1) “Holiday Spectacular,” 8-10 p.m. today, ABC. Sprawling across the Disney parks, this has bright colors and cheery music. Derek Hough hosts and performs; also performing are Nicole Scherzinger (shown here), Bebe Rexha, Aloe Blacc, Trisha Yearwood, Gwen Stefani, Coco Jones and Benji and Joel Madden. This also airs at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday on Freeform. Read more…
If you missed Monday’s “Everybody Loves Raymond” special, don’t fret.
In a quick change, CBS will rerun it at 9 p.m. Friday (Nov. 28).
And yes, this is one special worth repeating. It overflowed with humor and moments of warmth Read more…
Some supersized shows are on the way.
They range from woolly mammoths in the ice to Tom Cruise leaping between planes. They also include the simple world of Henry David Thoreau and the complicated one of the “Far Cry” videogame. Chronologically, that includes: Read more…
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…
Best-bets for June 26: fun with Larry & Taylor 
Best-bets for June 25: “Bear” is back; country soars 
Best-bets for June 24: brilliant drama, nasty crocs 
