Day: December 21, 2019

Best-bets for Dec. 23: Hawaii, Houghs & holiday tunes

1) “Same Time, Next Christmas,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. As Olivia (Lea Michele) sees it, “White Christmases are for suckers.” Ever since childhood, she’s has Hawaiian holidays; that’s where she had her first kiss, as a teen, with Jeff. Now he (Charles Michael Davis, shown here with Michele) is back; they’re grown-ups, with complicated lives. Making its broadcast debut after airing on Freeform, this has a predictable story, but is gorgeous enough to have us re-examine our holiday plans and/or our lives. Read more…

“Murdoch” brings some more good-guy mysteries

During the holidays, our TV tastes might mellow a tad.
We don’t need to probe the darkest recesses of our souls. We might settle for a decent drama about some nice folks.
So it’s logical that a streaming service (www.acorn.tv) is releasing the new “Murdoch Mysteries” season on Christmas Day.
This is nice-guy television. It’s pleasant, precise and likable; in short, it’s Canadian. Read more…