1) “A Paw Patrol Christmas,” 8 p.m., CBS. Santa has a cold and Mayor Humdinger has a scheme: He’ll head to the North Pole and grab all the presents for himself. The others may have a better plan. “Paw Patrol” (shown here) is one of only two new primetime cartoons for the holidays; the other (a third “Prep & Landing” tale) airs at 9 p.m. Sunday on ABC. Read more…
1) Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade (shown here in a previous year), 8:30 a.m. to noon, NBC; repeating at 2 p.m. This opens with music from Cynthia Erivo and then Lainey Wilson; the Broadway casts of “Ragtime,” “Just in Time” and “Buena Vista Social Club”; and the Rockettes. Then the parade — 11 bands, 28 floats and Santa — proves that the Christmas season has begun. Read more…
1) Parade preview (8 p.m.) and “A Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving” (9-11 p.m.), NBC. Now we know the holidays are starting. First, is a preview of Thursday’s Macy’s parade; there are glimpses of floats, plus interviews with Jewel, Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Caillat, Then is the annual collection of “SNL” Thanksgiving sketches (shown here in a previous year). Read more…
1) “Dancing With the Stars” finale, 8-11 p.m.,, ABC and Disney+. Five people remain, ranging from conservationist Robert Irwin, 21, (shown here with Witney Carson) to actress Elaine Hendrix, 53. Others are gold-medal gymnast Jordan Chiles and TikTok star Alix Earle, both 24; and Dylan Efron, 33, who does YouTube adventures with his brother Zac. One will be the 34th champion. Read more…
1) “Everybody Loves Raymond” reunion, 8-9:30 p.m. today, CBS. It’s time to celebrate one of TV’s great shows. Over its nine seasons, “Raymond” drew seven best-comedy Emmy nominations, winning twice. Now its 30th anniversary will be celebrated with clips, tributes to the late Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle, and a reunion of the other stars, including Ray Romano and Brad Garrett. They’re shown here, with the latter overshadowed, as usual. Read more…
When life was logical, the Christmas season started on Thanksgiving morning. We watched the parade, then looked for movies and music.
Then the logic faded. Some networks talked Christmas in October.
Still, we’ll stick to the basics for this list: TV’s Christmas season begins with Santa and friends rolling through New York on Thanksgiving morning. It ends with Mickey and friends rolling through Disney parks on Christmas morning … followed by a few final shows (including the Grinch) that night.
So here’s a round-up. (Shown here is Aloe Blacc at the ABC special that airs Dec. 1.) There’s more if you have streaming channels, but this (subject to late changes) is what’s new on the networks and basic-cable: Read more…
1) “The Great Escaper” (2023), 9 p.m., PBS. Always a neatly understated actor, Michael Caine, now 92, has a role that fits perfectly. It’s a quietly moving (and true) story of a vet, turning 90 as time neared for the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Glenda Jackson, who died at 87 in the year this movie debuted, is excellent as his wife; they’re shown here. Read more…
1) Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, 8:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, NBC; repeating at 2 p.m. This starts with a Cynthia Erivo song and with performances by the Rockettes and the Broadway casts of “Ragtime,” “Just in Time” and “Buena Vista Social Club.” Then the parade — 11 bands, 28 floats and Santa (shown here) — proves the Christmas season has begun. Read more…
1) “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story,” 8-10 p.m., Hallmark. Last year, Hallmark scored with a love story set among Kansas City Chiefs fans. Now we meet adamant Buffalo Bills fans. Morgan and Gabe (shown here) don’t seem to realize they should be a couple. Then she learns that a mysterious benefactor helped her uncle (Joe Pantoliano) long ago. The Bills help her search. Read more…
After re-fighting some wars, PBS will retreat to a cheery holiday mood.
It will have new editions of two holiday mainstays — the Tabernacle Choir and the “Nutcracker” ballet. It will also have some fun on the 100th birthday of Dick Van Dyke (shown here in “Mary Poppins”) and some Christmas warmth with “Call the Midwife.”
Lately, the network has focused on Ken Burns’ epic “American Revolution” (concluding Friday, Nov. 21), a Burns follow-up discussion (9 p.m. Nov. 24) and a quietly moving film with Michael Caine as a D-Day veteran (9 p.m. Nov. 23). After that, things get lighter with: Read more…
Best-bets for Feb. 5: fun chefs, serious sports 
Best-bets for Feb. 4: Muppets and talking dogs 
Best-bets for Feb. 3: a night of crimes, true and not 
