In this issue The story
“25 Days of Christmas”
CELEBRITY SPOTLIGHTS
Alana De La Garza Zane Lamprey Bethany Joy Lenz Kevin McKidd Todd Carmichael
WHAT'S FOR DINNER
Marcus Samuelsson
Featured Stories
“The Librarians” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
Profiled athlete
Keenan Reynolds Lea Thompson stars in a new holiday episode of “Switched at Birth” Monday on ABC Family.
JAY Bobbin's movies to watch
And so much more!
December 7, 2014-December 13, 2014
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STORY
Editor's choice
New
holiday episodes
fuel ABC Family’s yule By Jay Bobbin
A
ny list of networks that have the holiday spirit this year surely includes ABC Family. Rather than making a new TV movie the centerpiece of its “25 Days of Christmas,” as typically has been the case, it’s relying on new episodes of its regular series to fill that bill during the coming week. On Monday, Dec. 8, Callie and Jude’s (Maia Mitchell, Hayden Byerly) first Christmas with “The Fosters” is recalled, then “Switched at Birth” offers an “It’s a Wonderful Life”-type scenario posing what might have been had Bay and Daphne’s (Vanessa Marano, Katie Leclerc) switch never happened. Tuesday, Dec. 9, sees the “Pretty Little Liars” use Ali’s (Sasha Pieterse) holiday event to continue their sleuthing, followed by a seasonal visit from cancer patient April’s (Italia Ricci) grandparents (guest stars Ed Asner and Marion Ross) on “Chasing Life.” Finally – on Wednesday, Dec. 10 – “Melissa & Joey” (Melissa Joan Hart, Joey Lawrence) reflect on an ancestor’s long-ago yuletide as they debate which ornament should top their tree, then “Baby Daddy” Ben (Jean-Luc Bilodeau) also goes the “It’s a Wonderful Life” route when he gets just what he wishes for: no Christmas. Recent “Dancing With the Stars” contestant Lea Thompson displays lots of holiday spirit as her “Switched at Birth” character, Kathryn Kennish. “Because our show is so unique, with the whole switch aspect, it kind of lends itself to one of
those great holiday-movie themes like, ‘What if ... ?,’ ” she reasons. “It’s a very sweet episode, and I get to sing ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.’ “ Thompson is pleased about the fourth season of “Switched at Birth” that debuts in January, as do new episodes of the other aforementioned ABC Family shows. She’s directing her series for the third time, and she says, “I’m so happy they asked me back” to do it. “And when I’m done, I’m going to direct a movie that my daughter wrote. I’ve done TV movies before but not a feature, so I’m really excited about it.” Seven-time Emmy winner Asner is making the holiday television rounds plentifully, also including his voicing of Santa Claus in new and returning animated specials. He says the “Chasing Life” episode “was a delight to do, and being with Marion (Ross) made it very easy for me. We had done pilots together for things that were not picked up, and those flew by too swiftly. She’s right in my lane.” The “Melissa & Joey” Christmas story departs from that series’ usual course by delving heavily into flashbacks. “I want to do a spinoff like that,” Hart maintains. “It’s an 1880s take on ‘Melissa & Joey,’ and I’m in hoop skirts and it’s just hilarious. We started our Season 4 by shooting the Halloween episode (which Hart directed as well), then we did a few others and then we shot the Christmas episode, so we’re deep into doing the season now. We‘ve just done Episode 91, so we’re very lucky.”
Melissa Joan Hart stars in a new holiday episode of “Melissa & Joey” Wednesday on ABC Family.
