Wolf pack drama, workplace weirdness & a real reality-show schmoe
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FRIDAY, Jan. 17 Severance The hit workplace thriller series returns for season two, with Adam Scott (above) as the head of a company where employees must undergo a surgical procedure that “severs” their memories. What could go wrong? With John Turturro, Christopher Walken and Patricia Arquette (Apple TV+).
Yellowstone Wolves: Succession The vast national park is the ultimate stage for wolf drama—pack bonds, rivalries, invasions, exiles and killings. Explore this wild world and the people devoted to protecting it (7 p.m., National Geographic).
SATURDAY, Jan. 18 Dinner and a Movie Hosts Jason Briggs and Jenny Mollen guide you through the heavy metal pileup of Transformers (8 p.m., TBS).
Girl in the Garage: The Marcela Borges Story Paige Hurd, Stephen Bishop and Brad James star in this ripped-from-the-headlines tale about what happens when a man invites a friend and her children to move temporarily into their home…and some very bad things (Lifetime).
SUNDAY, Jan. 19 Laid Stephanie Hsu stars a woman who finds out her former lovers are dropping like dead flies, sending her back into her own sexual timeline for answers. The series proclaims itself as a “f*ked up rom-com.” So, consider yourself warned! (Netflix).
MONDAY, Jan. 20 The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman Winner of nine Emmy Awards, this 1974 drama became one of the most acclaimed TV movies ever, with Cicely Tyson starring as a woman born into slavery in the 1850s who lived to be more than 100 years old and witness the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement (4:45 p.m., TCM).
TUESDAY, Jan. 21 The Joe Schmoe Show This series (hosted by Cat Deeley) resurrects the franchise which began more than two decades ago, and this time “stars” a real-life electrician from Baltimore who thinks in a TV competition, not realizing he’s actually in a fake reality series a la The Truman Show (9 p.m., TBS).
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 22 Prime Target A brilliant young mathematician (Leo Woodall) is on the verge of a major tech breakthrough when he finds out an unseen enemy is trying to destroy it. Enter a beautiful TSA agent (Quintessa Swindell) to help unravel the conspiracy, which could affect all the computers in the world (Apple TV+).
What are UFOs? For decades, unidentified flying objects have captivated our imaginations. But what are they, really? Alien visitors? Results of research and tech from other governments, or our own? What would it take for an ET to traverse the cosmos to buzz over our cornfields and neighborhoods? (9 p.m., PBS).
THURSDAY, Jan. 23 1923 Season two of the Yellowstone prequel series sees Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren (above) returning to their roles as the proto-Duttons (Paramount+).
Harlem Season three begins of the hit comedy series about four young women dealing with motherhood, sisterhood and the complications of friends and family (Prime).
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Always the “country-est” of the Beatles, Ringo Starr‘s new album Look Up finds him getting some rootsy assists from Billy Strings (“Breathless”), Alison Krauss (“Thankful”), Molly Tuttle (“Look Up”), Larkin Poe (“String Theory”), and other Americana-esque harmonizers and pickers. T Bone Burnett produced and wrote several songs, and that’s Nashville studio whiz Paul Franklin on the pedal steel. As for Ringo’s part, well, all he had to do was drum, sing…and “Act Naturally.”
A ‘Star Wars’ marathon, the worm turns for P. Diddy & bugs come to ‘Life’
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FRIDAY, Jan. 10 Goosebumps: The Vanishing New season begins tonight of the scarifying anthology series based on books by R.L. Stein and starring David Schwimmer,Ana Ortiz and more (Hulu).
SATURDAY, Jan. 11 Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story Knock knock! Who’s there? Terror, you dope! Dascha Polanco from Orange is the New Black stars in this true-story thriller about a woman who makes a life-or-death decision to protect her family when robbers break into the home (Lifetime).
Star Wars Movie Marathon Spend a day with Star Wars and Rouge One: A Star Wars Story, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (starts 11:30 a.m., TBS).
SUNDAY, Jan. 12 Rogue Heroes Season two takes wing of this military drama about the British Army’s Special Air Forces in World War II. Starring Connor Swindells, Jack O’Connell and Gwilyn Lee (MGM+).
