What's on Tonight (Friday): Le pupille, Which is Italian for... "The pupille"

   

Le pupille

Alfonso Cuaron's name is all over the press for the new short film, Le pupille, but the writer and director is Alice Rohrwacher.  If you don't know who she is, then we are in the same boat and should start a club.  She's apparently a pretty good director, and the trailer for this looks absolutely adorable.  Beyond that, I don't know much of anything about this, but Top Pick status I am assigning it just the same.

TOP PICK

⭐🎄 Le pupille (Disney+, 3:01 AM) 'From writer and director, Alice Rohrwacher, and Alfonso Cuarón, “Le pupille” is a tale of innocence, greed and fantasy. This live action short is about desires, pure and selfish, about freedom and devotion, and about the anarchy that is capable of flowering in the minds of girls within the confines of a strict religious boarding school at Christmas.'

Elsewhere...

*Remember in 2019 when a bunch of tourists got trapped on an island in New Zealand when the volcano there started erupting?  Well, Netflix remembers, and they have a new documentary with a lot of phone cam footage of the event and interviews with the survivors, many of whom have visible burn scars.  It's good to be reminded every now and then why you should just stay the hell away from volcanos.

*Le pupille isn't the only non-English language Christmas-related premiere this week that looks good.  Amazon has Los Reyes Magos: La Verdad (Three Kings: The Truth), a mockumentary that places the three kings in modern times.  This is not a sequel to the 1999 film, although I would pay real money to see Clooney, Wahlberg and Cube playing these roles.

*Sundance has a new limited series about the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006.  Litvinenko is played by David Tennant.  This would help explain the controversial scene where, shortly before dying, Litvinenko helps Captain Jack Harkness get laid.

I finally signed back on with Paramount+ and have begun my Star Trek binging.  I started with Lower Decks, which I had never seen before but have read good things about.  I enjoyed it, though not as much as I thought I would.  Mariner can be an extremely annoying character and even for an animated comedy it strains credibility that she would ever be allowed to stay in Starfleet.  The show did make me wish we had gotten a Riker/Troy/Titan series back in the day.  Whatever, I'd still watch it now.

PREMIERES

Nanny

🎥 Nanny (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 'Aisha is an undocumented nanny working for a privileged couple in New York City.  As she prepares for the arrival of the son she left behind in West Africa, a violent presence invades her reality, threatening the American dream she is painstakingly piecing together.

🔔 The Kindness Project (Discover+, 3:01 AM) SPECIAL PRESENTATION.

🔔 Storefront Stories (Discover+, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE. 'The shopkeepers of beautiful and unique shops all over the country uncover the heart, vision and history of their retail spaces.'

🎥 If These Walls Could Sing (Disney+, 3:01 AM) 'Abbey Road Studios is the heart of the music industry. Fans journey every year to have their photo taken at the world-famous zebra crossing, and artists strive to follow in the footsteps of their heroes. In this personal film of memory and discovery, Mary McCartney guides us through nine decades to see and experience the creative magic that makes it the most famous and longest-running studio in the world.'

🎥 Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'An acclaimed journalist and documentarian goes on an epic introspective journey to reconcile with the past, the present and his identity.'

🔔 Beast of Bangalore: Indian Predator (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'A vicious predator’s brutal — and murderous — pursuit of women sends a faltering police force on a wild hunt, while a state reels in terror.'

🍴 Cook at All Costs (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'In this kitchen contest, home cooks bid on ingredients to create dishes that will impress celebrity guest judges — and win the cash left in their bank.'

💃 Dance Monsters (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'In this feel-good competition, amateur dancers disguised as CGI avatars bring their best moves, hoping to win $250,000 — and a second shot at their dreams.'

🔔 Far From Home (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'A financially struggling teen finds himself in the world of luxury after a prestigious scholarship sends him to an exclusive school for the one percent.'

🎥 Private Lesson (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'Posing as a private tutor, Azra secretly coaches students on achieving their goals in life and love — but not without a few bumps in the road.'

🔔 The Recruit (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'A rookie lawyer at the CIA stumbles headlong into the dangerous world of international espionage when a former asset threatens to expose agency secrets.'

🎥 The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'Survivors' and rescuers' accounts and minute-by-minute footage fuel this gripping documentary about the deadly 2019 volcanic eruption in New Zealand.'

