Q: Why did Michael Weatherly leave his good position as Special Agent Tony DiNozzo in "NCIS"? His new show, "Bull," doesn't take advantage of his acting talents and is very disappointing. Please tell me he's going back to "NCIS" in the near future!
A I'm afraid it's pretty unlikely that Michael Weatherly will return to "NCIS," because many people disagree with you on "Bull" -- it's actually one of the big success stories of the new season.
As for why Weatherly chose to quit his cushy "NCIS" job, he put it pretty succinctly at this summer's Television Critics Association press tour: "Sometimes a change is as good as a rest," adding, "I wasn't burnt out, but I was ready for a new challenge."
A very vocal Christmas: NBC unleashes Pentatonix on the holiday season
Pentatonix as seen in "A Pentatonix Christmas Special"
A very vocal Christmas: NBC has an early Christmas present wrapped up and ready to be opened. On Wednesday, Dec. 14, the peacock network teams up with Pentatonix to bring the group's signature musical stylings home in "A Pentatonix Christmas Special."
New Releases for the week of December 11 - 17
Bridget Jones's Baby
Bridget Jones (Zellweger) is turning 43, and as her mother (Jones) frequently reminds her, her time to have a baby is running out. After bumping into her now-married ex, Mark (Firth), and then being abandoned by her friends on her birthday, she has an emotional weekend out with a co-worker, Miranda (Solemani), where she meets and spends the night with a handsome stranger named Jack (Dempsey). A few days later, Mark confides in Bridget that he and his wife are getting a divorce, and when Bridget discovers that she's pregnant, she realizes that she's not sure which man is the father. Unsure of how to handle the situation, she tells both Mark and Jack that they are the father, leading to a competition for her attention and affection.
Director: Sharon Maguire. Stars: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey, Sarah Solemani, Gemma Jones, Jim Broadbent. 2016. 123 min. Comedy.
Florence Foster Jenkins
Heiress and socialite Florence Foster Jenkens (Streep) has a deep love of opera music, and with the United States locked in World War II, she strongly believes that music matters more than ever. She hires a pianist (Helberg) to accompany her singing during a small show that she plans to put on, but to his shock, she has a horrible singing voice. With those close to her warning him to shield Florence from the truth of just how bad her singing really is, the pianist goes along with her plan to unleash her voice upon New York City's public.
Director: Stephen Frears. Stars: Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson. 2016. 111 min. Biography.
Morgan
Corporate risk-assessment specialist Lee (Mara) is brought in by her company to determine whether to terminate a project that's recently resulted in the death of one of the scientists working on it. The company is focused on creating artificial humans, and one of its creations, called Morgan (Taylor-Joy), became violent and killed the scientist. When Lee decides to shut down the project, Morgan refuses to be terminated.
Director: Luke Scott. Stars: Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rose Leslie, Michael Yare. 2016. 92 min. Horror.
Late Laughs for the week of December 11 - 17, 2016
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Hopefully by now you've come to terms with the fact that, no matter how much you drink, it's not going to change the results of the election.
Food with soul: R&B legend Patti LaBelle invites viewers over for dinner
Patti LaBelle as seen in "Patti LaBelle's Place"
It looks like the secret is out: a lot of talented singers are also really talented in the kitchen. Rapper Rev. Run and country star Trisha Yearwood both have their own shows, and now they're being joined by an R&B legend.
The 22nd Annual Critics' Choice Awards, on A&E
Comedian and actor T.J. Miller takes the stage to honor the best in film and television. One of the most accurate predictors of who will win at the Academy Awards, the Critics' Choice Awards are determined by hundreds of TV and movie critics from across the country.
