Special Event/Holiday
|
|
It is time once again to take a look back at some of our favorite TV moments of 2022. Now, keep in mind.... I don't watch everything; well, who has the time? And there are quite a few things on this site that I have no part of, so I will leave any mention of THOSE things to WM or anyone else who cares to play along in the comments. First of all.... Wishing you all the best in the coming year! Despite the fact that this is an "RTV" site, we DO chat quite a few scripted shows. So my first mention of 2022 Memorable TV Moments is actually.... "This Is Us: The Series Finale" I remember quite clearly the season one premiere of this wonderful show. I watched it alone and was so moved, I wrote a "review" of it the next day. Sadly it was done on the old free Disqus channel, so was lost when they shut us down #Aww. I loved everything about that first show and my review of it was so passionate that it caused Windbag Mark (who may not have ever watched an episode without my review #YoureWelcomeWM), to join me in the watch (The amazing first "twist" was the mixed timelines, a complete novelty at the time. We didn't know then that this would become commonplace on "This Is Us". There was much discussion all over the media about it the next day). Quite a few more joined in and as a result, "This Is Us" became the first scripted show included in our weekly live chats. The series finale last spring was every bit as beautifully done as that premiere episode six seasons before. In addition to giving us a satisfying conclusion to each story line of the "Big Three" (my favorite was the Kevin reconciliation and proposal to his childhood sweetheart and ex-wife Sophie), we also watched all season long the slow, difficult descent of Rebecca into Alzheimer's. Yes, it's a difficult topic but was handled so respectfully and beautifully here. The shock of seeing her beloved second husband Miguel sit lovingly by her side, caring for her day in and day out (even when her confused mind thought Miguel was her first husband, Jack), then passing away before her - so heartbreaking. I really cannot recall a series finish being more beautifully made (of any show I've ever watched) as "This Is Us" did. We've missed you this year, Kevin, Kate and Randall. But we loved being able to watch your stories unfold for six wonderful seasons. The writers of this show had such an amazing way of storytelling, weaving two or three different, seemingly disconnected pieces of the story into one episode. And in the end, it would be revealed how everything fits together like a perfect puzzle. It's all connected. And speaking of "It's all connected...." "Manifest" (Season four currently streaming on Netflix) "Manifest"... such a bizarre little show. Fun - but really bizarre. While I can't say they have it all right Biblically, and while some of the content troubles me a little (reading tarot cards for answers?) this is strange, well-written science fiction with an intriguing plot and a likable cast. Heck, some of villains are likable and even a bit funny - but yes, still bad people (Egan). Season four episodes were released a while back and I have made it through all ten available (the rest will be released later). It picks up two years after the horrifying end of the third season. You'll recall Grace Stone was murdered and her baby, Eden, kidnapped by Angelina (the young girl from the 828 plane tragedy, who had become obsessed with the idea that little Eden was her guardian angel). Disturbing, yes. She is one misguided soul, this Angelina (but a great negotiator. And don't give her your leather jacket if she begs for it, even if you will never be using it again #SurvivorDavidVersusGoliathHumour). Also, young Cal coming home after his strange disappearance, only not as the twelve-year-old we knew.... but as the 17-year-old that he SHOULD be. WTH? Yes, season four has an adult (isn't that a teenage, not adult?) Cal. I must commend the casting department here, picking an older Cal who I think very easily passes as the adult version of the young actor we knew before (he is also very convincing as Olive's twin). Amazing job, casting director. Without giving anything away, I must say it IS kind of fun seeing Cal and Olive interacting with each other as same age twins, not five years apart (as was the case in the first three seasons). Don't want to give anything away for those who watch but haven't yet seen it - except that I enjoyed it (despite a few things in the story that I didn't much care for). Overall, it's a suspenseful, great piece of storytelling. But, for the record, Josh Dallas should NEVER again sport a beard. Never! Five o'clock shadow works well. Full beard? Never again, Josh. I am so far behind on my streaming shows. Haven't caught up on current season of so many things that I'm sure some might want to mention. "Stranger Things". "Cobra