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CELEBRITY
CELEBRITY Jay Bobbin's Q&A
Alana De La Garza of “Forever” on ABC
Are you enjoying being able to play Jo on “Forever” as a livelier character than your Connie Rubirosa typically was on “Law & Order”? This character is so much fun to play because (series creator and executive producer) Matt Miller did a wonderful thing. He married a serialized show and a procedural show, and he did it well, so you get to feel for these characters. I love that Jo is unapologetic but she’s good at her job. That’s fun, but being Connie was also fun. She was tough, but it was very much about the case of the week, which was what “Law & Order” was. It was a wonderful experience, but this is so different because Jo has so much more of a personality. It’s written on the page, whereas you created it with Connie and got in what you could.. Would you ever see yourself playing Rubirosa again if “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” summoned you back? Doing a guest spot on “SVU” was really fun, and Rubirosa is part of me after doing the role for so many years ... but I don’t know. I don’t look too far ahead. I’m the kind of person who lives by the seat of my pants and says, “Hey, what’s life got in store?” I just kind of roll with the punches. Have you been shooting “Forever” in any of the same New York locations where you filmed “Law & Order”? Not yet, but I know it’s inevitable. New York is large, but it’s not that large. When you’ve been here for a while, you find that out. Click here for more on ‘Forever’
folio
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George Dickie's Q&A
Zane Lamprey of “Chug” on National Geographic Channel
What’s the best pub crawl you’ve ever been on? A few years ago ... I started putting together international pub crawls through U.S. cities called “Zane Crawls.” And the first one was L.A. and then New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and they were fantastic. Like, we really did have these foreign experiences in U.S. cities, so we’d get like 50 people, we had a bus. It was a three-day event, and we’d go to like a Russian bar and have caviar toast points and drink Russian vodka with the owner of the bar who was this Russian guy. And then we’d go to like a Mexican place, and then we’d go to (a) Portuguese (bar). I mean, we did 11 places inside of those three days and we did six of those, and they were a tremendous amount of work but extremely rewarding in that all the people that did those, it was like adult camp and they’re all still friends and they all still talk. And then when I’m traveling around the country, I still see them. So I guess I was the drunk counselor for them. Who are your fans? They’re regular people ... . From a financial perspective they run the gamut. But they are amazingly genuine, nice, interested, inquisitive people that are always excited when we meet and when we get to talk, and it’s a really interesting, amazing group. I’ve sort of been blessed in that I’ve been given the opportunity to do what it is that I do, but starting my career on a very small network and then moving to another small network has helped me build up this genuine fan base, and I feel like they know who I am. Click here for more of “Chug”
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FOOD
Celebrity Jay Bobbin's Q&A
Bethany Joy LenZ of “The Christmas Secret” on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
“The Christmas Secret” actually was filmed last March, so was it easy for you to plug into the holiday feeling after the fact? I love Christmas all year round ... anytime. It’s my favorite holiday. I love it, and it was a great group of people. It was pretty cold while we were making it, so that made it feel warm and cozy. What prompted you to take the role of a divorced mom who runs into numerous challenges during the holiday season? It was just one of those projects that came across the pipe, and I have a 3-1/2-year-old, and I just felt it would be so fun to have something that she and I could watch together. I never really felt like she could watch “One Tree Hill” because so many of the scenes are so adult, and with this, she could see Mommy do a Christmas movie! It was easy to just jump on board and do it. What did you relate to most strongly about your “Christmas Secret” character? (“One Tree Hill’s”) Haley had a lot of the same demeanor and intentions – she was warm and she had a good heart and all of that – but I always felt she was really smart. With (“The Christmas Secret’s”) Christine, she’s really simple. She might not be a rocket scientist or someone who‘s incredibly resourceful and creating things all the time, but she’s a very grounded woman. And sometimes, those are the most complex characters to play.
Click here for more of “The Christmas Secret”
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Chef Marcus
F
George Dickie's What's for Dinner
Samuelsson plays ’food poker’ on ABC’s ’The Taste’
Chef Marcus Samuelsson says that probably the most common mistake he’s seen in his two seasons as a mentor and judge of ABC’s Thursday cooking competition series “The Taste” is when contestants overcomplicate things. “You want to trust ingredients and you want to trust your own cooking skills because you’re there for a reason,” explains Samuelsson, a 44-year-old Swedish native of Ethiopian ancestry. “You sent your dish cross country to get there. You know, you’ve got to be a really good cook just to get into those final 30. So trust that. That’s what got you there in the beginning. ... “Once the competition starts, you don’t know what the challenges are going to be, so there’s no point for you to practice for that. That first day, when you’re trying to get in the competition, you can practice for that, so do that dish and execute on that dish. Answer that question, ‘What’s so unique about my dish?’ ”
Samuelsson, who just finished shooting Season 3 (which premiered last week), says there are lots of twists and turns this year but is reluctant to elaborate lest he give away spoilers. “All I can say,” he says, “is the mentors are sweating more ... which is always a good thing. We are definitely sweating more, which I don’t mind. I’ve been sweating in a kitchen all my life. I’m good at that. “I loved (Season 2, Samuelsson’s first season) but I was a little frustrated all the time because I clearly didn’t know all the rules and the other mentors all knew that and they had more experience. But it was just frustrating, like ‘Oh, that’s how this works.’ But it was fun. And it’s like playing food poker with (fellow mentors) Tony (Bourdain) and Ludo (Lefebvre). Nigella (Lawson) is so polite, so she tells you what to do. Tony and Ludo are like, ‘Figure it out for yourself, man.’ ”
What book are you currently reading? “I’m reading the memoir of (New York Times columnist Charles Blow) ... that is fantastic. It’s an amazing memoir. It talks about him coming from the South to the point of here where he is today. An amazing journey.”
