What's On Tonight (Friday): Beloved Character Actress Margo Martindale in a Sticky Situation...

       

The Sticky

I've been a little lax in getting the Friday WOT up on time the past few weeks (though I am always under budget), but that ends today (just the on-time part, I will always remain under budget).  That's because today's Top Pick, The Sticky, stars esteemed Character Actress Margo Martindale, and Ms. Martindale deserves nothing but the finest of treatment.  I've been a fan since her first appearance on The Americans and I am always happy to see her on screen.

Her new limited series is "inspired", i.e., the basic story happened but all the details have been fudged, by the true story of the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist.  Over the course of several months millions of dollars' worth of syrup was stolen.  If this series can find a way of including hockey and socialized medical care, it may end up being the most Canadian series ever (this side of Letterkenny anyway).

TOP PICK

⭐🔔 The Sticky (Amazon, 12:01 SM) LIMITED SERIES. 'Follows Ruth Landry (Margo Martindale), a tough, middle-aged maple syrup farmer who turns to crime when the bureaucratic authorities threaten to take away everything she loves. Inspired by a true story.'

Elsewhere...

*Max has the streaming premiere of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, while Peacock has Speak No Evil, Apple has Fly Me to the Moon, and AMC+ has Christmas Eve in Miller's Point.  Pretty sure Max wins this contest.

*Christmas Eve in Miller's Point seems to have taken its retro trailer cues from last year's The Holdovers.  I'm pretty sure it is set in the present day, but the trailer feels like something from the 80s.  It looks fun, if not a little overstuffed with characters.  Reviews are decent.  Might not be a bad option for someone looking for a new Christmas film.

*On the other yuletide hand, there's Netflix's Mary, which is going for something different: the untold story of the mother of Jesus.  Why has it been untold?  Because no one knows what the story of Jesus's mom was.  The trailer looks decent, with some nice moments of Antony Hopkins chewing scenery as Herrod, but the director is DJ Caruso, who has been behind many bad movies.  Probably best to skip.

*Holy shit!  I actually got today's WOT up on time!  OH, GLORIOUS DAY!

PREMIERES

Fly Me to the Moon

🎥 Fly Me to the Moon (Apple, 12:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'A sharp, stylish romantic comedy set against the high-stakes backdrop of NASA's historic Apollo 11 moon landing. Brought in to fix NASA's public image, sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis's (Channing Tatum) already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, the countdown truly begins....'

🔔 Critical Incident (Hulu, 12:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'While on patrol for a teenage suspect, Senior Constable Zilifcar 'Zil' Ahmed pursues Dalia. In the chaos and confusion of the pursuit, a bystander is critically injured. Zil's world comes crashing down when he discovers Dalia was in fact not the perpetrator.'

🔔 Paris Has Fallen (Hulu, 12:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'When a terrorist group led by the villainous Jacob Pearce attacks a high- profile event, with the French Minister of Defense as their target, protection officer Vincent Taleb finds himself working with street-smart MI6 operative Zara Taylor to save the day.'

🎥 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Max, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia's life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened.'

🔔 The Official DC Podcast (Max, 3:01 AM) SPECIAL PRESENTATION. 'Your one-stop destination for all things DC and DC Studios.'

🎥 Biggest Heist Ever (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'Morgan, a hipster rapper otherwise known as Razzlekhan and Forbes contributor and her husband Lichtenstein were arrested after being accused of conspiring to launder nearly 120,000 Bitcoin.'

🎥 Camp Crasher (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'In a bid to save her son's end-of-school camping trip, a single mom steps in as the bus driver while trying to show him she really can be a cool mom.'

🔔 Echos of the Past (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'Accused of his sister's murder, Yehia is fiercely determined to seek vengeance and unmask the true perpetrator.'

🔔 The Honey Trap: A True Story of Love, Lies and the FBI (Paramount+, 3:01 AM; Showtime, 10:00 PM) SPECIAL PRESENTATION. 'The story of Denis Cuspert, aka Deso Dogg, and his journey from infamous German rapper to ISIS recruiter; exploring the circular relationship between propaganda, recruitment and the soft power of entertainment culture.'

🎥 Speak No Evil (Peacock, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'When an American family is invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation, what begins as a dream holiday soon warps into a snarled psychological nightmare.'

