What's On Tonight (Friday): Never Too Soon for Christmas Specials...

    

An Almost Christmas Story

It's been over a week, but we still need some good vibes (we'll probably need them for the next several years).  It might be a little early for a Christmas special, but the trailer for today's Top Pick, An Almost Christmas Story, makes it look irresistibly charming.  Directed by David Lowery (The Green Knight, A Ghost Story), produced by Alfonso Cuarón, and featuring the voices of Jim Gaffigan, Natasha Lyonne and John C Reilly; there's a whole lot here to recommend.

Still unconvinced?  It's only 21 minutes long.  I am a sucker for brevity.

TOP PICK

⭐🎥🎄An Almost Christmas Story (Disney+, 3:01 AM) 'Follows Moon, a curious young owl who unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Plaza. In his attempts to escape the bustling city, Moon befriends a lost young girl named Luna. Together, they embark on a heartwarming adventure.'

Elsewhere...

*Coming in a close second in the Top Pick race is the season two premiere of Apple's Silo.  I watched most of the first season but stopped a couple episodes from the end.  Now I can watch the first season finale and jump right into the second season.  No delays!

*Our Top Pick isn't the only Christmas-related program premiering today.  We also have The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland featuring the voices of Gerard Butler and Emilia Clarke.  This animated feature is premiering on both Hulu and Amazon Prime today.  I always appreciate it when the big streamers can put their personal differences aside and share their content.

*Hulu also has the new film Thelma starring 95-year-old Julie Squibb in the first lead role of her 70-year career.  It's about a woman who gets scammed and sets out to get her money back.  It's essentially The Beekeeper but here the victim and the action star are one and the same.  How much more awesome would The Beekeeper have been if it had let Clare Huxtable kick some ass?

PREMIERES

It's All Country

🎵 It's All Country (Hulu, 12:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'Behind every country song is an untold story. Country music superstar Luke Bryan is exploring the hidden depths of Nashville in search of those stories.'

🎥 Thelma (Hulu, 12:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'Puts a clever spin on movies like Mission: Impossible, shining the spotlight on an elderly grandmother as an unlikely action hero. Starring Julie Squibb, Parker Posey and Clark Gregg.'

🎥🎄The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland (Amazon & Hulu, 3:01 AM) 'St. Nick receives a delayed letter on Christmas Eve from the Princess of Hearts. He and his dedicated team of reindeer set off to Wonderland where they're greeted by the mean and miserable Queen of Hearts who hates all things Christmas... especially presents! '

💀 The Creep Tapes (AMC+ & Shudder, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE. 'Unravels the mind of a secluded serial killer who lures videographers into his world with the promise of a paid job documenting his life. Unfortunately, as the tape rolls, the killer's questionable intentions surface with his increasingly odd behavior and the victims will learn they may have made a deadly mistake.'

🎥 The Last Breath (AMC+, 3:01 AM) 'A lifelong search for a WWII shipwreck turns deadly when a group of friends find themselves trapped underwater with a dwindling air supply and a school of great white sharks.'

🎥 Transformers One (Paramount, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever.'

🎥 Twisters (Peacock, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'Follows Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado. She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. She crosses paths with Tyler Owens, the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew.'

🎥🎄Christmas with the Singhs (Hallmark, 8:00 PM) 'Newly engaged Asha Singh and Jake O'Brien are excited to spend Christmas together, but their relationship is tested when their families' cultural and holiday traditions clash.'

🪓 The Last Woodsman (Max & Discovery Channel, 9:00 PM) SERIES PREMIERE. 'On a floating barge hundreds of miles from civilization, veteran logger Jared Douglas puts everything on the line to harvest the largest timber in the world. One misstep in this high-risk industry could cost tens of thousands of dollars, or even a life.'

The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland

RETURNING SHOWS

🔔Silo (Apple, 12:01 AM) SEASON TWO PREMIERE.