What is your next project? “I feel like I’m completely in ‘Off Duty,’ the book ... . So I’m cooking from that book and I’m in that book. Between that and ‘The Taste’ and Red Rooster (his restaurant), that’s my next project. My head is just spinning in so many fantastic ways.”
What did you have for dinner last night? “I had Ethiopian food, a wonderful Ethiopian tibs, like a stir fry. A very delicious dish.”
When was the last vacation you took, where and why? “My wife and I went fishing in my hometown where I grew up this summer. It was a really nice day. We had Swedish weather but it didn’t matter. We went fishing for crayfish. It was so much fun.”
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CELEBRITY
CELEBRITY Celebrities profiled
George dickie's Celebrity ScooP
Todd Carmichael
Kevin McKidd
Todd Carmichael is co-founder of premier coffee roaster La Colombe Torrefaction, and an adventure traveler whose explorations span the globe.
Before becoming an actor, Kevin McKidd worked in a distillery, toiled as a coppersmith and studied engineering at the University of Edinburgh in his native Scotland. Then the acting bug bit, he became a drama major and went on to a successful career in television, radio, stage and film. He even performed as a member of a Scottish comedy troupe. Nowadays, in addition to his role as Dr. Owen Hunt in the longrunning Thursday ABC medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” he’s honing his chops as a director, having helmed by his own count, “eight or nine” episodes of “Grey’s,” including this season’s premiere. “It’s the first time I’ve been given the season opener to direct, which is a much bigger deal,” McKidd, 41, says. “You know, our season opener and the finales of our seasons are usually a much more complicated, bigger event episode, so that was a really great challenge that I really relished, to get the chance to just work on one of those episodes that has slightly more going on and more sort of large-scale stuff. So I loved it. I loved the challenge. I feel really thankful and grateful and honored that they trusted me to direct the season opener. Long may that continue.” As rewarding as the experience has been for him in growing a new skill, it has also helped him as an actor. “I think even more, I’ve learned about story structure and what the overall picture is that we’re trying to create with the episodes,” says McKidd, currently in his sixth season on “Grey’s.” “I think I realize more quickly what is required of me as an actor when I’m on set just being an actor. So I think it really helped me actingwise as well.”
Birth date: Aug. 9, 1973 Birthplace: Elgin, Moray, Scotland Family: He and wife Jane have a son and a daughter, 14-year-old Joseph and 12-year-old Iona Favorite book: “Oh goodness. There are many, many favorite books. One of my favorite books that I keep going back to actually is a collection of J.D. Salinger short stories called ‘For Esme – With Love and Squalor.’ ”
Click here for more of “Todd Carmichael.’’
• He is currently the host of his own reality/adventure series on the Travel Channel entitled “Dangerous Grounds,’’ where he travels to the most remote and renowned coffee-producing regions of the world, sourcing for La Colombe. • He ran his first ultra-marathon at the age of 20 and soon after sailed solo across the Atlantic. • Todd recorded footage of his near-death experience on video, which later became an award-winning documentary entitled “Race to the Bottom of the Earth,’’ which aired on the National Geographic Channel. • Carmichael is an extremely active humanitarian. His expedition to the South Pole raised money for Orangutan Foundation International, and he worked with the Clinton Global Initiative to raise funds and awareness toward a coffee university in Haiti. • He also developed a coffee blend with Leonardo DiCaprio, Lyon, of which 100% of the profits go to the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, funding wildlife protection, forest preservation, clean-water projects, disaster relief and climate-change research around the globe. • Todd is married to singer songwriter Lauren Hart, and they have expanded their family by adopting three beautiful girls and a baby boy from Ethiopia. • He is an author and contributor to the “Huffington Post’’ and “Esquire’’ magazines. • In 2014, he entered the Specialty Coffee Association of America and the Barista Guild of America’s U.S. Brewers Cup competition for the first time, and won the Northeast Regionals. He also placed runner-up at the national competition in Seattle, WA.