🍴 Clash of the Cookbooks (Roku, 3:01 AM) 'Join comedian Phoebe Robinson and cookbook author and culinary historian Max Miller as they put cookbook-obsessed chefs to the test with legendary cookbook-inspired challenges.'

🎥 Toxic Harmony (Tubi, 3:01 AM) 'After parting from her girl group, a singer finds both fame and danger after capturing the attention of a powerful but mysterious record label executive.'

🔔 Inside the Enchanted Rain Forests (Nat Geo Wild, 9:00 PM) SERIES PREMIERE. 'Traverse the planet’s richest, most diverse woodlands, from the tropics to the poles and everywhere in between. Get to know the wild residents of these magical ecosystems and learn how forests connect and nurture the lives of countless species.'

🔔 Evolve and Flex (TruTV, 9:00 PM) SERIES PREMIERE. 'A weekly look into the personal growth and fashion evolution of stars from the worlds of sports, culture and fashion.'

🔔 Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo (History, 10:00 PM) SERIES PREMIERE. 'Reveals the history behind some of the world's most significant discoveries, found in the most unexpected ways. From hidden treasures and sacred objects, to astounding animal artifacts and secret underground tunnels, the world is full of items and areas that have yet to be revealed.'

🎄CHRISTMAS PREMIERES🎄

Christmas Eve in Miller's Point

🍴🎄 Buddy's Holiday Recipe Rumble (Hulu, 12:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'Join Buddy Valastro on his festive mission to find the ultimate holiday family recipe! Each episode, two families will battle it out, showcasing their most delicious, crowd-pleasing holiday dishes.'

🎥🎄 Christmas Eve in Miller's Point (AMC+, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'A rambunctious extended family descends upon their small Long Island hometown for the holidays. Before the evening is over, two teenage cousins take advantage of the chaos to sneak out into the wintry night and make the holiday their own.'

🦇🎄 Batwheels (Max, 3:01 AM) "The Great Christmas Caper"

🔔🎄 Tiny Toons Looniversity: Winter Blunderland (Max, 3:01 AM) SPECIAL PRESENTATION.

🎥🎄 Mary (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'Mary is shunned following an otherworldly conception and forced to flee when Herod's insatiable thirst for power ignites a murderous pursuit for the newborn.'

🧽🎄 The Patrick Star Show (Nickelodeon, 5:00 PM) "Swaptoberfest" 

🎥🎄 Private Princess Christmas (Hallmark, 8:00 PM) 'After failing in her royal duties, Princess Violet is sent to an American leadership training program where she makes and unexpected connection with the stoic instructor, Captain Ryan.'

🔔🎄 A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter (Netflix, 9:01 PM) SPECIAL PRESENATION. 'Pop icon Sabrina Carpenter jingles all the bells in her first-ever variety music special full of holiday hits, unexpected duets and comedic cameos.'

🔔🎄 Happy's Place (NBC, 9:15 PM) "Ho-Ho-Howey"

🔔🎄 Lopez vs. Lopez (NBC, 9:45 PM) "Lopez vs. Santa"

STREAMING

👻 Before (Apple, 12:01 AM) "When We Dead Awaken" 

🔔 Silo (Apple, 12:01 AM) "The Harmonium" 

 

🔔 Return to Las Sabinas (Hulu, 12:01 AM) "Love and Death" 

💀 The Creep Tapes (AMC+ and Shudder, 3:01 AM) "Brandt" 

🏈 The Breakdown with Peyton and Belichick (ESPN, 3:01 AM) "Week 14: Bengals at Cowboys" 

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

💖 Love Never Lies: South Africa (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. 

📞 When the Phone Rings (Netflix, 3:01 AM) "Episode 5" 

🔔 The Agency (Paramount+, 3:01 AM) "Hawk from a Handsaw" 

SPORTSBALL TODAY/TONIGHT

🏌️‍♀️ PGA Tour Golf: Hero World Challenge, Second Round (Golf, 1:30 PM)

⚽ Women's College Soccer: NCAA Tournament: Stanford vs. Wake Forest (ESPNU, 5:00 PM)

🥊 One Fight Night 26 (Amazon, 7:00 PM)

🏈 College Football: C-USA Championship: Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State (CBSSN, 7:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Georgetown at West Virginia (ESPN2, 7:00 PM)

⚽ Women's College Soccer: NCAA Tournament: Duke vs. North Carolina (ESPNU, 7:30 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics (ESPN, 7:43 PM)

🏈 College Football: American Athletic Conference Championship: Tulane at Army (ABC, 8:00 PM)

🏈 College Football: Mountain West Championship: UNLV at Boise State (Fox, 8:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors (ESPN, 10:05 PM)

Mary

🕗 EARLY PRIMETIME 🕗

🧽🎄 The Patrick Star Show (Nickelodeon, 5:00 PM) 'The Star family celebrates the Klopnodian holiday Swaptoberfest by swapping identities with each other.'

