCU Pigskin Showdown. An all-star game for stu dent-athletes from HBCU institutions. From Marion, Ala. (N) (Live) Å

2:00 p.m. WGRZ-2 WICU-12 Golf PNC Championship, Day 1. (N) (Live) Å

ESPN2 College Basketball Houston at Virginia. (N) (Live) Å

ROOT College Basketball Indiana State at Duquesne. (N) (Live)

SNY College Basketball Charlotte at Monmouth. (N) (Live)

2:15 p.m. ESPN College Football New Mexico Bowl: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

2:30 p.m. FS1 Horse Rac ing America’s Day at the Races. (N) (Live) Å MSG College Basketball St. John’s vs Florida State. (N) (Live)

3:00 p.m. WIVB-4 WSEE-35 College Basketball North Carolina vs Ohio State. (N) (Live) Å

3:30 p.m. WKBW-7 College Football Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

5:30 p.m. WIVB-4 WSEE-35 College Basketball UCLA vs Kentucky. (N) (Live) Å

5:45 p.m. ESPN College Football LendingTree Bowl: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

7:00 p.m. FS1 College Bas ketball Connecticut at But ler. (N) (Live) Å

MSG NHL Hockey New York Rangers at Philadel phia Flyers. (N) (Live)

7:30 p.m. WKBW-7 College Football SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

8:00 p.m. ESPN2 Women’s College Volleyball NCAA Championship: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

9:15 p.m. ESPN College Football Frisco Bowl: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

10:00 p.m. MSG NHL Hockey New York Islanders at Ve gas Golden Knights. (N) (Live)

10:30 p.m. ESPN2 College Basketball Tennessee at Arizona. (N) (Live) Å

BEST PHILIP MARLOWE MOVIES

My Sweet” (1944)

Powell plays Raymond Chandler’s l iterar y detective in this melodrama, in which Marlowe’s mission ex-girlfriend of a former convict quite complicated. The film leads of Marlowe mysteries Tuesday, on Turner Classic Movies.

Sleep” (1946) Filming the opposite his then-wife-to-be Lauren Humphrey Bogar t gave Marlowe a interpretation of Marlowe in director Hawks’ take on a case involving a general’s quite dysfunctional family screenwriters included celebrated William Faulkner the Lake” (1946) Also the director Rober t Montgomer y plays a unique way using the camera character’s “eyes” so that he’s only

seen in reflections or when he addresses the audience directly as the sleuth tries to locate a publisher’s wife.

“Marlowe” (1969) James Garner plays a distinctly contemporar y Marlowe in this adaptation of the Chandler novel “The Little Sister,” about the detective’s search for his client’s missing brother The film notably marked the U.S. movie debut of mar tialar ts icon Bruce Lee, who taught his skills to Garner during the filming.

“The Long Goodbye” (1973) Director Rober t Altman reunited with his “M*A*S*H” star Elliott Gould for this well-regarded drama in which Marlowe probes the death of a friend’s wife and possibly of the friend, too.

“Farewell, My Lovely” (1975) Telling the same stor y as “Murder My Sweet,” this highly atmospheric melodrama has an ideal

1940s-era Marlowe in Rober t Mitchum, in what would end up being just his first turn in the role.

“The Big Sleep” (1978) Mitchum tackled Marlowe again, with the production this time updating the premise from the 1940s to the 1970s and relocating the setting from Los Angeles to England, where the film was made.

“Poodle Springs” (1998) In this HBO project adapted from the last Marlowe stor y Chandler worked on (completed by Rober t B. Parker), James Caan got a chance to play the investigator, examining apparent larceny in high society in the early 1960s.

“Marlowe” (2022) Liam Neeson is the latest actor to tackle the par t of Marlowe, who’s back in the familiar situation of tr ying to locate somebody’s missing loved one.

Jazz

Essie Davis

BY GEORGE DICKIE

OF ‘GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES’ ON NETFLIX

How was it approaching a traumatized character such as ornithologist Nancy Bradley in “The Murmuring” episode of “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities”?

Well, Jen(nifer Kent, the director) has a really beautiful way of rehearsing, although Andrew (Lincoln, her co-star) and I flew in – he flew in from England and I flew in from Australia into Canada. We had a couple of weeks in quarantine in our various hotel rooms and we rehearsed on Zoom. But we had three days physically together before we star ted filming.

And Jen works in a way with us that created a ver y detailed histor y between the two of us. And in a way, I guess it’s an improvisation that we went through all of the major par ts of our relationship over three days. We improvised them (laughs) and so we had a ver y intensive histor y built up between us that we both knew And it meant that whatever I needed in any scene that I was in with Andy, I could just look in his eyes and I would get it (laughs). Because whatever I needed from our past to have in our minds at that moment, it was in a look.

How is Andy as a scene par tner?

He’s a wonder ful actor and I think Jen’s process brought us together ver y quickly and in a ver y deep way It was a great working relationship amongst the three of us. I feel like we built something with great love.

Are you a bird watcher like Nancy?

I wouldn’t call myself a bird watcher though I do notice birds and I do love listening to them and I tend to be surrounded by them. And even I feel like there’s all of these auspicious things that happened while we were filming. While sitting on that lake, a bald eagle came and perched in a tree above me before I had to do that big, sad telephone call (laughs). So I really feel like there is a connection, I do feel quite spiritually connected to nature. And I think that we can learn a lot from watching it and being a par t of it.

In Focus

“Call the Midwife” (PBS — holiday special, Dec. 25)

With Christmas soon approaching, the midwives move to their maternity clinic and are delighted when their first patient is a familiar face. Life in Poplar returns to normal after the tragic train crash, and everyone unites for a festive talent show in this new holiday episode.

Crossword

Series for Marcia Gay Harden (4)

“The __”; 1967

“What’s Love Got to __ __ __”; film about Ike & Tina

“Home Economics” role

“Whose Line __ __ Anyway?”

Barney Fife’s title: abbr.