Recaps for the week of December 5 - 9
Finola Hughes as seen in "General Hospital"
The Bold and the Beautiful
Steffy remains suspicious of Quinn's motives, knowing how manipulative she's been in the past. Eric urges Wyatt not to give up on Steffy, even though she's filed for divorce already. Brooke talks to Ridge about his current living situation and she voices her opinion. Liam and Zende toast to a future at Forrester Creations, without Quinn they hope. Wyatt questions Quinn as to her intentions toward Steffy and Liam. Liam gives Katie some advice when she expresses concern over moving next door to Quinn. Ridge and Eric shock one another with their news during a conversation. Liam tells Quinn that he's not buying her new and improved attitude the way others have. Quinn becomes enraged when she sees Katie spending time with Eric.
Days of Our Lives
Ciara is surprised when she meets her date from online. Hattie tells Hope the story of how she wound up in jail and the women bond. Shawn and Rafe turn to Kate for help investigating a lead. Theo invites Valerie to go Christmas tree shopping with him and Abe, but he secretly plans to pump her for information. Adrienne receives crushing news. Andre tries to tell Gabi she shouldn't be working for Chad. JJ begs Abigail to let Chad and Thomas know she's alive. Jade gets comfortable at Kayla's house. Justin and Sonny discuss the new revelation about Adrienne. Philip confesses something to Nancy. Nicole reunites with Deimos when she returns home from Europe. Gabi foils Dario's business expansion plan. Rafe shares news about Stefano with Hope. Abigail resorts to blackmail to keep her secret when she is discovered. Deimos orders Philip be tied up and injected. Gabi comforts Chad after he learns unsettling news about Stefano. Eduardo and Dario discuss their secret plan. Eve surprises Brady when she returns for a visit.
General Hospital
Jason compares notes with Curtis. Later, Jason and Curtis uncover the truth. Nelle misplaces something important. Julian surprises Alexis with an offer. Sonny and Carly remember happier times. Lulu takes a shine to Charlotte. Passions erupt between Nina and Valentin. Jason and Sam prepare to learn their baby's sex. Jordan shares important information with Curtis. Dante and Nathan try to get information out of Valentin. Nina defends her actions, while Liz takes matters into her own hands. Nelle continues with her manipulation of Sonny. Ava has questions for Alexis about her motives. Lulu demands to get the truth from Valentin.
The Young and the Restless
Chloe tells Chelsea she's going to look for an apartment and Chelsea agrees that it's time for her and Connor to live on their own. Chloe agrees when Kevin invites her and Bella to move in with him. Kevin later surprises Chloe by packing her stuff, but Chloe gets upset that Kevin went through her closet. Kevin thinks Chloe is hiding information about Bella's father. Stitch warns Cane to slow down so as not to agitate his injury, but Cane pushes through the pain at work. Cane asks Billy not to mention his slow recovery to Lily. Dylan is set on finding a way to remain in Christian's life. Dylan confides in Paul that he feels he let Sharon down and he vows never to do it again. Mariah suggests to Dylan that he share his side of the story on GC Buzz. Jill encourages Billy to accept Traci's invitation to breakfast at the Abbott mansion. Billy feels certain that his relationship with Jack is beyond saving. Nikki tells Victor that she worries Nick is upset with her for empathizing with Dylan. Nick is hesitant when Victoria suggests he make amends with Nikki.
Mary Poppins, on ABC
Julie Andrews stars as a magical nanny who teaches two rambunctious children how to make their everyday chores more fun in this classic film. Also starring Dick Van Dyke, the Oscar-winning film features a mix of live action and animation.
Q: I was wondering if MLB ever puts the World Series Game 7 on DVD. I wasn't able to watch this one, but really would like to see how the Cubs won.
It's a pleasure to write about sports because no one's worried about spoilers. If I were to give away the ending of a TV show that aired in late October, I'd be heckled by angry fans with full DVRs at home. But it's OK to say the Cubs won the World Series.
Blue Bloods, on CBS
A family of police officers and lawyers are dedicated to upholding the law in the Big Apple in this new episode. Tom Selleck leads the cast as New York City Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, who oversees the police force and his family.
