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Thursday 10
“Alice in Borderland” (Netflix streaming anytime) In an anime adaptation of the popular manga series, an aimless gamer and his pals find themselves transported to a parallel Tokyo where they are forced to compete in a series of sadistic games in order to survive.
“House of Ho” (HBO Max streaming anytime) A wealthy Vietnamese family is living the American Dream in Houston. This docu-reality show looks like another win for racial equality in our nation. Now Vietnamese-Americans have their own version of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” Congratulations.
“One Night Only: The Best of Broadway” (KOB-4 7pm) Broadway has been “lights out” for most of 2020, so this is about the only way most folks are gonna see a live musical this year. Of the shows spotlighted tonight—Ain’t Too Proud, Chicago, Jagged Little Pill, Diana: The Musical, Jersey Boys, Mean Girls, Rent and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child—three of them are jukebox musicals featuring songs of popular performers (The Temptations, Alanis Morissette, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons) and two of them are based on movies (Mean Girls, Harry Potter). Evidently the best of Broadway ain’t comin’ from Broadway these days.
“Time Person of the Year” (KOB-4 9pm) It’s either the Tiger King or COVID with a little hat on.
Friday 11
Wolfwalkers (Apple TV+ streaming anytime) Irish animator Tomm Moore (Secret of the Kells, Song of the Sea) returns with another mythological masterpiece, this one about an apprentice hunter who befriends a free-spirited young tribal girl who can transform into a wolf at night.
“The Wilds” (Amazon Prime streaming anytime) The Lord of the Flies gets a female makeover when a group of schoolgirls gets stranded on a deserted island in this survivalist teen drama.
“Adult Material” (HBO Max streaming anytime) A leading British porn star (Hayley Squires from I, Daniel Blake) tries to juggle glamour on-camera and the reality of motherhood at home in this randy English comedy-drama.
“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Holiday Special” (Disney+ streaming anytime) Nope. I’m sorry, HSM:TM:TS:THS, but you’ve been flagged for egregious use of colons.
“The Mess You Leave Behind” (Netflix streaming anytime) Spanish writer Carlos Montero directs this adaptation of his own mystery/thriller novel about a teacher who starts a new job at a high school and begins to fear for her own life after learning that her predecessor may not have committed suicide as advertised.
The Prom (Netflix streaming anytime) Meryl Streep, James Cordon, Nicole Kidman and Kerry Washington star in this musical about a group of down-on-their-luck Broadway stars who crash a prom in small-town Indiana. Ryan Murphy (in a “Glee” mood, rather than an “American Horror Story” mood) directs.
“Baby Shark’s Big Show!” (Nickelodeon 10:30am) After 7.08 billion views on YouTube, what the torturously catchy kids’ tune “Baby Shark” needs is a little more exposure. So here’s a weekly TV show. Now you can hear your kids “doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo”ing even more.
Saturday 12
Love, Lights, Hanukkah! (Hallmark 6pm) A restauranteur gets a DNA test and discovers she’s Jewish, leading to a whirlwind romance over eight crazy nights! According to Hallmark, it’s not just Christians who can engage in sappy romantic comedy over the holidays—our Jewish friends are welcome too!
Toys of Terror (Syfy 8pm) Evil toys come to life and terrorize a couple and their children in a secluded mansion over the holidays. That’s what you get for buying evil toys, parents.
Sunday 13
“The Walking Dead Holiday Special” (AMC+ streaming anytime) Evidently, AMC has a streaming service called AMC+. One of the things you can watch there is this “holiday” special hosted by Chris Hardwick (of course) interviewing cast members (virtually, natch) as they reminisce about favorite moments and … sing Christmas carols?
Dashing in December (Paramount/Pop 5pm) If our Jewish friends can get in on that sweet holiday rom-com action (see: Love, Light, Hanukkah! above), why not our LGBTQ pals as well? Cowboy hunk Wyatt (Peter Porte) returns home to his family’s ranch for the holidays hoping to convince mom (Andie McDowell) to sell off the land. But will handsome ranch hand Heath (Juan Pablo Di Pace) change his mind? (Spoiler alert: Yeah!)
Monday 14
“Tiny Pretty Things” (Netflix streaming anytime) Netflix adapts the YA novel described as Black Swan meets “Pretty Little Liars.” The story concerns three young women who will do anything to become the prima ballerina at New York’s most exclusive dance academy.
“Deliciousness” (MTV 5pm) “Saved By the Bell” alum Tiffani Thiessen hosts this chat show in which various actors and comedians show up to talk about food.
Tuesday 15
“Play On: Celebrating the Power of Music to Make Change” (KRQE-13 6pm) Actor Kevin Bacon and rapper Eve (sure, why not?) host a benefit concert raising funds for two long-standing philanthropic organizations by “amplifying awareness for transformational racial, social and food justice.” Ziggy Marley, Snoop Dogg, Machine Gun Kelly and Cheryl Crow are among the performers.
Wednesday 16
“The Ripper” (Netflix streaming anytime) Netflix’s newest true crime docuseries uses archival footage and modern interviews to track British police as they struggle to identify and capture the Yorkshire Ripper in the 1970s. [ ]