Kai" (just to name a couple). One day. Please feel free WM to add your thoughts here. I know you DID dive into the "Stranger Things" world (which wasn't "your cup of tea") I would mention "The Chosen" - but since New Year's Eve mention, we haven't had a new full season (we are just a couple of episodes into one). I maintain "The Chosen" is still the BEST show out there. This is actual Biblical truth, not some science fiction version. Heh. Available everywhere these days, even Netflix (well, just season one). And there are still free streaming opportunities all over the place. No reason to pay to watch. Moving on to "SURVIVOR", beginning with.... "Australian Survivor: Blood Vs. Water" It featured an iconic US Survivor player and her progeny: Sandra Diaz-Twine and daughter Nina. I must say, the US should NEVER have let the Australian version get first crack at Nina (she applied one season and was not chosen one season. WHAAT?? Dumb move, Probst). She is an awesome young woman, a fantastic player of the game. Shame US audiences who don't do internationals missed her. We will never all agree about mama Sandra. She has rabid fans; others consider her highly over-rated. But there is no denying that she has been on several seasons and became the first to win the game twice; for this alone she deserves respect (I can hear the audible MadamP "Pfffttttt!" now #HeeHeeHee). I was struck at the respect she was given by the Australian players - complete admiration, mixed with the knowledge that it would be foolish to keep her in the game for long. Contrast that to the appearance of Russell Hantz on Australian Survivor season five. His oversized ego was front and center the moment he stepped on the beach. The tribe wanted no part of Hantz in Australia; this time, his identical Samoa strategy backfired completely and turned him into the ceremonious first boot. But Sandra - she was greeted with applause as she came on their beach for the first time. And daughter Nina really proved herself in this game. She had built a pretty undeniable alliance and was set to go far. If I'm not mistaken - correct me if I'm wrong WM - she found herself in a position of needing to write Mom's name on the parchment (Sandra emphasized that going against the votes was the worst strategic move you could make. When it became obvious at tribal that Sandra was about to get voted out, Nina heeded mom's words and voted for her. It made Sandra very proud that daughter listened to her advice). Sadly, Nina's game came to an early end: she suffered an ankle injury during a challenge. Heartbreaking for all of us to see. But thankfully, this story doesn't end there. Nina will be a cast member on the upcoming "Australian Survivor: Heroes Vs Villains" season as a "Hero". Take that, Hantz! While Mark Wales was the eventual winner of the season (dominating with wife Samantha - it's all coming back now!) - it was Nina who stole all of our hearts. Even MadamP must love the fact that Nina - Sandra's DAUGHTER! - voted mom out. And a Diaz-Twine is returning to the game - as a "Hero"! But Australia didn't have all the 2022 fun this year: the US had TWO "Survivor" seasons this year. Survivor 42 - where we've shortened the game to 26 days (as said on the Australian page, if JLP and the Aussies can manage a 49 (down from 55) game day in the post Covid world, how is it Probst can only manage a 26-day (down from 39) game?) The US version is getting "wimpy", heh. (Are you aware that no matter how many days a season lasts, all series are televised in thirteen to fifteen weeks. Changing the amount of days does would not switch that. And "wimpy"? Exact opposite. 26-day cast members have to cram the same amount of challenges and tribals into much less time. 39-day players had more spare time to accomplish the same amount of work. The new shortened time line forces them to work much harder). I can't say I recall much about this season... except that Maryanne won and no one expected her to. In fact, most of us thought she would be the first boot of her tribe. Her over- the-top emotions, her non-stop chatter... just a couple of the reasons why most thought this. I remember I was rooting pretty hard for Jonathan. But sadly, he lost in the final four fire-making challenge to Mike Turner after somehow losing the final challenge to Romeo. How did this happen after dominating the games challenges most of the season (We all suspect the previous night's "open bar" shenanigans gave him a hangover the next day, and that "catch the spinning balls" challenge must have been MUCH more difficult for him in that condition)? And rightly so, Romeo was not just going to hand Johnathan the win by taking him to the end. He took Maryanne, forcing Johnathan to win his spot in a fire making challenge. No one can begrudge Romeo this choice; it was the right one. Would Johnathan have won the game if he had been at the