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| 1883 |
Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown! Here's what's on television for tonight, Sunday, December 19!
Tonight's Top Pick is Taylor Sheridan's continuing to destroy Peak TV. With his Yellowstone prequel 1883 (Paramount+, 3 a.m.), we head to the West. The Dutton family of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill (why?) go West to Montana with the help of Sam Elliott. The West also gives Sheridan even more excuse to put women in the background and be obstacles for the men. I wonder if the natives are given any kind of meaningful story. I'm not gonna hold my breath. This is Sheridan, after all.
Elsewhere, Christmas takes domination over animation, Yellowjackets need to release some sexual frustration, Kingstown has a prison situation, theTriwizard Hogwarts Tournament crowns its victors, Insecure throws a farewell party, the Holiday Wars come to a ceasefire, Dexter becomes a protector, and Niecy Nash, Judy Reyes, Carrie Preston, et. al. have their Claws out for a final season.
Elsewhere, Christmas takes domination over animation, Yellowjackets need to release some sexual frustration, Kingstown has a prison situation, the
(All times are Eastern. All listings are new unless otherwise stated. For more listings, visit The Futon Critic or Zap2it.)
DAYSIDE ON THE SITE
Cancellation League (3 p.m.): The Goldbergs? Points!
STREAMING & EARLY PRIMETIME
⭐ 1883 (Paramount+, 3 a.m. / Paramount Network, 9 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. In this Yellowstone prequel, the Dutton family flees poverty in Texas and embarks on a journey through the Great Plains to seek a better future in Montana. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill star as James and Margaret Dutton, and Sam Elliott is Shea Brennan, a cowboy who has sadness in his past. All big men in Taylor Sheridan shows have sad histories. Other cast members include Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, and Dawn Olivieri. I read Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Hanks will also make appearances.✔️
📺🎄 Aliens First Christmas (Peacock / Tubi, now): In this 1991 animated special, the Peoples family are the first humans on to move to the strange planet of Zolonia, and life has been strained, but never more so than on Christmas Eve. The special is a spinoff of Aliens Next Door.
📺🎄 A Charlie Brown Christmas (Apple TV+, now / PBS, check local listings): In the quintessential 1965 animated classic, "depressed at the commercialism he sees around him, Charlie Brown tries to find a deeper meaning to Christmas."
The Freak Brothers (Tubi, 3 a.m.): "Gender Non-Binary"
📺🎄 The Legend of Frosty the Snowman (AMC+, now): This 2001 special is Frosty's fifth outing and oh boy is it bad. "Frosty the Snowman befriends a young boy in the town of Evergreen." Burt Reynolds narrates.
Mayor of Kingstown (Paramount+, 3 a.m.): Mike pays Milo a visit, looking for answers. Tensions at the men's prison reach a boiling point. Mike makes a disturbing discovery.
🎥 The Sound of Music (ABC, 7 p.m.): The Alphabet network's regular showing of the classic musical.
Patti Labelle's Holiday Party (TV One, 7 p.m.): SPECIAL. Patti LaBelle invites viewers over to her house for some great food, delicious desserts and her famous holiday punch. She ends the night on a high note with a little performance around the tree and piano.
📺🎄 Prep & Landing (Disney+, now): It's been 11 years since Wayne and Lanny debuted. I still think this is one of the best Christmas specials of the modern era. "Wayne gets a new rookie partner, Lanny, after his previous partner got the promotion he wanted. Lanny has to remind Wayne of the Spirit of Christmas and the importance of being an elf in Santa's Prep and Landing elite unit."
INTERNATIONAL NOTICES:
What Happened in Oslo (Netflix, 3 a.m., season one): Israel
BRIEFLY: Home Town: Ben's Workshop (Discovery+, 3 a.m., season premiere); The Real Murders of Orange County (Oxygen, 7 p.m.); Snapped (Oxygen, 6 p.m.); Table Wars (Discovery+, 3 a.m., season finale)
🕗 8 P.M. EASTERN / 🕖 7 P.M. CENTRAL
🎥🎄 Christmas Takes Flight (CBS, 8 p.m.): Rich white business person stops a Christmas-y thing from happening. Other white person steps up to teach them about life (and love).