🥋 Cobra Kai (Netflix, 3:01 AM) FINAL SEASON.

👮 Cold Case Files (A&E, 9:00 PM) SEASON FOUR PREMIERE.

👽 The Unbelievable with Dan Ackroyd (History, 9:00 PM) SEASON TWO PREMIERE.

👮 Killer Cases (A&E, 10:01 PM) SEASON SIX PREMIERE.

STREAMING

👻 Before (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Folie à Deux" 

🔔 La Maison (Apple, 12:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. "The Isle of the Dead" 

 

🔔 Return to Las Sabinas (Hulu, 12:01 AM) "Secrets and Lies" 

🏈 The Breakdown with Peyton and Belichick (ESPN, 3:01 AM) "Week 11: Texans at Cowboys"

🏈 God. Family. Football. (Fox Nation, 3:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. "Champions" 

💀 Angel of Death (Max, 3:01 AM) 

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

🍰 The Great British Baking Show (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 

SPORTSBALL TODAY/TONIGHT

🏌️ LPGA Tour Golf: The Annika, Second Round (Golf, 10:00 AM)

🏌️ PGA Tour Golf: Butterfield Bermuda Championship, Second Round (Golf, 1:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Virginia vs. Villanova (TNT & TruTV, 5:00 PM)

🏀 Women's College Basketball: Connecticut vs. North Carolina (ESPN2, 6:00 PM)

⚽ CONCACAF Nations League Soccer: Jamaica vs. United States (TruTV, 7:30 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs (ESPN, 7:43 PM)

🥊 Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson (Netflix, 8:01 PM) 

🏈 College Football: UCLA at Washington (Fox, 8:00 PM)

🏈 College Football: Wyoming at Colorado State (CBSSN, 8:00 PM)

🏈 College Football: North Texas at Texas-San Antonio (ESPN2, 8:00 PM)

🏈 College Football: Howard at North Carolina Central (ESPNU, 8:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors (ESPN, 10:05 PM)

Twisters

🕗 8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

🦈 Shark Tank (ABC, 8:00 PM) 'A kid-friendly cardboard cutter; a way to strengthen one's athletic grip; a creative content camp for kids; a refreshing twist on sweet tea; Rashaun Williams returns as guest shark.'

👮‍♂️ S.W.A.T. (CBS, 8:00 PM) 'Tan is left reeling when his girlfriend is kidnapped; a violent cartel leader may be behind the abduction.'

🔔 Sweetpea (Starz, 8:00 PM) 'Rhiannon's potential escape comes at a cost and her pursuit risks significant losses.'

🔔 Happy's Place (NBC, 8:00 PM) 
🔔 Theodosia (BYUtv, 8:00 PM) 
💰 Gold Rush (Discovery Channel, 8:00 PM) 
🧙‍♂️ Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (Disney Channel, 8:00 PM) 

🎥🎄Christmas with the Singhs (Hallmark, 8:00 PM) 
🔔 Belle Collective (OWN, 8:00 PM) 

👮‍♂️ On Patrol: First Shift (Reelz, 8:00 PM) 

🤼‍♂️ WWE's Friday Night Smackdown (USA, 8:00 PM) 
💘 Love After Lockup: Life After Lockup (WE, 8:00 PM) 
🔔 Lopez vs. Lopez (NBC, 8:30 PM) 

🕗 9:00 EASTERN / 🕖 8:00 CENTRAL

🔥 Fire Country (CBS, 9:00 PM) 'Station 42 and Three Rock jump into action when an airplane makes an emergency landing; a firefighter immediately recognizes Bode's raw talent.'

👽 The Unbelievable with Dan Ackroyd (History, 9:00 PM) 'Have you ever wondered about the most bizarre things that have fallen from the sky? From meteorites to seafood, and even bathtubs, these are some truly unbelievable stories of what comes from above. Don't believe it? Just look up!'