end? I'm really not sure. How did Maryanne manage to get the win? I really don't recall; I'll let WM fill in this part. An unexpectedly brilliant FTC performance, explaining her game and the reasons she should win SO much better than the other two. Whipping out the immunity idol she had kept secret all game was the shocking "cherry on top" that stunned the jury. Survivor 43 This season is most fresh in my mind and, I must say, was the most enjoyable one we've had in a while. Overall, a likable cast; I can't recall anyone that I overtly disliked at all. And after a wonderful season with some great challenges and game play, we got an unlikely hero as the winner... ... Mike Gabler, a fifty-one year old veteran. Like Maryanne on season 42, I think most of us dismissed Gabler early on. Nice enough guy, but it seemed like he wasn't really there to PLAY. We didn't see a lot of big moves or big strategy from him. An offbeat personality and likable enough, sure. but come on. Who thought he'd still be there anywhere close to the end? But that was the beauty of it all - no one, not even his castmates - saw him as a threat. They were all so busy taking down THEIR perceived enemies, they didn't really pay attention to the game that Gabler was quietly playing. He articulately described that at final tribal council, so eloquently that he literally won the entire jury over (except for one person). Then after winning the game, he made a hero's announcement: his winnings would ALL be donated to veteran charities, helping those who have fought to protect and serve our country. A selfless act - and an amazing outcome to a pretty darn great season of "Survivor". I'm sure WM will have more to say on this. (Kudos for never mentioning this at all DURING the game; it might have called many to question his motivation. The fact that he made this announcement after the game is what made it a truly heroic moment: his inspiration was simply to aid a cause he believed in) I was rooting hard for Owen or Jesse, but I have no complaint about this outcome. We also had two seasons of "The Amazing Race" this year.... ... season 32, which I can't recall much about except that it was won by Kim and Penn, a pair that not everyone liked much. But I remember that I did. Then season 33, which had one of the most memorable teams we have seen in a while: Emily and Molly placed second in the game, but first in our hearts. The team that hit the mat fastest was Big Brother alums Derek and Claire, a deserving win for sure. But Emily and Molly (who I often referred to as long-lost sisters) captured our hearts with their story. Twins separated at birth and raised without ever knowing about the other, they reunited as adults and used the race to make up for so much lost time. Completely likable and great competitors who you just had to cheer for. Their second-place finish was even more remarkable due an injury to Molly's knee that she had to fight throughout the race, getting progressively worse just as the challenges increased in difficulty. I will remember season 33's Emily and Molly long after I've forgotten the names of #TeamBigBrother. I'm sure there are other things I should mention. I'll leave Big Brother and The Bachelor and Big Sky, and so on... for WM. Someone who actually watches those shows. "Big Brother" had the most inspirational season in its franchise history; the most heartwarming triumph-of-the-underdog story in - dare I say it? - reality TV history. A beautiful young woman becomes the victim of intense bullying (racism and petty female jealousy being the cause) yet powers through by strength of character despite early attempts to evict her EVERY single week. Forming an alliance with the fellow house outliers later in the game, she used her leadership to defeat the blatant racism in the house with great maturity (something not usually seen in the Big Brother house). Ultimately, she dazzled the jury at the final Q&A (as so many RTV winners did in 2022) with what many called the greatest final speech in BB history. She won 8-1, the first Black woman (in a non-celebrity season) to do so, and also the first winner to also be named America's Favourite Player. Taylor Hale will be end up on the Big Brother Mount Rushmore. But I'm out of time..... OH! I will mention MY favorite new show of the season.... (I assume "Ghosts" is a close second?) ... "So Help Me Todd" (which may or may not get a second season but has sure been an enjoyable show). What zany fun this turned out to be! Even though Todd (Skyler Austin, pictured here) will forever be Max from "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" for me (stupid NBC for cancelling that fabulous show), This little "dramedy" has been a fun replacement. Okay, officially out of time. Please feel free to add your favorites in the comments. Happy New Year! Here is hoping for a better 2023 in the world of TV.
