How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Charlie Brown Christmas
Thanksgiving is upon us, and that means two things: lots of turkey and plenty of TV programming to get you in the mood for the holidays.
This year's lineup offers new programs like Prep & Landing (Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 8:30/7:30c, ABC), but if you're anything like us, you look forward to re-watching such classics as Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, It's a Wonderful Life and How the Grinch Stole Christmas this time of year.
So we want to know: What are your holiday TV favorites?
Whether Frosty the Snowman warms your heart, or if you prefer to laugh along with movies like Home Alone, A Christmas Story and Bad Santa, share your picks and reasons why after the jump...
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Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
11:29/10:29c NBC
The topical sketch show continues its run of live episodes as Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes his SNL hosting debut. The actor is hot off a nuanced, acclaimed performance in the film (500) Days of Summer as well as his movie directorial debut with his short film Sparks, which he wrote and produced and for which he scored the music. Speaking of music, it'll be "too much" when the alt-rocking jam collective Dave Matthews Band hits the music stage.
Read on for previews of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, True Jackson, VP, Suze Orman Show and Robin Hood.
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Ricky Gervais: Out of England - The Stand-Up Special
Ricky Gervais: Out of England — The Stand-Up Special
9 pm/ET HBO
Ricky Gervais has succeeded in making his self-absorbed characters on the The Office and Extras likable and non-threatening. So perhaps it's not a surprise that, even when he plays himself, the same holds true.
Read on for previews of Opry Live, Accidental Friendship, The Two Mr. Kissels and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
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It took a while to adjust to holiday specials airing in November. I remember having only one chance to catch these programs as a kid, and that made them a little more special.As the flood of seasonal mirth begins, it's tricky to sift through all the different programs now available 24/7.When choosing what to watch, avoid any sequels or live-action remakes. They simply don't work.Also look for the four fundamental elements of any killer holiday special:1) Unique characters2) Memorable music 3) A lesson learned and4) A Santa appearance.Here are my top-five television holiday specials of all time.This list does not include any feature films. Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life do not qualify for this list.Honorable mention: Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970).Major points for Fred Astaire, the Winter Warlock, Burgermeister MeisterBurger and "Put One Foot in Front of the Other," which almost made the list. Almost.5) Frosty the Snowman (1969)Happy birthday! Yes, it's fu...
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I'm gonna live forever: Fame's Ray and Gimpel
Question: I remember watching the show Fame as a kid and really liking it. I know it was based on a movie, but was that movie based on a real school? Thanks.
Answer: That it was, Alma, but exactly how much the movie and, to an even greater extent, the show, were "real" certainly depended on whom you asked. The basics aren't in dispute: The 1980 film and series, which lived on NBC from January 1982 to August 1983 before jumping to first-run syndication for another four years, were set in New York City's real-life School of Performing Arts, better known to its students, faculty and such alumni as Al Pacino and Liza Minnelli as "P.A." (In 1984 the school moved with the High School of Music & Art into a new facility and the two merged to become the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.) But according to
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