🔔 Summer Job (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'Ten Gen Z contestants go on their dream vacation. But for a shot at staying in a luxury villa — and to win €100,000 — they have to work real jobs.'

🎥 Snow Day (Paramount, 3:01 AM & Nickelodeon, 7:00 PM) 'A musical reimagining of the beloved comedy classic film, Snow Day follows a group of kids who are determined to achieve their dreams when their school closes for a snow day.'

🔔 Litvinenko (Sundance Now, 3:01 AM) LIMITED SERIES. 'Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy, Kremlin critic and British citizen, lies in a London hospital bed, his condition deteriorating rapidly. He claims to have been poisoned and points the finger directly at President Vladimir Putin. When it’s confirmed that he had been poisoned with polonium-210 – the deadliest substance known to man – the gravity of the situation becomes clear.'

🎥 Bound by Blackmail (LMN, 8:00 PM) 'A woman finds that a self-improvement program called Initiative is littered with terrifying secrets that keep its all-female members trapped with no escape. She must investigate Initiative and bring it down before they can fatally stop her.'

🎵 Metallica Presents: The Helping Hands Concert (Paramount, 8:30 PM) 'Join Metallica for a sold-out, intimate show, celebrating the band’s nonprofit organization All Within My Hands.'

🎄CHRISTMAS (RELATED) PREMIERES/NEW🎄

Los Reyes Magos: La Verdad

🎥🎄 Los Reyes Magos: La Verdad (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 'Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar open the doors of their palace for the first time for the filming of a documentary about their daily life while preparing the Three Kings parade. Thus begins this crazy comedy directed by Víctor García León in which these three mythical characters put themselves in the hands of their new manager, Lola, to modernize their legend.'

🎥🎄 The Apology (AMC+ & Shudder, 3:01 AM) 'Twenty years after the disappearance of her daughter, a recovering alcoholic is preparing to host her family's Christmas celebration when her estranged ex-bother-in-law arrives unannounced, bearing nostalgic gifts and a heavy secret.'

🎄 The Wise Men Who Found Christmas (Fox Nation, 3:01 AM) 'A brilliant new star…a perilous journey…and three Wise Men from the East who risk all to follow the light, discover the truth, and pay homage to a newborn King.'

🎄 A Storm for Christmas (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'Destinies collide when extreme weather traps travelers and workers at an airport, forcing them to spend the final hours leading up to Christmas together.'

🎄 The 90th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade (CW, 8:00 PM) 'The annual Christmas parade features Hollywood celebrities, bands from across the U.S., character balloons, floats and performers.'

🎄 Lopez vs. Lopez (NBC, 8:00 PM) "Lopez vs. Christmas"

🎥🎄 Holiday Heritage (Hallmark, 8:00 PM) 'Ella returns to her hometown to mend fences with her fractured family. With help from her ex-boyfriend, she encourages her family to celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa and heal their past wounds before it's too late.'

🎥🎄 A Christmas to Treasure (Lifetime, 8:00 PM) 'Sparks fly between former best friends Austin and Everett as they reunite for a holiday treasure hunt.'

🎄 Young Rock (NBC, 8:30 PM) "Dwanta Claus"

🎄 The Greatest @Home Videos (CBS, 9:00 PM) "Holiday Special"

🎥🎄 The First Noella (BET, 9:00 PM) 'After 20 years of friendship, Terrance and Noelle finally decide to date each other but break up when Terrance moves to London. Now Terrance is back in Atlanta for Christmas with his new girlfriend, also named Noelle.'

🎄 Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs (Shudder, 9:00 PM) "Joe Bob's Ghoultide Get-Together"

RETURNING SHOWS

😂 LOL: Last One Laughing (Spanish Language) (Amazon, 12:01 AM) SEASON FIVE PREMIERE.

🔔 From the Source (Discover+, 3:01 AM) SEASON THREE PREMIERE.

🍴 Ranch to Table (Discovery+ & HBO Max, 3:01 AM) SEASON THREE PREMIERE.

👮‍♂️ Paradise PD (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON FOUR.

🔔 Craft in America (PBS, 9:00 PM) SEASON FOURTEEN PREMIERE.