Comments
Hello The Sound of Music Fans, Come one, come all for our annual "The Sound of Music" Live Chat during the Christmas season for this wonderful classic film.... which is in NO WAY a Christmas movie. Not a one. No way whatsoever. Yes, this is a conversation had every single year, but does that deter us from making this an annual Christmas EVENT? Absolutely not. It is one of the greatest musical movies of all time based on a true story of the Von Trapp Family Singers. Julie Andrews at her best. Christopher Plummer at his... sort of; I've read he actually didn't much care for this role. All those beautiful children. All those wonderful songs! "The HILLS are alive, with the sound of music" "Edelweiss, Edelweiss... every morning we greet you" "Climb Every Mountain; search high and low" "Do, a deer, a female deer...." "I am sixteen, going on seventeen... " "There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall and the bells in the steeple tooo... " Ah... .so many wonderful songs. So join us for our annual "The Sound of Music" watch at 7 pm! (I might be a little late)... watch! Hello RTV people! Time once again to dedicate a page to Christmas fun! A fantastic quote from one of the greatest authors of all time who gave us the time-honored story of "A Christmas Carol". One of my favorites. Every year I do a Holiday page designed to give each other well wishes and greetings for the season, of course. But it's also to share our favorite things.... "These are a few of my favorite things" (HEY! Maybe THIS line is the reason "The Sound of Music" is considered a Christmas movie). Nice try, but... no. Anyway, I have a lot of favorites in the way of movies and music and books. I was reminded this week of a song/book that was made into a movie a few years back that always makes me emotional... but in a good way. And a sad way. It's the tale of a little boy who wanted nothing more than to give his mother something special for Christmas: a pair of shoes. If that doesn't bring a tear to your eye, you have no heart. The movie, which stars Rob Lowe and Kimberly Williams, brought this song to life in a beautiful way. The synopsis from IMDb reads: "A young boy tries to get a pair of Christmas shoes for his dying mother, while a lawyer tries to deal with the break-up of his marriage. Two separate stories mesh - in the first, a young music teacher, Maggie Andrews, begins dying of a heart condition and her son Nathan tries to get a pair of Christmas shoes for her before she dies. In the second, lawyer Robert Layton and his wife Kate are slowly drifting apart and the matter comes to a head during Christmas when Kate takes over for Maggie for the school choir and declines a job in Robert's firm. When Robert's mother passes away, he begins to reconsider things and his and Nathan's paths cross on Christmas Eve as Nathan tries to raise the money for the shoes and Robert tries to get a present for his daughter." Beautiful story which, I warn you, will make you cry unless your heart is made of stone. But so worth the watch. Let's lighten the mood with one of my all time favorite goofy songs done by a cappella group "Straight No Chaser". I'm sure I'll have more to contribute in the comments as the week goes on. Also, come Saturday next week, I'll be posting the New Years Eve page which will include commentary on great TV moments (I can think of a couple) for the year 2022. Be thinking about what you'd like to contribute to that list. Merry Christmas! This is the final week I will be doing this page. It HAS been fun, but I admit, I haven't seen nearly as many of these as I thought I would make time for and it has become a bit of a chore. Last weekend, my favorites were... 1. The Crown Prince of Christmas on Great American was hands down my favorite. The story was sweet. The cast was fantastic. Loved everything about this one. 2. The Art of Christmas on Great American was a close second. 3. The Gift of Peace on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries was also very good. It was a movie for those who struggle at Christmas due to the loss of a loved one or due to hardships. A woman who lost her husband and couldn't find herself after, joins a Church support group to find healing. It was a nice movie as well. I also watched one on HBO MAX called "Holiday Harmony" which might be at the top of my favorite list for the year. I really loved it. "A young woman gets the opportunity of a lifetime when she is chosen to be one of five opening acts for an IHeart Radio Christmas Eve show but, on the way, there, she has an accident with her van that will require some expensive repairs so while she waits, she agrees to help the towns school music program prepare for a contest that could save their music program." That description sounds like a sappy romance, but it really didn't feel like one while watching; I was thinking of "Doc Hollywood" all the way through. The similarities were