Innholdsfortegnelse for December 25, 2017 i TV Guide Magazine

@TVGMMattRoush America’s top TV critic Matt Roush answers your burning questions Thank you for including Downward Dog in your Top 10 of 2017! ABC never gave this show a chance. It was unique, heartwarming, funny and, I thought, brilliantly written from Martin the dog’s perspective. I really hoped another network or cable channel would have picked it up. —Angeline MATT ROUSH: You and me both. My inclusion of Dog has generated more feedback than anything I’ve put on one of these lists for ages—and it was a tough call, because I had to leave off so many great shows (I’m currently regretting not finding room for FX’s Better Things and The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend). The audience may have been small for this poorly scheduled comedy, which vanished quickly during the…

@TVGMMattRoush The spirit of Rod Serling lives on in these dark allegories Black Mirror Blissing out on Charlie Brooker’s high-tech fantasy fables SEASON PREMIERE Friday, Dec. 29,Netflix IT’S HARD TO know whether to be excited or apprehensive about the upcoming revival of my all-time favorite TV franchise, The Twilight Zone, recently announced by CBS All Access. (That Get Out’s Jordan Peele is one of the producers eases my worries.) However, I’m happy to note that the spirit of Zone creator Rod Serling thrives in the dark allegories and freaky cautionary tales of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror anthology, back for a fourth mind-blowing season of thrills and chills. The tone of the six episodes shifts from terror to whimsy to heartbreaking reckonings when technology eclipses humanity. The stories can feel a…

NETFLIX Travelers SEASON PREMIERE Season 2, Tuesday, Dec. 26 What’ll be the bigger threat to FBI boss Grant MacLaren (Eric McCormack, above) and his team of time-jumpers in Season 2: creepy new traveler Vincent Ingram (Enrico Colantoni) or the deadly virus Faction? Wait, what if the two are connected? If only there were someone with the ability to traverse time to find out. Cable Girls SEASON PREMIERE Season 2, Monday, Dec. 25 The telecommunication company’s new management in Madrid isn’t good for any of the girls, but it’s particular bad for Lidia (Blanca Suárez, middle, with Ana Polvorosa and Nadia de Santiago), who’s also dealing with fallout from her romances. Yes, romances. Bill Nye Saves the World SEASON PREMIERE Season 2, Friday, Dec. 29 A brainiac so nice, he saves…

PICK OF THE WEEK! Doctor Who Christmas Special Monday, Dec. 25, 9/8c, BBC America There’s lots of questionable Doctor Who trivia. Yet we’re confident that when exiting star Peter Capaldi passes the sonic screwdriver to Jodie Whittaker in tonight’s Christmas special (called “Twice Upon a Time”), she’ll be the first lady Doctor ever. Before that happens, Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor needs to escape from a time loop in the Arctic with companion Bill (Pearl Mackie) and the First Doctor (David Bradley, right, with Mackie and Capaldi). Sounds fun, but can it beat the show’s prior 12 specials? Here are our favorites. 1. A Christmas Carol (2010) Eleven (Matt Smith) convinces a bitter businessman (Michael Gambon)—who delights in scaring people with flying sharks—to save his friends Rory (Arthur Darvill) and Amy (Karen…

The Librarians 8/7c, TNT Two past favorites return in tonight’s backto- back episodes. First up: Onetime Librarian Darrington Dare (Samuel Roukin) has a dire warning for Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle). Next, former Guardian Nicole Noone (now played by Rachel Nichols) teams up with her successor, Eve Baird (Rebecca Romijn), to retrieve a dangerous artifact. BLACK INK CLUE Black Ink Crew 9/8c, VH1 Sky leads the investigation when $10,000 disappears from the shop. Who’s the culprit? Our guess: It was a disgruntled customer pissed off about a tattoo, in the back office, with his (or her) bare hands. Expedition Unknown SEASON PREMIERE 9/8c, Travel Channel Josh Gates (above) tracks the Vikings— history’s most infamous marauders— across the globe. Will new evidence about their settlements change what we know about them? And…

THE CASE FOR ARIE The Bachelor SEASON PREMIERE 8/7c, ABC If Bachelor Nation had a soundtrack, the record would’ve scratched off upon the announcement that Arie Luyendyk Jr. would be the next leading man. Sure, the 36-year-old is easy on the eyes, but there’s no denying he was a long shot. After all, it’s been five years since he was booted from Emily Maynard’s installment of The Bachelorette, and even then, the low-key lothario was passed over for the next season of The Bachelor. Nonetheless, we’re inclined to trust the reality dating franchise’s instincts and enter Season 22 with an open heart. Behold, the case for Bachelor Arie—complete with evidence courtesy of host Chris Harrison. •Exhibit A: There’s nothing wrong with flying under the radar. Many of the folks in…

