Innholdsfortegnelse for December 11, 2017 i TV Guide Magazine

@TVGMMattRoush America’s top TV critic Matt Roush answers your burning questions This Is Us has become more of a trial to withstand than a pleasure to visit. In the past, I compared it to my beloved Parenthood, in which every episode delivered more warmth than angst. But lately, it’s been giving me the feeling that I hear some families get during difficult holidays together. I know I’m not alone in my reaction. Can this be reversed? —Michaela MATT ROUSH: I get the backlash over the high percentage of downbeat plotlines recently. Kevin’s substance abuse and Kate’s miscarriage are both worthy stories, but to be happening concurrently in the “Number” trilogy does feel like piling on. Still, for every letter I get complaining about the turmoil, another empathizes with the characters,…

Hallmark Channel’s third annual “Five- Night Thanksgiving Event” was no turkey: Viewers gobbled up the lighthearted holiday fare, giving the cable net its mostwatched week ever across all key demos. The TV-movie rollout also bested last year’s broadcasts by 8 percent, with Switched for Christmas—featuring Candace Cameron Bure (above) playing identical twin sisters—nabbing the top honors. Million Viewers When it comes to daytime rivals The View and The Talk, which one has the gift of gab? Well, both. The two shows have been neck-and-neck throughout the current season, with ABC’s long-running The View, which premiered in 1997, typically having the slight advantage over its competitor, a relative newcomer minted in 2010. Case in point: During the short Thanksgiving week, The View boasted 2.95 million viewers versus The Talk’s 2.59 million.…

GAME OF THRONES CLUE Sorry, Professor Plum. We like our crimes committed by Cersei in the Dragon Catacombs with a battle-ax. Featuring 12 suspects, six new weapons and a double-sided board, this twist on the whodunit game will keep you busy until Season 8 arrives. (store.hbo.com, $50) DYNASTY: THE COMPLETE SERIES ’Tis the season for catfighting! Relive every delicious Alexis– Krystle showdown with this new box set that contains all nine seasons of the classic ’80s primetime soap. (amazon.com, $140) BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: 20 YEARS OF SLAYING In every generation, there is a Chosen One…and she’s getting more love in this 20th-anniversary edition of the supernatural series’s companion guide, updated with new cast interviews. (amazon.com, $25) DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW ACTION FIGURES Be a hero by giving these intricately…

PREMIERES The Librarians Dec. 13, 8/7c, TNT Jean-Claude Van Johnson Dec. 15, Amazon The Ranch Dec. 15, Netflix Ultimate Beastmaster Dec. 15, Netflix Wormwood Dec. 15, Netflix Gunpowder Dec. 18, 10/9c, HBO Booze Traveler Dec. 18, 11/10c, Travel Channel The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Dec. 19, 9/8c, Bravo Peaky Blinders Dec. 21, Netflix Fuller House Dec. 22, Netflix FINALES Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics Dec. 11, 10/9c, AMC The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer Dec. 12, 10/9c, History The A Word Dec. 13, 10/9c, SundanceTV Mr. Robot Dec. 13, 10/9c, USA The Exorcist Dec. 15, 9/8c, Fox Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Dec. 16, 9/8c, BBC America Good Behavior Dec. 17, 10/9c, TNT Search Party Dec. 17, 10/9c, TBS The Great Christmas Light Fight Dec. 18, 8/7c, ABC…

FEATURE PRESENTATION (DEC. 11–17) Going in Style (2017) Saturday, Dec. 16, 8/7c, HBO COMEDY Three retirees (Academy Award winners Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin, above from left, with Ann-Margret) figure that if they’re going to be thick as thieves, they might as well become thieves. Especially since their pension plans just went belly-up and they need some fast cash. What follows is not exactly the crime of the century. This remake of the 1979 George Burns/Art Carney classic is fun, even if the modern hardships it shows are all too real. Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution (2017) Monday, Dec. 11, 8/7c, HBO DOCUMENTARY As communities move toward solar and wind power, filmmaker Jamie Redford (Robert’s son) examines how the demand for renewable energy sources is growing, creating jobs and benefiting…