🎄 The Great North (Fox, 8:30 p.m.): "When Jerry's Bigfoot costume gets stolen a few days before Christmas, Beef helps him track it down. The Tobin kids try to build an elaborate gingerbread village."
🎥🎄 Joy at Christmas (GAC Family, 8 p.m.): "When her family firm's annual Christmas toy drive is in jeopardy, Holly must convince pro athlete Jack Kane to be the public face of the campaign to help save it."
🎥🎄 The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (Disney Channel, 8 p.m.): I forgot about this 2018 movie that attempted to turn a ballet into a franchise. Oh man, it is bad. Disney trying to squeeze money out of everything.
Power Book II: Ghost (Fox, 8 p.m.): Tariq races against the clock for Yasmine. With her family and Mecca pressuring her, Monet struggles to wear the Tejada crown, and questions whether she has to anymore.
🎄 The Simpsons (Fox, 8 p.m.): "Fat Tony becomes Godfather to Maggie Simpson."
🎥🎄 'Tis the Season to Be Merry (Hallmark Channel, 8 p.m.): In the rural plains in the province of Cinnamomum are two small cities joined at the hip: Pumpkin and Spice. The earlier is formally known as Pumpkin Village, though with a population of 35,000, it is hardly a village anymore. The latter was originally named Ân Easpícé until the old Leprechaunian language was simplified a century ago, and it became An Spíce, though everyone has since called it simply Spice — population 26,000. Both were named centuries ago for what is harvested on these plains that drew so many settlers to the region, but the communities have always been bitter rivals. They originally sat on opposite sides of the Toddy River and in different kingdoms, leaving them to feverishly bicker over local resources as they grew. Even though they've been under the same rule since before the formation of Christmasia, resentment runs deep, especially among the elite legacy families of both cities whose current wealth and stance were determined in how resources were divvied up centuries ago. In the last local election, Spice elected its first non-legacy family mayor since the War of the First Noel: Dolly Sue. Pumpkin is still led by Aaron Drumaí, whose family made money in livestock. As tradition has it, each town puts up their own Christmas tree during the holiday season in their city park for all to enjoy. However, when Pumpkin's tree burns one night, all fingers are pointed at Spice and its new mayor Dolly, who campaigned on maximizing Spice's tourism ambitions — what better way to lift your town than burning down the tree of the more popular city. A meeting between the two leaders starts quite civil — maybe too civil as there's a connection between the two — but as other city leaders and assistants comment, like Scott Farkas and Marvin Merchant, the meeting goes off the rails. The Pumpkin City Council calls an emergency meeting, and legal issues be damned, they vote to stop funding several co-projects with Spice, including a new Toddy River bridge and the parking meter pay systems. Withdrawing fire protection for the south neighborhoods of Spice's 5th ward were also on the table. The school board could also take cruel measures in its meeting because about 400 Spice students attend a Pumpkin school. However, after conversation after conversation with Dolly breaks down to chaos, Aaron starts to wonder about his assistant Marvin, who often jumps straight to shouting accusations. After some background, Aaron corners him, and Marvin's defenses fall with some interrogation. He burned the city tree because he was trying to create a deep division within Christmasia. He is also a Krampus admirer. Jingle Belle shows up to take Marvin into custody. She heard a different kind of espionage has been in the works and knows Marvin is only the first of many. Aaron and Dolly meet again. Not only do they decide next year that Pumpkin and Spice will share a huge tree as one community but also will go on a date this weekend. Tis a season to be merry, indeed. (Post-credit: In a room in Krampus' headquarters, Harry Liime is furious when he receives word that Marvin has been captured.)
🎥🎄 Under the Christmas Tree (Lifetime, 8 p.m.): Romantic sparks fly between Alma and Charlie when Charlie finds the perfect tree for the Maine governor's holiday celebration right in Alma's backyard.
Yellowstone (Paramount Network, 8 p.m.): Tensions escalate with the protestors, but Beth has a plan. Does it involve getting naked for no real reason? Jimmy and Emily get closer. Monica and Kayce share a special moment.