5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT… The Good Place’s D’Arcy Carden 8:30/7:30c, NBC Janet, The Good Place’s all-knowing, human-like operating system, keeps everything running smoothly in the afterlife. That’s the idea, anyway. But as Eleanor’s (Kristen Bell) plans to escape the seemingly idyllic realm have gone off the rails, Janet (D’Arcy Carden, above) has grown…glitchy. In tonight’s episode, a surprise visitor has everyone scrambling, including Janet. Carden, on the other hand, is at optimal performance on the offbeat comedy this season. Here’s what you need to know about the woman behind the AI. 1 She’s almost as chipper as her character. Whether she’s building herself a new boyfriend or inexplicably producing cacti out of thin air, Janet is unfailingly upbeat. “There is a side of me that has that kind of…

The Chi SERIES PREMIERE 10/9c, Showtime If you watched the Emmys last September, then odds are you’re already familiar with Lena Waithe, the first African-American woman to win Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. Standing beside Master of None creator Aziz Ansari, she delivered a moving speech about diversity, one of the night’s most memorable moments. Now, with her own series, the Showtime drama The Chi, she’ll shed light on the realities of her hometown. “A couple years back, I was watching a news story about gun violence in Chicago. They were interviewing mothers who’d lost their sons,” Waithe recalls. “I thought, ‘There’s a show in there.’” And it just might break your heart. In the pilot, an event sets off a devastating chain reaction, spotlighting a group of characters…

We’re passionate about TV. You can always count on us to guide you to what’s worth watching. So there’s television we love, and as you can tell from the column to the right, there’s also Stuff We Love. Sometimes it’s hard to contain our enthusiasm for TV to just, well, TV. In this section, we’ll share our personal recommendations for everything else: from bestselling books being adapted as series and soundtracks we can’t stop replaying to the latest streaming services and tech gadgets. And there’s more to share! We’ve added a cool new corner to our “Ask Matt” page that celebrates fan art (this issue’s is X-Files, of course). For our cover story, staff writer Marisa Roffman flew to the X-Files set in Vancouver to interview leads David Duchovny and…

CELEBS ARE HOBNOBBING, the champagne is flowing—it’s no wonder the Golden Globes have earned a reputation for being Hollywood’s liveliest awards ceremony. In honor of the show’s 75th anniversary, we look back at some of the Globes’ best scene stealers. Trust us, there were plenty. DURING 1958’S SHOW, members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the voters who decide the winners) handed out the statues, and some members of the Rat Pack (Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra) were, well, bored. The group commandeered the stage and set the tone for stars to drive the broadcast. THERE WASN’T A DRY EYE when an emotional Ving Rhames, winning 1998’s best actor in a miniseries for Don King: Only in America, thanked his fellow nominees. Then he did the unheard…

SEVENTY YEARS AGO, a marionette named Howdy Doody made his showbiz debut with no strings attached—literally. As it turns out, the doll’s wires weren’t ready in time for the inaugural broadcast, and neither, for that matter, was the rest of the poor guy. The live children’s variety program, originally titled Puppet Playhouse, had been thrown together so quickly that when the first day of taping rolled around, its wooden linchpin wasn’t yet fully crafted— so the “shy” character was hidden away in a desk, his voice emanating from a drawer as human host “Buffalo” Bob Smith peered inside and said “howdy” to Howdy. No matter: A star was born. The NBC program premiered to a then-whopping six markets—at the time, only 20,000 American homes had TV sets—on December 27, 1947,…

FEATURE PRESENTATION (DEC. 25–31) King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) Saturday, Dec. 30, 8/7c, HBO FANTASY If you like your Camelot dripping with testosterone, swagger and a few anachronisms, Guy Ritchie’s mishmash of Arthurian legends is the loud, bombastic ride for you. Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam (right) takes on the Excaliburwielding title role, which puts him at odds with his evil uncle, King Vortigern (Jude Law), who’s willing to fight dirty to keep his kingdom. Luckily, Arthur has that magical sword, plus a little help from some scrappy soldiers and a beautiful sorceress (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey). Zero Days (2016) Monday, Dec. 25, 6am/5c, The Movie Channel DOCUMENTARY Skip the holiday reruns and spend Christmas watching Alex Gibney’s (Going Clear) look at the chilling ramifications of cyber warfare. The Stuxnet virus used…