astounding. Moving on to this week... Starting with Great American Family - Where I am going to skip the calendar because it is not correct anyway. But I will post the link to their website schedule: Schedule - Great American Family Saturday, December 17th at 8 pm "Aisle Be Home For Christmas", starring Jennifer Freeman and Garrett Watson ![]() Two exes reconnect when a snowstorm leaves them stranded in a superstore (without cell service or Wi-Fi) just before Christmas. This one looks like fun and will probably be first priority for me tomorrow night. While I am taking a road trip tomorrow despite the frigid cold weather we are supposed to be having, but I should be home by this time. Sunday, December 18th "A Brush With Christmas" starring Jillian Murray and Joseph Cannata Disheartened and struggling to find time for her art, Charlotte throws out her latest painting, only to discover that it has been anonymously submitted to the Christmas art festival. This will be the third Jillian Murray movie I've seen this Christmas. One on UPTV (Christmas at the Pines), one on Pureflix (An Unlikely Angel), and now this one on Great American. She's quickly becoming a favorite. On Hallmark, we have three new ones this weekend. Friday, December 16th "Holiday Heritage" starring Lyndie Greenwood and Brooks Darnell Ella returns to her hometown to mend fences with her fractured family. With help from her ex-boyfriend, she encourages her family to celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa and heal their past wounds before it's too late. Saturday, December 17th "Twas The Night Before Christmas" starring Torre DeVitto and Zane Holtz A former actress takes charge of a town's annual Christmas Eve courtroom production, in which the true authorship of the famous poem "A Visit From St. Nick" is debated. Fun theme. Sunday, December 18th Hanukkah on the Rye starring Yael Grobglas and Jeremy Jordon A matchmaker connects two deli owners during Hanukkah, but their new romance gets put to the test when they realize they're competing against each other. Two more weekends for UpTV... Saturday, December 17th Sappy Holiday starring Ariella Cannon and Troy Blundell Stranded in a small town after her car breaks down, Joy meets the charming James, a local trying to save his family’s maple farm. Sunday, December 18th An Eclectic Christmas starring Hannah Galway and Jeremy Walmsley When a smalltown vintage store owner leaves instructions in her will for inventory to be distributed as Christmas gifts, her out-of-town niece seeks help from a handsome local in identifying recipients from the clues provided. Saturday, December 24th The Snowball Effect, starring Rival meteorologists tracking a massive snowstorm in the town of Mistletoe must work together to get home in time for Christmas. Sunday, December 25th Christmas in Wolf Creek starring When a runaway reindeer threatens the annual Christmas play, a struggling couple must work together to save Christmas for the town and each other. I admit, I have some catching up to do on UpTV. And finally, "It's a Wonderful Lifetime", on Lifetime Saturday, December 17th "The Holiday Dating Guide" starring Maria Menounos and Brent Bailey Abigale Slater makes her lifelong dream come true when she finishes her first book -- a guide to dating in the modern world. However, to satisfy her publisher, Abigale must prove her advice works by making a man fall for her within the next 12 days. Sunday, December 18th Wrapped Up in Love starring "Christmas Queen" Ashley meets her match in Ben, a handsome new guy in town, who loves Christmas just as much as she does. They join forces to make Christmas even more meaningful.
And this concludes the "Christmas Movie" fun page for the season. My focus will now turn to the Annual Holiday Page, which will arrive on the site tomorrow morning. And "The Chosen", which began Season 3 last Sunday and will continue to drop episodes on Sunday Night at 7 pm until the season is finished. So many movies; so much to do; so little time. Tried to do this justice last night but it's late and Friday is my busy day so bear with me! I only made it through three movies last week. Those three were: 1. B&B Merry, the Sunday night offering from Great American Family. Starring Jen Lilly and Jesse Hutch about a family owned struggling B&B that invites a travel blog writer to come and visit in the hopes that she will give them a positive review. Of course, she finds more than just a well run B&B. She also finds love. Awww. Nice little movie. 