Celebs’ favorite shows
Favorite movie: “That’s a tough one. ... The movie that made me want to become an actor when I was a little kid was ‘E.T.’ So I’d have to say that.” Favorite musical artist: “I guess one of the bands that I continually end up coming back to is Pink Floyd. I would say a solo artist for me would be Peter Gabriel.”
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Curtis Stone of “Kitchen Inferno” on Food Network “Some good scripted stuff. My wife (Lindsay Price) is an actor, so she sort of knows what she’s doing in that scripted works. So we watch everything from ‘True Crime’ to ‘Breaking Bad,’ a little bit of reality stuff. Of course, we watch a few food shows. ‘The Next Food Network Star’ is one of our favorites. I’m not going to lie; we watch ‘The Real Housewives of Orange County.’ (laughs) Yeah, so we don’t have a lot of time for television but there’s plenty of stuff from Disney there as well for my son.”
and I play tennis now. And ‘The Daily Show’ I record. I delete a lot of my kids’ (recordings), who clutter the whole thing up with repeats of cartoons. And at the moment, my daughter and son are very much into a retrospective – as a family, we’re very much into this retrospective of watching all the ‘Friends’ episodes. So there are a lot of reruns of ‘Friends’ episodes at the moment.”
Lea Thompson of “Switched at Birth” on ABC Family “I record the ones I’m on – ‘Switched at Birth’ and (recently) ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Kevin McKidd of “Gvrey’s Anatomy” and – and I’m really into ‘American Horror Story: “Toy Story That Time Forgot” on ABC Freak Show’ right now. And I’ve always loved “I (record) ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ I record tennis ‘Saturday Night Live,’ so I always record that. matches and rugby matches. I used to play rugby I’m an old-fashioned girl that way.”
Curtis Stone
December 7, 2014-December 13, 2014
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STORY
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By George Dickie ebecca Romijn says what sold her on joining the new TNT series “The Librarians” was the thumbnail description given her by executive producer and co-star Noah Wyle: “It’s Indiana Jones if Indiana Jones is played by Don
“Leverage”), an Oklahoma oil worker with an IQ of 190 and an encyclopedic knowledge of art history; Cassandra Cillian (Lindy Booth, “Dawn of the Dead”), a quirky young woman with unique auditory and sensory abilities; and Ezekiel Jones (John Kim, “Neighbors”), an expert on Knotts.” new technologies. Also joining the cast is “Night Court” Emmy winner John Larroquette as cantankerous caretaker “I was a huge Indiana Jones fan growing up,” she says, Jenkins and Matt Frewer as evil cult leader Dulaque, “and I wasn’t familiar with ’The Librarian’ movies. while comedy veterans Bob Newhart and Jane Curtin And then when I saw them and realized the comedy we reprise their roles from the movies. were going for, I fell even more in love with it. ... I love comedy and I love that genre and so combining the two, it The first two episodes provided to journalists introduce was a no-brainer.” the new characters and feature Wyle quite heavily, although that will change as the series progresses and The hourlong comedy/sci-fi series, which premieres Wyle disappears to shoot his other series. Still, it becomes Sunday, Dec. 7, is a continuation of the trilogy of successful TV movies that the cablenet has produced over apparent that there are developing feelings between Carsen and Eve, though how far that relationship can go the past decade that starred Wyle as Flynn Carsen – aka Romijn isn’t saying. the Librarian – an eccentric career college student with 22 degrees whose duty it is to protect historical and often “They are polar opposites,” she says. “I think she doesn’t magical artifacts housed in a secret chamber beneath New like him much at first, and as she becomes convinced of York’s Metropolitan Public Library. Over the past decade, this hidden world of hidden magic, I think she becomes fans have watched him morph from nerdy bookworm into intrigued by him. She thinks he’s interesting. And the swashbuckling hero as he’s saved the world from evil time path that they start to head down is very slightly romantic and time again. at the beginning. It does get a little more complicated. And of course, because we don’t have Noah for the The new iteration has Wyle in a more limited role – the whole season, he bops in and out; he’s in a handful of actor has another commitment to TNT’s “Falling Skies” our episodes but he’s not in all of them. He stays very – which brings in a whole new cast of characters to help much alive throughout the season. But their relationship Flynn with a job that has gotten too big for one person. becomes a little more complicated and we’ll see that play They include Eve Baird (Romijn, “Femme Fatale”), a out.” counterterrorism agent; Jacob Stone (Christian Kane, Page 10 YOUR TV LINK December 7, 2014-December 13, 2014
Rebecca Romijn stars in “The Librarians,” premiering Sunday on TNT.
