Q: I just saw Alison Sweeney in a new Christmas movie, and I feel like it's the first time I've seen her in forever. What's she been doing?
More than you think -- other Christmas movies, mostly.
Alison Sweeney was a fixture on screens for ages, either as Sami on landmark soap opera "Days of Our Lives" or as the host of landmark reality show "The Biggest Loser." So, when she left "Loser" in 2015, the absence was palpable, but really she's just settled into a schedule that other actors would consider busy.
Desperate measures: Kate Beckinsale stars as disgraced journalist in 'Guilty Party'
Kate Beckinsale stars in the season finale of "Guilty Party"
Today's television landscape has a lot to offer viewers. More and more modern series are blurring the lines between TV genres by blending elements of drama, comedy and action into their existing genres. One such show is about to wrap up its inaugural season, and fans won't want to miss it.
20/20 - Something's Coming: West Side Story, on ABC
Amy Robach and David Muir host this special episode of the long-running news program. Tonight, the pair interviews director Steven Spielberg about his upcoming adaptation of "West Side Story," releasing Dec. 10. Rita Moreno and other cast members appear.
Cookies for Santa: 'Christmas Cookie Challenge' preps for Christmas Eve
Judge Ree Drummond and host Eddie Jackson from "Christmas Cookie Challenge"
Holidays and baking go hand in hand, and whether you gift them or eat them, cookies are likely part of your holiday celebrations. Food Network knows it, and that's why each year it loads up on cookie-themed specials, series and episodes in the month or two leading up to Christmas.
New Releases for the week of December 5 - 11
Cry Macho
Mike Milo (Eastwood) was once a rodeo star until a back injury ended his career. Now he's taken a job from his former boss to travel to Mexico City and return with the man's son, Rafo (Minett), rescuing him out of an alcoholic home. But Mike faces a challenging road back to Texas with the troubled boy as he learns there is more to the story he was told. Facing henchmen, thieves and police, Mike teaches Rafo what being a "good man" really means.
Director: Clint Eastwood. Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam, Daniel V. Graulau, Eduardo Minett, Natalia Traven, Fernanda Urrejola, Horacio Garcia Rojas. 2021. 104 mins. Drama.
Dear Evan Hansen
Evan Hansen (Platt) is a high-schooler with a social anxiety disorder who copes by writing letters of positivity to himself every day. When one of his letters is stolen by a classmate who soon after commits suicide, the parents of the dead teen mistakenly believe the letter to be a suicide note addressed to Evan. What follows is a chain of events that sends Evan on a journey to find his place among his peers in the age of social media, where the most powerful stories often go viral.
Director: Stephen Chbosky. Stars: Ben Platt, Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, Nik Dodani, Danny Pino, Colton Ryan, DeMarius Copes. 2021. 137 mins. Musical.
13 Minutes
The residents of a small Heartland town are used to big storms during springtime, but they never expected to be hit by the biggest tornado on record. Given just 13 minutes to seek shelter, chaos ensues as families race to find each other before the storm ravages the town, destroying everything in its path. If four of these families can dismiss past transgressions and help each other, they might have a chance at survival.
Director: Lindsay Gossling. Stars: Thora Birch, Amy Smart, Anne Heche, Paz Vega, Sofia Vassilieva, Laura Spencer, Peter Facinelli, Yancey Arias, Trace Adkins, Will Peltz. 2021. 108 mins. Action.
Late Laughs for the week of December 5 - 11
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
After months of dragging their feet, I think we're all shocked the Democrats actually got this [passing the infrastructure bill] done. The party has gone from "Yes, we can!" to "Wait, we did?!"
'Mexican Beverly Hills': Valderrama to produce new CBS series
Wilmer Valderrama behind "Mexican Beverly Hills"
'Mexican Beverly Hills': Whenever a series regular's name is linked to a new TV project, fans often fear that their favorite character may soon be written off the show. This was recently the case with "NCIS" star Wilmer Valderrama, who is involved in a new series currently being developed for CBS.
'This Is' Ours: People vote NBC drama, Bieber and 'Fast Saga' among year's best
Chrissy Metz, Sterling K. Brown and Justin Hartley star in six-time nominee "This Is Us"
It's a Wonderful Life, on NBC
This Christmas classic follows George Bailey (James Stewart), a down-on-his-luck banker who wishes he'd never been born. When a guardian angel shows him what the world would be like without him, he begins to see the good in his life. Donna Reed co-stars.
Q: Wasn't there once a sitcom version of "Animal House"? What happened to that?
The 1970s happened to it, meaning that, ultimately, nothing happened to it.
Most post-mortem discussions of "Delta House," the 1979 TV adaptation of the 1978 big-screen comedy classic "National Lampoon's Animal House," say that it failed because of censorship.