“And razzleberry dressing!” This 1962 animated Christmas special predated even A Charlie Brown Christmas by several years, and I love that it’s getting the full-respect treatment tonight. CW is presenting this wonderful musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic in a 90-minute time slot, which means, even with commercials, it will be presented relatively intact. Gather the family and enjoy, because the songs, by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, are delightful – and when

2014

Dec

ELF By David Bianculli

This 2003 movie appears to be becoming a holiday tradition of sorts, receiving lots of airings since Thanksgiving. And why not? Will Ferrell is goofily giddy as the overgrown elf who leaves the North Pole to encounter life of a less sheltered sort, and Bob Newhart, as his elf boss, is a delight. So, by the way, is Zooey Deschanel, who showed off her lovely singing voice here long before she began releasing CDs as half of She and Him. And did you know that the voice of Leon the Snowman was provid

2014

Dec

MUPPETS MOST WANTED By David Bianculli

This 2014 Muppet comedy introduces a Kermit the Frog doppelganger – Constantine, “The World’s Most Dangerous Frog,” who schemes to have Kermit thrown into a Russian prison so he can take Kermit’s place and commit crimes while on tour with the other Muppets. Tina Fey is particularly outrageous as a Russian prison guard – but luckily, Vladimir Putin did not hack the Disney studio to protest his country’s negative cinematic image. Other human co-stars: Rick

2014

Dec

HIGH SOCIETY By David Bianculli

Talk about high society: This 1956 movie musical is the romantic comedy made by Grace Kelly after she had just become engaged to Prince Rainier of Monaco. Here, she’s one point of a romantic triangle, the other points being crooners Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Sinatra plays the guy she intends to marry, and Crosby plays her ex-husband, who wants her back. Oh, and Louis Armstrong and his band are on hand throughout, making this even more valuable a movie musical.

2014

Dec

THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON By David Bianculli

SERIES FINALE: Last night, Stephen Colbert provided a very fitting farewell to his Colbert Report, gathering dozens of favorite guests on stage for a group sing-along before flying off to immortality on Santa’s sleigh. Tonight, Craig Ferguson ends his 10-year reign as the host of The Late Late Show, CBS’s follow-up to Late Show with David Letterman – and does it by featuring, as his final guest, Letterman’s one-time late-night rival, Jay Leno. Doubtlessly, there’s a

2014

Dec

LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN By David Bianculli

A long-standing TV tradition ends tonight. With David Letterman set to step down next year, long before Christmas 2015, tonight’s annual Christmas show is the last time Darlene Love will be on hand to sing “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home”). It’s also the last time Jay Thomas, who has been on the show most years to toss a football at the giant meatball atop Letterman’s Christmas tree, is likely to share his story of driving around stoned with the Lone Ranger in hi

2014

Dec

NEW COLLEGE BOWL SYSTEM: GERALD JORDAN EXPLAINS IT ALL FOR YOU By Gerald Jordan

Finally, a college football season will settle bar arguments around the country…or will it?...

2014

Dec

THE COLBERT REPORT MARATHON By David Bianculli

Starting at 10 a.m. ET, The Colbert Report is noting its final day on the air by an all-day marathon that runs right up to Jon Stewart’s Daily Show at 11 p.m. ET. That’s 11 straight hours of selected episodes from The Colbert Report – episodes which are being presented as a surprise, without any information about which ones are shown, or when. But I’d bet that the opening offering will be Stephen Colbert’s first show from 2005. I’m not certain of that, bu

2014

Dec

A CHRISTMAS CAROL By David Bianculli

There’s no “Bah, humbug!” reaction to this 1938 film. It’s a terrific version of Charles Dickens’ classic holiday story, with Reginald Owen as one of the cinema’s all-time best incarnations of Ebenezer Scrooge.

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