🔔 Love After Lockup (WE, 9:00 PM) SEASON FOUR WINTER PREMIERE.

The Beast of Bangalore

STREAMING

🌲🌲🌲 Three Pines (Amazon, 12:01 AM) X

🔔 Acapulco (Apple, 12:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. "Against All Odds" 

🔔 Echo 3 (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Habeas Thumpus"

🦟 The Mosquito Coast (Apple, 12:01 AM) "The Burning of Judas"

🎄 Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Sarian"

🔔 Shantaram (Apple, 12:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. "All the Way from There Just to Get to Here"

🐴 Slow Horses (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Cicada"

🍴 America's Test Kitchen: The Next Generation (Freevee, 12:01 AM) 

⚖ Judy Justice (Freevee, 12:01 AM) WINTER FINALE. 

🔔 Play-Doh Squished (Freevee, 12:01 AM) 

🎨 Art in Bloom with Helen Dealtry (Discovery+, 3:01 AM) 

🔨 The Craftsman (Discovery+ & HBO Max, 3:01 AM) 

🔨 For the Love of Kitchens (Discovery+ & HBO Max, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 Hi I'm (Discovery+, 3:01 AM) "Hi I'm... Haaki Akdeniz" 

🍴 Food Affair with Mark Wiens (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) 

💖 Love Island: Australia (Hulu, 3:01 AM) 

 🚗 Engine Masters (Motortrend+, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 Martha Gardens (Roku, 3:01 AM) 

🎵 Behind the Beats (YouTube, 12:00 PM) 

🔔 Super Sema (YouTube, 12:00 PM) SEASON FINALE. 

👮‍♂️ Cops (Fox Nation, 6:00 PM) 

🔔 The Amber Ruffin Show (Peacock, 9:00 PM) SEASON FINALE. 

The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari

LIVE SPORTSBALL TONIGHT

🏈 College Football: Duluth Trading Cure Bowl: Texas-San Antonio vs. Troy (ESPN, 3:00 PM)

🏈 College Football: FCS Division I Championship, Semifinal: Incarnate Word at North Dakota State (ESPN2, 7:00 PM)

🏈 College Football: Teams TBA (ESPNU, 7:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Golden State Warriors at Philadelphia 76ers (ESPN, 7:30 PM)

🏈 College Football: SWAC Championship: Southern at Jackson State (ESPNU, 10:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN, 10:05 PM)

🥍 NLL Lacrosse: Panther City LC at Las Vegas Desert Dogs (ESPN2, 10:30 PM)

EARLY PRIMETIME

💲 Tug of Words (GSN, 3:30 PM) 
🎥 Snow Day (Nickelodeon, 7:00 PM)
💲 America Says (GSN, 7:30 PM) SEASON FINALE. 

🕗 8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

🎄 Lopez vs. Lopez (NBC, 8:00 PM) 'To get Mayan's divorced parents to spend Nochebuena together, she must convince Rosie to hand in her Christmas crown and George to give up the thing he loves most: beer.'

🎄 Young Rock (NBC, 8:30 PM) 'Dwayne gets into the holiday spirit as he reflects on his past misadventures in gift giving.'

🎄 The 90th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade (CW, 8:00 PM) 
🔔 WWE's Friday Night Smackdown (Fox, 8:00 PM) 
💰 Gold Rush (Discovery, 8:00 PM) 
🎥🎄 Holiday Heritage (Hallmark, 8:00 PM) 
🎥🎄 A Christmas to Treasure (Lifetime, 8:00 PM) 
🎥 Bound by Blackmail (LMN, 8:00 PM) 
👮‍♂️ On Patrol: First Shift (Reelz, 8:00 PM) 

Litvinenko

🕗 9:00 EASTERN / 🕖 8:00 CENTRAL

🎄 The Greatest @Home Videos (CBS, 9:00 PM) 'An assortment of videos featuring awesome holiday cheer, not-to-be believed creativity and a sled full of internet gold.'

🔔 Craft in America (PBS, 9:00 PM) 'The magic and influence of craft, featuring Diedrick Brackens, Ayumi Horie, Maddy Leeser, Mary Little, Simon Rodin and more.'

