News & Notes
Over on cable, BBC America has the series premiere of Ramsay’s Best Restaurant, Food Network has the second season premiere of Cupcake Wars, HBO has the third season finale of In Treatment, Oxygen has the first season finale of Running Russell Simmons, TLC has the third season finale of The Little Couple, Sundance has the series premiere of Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys, and Syfy has new holiday episodes of Eureka and Warehouse 13.
In late night, A&E has the first season finale of Strange Days With Bob Saget.
Prime Picks
Glee (FOX): New. Finn is trying to spread some holiday cheer. Artie learns that Brittany still thinks Santa is real. Secret Santa gets rigged. Runs 61 minutes.
Eureka (Syfy): New. Everyone gets trapped in town during an unseasonably warm heat wave at Christmas time. Plays again later. This is a very good episode that puts the perfect Eureka spin on the holiday. Everyone gets a moment to shine in the episode and Carter gets to save the day, but the most fun is the return of Matt Frewer as Taggart. He is advancing the scientific study of “Santology,” which is just as great as it sounds.
Warehouse 13 (Syfy): New. There’s a bad Santa on the loose in California and Myka and Pete have to put their holiday plans on hold to go check it out. Meanwhile, Claudia attempts to surprise Artie with a gift and ends up reuniting him with his estranged father, played by Judd Hirsch (most recently of Numb3rs). Plays again later. This is an absolutely great holiday episode. Hirsch and Rubinek are almost too good to watch as father and son. And, the investigation that Pete and Myka end up on provides just the right touch of holiday spirit. Both storylines hit the perfect notes of family and holiday cheer. One thing about watching a screener for a show like this is that they tend to not have all the special effects completed. So, you are really left to watch the performances and the story without all the wiz-bang special effects blinding you to any shortcomings on those fronts. So, I can’t wait to watch it again in its finished form, cause it could only get better. @EddieMcClintock, Joanne Kelly, @SaulRubinek and @allisonscag all do a wonderful job. I enjoyed the episode so much that I could easily see this becoming a yearly holiday special that airs long after Warehouse 13 ends its run. It’s one of the best episodes of TV I’ve seen in awhile and I couldn’t recommend it more. As I said in a tweet right after watching it, the episode “captures everything a great holiday episode should with a whoosh & a twinkle.”
Solid Selections
A Charlie Brown Christmas (ABC): Repeat. The animated holiday classic has Charlie Brown searching for the true meaning of Christmas.
Life Unexpected (The CW): New. Lux and Tasha must deal with their recent actions, which forces Lux to finally stop hiding her past from Baze and Cate. The show’s creator @LizTigelaar says this is the episode she is most proud of.
Glory Daze (TBS): New. Everyone is worried about what their dad is going to think about what they’ve been up to at school. Plays again late night Friday.
Other Options
- No Ordinary Family (ABC): New. George accidentally ends up getting credit for a crime that Jim stopped. Katie and Stephanie are having some problems. Daphne is getting more suspicious of Katie’s boyfriend.
- Raising Hope (FOX): New. Burt cuts Jimmy in on the annual holiday scheme. Virginia wants Hope to play baby Jesus in the live Nativity scene at church. Starts a minute after the hours and runs 29 minutes. This is a very good episode. Martha Plimpton is just too funny as Virginia in her attempts to make sure she gets to play Mary in the live Nativity.
- Tower Prep (Cartoon Network): New. “Field Trip.”
Sports Notes
- ESPN has doubleheader college basketball action.
- ESPN2 has a college basketball game.
- NBA TV has the Golden State Warriors at the Dallas Mavericks.
Late Night
- Burn Notice (USA): Repeat. Last Thursday’s episode, “Brotherly Love,” replays.
- Men of a Certain Age (TNT): Repeat. This past Monday’s second season premiere episode, “If I Could, I Surely Would,” replays.
- Psych (USA): Repeat. Last Wednesday’s Twin Peaks inspired episode, “Dual Spires,” replays.
- Terriers (FX): Repeat. Last Wednesday’s season finale, which ended up being the series finale, episode, “Hail Mary,” replays. Runs 63 minutes.
TV Marathons
Bravo has 12 episodes of The Millionaire Matchmaker.
Oxygen has 12 episodes of America’s Next Top Model.
Spike TV has 12 episodes of 1000 Ways to Die.
Syfy has five episodes of Eureka early followed by five episodes of Warehouse 13.
USA has 17 episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Are you ready for some Christmas themed TV tonight?