The Voice 8/7c, NBC With the Top 8 competing tonight, we look back on the best performances of the season so far. Buy these gems on iTunes! (We weren’t paid to say that, we swear.) Davon Fleming’s “I Am Changing” Dreamgirls’ “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” gets all the buzz, but coach Jennifer Hudson—who sang both songs in the 2006 film—noted “Changing” is harder to pull off. Fleming (above) did just that. Brooke Simpson’s “Stone Cold” All of her performances could make this list, but Simpson’s soulful, powerful audition with Demi Lovato’s 2016 single left a lasting impression. Adam Pearce & Whitney Fenimore’s “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” Adam Levine paired the musicians for an electric take on the Stevie Nicks– Tom Petty duet. TODAY’S SPORTS PICK…

Taraji’s White Hot Holidays 8/7c, Fox It’s a Christmas Cookie! Empire queen Taraji P. Henson is back for her third annual Yuletide special, Taraji’s White Hot Holidays, and this time she’s going retro. “Taraji grew up glued to The Carol Burnett Show,” says executive producer Casey Patterson. “She wanted that same warm, loose, family feeling, with lots of big production numbers and a company of funny friends who love making each other laugh—and that’s exactly what she’s getting!” The 2017 edition finds Henson going for those guff aws in an A-list comedy ensemble that includes Jay Pharoah, Niecy Nash and Tituss Burgess. There’s a reindeer riff on Hamilton— Prancerton—with Tony winner Leslie Odom Jr. And the diva count—Chaka Khan, Ciara, Faith Evans, Salt-N-Pepa—is through the roof. Henson’s Empire kid Jussie…

Shameless 9/8c, Showtime SCENE STEALER SHANOLA HAMPTON SHE PLAYS Scrappy libertine Veronica Fisher—aka V—who co-owns the struggling Alibi dive bar with her longtime lover Kev (Steve Howey) and her Russian hooker green-card wife Svetlana (Isidora Goreshter). “V lives life with no inhibitions,” Hampton says. “She never gets judgy. She puts no limits on love.” And how: When V couldn’t give Kev a baby, she had a three-way with him and her mother, Carol (Vanessa Bell Calloway), so Carol would get pregnant and become their surrogate! WHERE YOU’VE SEEN HER Hampton had recurring roles on the quick-to-fade series Related (2005) and Miami Medical (2010). “Things were so shaky for so long that I never gave up my bartending job—not when I was shooting the pilot for Shameless and not even when…

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills SEASON PREMIERE 9/8c, Bravo Between the private jet, the palatial spread and the traveling glam squad, it’s expensive to be Erika Girardi— and that’s not even counting the pound of flesh that it costs her to run with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. As the Bravo reality show ramps up for Season 8, we touch base with the Dancing With the Stars alum and pop singer (above) about the latest round of squad squabbles. You and the fellow Wives—Dorit Kemsley, Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna and Lisa Vanderpump—will be joined by newcomer Teddi Jo Mellencamp, daughter of rocker John Mellencamp. How does she fit in with the group? As the new girl, you make mistakes and rub everybody the wrong way at least once—that’s…

CHECK OUT THESE LOL HOLIDAY EPISODES! I Love Lucy Christmas Special 8/7c, CBS I Love Lucy fans made Santa’s nice list! Thus, CBS has colorized and combined two of the series’ top outings, “The Fashion Show” (when Lucy fights a feathered headdress) and “The Christmas Episode” (a flashback installment), into one special. Not enough? Here’s where to stream other holiday TV classics. The Twilight Zone Season 2, Ep. 11, Hulu A hard-up store Santa (Art Carney) finds a magical burlap bag that will produce anything a person wants. Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 3, Ep. 9, HBO Go/ Amazon Larry (Larry David) accidentally eats the Jesus from a cookie nativity. 30 Rock Season 2, Ep. 9, Hulu Liz (Tina Fey) and Jack (Alex Baldwin) have a “Ludachristmas” with their families. The…

(December 29, 1936–January 25, 2017) WHEN MARY TYLER MOORE passed away at the age of 80—due to cardiac arrest and pneumonia following a nearly 50-year battle with type 1 diabetes— millions of fans mourned. But for Ed Asner, her costar on the Emmy-winning The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the loss was personal. From 1970 to 1977, they were sparring partners: He played Lou Grant, gruff news director of Minneapolis station WJM, and she was Mary Richards, a smart, independent and (gasp!) single associate producer determined to “make it after all.” In real life, Asner was a seasoned industry vet, while Moore had already earned a spot in America’s heart as a capri-wearing housewife on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Together, the crackling duo went on to make history. The series,…