🍴 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (Food, 9:00 PM) 'Guy Fieri's diving into Thai food, pie and hearty fries; in San Diego, a spot is servin' phenomenal fish and righteous ribs; in Arroyo Seco, N.M., a New Zealand food truck makes mouthwatering meat pies and a joint loads up bison chili fries.'

💀 Dateline NBC (NBC, 9:00 PM) 
🎥🎄 The First Noella (BET, 9:00 PM) 
💰 Gold Rush: White Water (Discovery, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 Vale dos Esquecidos (HBO Latino, 9:00 PM) 
🏠 My Lottery Dream House (HGTV, 9:00 PM) 
👽 The Unexplained (History, 9:00 PM) SEASON FINALE. 
👮‍♂️ On Patrol: Live (Reelz, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 How Do They Do It? (Science, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 Destination Fear (Travel, 9:00 PM) 
💀 Fatal Attraction: Last Words (TVOne, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 Love After Lockup (WE, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 20/20 (ABC, 9:01 PM)

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

🔔 Craft in America (PBS, 10:00 PM) 'Artists whose environments are filled with meaning and metaphor; featuring Syd Carpenter, Helen Drutt, Wharton Esherick, Biskakone Greg Johnson and more.'

👽 The Proof is Out There (History, 10:03 PM) 'Journalist Tony Harris travels to the Florida coast, a hotspot for UFO sightings; Tony and a team of experts analyze compelling evidence of unidentified aerial phenomena and pass a verdict.'

🤠 The Last Cowboy (CMT, 10:00 PM)
💰 Gold Rush: The Dirt (Discovery, 10:00 PM) 
🔔 We're Here (HBO, 10:00 PM) 
🔔 Battle of the Bling (HGTV, 10:00 PM) 
💀 A Time to Kill (ID, 10:00 PM) 
🚗 Graveyard Carz (Motortrend, 10:00 PM) 
🤼‍♂️ All Elite Wrestling: Rampage (TNT, 10:00 PM) 
💀 Urban Legend (Travel, 10:00 PM) SEASON FINALE. 

LATE NIGHT

🔔 The Graham Norton Show (BBC America, 11:00 PM) 'Graham is joined by Kate Winslet, Sir Lenny Henry, Nadiya Hussain and Jack Whitehall. With music from Olly Murs.'

🔔 Late Night with Seth Myers (NBC, 12:37 PM) 'Singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen; comic Mike Birbiglia; Bryan Carter sits in with the 8G Band.'

🔔 The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:34 PM)
🔔 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 11:35 PM) 
🔔 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS, 11:35 PM)
🔔 Nightline (ABC, 12:37 AM) 
🔔 The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS, 12:37 AM)

Broadcast/Cable/Satellite - RETRO BINGE

📺 The Andy Griffith Show (Sundance, 6:00 AM - 1:00 PM); Knight Rider (Syfy, 6:00 AM - 11:13 AM); The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (VH1, 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM); Roseanne (CMT, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM); ER (Pop, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM); M*A*S*H* (TVLand, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); Living Single (TVOne, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); South Park (Comedy Central, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM); Hawaii Five-0 (Ion, 10:00 AM - 2:00 AM); Gunsmoke (TVLand, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM); Law & Order (Sundance, 1:00 PM - 1:00 AM); The Office (Comedy Central, 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM); House (Pop, 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM); Family Ties (Antenna, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM); One Day at a Time (Antenna, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM); Three's Company (Antenna, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM); The Jeffersons (Antenna, 8:00 PM -9:00 PM); Everybody Loves Raymond (TV Land, 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM); Barney Miller (Antennae, 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM); King of Queens (TV Land, 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM); Designing Women (Antenna, 11:30 PM); Becker (Antenna, 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM); Wings (Antennae, 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM); Alice (Antenna, 2:00 AM - 3:00 AM); Benson (Antenna, 3:00 AM - 4:00 AM); Mom (TV Land, 3:00 AM - 5:00 AM)

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna, 10:00 PM) 'Actor John Davidson; comedian Richard Pryor; actress Darleen Carr; actor Michael J. Fox.'

The Recruit

Key Sources: The Futon Critic; Zap2it; Netflix; Wikipedia; Horrornews.net; Sysfy.com; hollywoodreporter.com

⭐: Top Pick
💲: Game show
🎥: Movie
📺: Throwback
✔️: Video/gif/photo included