WATCH MY SHOW! The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Available now, Amazon Prime COSTAR TONY SHALHOUB In the Golden Globe–nominated Amazon series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Rachel Brosnahan (right) plays Midge Maisel, a recently separated housewife who aspires to be a stand-up comic in 1950s New York. Three-time Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub costars as Midge’s very proper father, Abe Weissman, and oy, if he only knew what his precious daughter was doing behind his back. “For Abe, a woman doing stand-up would be a step down from a prostitute,” says Shalhoub. He tells us why Maisel deserves to be your holidaybreak obsession. I have time to watch one more show. Why should it be yours? Here are three really good reasons. The extraordinary Rachel Brosnahan. The late-1950s setting, when Greenwich Village was…

LA to Vegas SERIES PREMIERE 9/8c, Fox SMALL SEATS. NO legroom. Long delays. Flying the friendly skies is rarely fun, but LA to Vegas is pure mile-high merriment. The wacky workplace sitcom goes above the clouds with the crew and passengers of fictional Jackpot Airlines and its weekend La-La Land to Sin City trek. “I describe it as halfway between Taxi and Airplane!” says executive producer Steve Levitan (Modern Family). At the controls of the jet: Capt. Dave Pratman (Dylan McDermott, above), a corny, mustachioed wannabe ladies’ man. McDermott takes us inside the cockpit. You’re known for dramas like The Practice. How’d you get into this comedy? I started my career doing stand-up in New York, but I got thrown out of a club for not being funny. Then when…

READING MATERIAL THE ALIENIST BY CALEB CARR Available at Barnes & Noble The faint-hearted can prep for the blood, guts and squashed eyeballs in Carr’s mystery, set in turn-of-the-century New York, before TNT’s adaptation debuts January 22 (9/8c). And the characters are so engaging you won’t mind meeting them twice. —Aubry D’Arminio, Senior Writer PUBLIC DISPLAY OF TV LOVE SCHITT’S CREEK AMPERSAND T-SHIRT Available at RoseApothecary.ca A classic ampersand tee is like an inside joke: If you already know the names on the shirt—what band or show they’re from— you’ll instantly appreciate it. I love the idea of wearing this limited-edition shirt from Schitt’s Creek on Pop and running into people who actually recognize “Johnny & Moira & David & Alexis” from the Canadian sitcom. —John Russell, Staff Writer FOR YOUR EARS…

THE LIBRARIANS’ REBECCA ROMIJN MY CURRENT FAVORITE SHOW Dateline. Keith Morrison can do no wrong. THE FUNNIEST PERSON ON TV RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race). He has made the world of drag mainstream through his genius and humor. THE SHOW THAT ALWAYS MAKES ME LAUGH Nathan for You and Search Party (above). THE SHOW I MISS THE MOST The Comeback. Because I love Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish. MY GUILTY-PLEASURE SHOW 90 Day Fiancé. It’s the realest reality show I have ever seen. WHAT I HATE-WATCH Autopsy, the Final Days of…, which dissects the autopsies of famous people. The reenactments are cringe-worthy. THE SHOW I’D LIKE TO GUEST STAR ON The Golden Girls. I adore those four ladies. MY DREAM COSTAR I wish I could have worked with the late John…

The X-Files SEASON PREMIERE Wednesday, Jan. 3, 8/7c, Fox It’s a calm October day in Vancouver, but things are about to get wild on the set of The X-Files. In a particularly tense scene filming today, skeptical federal agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) is explaining her hunch about a hard-to-crack case to partner Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), the iconic “I Want to Believe” poster hanging behind him. She suggests investigating a key location for a vital clue. Duchovny takes a long pause, goes off script and exclaims, “OMG!” Fans are going to have the same reaction when the groundbreaking sci-fi series returns for Season 11. Expect deadly doppelgängers, a twisted exploration of potential life after death and the resolution to a shocking cliffhanger. When we last left off, Mulder was…

The moment they met at a charity event years ago, Brooke Shields and Mariska Hargitay knew they just had to work together. “We have so much fun bantering with each other,” Shields says. “We’re sort of yin and yang, and yet we’re very similar.” Their characters aren’t so cozy on Law & Order: SVU. In October, Shields began a guest arc on her pal’s long-running drama as Sheila Porter, the biological grandmother of Lt. Olivia Benson’s (Hargitay) adopted young son, Noah (Ryan Buggle). Porter— who Benson didn’t know existed—sued for custody of the child, and since then the women have had an awkward relationship, to say the least. “Since she first appeared,” Shields explains, “Sheila has shaken up Olivia’s personal life.” The tension builds on the January 3 midseason premiere…