@TVGMMattRoush 1 THE HANDMAID’S TALE As dramatically powerful as it is unhappily timely, Bruce Miller’s splendid and stark adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s iconic Tale imagines a future nightmare-scape of gender oppression and sexual servitude. Deservedly sweeping up at the Emmys, including for the mesmerizing performance of Elisabeth Moss (above right) as the anguished and quietly rebellious Offred, Hulu’s breakthrough drama was arguably the high point in another incredibly bounteous year of high-quality Peak TV. Narrowing the list to 10 leaves many terrific shows unacknowledged. But there’s no denying Handmaid’s impact and achievement. 2 GAME OF THRONES Making every precious episode count, with one highly anticipated payoff and payback after another, HBO’s dark and fiery fantasy has never been more epic or sensationally satisfying than in its penultimate season. So many…

THROUGHOUT 1967, THE Beatles celebrated one success after another, from the release of their game-changing Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album to the debut of “All You Need Is Love”— performed live and broadcast to a global audience. But as the year drew to a close, the pop superstars unveiled what was perceived as their first major misstep: a TV special called Magical Mystery Tour. Premiering in the United Kingdom on December 26, aka Boxing Day, Magical Mystery Tour was a music-filled comedy, inspired by the real-life British coaches that would shuttle adventurous passengers to undisclosed locales. For their take on it, the Beatles piled into a bus crammed with zany fictional characters to explore the countryside—with occasional visits to a secret laboratory populated by “four or five magicians,”…

Meet more of Earth’s massive mousers in these new Nat Geo Wild documentaries THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS TIGER (Tuesday, Dec. 12, 9/8c) See a legendary tigress earn new territory—and her stripes—in the western wilds of India. Plus, learn this stealth lady’s secrets and how she won her celebrity status. LION KINGDOM (Wednesday, Dec. 13, 9/8c) Three lion prides do battle in an all-out war for food and power along Tanzania’s Mwagusi River. SAFARI LIVE (Thursday, Dec. 14, 10/9c) You never know what will happen on a live—yes, live—safari drive through Africa. Hop in and ride along with expert guides for all the thrills, chills and kills. SAVAGE KINGDOM: UPRISING (Friday, Dec. 15, 9/8c) Sit back for some Shakespearean drama as lion king Sekekama throws down with his treacherous son in…

Scorpion Monday, Dec. 18, 10/9c, CBS PICK OF THE WEEK! Scorpion leader Walter O’Brien (Elyes Gabel) may be a genius, but this isn’t his brightest move: On tonight’s episode of the hit action series, he suggests his world-saving team of misfit masterminds work through Christmas. Unfortunately, Happy (Jadyn Wong), Toby (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Sylvester (Ari Stidham), Cabe (Robert Patrick) and even Walter’s girlfriend, Paige (Katharine McPhee, right, with Gabel), take off. Walter, left alone, is then knocked unconscious. Cue the It’s a Wonderful Life–inspired dream sequence! “It’s a curveball, but one that I’m really proud of,” Gabel says. He tells us more. How the heck does Walter hurt himself? He’s very stubborn, so if no one else is going to work, he’s going to make the sacrifice. He says, “I’ll…

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers SEASON FINALE 8/7c, CBS In the beginning, there were 18 contestants so kindhearted that they were divided into tribes based on their brand of altruism. And tonight, after presumably much lying, cheating and backstabbing, one will be crowned the winner of the milliondollar prize. Hey, you know what they say about money changing people! Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist MINISERIES FINALE 9/8c, Nat Geo The conclusion of this documentary series examines the uncertainty surrounding the killing of primatologist Dian Fossey (above). Fellow researcher Wayne McGuire fled Rwanda after being sentenced to death for the murder, but did he do it? Knightfall 10/9c, History Their shining armor is about to get some dents. The action on the historical drama heats up as Pope Boniface…