2. Christmas on Candy Cane Lane, with Andrea Barber turned out to be a fun little movie. Who knew Andrea Barber could pull off a non-Kimmy kind of role but she did and she did it quite well. 3. A Fabled Holiday from Hallmark was a very enjoyable movie which sort of felt a little bit "Once Upon A Timey" to me, without the known fairy tale characters. heh. The plot a bit hard to explain but the movie was fun and worth the watch. Now let's move on to this week's fun - Beginning with Great American Christmas! Here is the link to the Great American Family website for your viewing pleasure: Which will actually give you a more accurate picture. This calendar is not the same as the schedule on the site for this weekend so I'm assuming the site is correct one?. Schedule - Great American Family Friday, December 9th The movie showing as scheduled here is actually next weekend. Nothing new here tonight. Saturday, December 10th, 8 pm "The Art of Christmas" starring Bridgette Kingsley and Joe Towne After her latest gallery exhibition literally goes up in flames, struggling artist Liv James accepts a teaching job at a local elementary school to make ends meet. I checked on the Frndly Guide and this is the movini showing and NOT the one you see listed above. Somewhere they made some changes and forgot to alert me. Sorry. Sunday, December 11th at 8 pm "The Crown Prince of Christmas" starring Cindy Busby and Jilon VanOver Madison jokingly tells her overbearing family that she is dating the prince of a small European nation. The joke goes too far as her friend/co-worker Sebastian is roped into impersonating the prince while visiting her family in New Jersey. Aww Cindy Busby. All of us obsessed "Heartland" fans know Cindy well. Well, and from a few pretty wonderful movies my favorite of which is Hallmark's "Autumn Stables" - another Kevin McGarry movie (he's EVERYWHERE just like Gabrial Hogan}. No idea why they chose to leave her "Prince" out of this picture. But looking forward to this one. But will dvr and on demand because.. wait for it! Keep reading.... Next, It's "Countdown to Christmas" on Hallmark! Friday, December 9th "The Most Colorful Time of the Year", 8 pm starring Katrina Bolden and Christopher Russell A colorblind elementary school teacher meets an optometrist who helps bring color into his life in time for the holidays. This one looks like an interesting story. Saturday, December 10th on The Hallmark Channel "The Christmas Class Reunion" starring Aimee Teegarden and Tyler Novan Reuniting at Christmastime for their 15-year high school reunion, two former classmates challenge each other to remember who they were, who they are, and who they want to be. What you DON'T see on this schedule is... Hallmark Moves and Mysteries at 8 pm "The Gift of Peace" starring Nikki DeLoach and Brennan Elliott Traci lost her faith after tragedy, but begins to find inspiration, hope, and peace with a new community when she joins a grief support group at Christmas. The movie they've been touting as their "first ever" faith-based movie - (wrong - if movies and TV Shows based on the writings of famed Christian Author Jeanette Oke are not considered FAITH BASED, then something is wrong. Hallmark has done a bunch of those. "Love Comes Softly and that entire series of movies that came after". "When Calls the Heart" to name a few. Not to mention movies based on the writings of famed Christian Writer Karen Kingsbury) - Anyway, THIS movie that they have been advertising so much as the FIRST EVER didn't even make it onto the above calendar. That being said, I will for sure try to catch this one. Sunday, December 11th "Holiday Sitter"... Johnathan Bennett I won't be watching this one... I will be..... beep, beep beep.... Interrupting this Christmas Movie info page for the following Public Service Announcement for Sunday, December 11th at 7 pm!!!!! - My enthusiasm runneth over for - The Chosen, Global Livestream at 7 pm! Available on their App which can be accessed by casting to your TV from your Phone, the app is available on both Roku and Fire TV, usually they do these Livestreams on YouTube and maybe even Facebook Watch. Will confirm this... You read that right - this night is the night when our friends from The Chosen are releasing the first episode of Season 3, which will include an interview with cast favorite Paras Patel, who plays Matthew. Also, there is that re-watch of the Christmas movie "The Messengers" from last season that I would like to do this weekend as a lead up to the main event on Sunday - maybe on Saturday night? This event might capture my entire weekend! So Christmas movies will be a bit on the back burner. I will, for sure, DVR any that I want to make sure to catch though, never fear. Okay, not a Christmas movie, per se... but the greatest story of all time told in a truly amazing way. HIGHLY recommend. Let me know if anyone cares to play along. Next, "The Most Uplifting Christmas Ever" on UpTV. A link to their website's schedule: Watch Uplifting Christmas Movies With Your Family - UPtv! Saturday, December 10th at 7 pm "A Royal Christmas Match" starring Jordanna Largy and Matthew McCaull Princess Camille travels to America to create a cross-cultural college exchange program and falls for Professor Rhett. But when she discovers he was hired by her father to escort her, aka babysit her, she wonders