1) “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” 8 p.m., NBC. One of TV’s greatest half-hours(shown here) sprang from a convergence of genius. Dr. Seuss wrote the witty story and Chuck Jones – a mastermind behind Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner – animated it brilliantly. Boris Karloff narrated and Thurl Ravenscroft (the voice of Tony the Tiger) sang about a mean one, Mr. Grinch. Read more…
1) Thanksgiving Day parade, 9 a.m. to noon, NBC and CBS (but on the West Coast, CBS will delay until about 1 p.m. PT. The mega-parade has 12 bands, lots of balloons and 28 floats, often with stars onboard. It will be Jimmy Fallon with the Roots, Mario Lopez with his family, Gloria Estefan with her daughter and granddaughter and Santa (shown here) wrapping things up. Near the start, NBC has the Broadway casts of “Funny Girl,” “The Lion King,” “A Beautiful Noise” and “Some Like It Hot”; CBS counters with the casts of “Moulin Rouge” and “Six.” Read more…
1) “Tutankhamun: Allies and Enemies,” 8 and 9 p.m., PBS. It was 100 years ago (this Saturday, Nov. 26) that Howard Carter chiseled a peephole. “Can you see anything?” his patron asked. The reply: “Yes, wonderful things.” After five years, he had found the tomb of King Tut (depicted here); 5,398 objects, mostly gold, were there. This film looks back and leaves questions: We still don’t know who was Tut’s mother, how he died or whether this was meant to be his tomb. Read more…
1) “American Masters,” 9-11 p.m., PBS. Buffy St. Marie (shown here) tells of being bullied and blacklisted, of being abused as a child and of surviving (barely) a dangerous romance. Still, she has emerged as a vibrant force – a singer, songwriter, actress and Indian-rights activist. Her “Universal Soldier” has been recorded by 157 people; her “Up Where We Belong” won an Academy Award. Here’s a compelling portrait of a zestful performer at 81. Read more…
1) Angela Lansbury tribute, Turner Classic Movies. Here’s a full day with Lansbury, who died last month at 96. It starts at 6:15 a.m. with “National Velvet” (1944) and ends with the 3:45 a.m. “Sweeney Todd” – the only nod to her mastery of musicals. There are some obscure films and then the three that brought her Oscar nominations – “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962) at 8, “Gaslight” (1944, when she was 18; she’s shown here behind Ingrid Bergman) at 10:15 and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (1945) at 12:15 a.m. Read more…
1) “The Walking Dead” finale, 9-10:30, AMC, rerunning at midnight and 1:30 a.m. “Dead” (shown here in a previous episode) has been one of cable’s top successes — 11 seasons, 177 episodes, countless zombies and huge ratings. Last week’s episode saw a swarm heading for the city; that reruns at 7:25 p.m. and then the fuss begins: Chris Hardwick hosts a red-carpet preview at 8:30. After the finale, he’ll host a “Talking Dead” with the actors and producers, until midnight. Read more…
1) “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), 5 and 6:33 p.m., TBS. Two of the all-time great shows return, as part of a great stretch for TBS. Tim Burton’s brilliant “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005) is at 2:30 p.m., with “Grinch” (shown here) – a wondrous blend of Dr. Seuss and animator Chuck Jones – at 5. “The Year Without a Santa Claus” is 5:30, with “Oz” at 6:33 and 8:45 … and “Charlie” again at 11:01 p.m. Read more…
1) “Next at the Kennedy Center,” 9 p.m., PBS. Joni Mitchell’s two orchestral albums drew praise, but only had a brief tour with local orchestras. Now the National Symphony backs elegant vocals by Renee Fleming, Aoife O’Donovan, Jimmie Herrod and (on “Both Sides Now”) Lalah Hathaway. Amid these beautifully written Mitchell ballads, Raul Milon (shown here in a previous concert) adds pulsating renditions of “Be Cool” and (with Hathaway) “Sex Kills.” Read more…
1) “Fleishman is in Trouble,” Hulu. Toby Fleishman (a typecast Jesse Eisenberg) is a decent chap. A divorced doctor and dad, he tries to do right by his kids… and kind of likes the new emphasis on dating apps and sex. Then his cold-hearted ex-wife (Claire Danes, very much against type) vanishes. (They’re shown here.) Adapting her first novel, Taffy Brodesser-Akner fills this nine-part mini-series with witty dialog and narration, satirizing an elite corner of the world. Read more…
1) “The Conners” (8 p.m.) and more, ABC. Comedies thrive on Thanksgiving episodes, when people collide in fresh and funny (sometimes) ways. On “The Conners” (8 p.m.), Jackie (Laurie Metcalf, shown here with John Goodman) frets about her mom’s health and Darlene scrambles to find a job. On “The Goldbergs” (8:30), Beverly prepares for her first holiday as a widow … and an unexpected relative arrives. “Home Economics” (9:30) also has an unexpected guest – Tom’s superfan and half-sister. Read more…