CANCELED Louie When several women came forward about Louis C.K.’s lewd behavior, FX ended his critically acclaimed comedy series. CANCELED Wisdom of the Crowd CBS announced that it was investigating star Jeremy Piven’s (far right) alleged misconduct, then nixed the procedural. TBD Transparent Accused of harassing a costar, Jeffrey Tambor (above) quit. (He denies wrongdoing.) Amazon has yet to reveal its plans. TBD House of Cards In the wake of assault allegations, Kevin Spacey (left, with Robin Wright) was fired. Netflix is currently mulling spinoffs.…

GIVE ’EM THE old razzle-dazzle! On The CW’s critically beloved comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, unhinged legal eagle Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) navigates life and love one hilarious musical number at a time. (Some previous hits, like “Let’s Generalize About Men” and “The Sexy Getting Ready Song,” have gone viral on YouTube.) The series has taken a dark turn during Season 3—delving deeper into Rebecca’s mental health issues—which is why when it returns on January 5, those lavish routines will be more essential than ever, as they offer a dose of much-needed levity. Making sure the show hits the mark is Emmy-winning choreographer Kat Burns, whose past credits include orchestrating some of the hijinks on The Late Late Show With James Corden as well as on Key & Peele. Here, she takes…

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.’s MING-NA WEN MY CURRENT FAVORITE SHOW I am obsessed with This Is Us. I cry over every episode. It also takes place in my hometown of Pittsburgh. THE SHOW I MISS THE MOST Breaking Bad (below). It’s one of the few shows that my husband and I streamed together. I miss those characters. THE FUNNIEST PERSON ON TV James Corden. His “Carpool Karaoke” is the best! THE SHOW THAT ALWAYS MAKES ME LAUGH Will & Grace. It did in the ’90s, and it still makes me laugh out loud today. MY GUILTY-PLEASURE SHOW Flipping Out. It’s a design show with lots of drama. WHAT I EAT WHILE WATCHING Raisins. Weird, right? MY DREAM COSTAR I’ve heard amazing things about Dwyne Johnson (below). He has such positivity…

NETFLIX Judd Apatow: The Return STAND-UP PREMIERE Tuesday, Dec. 12 The comedy director (below) gets back to his stand-up roots, riffing on things like his career, sports and living with three women. And by three women he means his wife of 20 years, actress Leslie Mann, and their two daughters. If you pictured something else, then you’ve been watching too many Judd Apatow movies… Fuller House MIDSEASON PREMIERE Season 3, Part 2, Friday, Dec. 22 Season 3’s first half ended earlier this fall with D.J. (Candace Cameron Bure, right, with Andrea Barber) telling her high school boyfriend Steve (Scott Weinger) that she loves him while they were on a plane to attend his wedding to her doppelgänger C.J. (Virginia Williams) in Tokyo. (Yes, her name is C.J. Get it?) Further…

“Like Jon Snow, this character is a good swordsman and noble— except he wants to kill”—Harington Gunpowder MINISERIES PREMIERE Monday, Dec. 18, 10/9c, HBO Move over, Lannister clan. A wealthy 17th-century English family will be playing its own deadly game in the nail-biting premiere of HBO’s historical thriller Gunpowder. Catholic Robert Catesby (Kit Harington) and cousin Anne Vaux (Liv Tyler) watch helplessly as sadistic “Catholic catcher” Sir William Wade (Shaun Dooley) and his gang tear up her home searching for hidden priests. What follows is horrific—and Catesby vows violent revenge. The three-part miniseries tells of Catesby’s “Gunpowder Plot” to plant explosives beneath the House of Lords and kill Protestant King James I (Derek Riddell). But Catesby’s brawny and mysterious coconspirator, Guy Fawkes (Tom Cullen), was caught before anything could go…

Gwen Stefani’s You Make It Feel Like Christmas Tuesday, Dec. 12, 9/8c, NBC PICK OF THE WEEK! When Gwen Stefani set out to make her first Christmas special, the singer and fashion designer says that one question topped her list: What are the costumes going to be? The answer is that there will be lots, and they will be glam. “I don’t know how many pairs of fishnets I went through— I got fishnet rug burn!” she says with a laugh. Of course, there will be far more than her signature style on display during the hourlong extravaganza—an homage to the tinseled variety programs of yesteryear—including skits featuring comedians Chelsea Handler and Ken Jeong and a duet with Stefani’s reallife squeeze (and costar from The Voice), Blake Shelton. Here, Stefani…