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By Jay Bobbin
till, after 50 years, you could even say it glows. Since its first telecast in 1964, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” has endured as one of the most beloved holiday specials. Boasting the “Animagic” stop-motion animation style that was used often by producers Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass, the ever-charming program inspired by Johnny Marks’ song and Robert L. May’s story marks a milestone anniversary with its annual CBS telecast Tuesday, Dec. 9. As narrator Sam the Snowman, Oscar and Grammy winner Burl Ives arguably was the show’s most famous voice talent, but many other performers – who largely were based in Canada – also are strongly associated with their “Rudolph” roles. One is Paul Soles, who spoke the words of Hermey, the elf with a much stronger interest in learning dentistry than in making toys at Santa’s workshop. “It has given me huge numbers of memories,” Soles says of the special, “including standing beside double apple boxes with Billie Mae Richards (the voice of Rudolph) standing on top of them, so she could reach the microphone so we could do our two songs. And a free trip to New York? That was pretty exciting for someone who was 34 or so and just starting out. We’ve all had those ‘Wow!’ moments.” Soles doesn’t deny there may have been a touch of nepotism to his being hired to voice Hermey: His cousin, Bernard “Bunny” Cowan, was a renowned Canadian announcer who had much to do with assembling the bulk of the “Rudolph” voice cast. Among others in that group were Larry D. Mann (who played Yukon Cornelius), Stan Francis (Santa Claus and King Moonracer), Peg Dixon (Mrs. Claus) and Alfie Scopp (Charlie-in-the-Box, one of the Misfit Toys, and several of the other reindeer including Fireball). “The fact of the matter is that I was lucky to be a part of this enterprise when it was done,” reflects Soles, who also voiced Spider-Man in an animated 1960s series and has guest-starred on such shows as “Rookie Blue” more recently. “We had as great a pool of English-speaking actors in Toronto as had ever been assembled … and we also were willing to work for 35 cents a day. That’s why the jobs came here.” For the first eight years, “Rudolph” was broadcast by NBC, then CBS acquired the rights in 1972, premiered a color-corrected print in 1998 and introduced a digitally remastered version in 2005. Also marking the 50th anniversary is Classic Media’s new edition of the show on DVD and Blu-ray. Soles believes that whenever he’s recognized and celebrated for his work as Hermey, “What people are responding to is that I was part of a formative moment in their early development that they remember fondly, and with delight. How many people have that place in others’ hearts and lives? That’s both to be respected and thrilled by.” Page 12 YOUR TV LINK December 7, 2014-December 13, 2014
The holiday special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” has its 50th-anniversary telecast Tuesday on CBS. December 7, 2014-December 13, 2014
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SPORTS Full Name: Keenan Reynolds Hometown: Antioch, Tenn. Height/weight: 5 feet 11 inches/195 pounds Number: 19 Honors and Achievements: Rip Miller Award (Navy MVP), 2012 and 2013; 31 rushing touchdowns in 2013 is most by a quarterback in NCAA history and the most by a Navy player; fourth player in NCAA history to rush for 30 or more touchdowns in a singleseason; seventh player in NCAA history to score 30 or more touchdowns in a single season. By Dan Ladd No matter how good or bad Army and Navy may be in a given season, when they meet for their annual December contest it’s a game that is always worth watching. For the past two years, one reason has been Navy’s junior quarterback Keenan Reynolds. The Midshipmen’s field general does a lot more with his legs than with his arm, and in running Navy’s triple- option offense he will be looking to extend Navy’s current 12-game winning streak in this classic matchup of U.S. armed forces squads. Reynolds has been keeping Navy close to .500 in the win column this season and has them eyeing bowl contention. Most of their losses have been by single digits. In a 10-point loss to Notre Dame in November, Reynolds threw for two touchdowns and ran for 47 yards. A week earlier, he burned San Jose State with his legs for 251 rushing yards and three scores. Perhaps during that game, the Spartans still had visions of Reynolds’ seven TD performance against them in a 2013 triple-overtime Navy win. Reynolds has rushed for triple-digits three times thus far this season, but if Navy is to succeed long term, including into his senior year, he’ll need to pick things up in the passing department. The triple-option might not be a pass-oriented offense, but having single-digit completion totals don’t do much to complement his running. In the Army-Navy game, however, the Black Knights will have their hands full trying to stop Reynolds’ ground game.