🔔 Fat Joe Talks (Starz, 9:00 PM) 'Welcome to the Trap; where hip-hop mogul, actor, and entrepreneur T.I. explains building wealth through multiple business ventures, the importance of family, and his new love of comedy.'

👮 Cold Case Files (A&E, 9:00 PM) 
🪓 The Last Woodsman (Discovery Channel, 9:00 PM) 
🍴 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food, 9:00 PM) 
🏠 My Lottery Dream Home (HGTV, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 Destruction Decoded (NGC, 9:00 PM) 
👮‍♂️ On Patrol: Live (Reelz, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 20/20 (ABC, 9:01 PM) 
🔔 Tia Mowry: My Next Act (WE, 9:30 PM) 

Transformers One

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

👮‍♂️ Blue Bloods (CBS, 10:00 PM) 'Danny and his nephew, Joe Hill, investigate the homicide of a delivery driver who may have been connected to an illegal narcotics ring; Eddie is determined to save the job of a probationary police officer who may be fired for responding to a crime.'

💀 Killer Cases (A&E, 10:01 PM) 'When Catherine Edwards misses a family outing, her parents check on her; at her apartment they discover Catherine's body; investigators follow dozens of leads as the alarmed community worries about a killer on the loose.'

🔔 Three Women (Starz, 10:02 PM) SEASON FINALE. 'Sloane and Richard must decide if their union can withstand the secrets that betrayed it; Lina reckons with her future with Aidan; Gia makes a big decision; Maggie decides to let the whole world know her name.'

💀 Dateline NBC (NBC, 10:00 PM) 
🔔 Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10:00 PM) 
🔔 Destruction Decoded (NGC, 10:00 PM) 
🤼‍♂️ All Elite Wrestling: Rampage (TNT, 10:00 PM) 
👻 Scare Tactics (USA, 10:00 PM) 

LATE NIGHT

😂 The Graham Norton Show (BBCA, AMC+ and Acorn TV, 11:00 PM) 'Graham’s guests are Oscar winner Kate Winslet, fellow actors Dwayne Johnson and Lucy Liu, and music superstar Jennifer Lopez.'

🔔 It's Florida, Man (HBO, 11:00 PM) 'On Jenada Isle, a surge of abandoned bunnies and rogue rescuers disrupt the community's peace; chaos and ethical dilemmas arise as the situation escalates.'

🔔 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:34 PM) 
🔔 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 11:35 PM) 
🔔 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS, 11:35 PM) 
🔔 After Midnight (CBS, 12:37 AM) 
🔔 Late Night with Seth Myers (NBC, 12:37 AM) 
🔔 Nightline (ABC, 12:37 AM)

📺Broadcast/Cable/Satellite - RETRO BINGE📺

Law & Order (Pop, 6:00 AM - 8:00 PM); The Andy Griffith Show (Sundance, 6:00 AM - 1:00 PM); Futurama (Comedy Central, 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM); Roseanne (CMT, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM); M*A*S*H* (TVLand, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); Living Single (TV One, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); South Park (Comedy Central, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM); Hawaii Five-0 (Ion, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM); Gunsmoke (TVLand, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM); Seinfeld (Comedy Central, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM); The Office (Comedy Central, 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM); The Andy Griffith Show (TVLand, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM); Family Ties (Antenna, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM); Archie Bunker's Place (Antenna, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM); The Office (Comedy Central, 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM); Three's Company (Antenna, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM); Magnum P.I. (Ion, 7:00 PM - 2:00 AM); Everybody Loves Raymond (TVLand, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM); The Jeffersons (Antenna, 8:00 PM -9:00 PM); Barney Miller (Antennae, 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM); Designing Women (Antenna, 11:00 PM - 12:00 AM); The King of Queens (TVLand, 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM); Becker (Antenna, 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM); The Drew Carey Show (Antennae, 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM)

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna, 10:00 PM) 'Actor Burt Reynolds; comedian Dick Shawn.'

Thelma

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

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