if he cares more about her or his career. I'm really behind on my UpTV movies. It might be after Christmas before I get to everything, I want to get to but the problem with THAT is, usually after Christmas, I'm over the desire to watch them. Better try to work a few in before Christmas is over. Sunday, December 11th, 7 pm "Santa's Got Style" starring Franko Lo Presti and Kathryn Davis When Madison is charged with coming up with a new idea for the holiday season, she decides that they would hire a young Santa with lots of fashionable styles. This one looks fun, but will have to wait until after The Chosen - Global Livestream! Did I mention how excited I am about Season 3? Not a once. :-}} And finally, "It's a Wonderful Lifetime", on Lifetime Thursday, December 8th Scentsational Christmas starring Nazneen Contractor and Mykee Selkin Sparks fly between a beautiful perfumer and a handsome writer as they work together to save her father's candle business. I thought I saw that this one was listed as "new" but maybe not.. still, new to me so might give it a watch. Friday, December 9th "A Recipe for Joy" starring Erin Agostino and Dillon Casey Sparks fly between a food correspondent and a shy chef as they work together to reopen his family's beloved diner. Saturday, December 10th "Kirk Franklin's The Night Before Christmas" starring Naturi Naughten and Luke James, Lorea Turner, and of course Kirk Franklin himself. Caught in a blizzard on Christmas Eve, a woman and her estranged daughter find refuge inside a church with a group of parishioners. The spirit of the holiday season soon takes hold as they reconcile their differences through music, faith and love. I could see me watch this one, for sure. Sunday, December 11th "Single and Ready to Jingle" starring Natasha Wilson and Edward Ruttle A woman's vacation plans go disastrously wrong when she mistakenly winds up in St. John, Alaska, during Christmastime. However, things take a turn for the better when she meets a local man who sweeps her off her feet. A romance set in Alaska! Running out of time - See you in the chat! Time once again to check out our Christmas Movie options for the upcoming weekend. But first, I must mention my top pics from last week. Great American Christmas won the weekend for me. All three of their new movies were fantastic. 1. "A Christmas.... Present". So nice to see a movie lay off the romance for a minute to focus on a real true meaning of Christmas faith message. I loved every minute of this movie. 2. "I'm Glad It's Christmas". An amazing cast. A wonderful story. Paul Greene, Jessica Lowndes, and Gladys Knight stars in this wonderful movie about a jingle writer and a wannabee Broadway star livening up a community with a Christmas event on Christmas Eve. Worth every second of the watch. To hear Gladys Knight teaching them how to sing "Joy To The World" from the heart alone!! 3. "Christmas at the Drive In". Danica Mckellar and Neal Bledsoe star in this nice little movie about an effort to save a Drive-In, considered to be a Landmark in this small town, from being torn down to make way for a Distribution Center. Sounds cheesy, but it was a really nice movie. "Don't give up before the miracle". 4. "A Royal Corgi Christmas", the only Hallmark I made it to but it was a really cute one. 5. "Steppin' Into The Holiday" with Jana Kramer and Mario Lopez on Lifetime was a pretty good one too. I enjoyed it. Something about it made me think of Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. You know, everything can be solved by a big show in a barn! heh. 6. "The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve", also on Lifetime was an epic adventure of an old Scrooge like character, played by Kelsey Grammar, who has a nearly fatal accident on Christmas Eve, and is somehow thrust into the presence of Santa who gives him twelve chances to re-do Christmas Eve to repair all the broken relationships in his life in order to make the decision about whether he will survive the crash or not. Sort of a Christmas version of Groundhog Day. heh. I liked it. Sounds a little morbid when you put it like I did, but it was actually kind of fun. Now let's move on to this week's fun - Beginning with Great American Christmas! Here is the link to the Great American Family website for your viewing pleasure: Schedule - Great American Family Saturday, December 3rd "Christmas At Candy Cane Lane" starring Andrea Barber and Dan Payne Everyone’s getting ready for Christmas in Icicle Falls, especially on Candy Cane Lane, where holiday decorating is taken very seriously. Tilda Morrison, town cop, is looking forward to celebrating Christmas in her first house…until she discovers that she’s expected to “keep up” with the neighbors, including Ivy Donaldson, the inspiration behind the whole extravaganza. But when a third neighbor’s Christmas display disappears, Tilda and Ivy will need to put aside their past differences and get on