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MOVIES
MOVIES JAY BOBBIN's Theatrical movie review
review
“Interstellar” Matthew McConaughey takes a long ‘Interstellar’ trek If there’s one thing Christopher Nolan isn’t short on, it’s ambition. You can see it in any of the director’s films, especially when he plays with the concepts of time and space. That certainly is the thrust of “Interstellar,” his epic-sized sci-fi drama that tries to be both a personal story and a doomsday-mission saga. In his first movie since his Oscar win for “Dallas Buyers Club,” Matthew McConaughey plays the mission leader, a family man who tells his daughter on a doomed Earth that because of the space-time continuum, they might be the same age if he returns from his search for other planets where mankind can survive. Off he goes into the wild yonder, with fellow Oscar winner Anne Hathaway as a colleague. While Nolan tries to stay in touch with the human story, his true calling card here is spectacle, and he and his technical partners have done an expectedly stunning job on that count. Think of how many space movies there have been. Each tries to outdo the last, especially in this age of giant IMAX screens, so for Nolan to come up with visuals that truly make your jaw drop is no minor feat. That said, Nolan’s admiration for Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” is obvious. “Interstellar” has numerous references to the 1968 classic ... so many that after a while, you start thinking, “OK. Got it.” It’s fine to pay homage to something you love, but you need to stick to telling your own original story after a point. Jessica Chastain also has a major role – no spoilers here – and Nolan-movie regular Michael Caine is a welcome presence as always as the scientist who sparks the mission. John Lithgow and William Devane are among other familiar faces, and you’ll also spot Elyes Gabel of television’s new “Scorpion.” At nearly three hours, “Interstellar” has enough time to achieve everything it wants to ... but even then, it attempts a bit too much. Credit Nolan with trying to personalize a space extravaganza, but ultimately, it’s the bigger matters rather than the smaller ones that send “Interstellar” into orbit.
JAY BOBBIN's movie review movies to watch
DVD
Top Pick
“GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY” The Marvel-movie universe is so potent, even the more offbeat characters in it can rule the box office, as proven by this tale that’s as amusing as it is exciting. Chris Pratt affirms his movie stardom as Peter Quill, a rogue who assembles a ragtag team of heroes to protect an orb that many parties want. His comrades include a raccoon (voice of Bradley Cooper) and a tree-like individual (voice of Vin Diesel), and nothing less than the fate of the universe is in their collective hands. Zoe Saldana, wrestler Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan (“Selfie’), Glenn Close and Benicio Del Toro also sta. ››› (PG-13: P, V) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand) Chris Pratt
upcoming DVD releases
Coming Soon on DVD...
Colin Firth and Emma Stone
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“MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT” (Dec. 16): Woody Allen’s comedy casts Colin Firth as a magician who falls for a medium (Emma Stone) he had planned to debunk. (PG-13: AS) “EXTANT: THE FIRST SEASON” (Dec. 16): Halle Berry stars in the CBS series as an astronaut who returns from a solo space mission pregnant. (Not rated: AS, P, V) “THE SKELETON TWINS” (Dec. 16): Two “Saturday Night Live” alums have a reunion in a couple of ways, as Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig play siblings drawn back together after both escape death. (R: AS, P) “TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES” (Dec. 16): The “heroes in a half-shell” get a screen rebirth as they try to protect New York; Megan Fox plays their reporter comrade April O’Neil. (PG-13: AS, V) “THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU” (Dec. 16): The death of their father reunites his four adult children; the ensemble cast includes Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, Rose Byrne and Jane Fonda. (R: AS, P) “THE EQUALIZER” (Dec. 30): Denzel Washington reinvents Edward Woowdard’s television role as Robert McCall, a former government agent who uses his skills to help people in trouble. (R: AS, P, V)
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FAVORITE SHOWS
FAVORITE SHOWS for various holiday destinations in the new episode “LAXmas.” A storm grounds their flights — but they always have the option of returning to their own shared home for Christmas, which they well may end up doing. Billy Eichner and Barry Bostwick (“Spin City”) guest star. New WEDNESDAY 9:31 p.m. on ABC blackish It’s time to change a holiday tradition, at least in Dre’s (Anthony Anderson) view, in the new episode “Black Santa/White Christmas.” He wants to play Santa Claus at the office party, but he’s passed over. He’s none too happy about the person chosen — the attractive human-resources chief (guest star Ana Ortiz, “Ugly Betty”) — and decides to keep lobbying for the role anyway. New