🕗 8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

👮‍♂️ S.W.A.T. (CBS, 8:00 PM) 'When two students are brutally attacked, 20-Squad contends with a possible honor killing; Hondo and Nichelle have their first parenting dispute while searching for a suitable daycare.'

🔔 Outlander (Starz, 8:02 PM) 'Claire turns to John Grey for comfort as they process difficult news; Ian and Rachel discuss their love and their future; Brianna confronts an intruder at Lallybroch.'

💀 The First 48: Tracking a Killer (A&E, 8:00 PM) 'A New Orleans homicide detective hopes that surveillance footage can help him solve the case of a young father who was abducted and shot in the street; includes bonus footage.' 

🤠 The Last Cowboy (CMT, 8:00 PM) 
💰 Gold Rush (Discovery Channel, 8:00 PM) 

🎥🎄 Private Princess Christmas (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) SEASON FINALE. 

🔔 Rocket's Island (BYUtv, 8:30 PM) 

🕗 9:00 EASTERN / 🕖 8:00 CENTRAL

🔥 Fire Country (CBS, 9:00 PM) 'A false alarm call escalates into a dangerous hostage situation.'

👽 The Unbelievable with Dan Ackroyd (History, 9:00 PM) 'A city where the commute requires a zipline; a town crawling with monkeys; a waterfall of blood.'

🔔 Inside the Enchanted Rain Forests (Nat Geo Wild, 9:00 PM) 'Finding good magic; visiting the dark side of the world's tropical forests.'

👶 Children Ruin Everything (CW, 9:00 PM) 
👮 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) SEASON FINALE. 
🔔 Destruction Decoded (NGC, 9:00 PM) SEASON FINALE. 
👮‍♂️ On Patrol: Live (Reelz, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 Evolve and Flex (TruTV, 9:00 PM) 
🔔🎄 Happy's Place (NBC, 9:15 PM) 
🔔🎄 Lopez vs. Lopez (NBC, 9:45 PM) 

Speak No Evil

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

👮‍♂️ Blue Bloods (CBS, 10:00 PM) 'Eddie and Badillo try to help a man whose apartment has been taken over by a squatter; Danny and Baez investigate when a student is found dead in her dorm.'

👽 Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo (History, 10:00 PM) 'A Revolutionary War era ship hides under the streets of Manhattan; a sprawling Roman villa is unearthed in the backyard of an English home; finding an ancient Grecian maze that is long thought to be a myth.'

🔔 Inside the Enchanted Rain Forests (Nat Geo Wild, 10:00 PM) 'Flora and fauna help each other navigate seasonal changes in the forest.'

💀 Killer Cases (A&E, 10:01 PM) 
🔔 The Honey Trap: A True Story of Love, Lies and the FBI (Showtime, 10:00 PM) 
🤼‍♂️ All Elite Wrestling: Rampage (TNT, 10:00 PM) 
👻 Scare Tactics (USA, 10:00 PM) SEASON FINALE. 
💀 Dateline NBC (NBC, 10:15 PM) 

LATE NIGHT

🔔 The Graham Norton Show (BBCA, 11:00 PM) 'Graham's guests are Cher, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Josh Brolin, Jalen Ngonda.'

🔔 After Midnight (CBS, 12:37 AM) 'Actress Emily Osment; comic Tien Tran; actor Vinny Thomas.'

🔔 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:34 PM) 
🔔 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS, 11:35 PM) 
🔔 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 12:05 PM) 
🔔 Late Night with Seth Myers (NBC, 12:37 AM) 
🔔 Nightline (ABC, 1:07 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) 'Singer Barry Manilow; actor Chevy Chase; actor Dan Aykroyd; host David Letterman.'

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

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

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