LINEAR PREMIERES:
And Just Like That... (HBO, 8:30 p.m.): "Hello It's Me"; "Little Black Dress"
BRIEFLY: Buddy vs. Duff (Food Network, season finale); Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses (Cartoon Network / TBS, season finale)✔️; Legends of the Hidden Temple (The CW); Vice (Showtime); Weed 6: Marijuana and Autism (CNN, special)
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| Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses (via Giphy) |
🕘 9 P.M. EASTERN / 🕗 8 P.M. CENTRAL
🎄 Bob's Burgers (Fox, 9 p.m.): After Gene breaks his favorite, extremely rare '70s era Christmas record, Tina and Louise join him in the search for another copy. Teddy wants to do a neighborhood Secret Santa with Bob and Linda.
Claws (TNT, 9 & 10 p.m.): SEASON PREMIERE. With the casino gone, Desna is prepared to return to her roots as a money-laundering nail mogul, which proves to be more difficult than expected, propelling her and the crew further into a world of criminality. Later, Desna's plan to sell Oxy to a higher-class clientele is quickly sabotaged by Uncle Daddy and Quiet Ann, escalating the drug war.✔️
Dexter: New Blood (Showtime, 9 p.m.): Dexter turns from predator to protector out of concern that a serial killer has set its sights on someone he cares deeply about. Angela arrests someone who may be the culprit of a cold case. Harrison turns to a dangerous person as a father figure.
🎄 Family Guy (Fox, 9:30 p.m.): "When Mayor West's nativity scene is ruined, Brian is seen as the prime suspect."
Hightown (Starz, 9 p.m.): Renee risks everything to change her world around. Alan sets a trap that covers the entire Cape.
NOTICES & LINEAR PREMIERES:
Condor (Epix): "The Road We Take"
🎄 Small Town Christmas (UPtv): Natchitoches, LA
The Toys That Built America (History, season finale): Board games
BRIEFLY: Cheat Day USA (Cooking Channel); 🎄 Holiday Wars (Food Network, season finale); The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (Bravo); Real Life Nightmare (HLN, season finale); What on Earth? (Science, season finale)
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| Claws (via Giphy) |
🕙 10 P.M. EASTERN / 🕘 9 P.M. CENTRAL
📺 Archie Bunker's Place (Antenna TV, 10:30 p.m.): "Gloria returns home only to find Archie anxious to hear the details of her breakup with Mike." This episode was the set-up for Gloria.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, 10:30 p.m.): "Larry seizes an opportunity to avoid Irma as he's roped into Jeff's latest apology tour." I am pretty Jeff isn't on an apology tour, if the latest Goldbergs headlines are correct.
📺 The Dick Van Dyke Show (MeTV, 10 p.m.): The Alan Brady Show performs their Christmas variety show.
Insecure (HBO, 10 p.m.): A farewell party nudges Issa to face her unresolved feelings. Having spent all day enjoying herself, Molly finally confronts her fears.✔️
Yellowjackets (Showtime, 10 p.m.): The Yellowjackets tangle with the birds and the bees, navigating love, lust and DIY surgery. In the present: blackmail, bunnies and an icy reunion. Misty prepares for a surprise(d) houseguest.
NOTICES & LINEAR PREMIERES:
The Toys That Built America: Snack Sized (History): Soldier figures; Parker Brothers
BRIEFLY: Lies, Crimes & Video (HLN); The Osbournes Want to Believe (Travel Channel); Sister Wives (TLC); Stories We Tell: The Fertility Secret (MSNBC, special)
💤💤😴💤💤
📺 The Fugitive (MeTV, 2 a.m.): The police are looking for a young fugitive who was dating the daughter of a Hungarian family that Kimble is staying with. As the police stake out their residence, Kimble discovers her father is also running from a crime he was accused of.
📺 Mission: Impossible (MeTV, 3 a.m.): Emile Vautrain, a mystic and charlatan, has gained sway over the Grand Duchess of Trent and plans to take control of the country. Jim and Paris fake a magic act to convince Vautrain they are working with First Minister Picard, loyal to the Grand Duchess.
BRIEFLY: 90 Day Pillow Talk: Before the 90 Days (TLC, 11 p.m.)
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| Insecure (via Giphy) |
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Key Sources: The Futon Critic; IMDb; TV Passport; Zap2it
⭐: Top Pick
💲: Game show
🎥: Movie
📺: Throwback
✔️: Video/gif/photo included
Happy watching, everyone!
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