Katherine Heigl “State of Affairs”
“I Love Lucy Christmas Special”
SUNDAY 8 p.m. on BET Movie: The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker Raven-Symone and Tichina Arnold star in this 2014 filmed adaptation of director and choreographer Debbie Allen’s colorful reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s classic holiday ballet “The Nutcracker.” The joy of the original piece is intact, with an infusion of soul, along with original music and dance routines. Premiere 8 p.m. on CBS I Love Lucy Christmas Special While decorating a Christmas tree, Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel (Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, William Frawley, Vivian Vance) reminisce about how their lives have changed since the birth of Little Ricky (Keith Thibodeaux) in this flashback-filled holiday
“Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”
episode of the beloved sitcom. It’s paired here with the classic story “Lucy’s Italian Movie.” Both tales have been colorized in a way that evokes the 1950s, when they originally were shown. New Monday 10 p.m. on NBC State of Affairs Not happy about ominous e-mails that both he and Charlie (Katherine Heigl) have received, Nick (Chris L. McKenna) sets out to find who sent them in the new episode “Bang, Bang.” A senator (guest star Melinda McGraw) plants seeds of doubt in President Payton’s (Alfre Woodard) mind about Charlie. An outside operative (guest star Derek Ray) is enlisted to deal covertly with a health crisis in Panama. Adam Kaufman and David Harbour also star. New
Zooey Deschanel stars in “New Girl”
Tuesday 8 p.m. on ABC Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town A lanky mailman with the voice of Fred Astaire explains Santa’s origins in this animated 1970 special, which sidesteps the St. Nicholas part. In this version, the future jolly old elf is a foundling adopted by the Kringles, a family of toymakers. He grows up with toys in his blood, so to speak, and feels called to give them away to the local youngsters, but mean old Burgermeister Meisterburger will have none of that. Mickey Rooney is heard as Santa. 9 p.m. on FOX New Girl Not much is fun about being stuck at an airport, as Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and the gang find while trying to leave Los Angeles
THURSDAY 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) Robin Williams Remembered — A Pioneers of Television Special A tribute to the late comedy star includes an interview he gave for the “Pioneers of Television” franchise that celebrates the medium’s history. Since home-screen programming is the series’ thrust, clips of Williams in the show that made him immediately and enormously popular — “Mork & Mindy” — are plentiful, as are excerpts from his other TV appearances. Pam Dawber, Henry Winkler and comics Louie Anderson and Paul Rodriguez offer comments.
Inn,” of which this 1954 musical is a partial remake, is a superior piece of work. The fact remains that this latter vehicle for Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen has become a compulsory part of the yuletide celebration for millions around the world. The classic title tune is just one of several memorable Irving Berlin melodies performed here with style, heart and panache. 8:31 p.m. on ABC Cristela “It’s Not About the Tamales,” as the title of this new holiday episodes indicates. Actually, it’s partially about the tamales, since Cristela (Cristela Alonzo) joins the other women in the family to make those per their Christmas tradition. Complications arise when Cristela’s
Anthony Anderson ‘blackish’
brother returns home. Trent and Maddie (Sam McMurray, Justine Lupe) also have an eventful yuletide in a different way, since they have a tough time preparing a holiday meal. New SATURDAY 9 p.m. on CBS Frosty the Snowman In this animated classic, Jackie Vernon provides the voice of Frosty, the legendary snowman with a corncob pipe and a button nose. Frosty comes to life when a magician’s hat lands on his head. With the help of some children, he heads for the North Pole before he melts — but he is pursued by the magician, who wants his hat back. Billy De Wolfe supplies the voice of the magician, and Jimmy Durante narrates the tale.
Cristela Alonzo in “Cristela”
10 p.m. on FOOD Beat Bobby Flay Hand-picked by chefs Anne Burrell and Scott Conant, classically trained Mark Allen vies with chef Blythe Beck for an opportunity to challenge Bobby Flay in the arena. Judges for the new holiday-themed episode “Bells Will Be Ringing” are Aliya LeeKong and Darin and Greg Bresnitz. New FRIDAY 7 p.m. on AMC Movie: White Christmas Some purists may sniff that 1942’s “Holiday
“Frosty the Snowman”
“Beat Bobby Flay”
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