DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

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MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

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TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
2016
Dec
23
 
 
Fridays in December have been devoted to the films of Myrna Loy, so it’s mere coincidence that, if I note that this last Friday night before Christmas is a thin night for TV viewing, the word Thin has a double meaning. Six Thin Man movies starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as classy married sleuths Nick and Nora Charles, are shown tonight on TCM, starting at 8 p.m. ET with 1934’s original The Thin Man.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Dec
23
 
 
Originally broadcast live on April 23, 2016 – marking William Shakespeare’s death, 400 years previously to the day – this British special is co-hosted by David Tennant and Catherine Tate, of Doctor Who fame, but also famous as performing alumni of the Royal Shakespeare Company. This live two-hour show makes room for ballet, hip-hop, musical performances and other unexpected ties to the Shakespeare canon, along with the more expected scenes from his comedies and dramas – a
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Dec
23
 
 
’Tis the season to be generous. So today we offer a twofer -- classic ABC and CBS Christmas greetings from generations ago...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Dec
22
 
 
My enthusiasm for this animated holiday special knows no bounds. This animated TV special from 1965 has the perfect holiday message, by Peanuts creator and cartoonist Charles Schulz, and the absolute perfect music, by Vince Guaraldi. Watch tonight, again, with your family or by yourself. Either way, it’s the best viewing choice of the night. And as for listening choices, try setting up a “Charlie Brown Christmas Medley” channel on Pandora. It’ll get you through the holida
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Dec
22
 
 
Tonight’s game is between the 10-4 New York Giants and the 5-9 Philadelphia Eagles. For the Eagles, it’s a game played purely for pride – but for Eli Manning and the Giants, it’s a battle for positioning in the playoffs. And football fans know this already, I'm guessing, but just like daylight savings always can use another reminder, here's another note that, because Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, most of this week's NFL games will be played on Saturday instead. P
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Dec
22
 
 
There’s nothing low-calorie about tonight’s show, which is all about chocolate lava cakes and crème brulee. If you’re in the holiday mood, this is the cooking show to watch this evening – especially if you’re a chocolate lava.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Dec
22
 
 
This 1951 adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic holiday tale isn’t the first film version, or the last, but it may well be the best. Alastair Sim plays a frighteningly crotchety Ebenezer Scrooge, and Michael Hordern plays Jacob Marley, dead or alive. Oh, and the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come? Creepy, creepy, creepy…
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Dec
22
 
 
When telling the story of young Cindy Loo Who, two guys in bow ties knew just what to do...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Dec
21
 
 
James Lipton’s guest in this new edition is Jessica Chastain, now starring in Miss Sloane. She broke out as Celia in 2011’s The Help, but has been acting for a while before that, including small guest roles in 2004 on ER and Veronica Mars.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Dec
21
 
 
Here’s a new special that revisits a very old, and extremely weird, football game: the 1988 playoff game between the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles. The first half of the game, played the afternoon of Dec. 31 that year, was clear and sunny, but by the second half, an increasingly dense fog settled upon Chicago’s Soldier Field, making it all but impossible for the viewers, the commentators, and even the players on the field to see what was going on. Here’s your chance to