the case. It Kimmy... who forever will be known as the ditz from Full House to me. Great American is making me expect high quality from them. Will this one prove to be that? We shall have to see. Sunday, December 4th "B&B Merry" starring Jen Lilly and Jesse Hutch Graham Cooper invites renowned travel blogger Tracey Wise on a Christmas getaway in exchange for her review of his family's small bed & breakfast, Silver Peak. Unfortunately, the humble B&B is facing tough competition from an upscale hotel resort. I really like both of these actors so I'm sure I'll make sure to catch this one. Next, It's "Countdown to Christmas" on Hallmark! Friday, December 2nd A Big Fat Family Christmas starring Shannon Chan Kent and Shannon Kook and... Jack Wagner? (who we all know from WCTH). A photojournalist gets close to a co-worker as she shoots her family's annual holiday party for a cover story. Saturday, December 4th "A Fabled Christmas", starring Brooke D'Orsay and Ryan Peavey Talia and her childhood best friend unexpectedly reunite in a curiously familiar-looking town that's full of Christmas spirit. This one looks interesting. Sunday, December 4th "Undercover Holiday", starring Noemi Gonzalez and Stephen Huszar Returning home for the holidays, pop star Jaylen tells her protective family that Matt is her new beau, when in reality, he's her overzealous security guard. Why does this sound like a downplayed version of that Kevin Costner/Whitney filmed "The Bodyguard"? Next, "The Most Uplifting Christmas Ever" on UpTV - yep Gilmore the Merrier is done (didn't watch much of it at all - not enough time in the day). So, Christmas Movies are BACK! A link to their website's schedule: Watch Uplifting Christmas Movies With Your Family - UPtv! Friday, December 2nd at 7 pm. "Christmas In The Wilds", Kaitlyn Leeb and Victor Zinck, Jr. Buck and Jessica’s merry little Christmas together takes a dangerous turn when their journey through the wild turns into a battle for survival. Well, since i went through that "Heartland" binge, I know who this Actress is! Saturday, December 3rd at 7 pm Christmas On the Slopes starring Soma Chhaya and Oliver Renaud After a disappointing restaurant opening and an embarrassing break-up, a celebrity chef takes her first real Christmas vacation. When she wanders into the kitchen at a luxury resort and is mistaken for the sous chef by the handsome, but grouchy, head chef, their chemistry sparks a holiday romance. But will everything blow up when the head chef learns the truth about her? Sunday, December 4th at 7 pm. "Christmas On The Rocks", starring Khiyla Aynne and Bukola Ayoka A ski-lodge event manager’s task of hosting a corporate Christmas party goes awry when the resort is cut off by a snowstorm and the hard-to-please CEO turns out to be an old flame. The question is... who is it, exactly, that breaks their leg in this movie. Couldn't find any other promo pic for this movie that didn't just have this casted leg. And finally, "It's a Wonderful Lifetime", on Lifetime - which actually started last night; sorry, I missed that. Bet it will play again very soon. Thursday, December 1st "Serving Up The Holidays", starring Britt Irvin and Zach Roerig A top chef falls for a handsome rival while on a holiday cooking getaway to regain her Christmas spirit. Friday, December 2nd "Cloudy With a Chance of Christmas", starring Valerie Ortiz and Brandon Quinn Sparks fly between a TV weatherwoman and a talk show host as they get ready for an annual Christmas Eve festival. Saturday, December 3rd "A New Orleans Noel", starring Keshia Knight Pulliam and Brad James Sparks fly between an architect and her handsome counterpart as she spends Christmas with his family in New Orleans. Sunday, December 4th "Merry Textmas", starring Arriana Ron Pedrique and Rodrigo Massa Sparks fly between an app developer and a handsome graphic designer as he spends Christmas in Mexico with her family. We actually have made a bit of a plan to have an actual movie chat on Sunday night for the CBS movie, at 8 pm... "Fit for Christmas", starring Amanda Kloots and Paul Greene A Christmas-obsessed fitness instructor begins a holiday romance with a mysterious businessman. The new relationship soon complicates his plans to turn a beleaguered community center into a financially profitable resort. Paul Greene is the familiar face here. I'd watch it for him. Also, want to mention the Netflix world, which seems to be giving us a few Christmas movies too. The one I really want to mention is.... "The Noel Diary", which stars.... Wait... who is that? For all of us missing "This Is Us"... this movie gives us Justin Hartley, a.k.a. Kevin Pearson. This one was brought to my attention by Polly a few days ago and it is one I will be making time for. I read that this movie has been so successful, a sequel may be in the works.
Out of time so... hope to see you all in the chat! |
Catlover04Archives
March 2024
Categories
All
|