The Alec Baldwin Show, on ABC
Golden Globe and Emmy winner Alec Baldwin chats with newsworthy guests about their lives and careers. A quick-witted conversationalist, Baldwin conducts candid one-on-one conversations with celebrities and cultural icons.
Q: How can Hallmark keep coming up with so many Christmas movies every year? It seems amazing to me.
There are a couple of different answers to your question, both of which take some of the amazement away. But you asked for it.
You aren't the only person to be impressed by Hallmark's holiday output -- last year, Business Insider magazine and the Wall Street Journal both produced exposes of sorts about the Hallmark Channel Christmas-movie machine. The two biggest revelations were that the films are shockingly cheap to make, and that they actually work from a checklist.
New Releases for the week of Dec. 30 - Jan. 5
Night School
Teddy (Hart) has been living a lie for years: he has convinced his wealthy girlfriend, Lisa (Echikunwoke), that he's doing very well financially, when in reality, the high school dropout struggles to make ends meet. After he causes an unfortunate accident that results in him losing his job, he realizes that he needs to earn a GED to open up more employment opportunities, and he enrolls in night school without telling his girlfriend. He discovers that the school's principal (Killam) is rooting for him to fail as Teddy bullied him in high school, but his teacher (Haddish) is an unorthodox educator who is committed to helping Teddy and the rest of the class of misfits graduate.
Director: Malcolm D. Lee. Stars: Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Taran Killam, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Ben Schwartz, Rob Riggle, Keith David, Anne Winters. 2018. 111 min. Comedy.
Bad Times at the El Royale
A group of very different people all arrive at the El Royale hotel with their own agendas and reasons for being there. One guest is an FBI agent investigating possible illegal behavior in the vicinity, and upon finding a hidden corridor filled with one-way mirrors that look into the guest rooms, he witnesses a kidnapping. Under orders to stay undercover and not interfere, he finds himself facing a moral dilemma.
Director: Drew Goddard. Stars: Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman, Nick Offerman. 2018. 141 min. Crime.
A-X-L
While off-roading in the California desert, teen outcast Miles (Neustaedter) stumbles across a robotic dog that's been severely damaged. Called A-X-L, the robotic creature forms a bond with Miles, and when the military scientists who created the beast show up demanding the return of their property, Miles and A-X-L go on the run with the help of a resourceful girl (Becky G). They soon realize that the scientists will do whatever it takes to recover the robot and silence those who have encountered it.
Director: Oliver Daly. Stars: Alex Neustaedter, Becky G, Thomas Jane, Ted McGinley, Lou Taylor Pucci, Dominic Rains. 2018. 98 min. Action.
New Releases for the week of Dec. 30 - Jan. 5
Night School
Teddy (Hart) has been living a lie for years: he has convinced his wealthy girlfriend, Lisa (Echikunwoke), that he's doing very well financially, when in reality, the high school dropout struggles to make ends meet. After he causes an unfortunate accident that results in him losing his job, he realizes that he needs to earn a GED to open up more employment opportunities, and he enrolls in night school without telling his girlfriend. He discovers that the school's principal (Killam) is rooting for him to fail as Teddy bullied him in high school, but his teacher (Haddish) is an unorthodox educator who is committed to helping Teddy and the rest of the class of misfits graduate.
Director: Malcolm D. Lee. Stars: Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Taran Killam, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Ben Schwartz, Rob Riggle, Keith David, Anne Winters. 2018. 111 min. Comedy.
Bad Times at the El Royale
A group of very different people all arrive at the El Royale hotel with their own agendas and reasons for being there. One guest is an FBI agent investigating possible illegal behavior in the vicinity, and upon finding a hidden corridor filled with one-way mirrors that look into the guest rooms, he witnesses a kidnapping. Under orders to stay undercover and not interfere, he finds himself facing a moral dilemma.
Director: Drew Goddard. Stars: Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman, Nick Offerman. 2018. 141 min. Crime.
A-X-L
While off-roading in the California desert, teen outcast Miles (Neustaedter) stumbles across a robotic dog that's been severely damaged. Called A-X-L, the robotic creature forms a bond with Miles, and when the military scientists who created the beast show up demanding the return of their property, Miles and A-X-L go on the run with the help of a resourceful girl (Becky G). They soon realize that the scientists will do whatever it takes to recover the robot and silence those who have encountered it.
Director: Oliver Daly. Stars: Alex Neustaedter, Becky G, Thomas Jane, Ted McGinley, Lou Taylor Pucci, Dominic Rains. 2018. 98 min. Action.
Last Man Standing, on Fox
Mike Baxter (Tim Allen) uses his Outdoor Man vlog to share his opinions about everything from the environment to politics in this comedy. The father of three girls, he’s surrounded by women at home, but he often takes refuge in his job at a sporting goods store.
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown, on ABC
Marcie and Peppermint Patty decide to ring in the New Year by throwing a big bash for all of their friends, but Charlie Brown just wants to curl up with a big book. The animated special features a bonus cartoon entitled "She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown."
A new kind of sci-fi: Fox's 'The Orville' mixes comedy, drama and more
Adrianne Palicki stars in "The Orville"
When it comes to television, science fiction fans can be a fickle bunch. As loyal as they are to the series they adore, they can also be highly critical of those that don't live up to their expectations. However, a sci-fi series turned the genre on its head last season and won over skeptics.
Q: Do you know when and where short-lived '80s shows "Gavilan" and "Star of the Family" could show up in syndication?
No, and frankly, it's unlikely they ever will.
If you're talking about traditional television, they almost certainly never will. Both of those shows only produced 10 episodes apiece -- far short of the usual 100-episode cutoff that gives a show a chance at broadcast (or even cable) syndication.
However, the TV world is being transformed by online streaming, and that provides some scant hope.
The 41st Annual Kennedy Center Honors, on CBS
Celebrities and prominent public figures pay tribute to artists who have made their marks on American culture. Actress Cher, country music star Reba McEntire, composer Philip Glass and jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter are among the honorees, along with the co-creators of the Broadway play “Hamilton."
How the Grinch Stole Christmas, on NBC
Dr. Seuss’s beloved holiday tale comes to life as the mean-spirited Grinch tries to ruin Christmas for the whimsical Whos in this animated special. In the end, it’s the Grinch who learns an important lesson about the true meaning of the season.