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency SEASON FINALE 10/9c, BBC America Dirk (Samuel Barnett) returns to where it all began— shadowy CIA program Blackwing—to fulfill a prophecy and restore order to his beloved universe. And sparks fly when Todd (Elijah Wood, above) and Amanda (Hannah Marks) take on the villainous Suzie Boreton (Amanda Walsh). SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL! NFL FOOTBALL 4:30/3:30c, NFLNetwork Are you ready for some NFLgames on a Saturday? NFLNetwork has a twin bill of divisional-rivalry matchups with the Chicago Bears at the Detroit Lions in the afternoon, followed by the Los Angeles Chargers at the Kansas City Chiefs in primetime.…

REASONS WE LOVE… ★ EDITORS’ CHOICE Future Man’s Eliza Coupe Hulu Killing, maiming and torture aren’t funny. But when they’re perpetrated by Future Man’s kickass lady rebel leader Tiger, who has uneven purple hair, a dark sense of humor and a surprising soft spot for babies, those things seem disturbingly amusing. It also helps that the quirky sci-fiseries’ star is played by veteran scene-stealer Eliza Coupe (left), whom we adore. Let us count the ways. 1 T&A isn’t her thing. “I had no interest in playing a heroine in some completely unfunctional outfit just to get the male demographic all excited,” says Coupe. “That’s not me. So Tiger looks like a powerful warrior woman, not a pinup.” 2 She says the darndest (and dirtiest) things. Coupe, who studied improv with…

An SNL Christmas Special 9/8c, NBC Pass the Schweddy balls, please. No one brings the holiday cheer quite like Saturday Night Live, as this special featuring favorite past skits proves. Just a word of warning: If you’re unwrapping a box from Andy Samberg or Justin Timberlake (together, right), handle with care. Great News 8/7c, NBC IT’S A WINTER wonderland on Great News—in more ways than one. In back-toback episodes, the workplace comedy first riffs on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol and then delves into the topic of sensitivity training, which pits latein- life intern Carol (Andrea Martin) and gruff anchor Chuck (John Michael Higgins) against the newsroom’s “snowflakes.” That debate over innocent ribbing versus offensive behavior “is a complicated issue,” says Briga Heelan, who plays news producer Katie. She’s dealing…

Homicide for the Holidays SEASON FINALE 6/5c, Oxygen Did you know the worst family massacre in U.S. history occurred at Christmastime? The docuseries delves into the spooky story of Arkansas’s Ronald Gene Simmons, who killed 14 of his kin in 1987. MISTLETOE ALERT! Christmas Getaway 8/7c, Hallmark Channel Post-breakup, writer Emory (Bridget Regan) still embarks on a planned trip. But a mix-up has her rooming with a hot widower (Travis Van Winkle, below, second from right, with Teryl Rothery, Regan and Alvin Sanders)…so she likely won’t be single for long. TWO TIMES THE TACKLING! NFLFOOTBALL 4:30/3:30c, NFL Indianapolis at Baltimore A Saturday doubleheader has the Indianapolis Colts at the Baltimore Ravens on NFLNetwork, followed by a matchup on NBC between NFC North foes as the Minnesota Vikings visit the Green…

Answers to puzzle of Nov. 27 ACROSS 1 Streisand nickname 5 Perform on TV 8 Carter of Gimme a Break! 12 Senior manager 13 Constrictor type 14 Falco of Nurse Jackie 15 Bellhop on Amanda’s 16 Soldier of Fortune, _____ 17 Illegal absence (abbr.) 18 Rainy day fund (2 wds.) 20 Austin of Ink 21 Addams family cousin 22 Lead-up to a special delivery? 24 South Asian country 26 Without a break (3 wds.) 29 Black _____ Aff air 30 Ryan of The Office 31 After April 32 Team leader on Robbery Homicide Division (2 wds.) 35 Job for The French Chef 37 Lee of The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin 38 Against _____ Odds 39 Comedian Bruce 41 Everything (2 wds.) 45 Hubbell of Petticoat Junction 46 Harper Valley _____ 47 Neck hair…