The 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors 9/8c, CBS HOW DO YOU shrink-wrap a lifetime of glorious achievement? It’s time for The 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors. This year’s recipients are (clockwise from first row center) producer Norman Lear, dancer Carmen de Lavallade and music greats LL Cool J, Lionel Richie and Gloria Estefan— and, as always, the roughest part is condensing genius. “We have 20 minutes to reflect on the amazing lives of each honoree,” executive producer Ricky Kirshner says, “and that’s especially tricky when we’re talking about a guy like Norman, who’s been around for 95 years.” Of course, the star wattage will help: Dave Chappelle, Anthony Anderson and Rachel Bloom are in the house to gush about Lear. (Look for some vintage TVGM covers as part of the…

American Masters: This Is Bob Hope 9/8c, PBS (check local listings at pbs.org) WE’LL ALWAYS THANK him for the memories…or will we? Dick Cavett and Conan O’Brien are among those saluting the late, great Bob Hope in American Masters: This Is Bob Hope, a rollicking yet achingly candid documentary with two big goals—to acknowledge Hope’s groundbreaking career and to make damn sure he’s not forgotten. “Dad had a huge influence on 20th-century comedy, yet for so many people today, it’s ‘Bob who?’” says Hope’s daughter, TV producer Linda Hope. “There’s no burning passion to know his great work. Hopefully, American Masters will change that.” The film tracks Hope from his vaudeville and radio days—when he was the first to do rapid-fire, politically charged stand-up routines, a style still in vogue…

PICK OF THE WEEK! grown-ish Wednesday, Jan. 3, 8/7c, Freeform Zoey (Yara Shahidi) has always been the most effortlessly cool member of the Johnson family on ABC’s black-ish. But now that the teen is starting her freshman year at California University? Well, let’s just say that it’s a different world. The new spinoff grown-ish—airing, appropriately enough, on younger-skewing sister network Freeform—will track Zoey’s college journey, one growing pain at a time. (Not to worry: Mom, Dad and the sibs are just a short drive away, so crossovers are inevitable.) Here, Shahidi (left) offers a peek at what’s on her syllabus. Popularity has always come easily to Zoey. Not so much at C.U.? In the context of her family dynamics, very rarely have we seen her being uncertain or unsure. But…

HERE’S THE 4-1-1 ON… 9-1-1 SERIES PREMIERE 9/8c, Fox FOX’S NEW DRAMA may be the rare procedural that’s capable of attracting people who don’t watch procedurals. Just ask its star, Angela Bassett. “My husband [Courtney B. Vance] was on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and I would say, ‘Oh, that show is too smart for me.’ I like more relationships and humor,” she says. “But 9-1-1 offers the best of both worlds.” Unlike other shows of its ilk, the series, which follows the high-stakes professional and personal lives of L.A.’s first responders, is created by Ryan Murphy. Yes, that Ryan Murphy, of American Horror Story fame. It also features a pedigreed cast that includes Peter Krause (Parenthood) and Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights). Bassett talks about getting recruited—and why there’s…

ACROSS 1 Applaud a TV show 5 Catherine Bell on JAG 8 Electronic dog on FX: The Series 12 Alice Hirson on Home Fires 13 Mahershala of Marvel’s Luke Cage 14 MacGruder & ____ 15 Small acting parts 16 On Scene: Emergency ____ 18 ____ Center 20 Jackie of The Addams Family 21 Please ____ Eat the Daisies 22 The ____ Couple 23 Carroll of All In the Family 26 Opie Taylor’s lizard 30 The ____ Squad 31 Beatty of Go On 33 Chief of security on Star Trek: DS9 34 Very large 37 Broom’s companion 40 90 Day Fiancé net 42 Furlan of Babylon 5 43 Twin Peaks composer 46 Teeth improver 49 Love and ____ 51 Oceanographer on Flipper 52 Gross of Walter & Emily 53 Alyssa Milano plays one on Charmed 54 Martin of I’m…

@damianholbrook LOVE IT! Cheers to Dynasty for landing Nicollette Sheridan (top left) to play Alexis Colby. The CW’s worthy reboot of the 1980s soap is set to amp up the camp when the Knots Landing vixen slinks into Joan Collins’s (left) richbitch role. And we will toss anyone who shades this addition to the Carrington family tree straight into the lily pond. Cheers to Knightfall for going medieval on the Knights Templar. History’s violent, virile new series about a warrior monk (Tom Cullen) who’s searching for the Holy Grail is the kind of bloody fun we only wish our social studies classes had been back in the day. Cheers to Alison Sweeney for her red-letter Days visit. The soap dynamo rocked Days of Our Lives with a two-month return that saw her…