MONDAY, Jan. 13 Without Arrows Follow the journey of a traditional “grass dancer” from Philadelphia who embraces his cultural roots as a Lakota and returns to the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota (10 p.m., PBS).
Death By Fame New season of the series probing the dark undersides of Hollywood murder and celebrity misfortune (9 p.m., ID).
TUESDAY, Jan. 14 Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy What did Diddy do? Find out the dark forces, detours and influences that shaped the once-successful rapper and music mogul (above) into the jailed man now charged with underage sex trafficking and racketeering in this 90-minute documentary with interviews from people who know him, knew him and now reveal his troubling past (Peacock).
Journey to America Newt and Callista Gingrich narrate this documentary about individuals who’ve pursued the American dream and contributed to the fabric of its society (10 p.m., PBS).
The Curious Case of… Real-life scandals suggest that truth is far more chilling than fiction (Max).
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 15 A Real Bug’s Life Meet more tiny heroes with huge dramas in season two about the weird, wild and wonderful world of insects, narrated by Awkwafina (Disney+),
An Update on Our Family Explore the symbiotic world of vlogging where families share a steady stream of lifestyle videos on their social media channels and subscribers give them money to continue. Are they making themselves too public? (Max).
THURSDAY, Jan. 16 Long Bright River Amanda Seyfried stars in new suspense series as a Philly cop investigating a series of murders—and discovering that her own past may become part of a case (Peacock).
Harley Quinn Kaley Cuoco returns the voice of the female superhero in this new season of this adult-oriented animated series (above) based on DC Comics characters (Max).
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Acclaimed for his gritty, sometimes unflinching black-and-white pictures of New York street life in the 1930s and ‘40s, from slums to cops and crime victims, the photographer known as Weegee gets a thorough examination in Weegee: Society of the Spectacle (Thames & Hudson). Later, in Hollywood, he became a photo “trickster” and a chronicler of the high life. Find out the two sides of this fascinating man who saw the world—the highs and the lows, the bad and the good—through his camera.
Monkey see, monkey do—and monkey make monkeyshines, as you’ll find out in Monkey Tales from Around the World (McFarland), a simian-centric compendium of all the ways apes, chimps and others from our closet genetic kin have enriched our folklore and pop culture as jesters, troublemakers or even heroes…and what they teach us about being human.
A ‘Nashville’ binge, movie awards season begins & Tim Allen returns to sitcom-ville
Tim Allen & Kat Dennings star in ‘Shifting Gears.’
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FRIDAY, Jan. 3 Grammy Greats: The Most Memorable Moments Highlights from music’s biggest night over the years, featuring Dua Lipa, Luke Combs, LL Cool J, Jennifer Hudson, Joni Mitchell,Elton John, Ricky Martin and many more (9 p.m., CBS).
Ru-Paul’s Drag Race Season 17 of the award-winning reality series begins tonight with 14 new queens competing for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar and a cash prize of $200,000. Guest judges include Sandra Bernard, Adam Lambert, Whitney Cummings and Tracee Ellis Ross (8 p.m,, MTV).
SATURDAY, Jan. 4 Extraordinary World with Jeff Corwin New Saturday-morning series spotlights everyday people making extraordinary impact on the world through animal advocacy, wildlife conservation, youth empowerment and helping fight food insecurity (9 a.m., CBS).
Vanished Out of Sight No, it’s not about Medicare or Social Security or your 401-K savings. This lurid made-for-Lifetime drama is about a blind woman (Annalise Basso) searching for his missing six-year- old daughter. It’s like she just vanished, out of sight! (8 p.m., Lifetime).
SUNDAY, Jan. 5 Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches Season two begins tonight of the modern-day vampire saga starring Alexandra Daddario (above), Jack Huston, Harry Hamlin and Tongayii Chirisa (AMC+ and AMC).
The Golden Globes Emilia Perez and The Bear lead the nominees for tonight’s 82nd annual presentation, hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser, awarding the best in TV and movies, and kicking off movies-awards season ahead of the Oscars (8 p.m., CBS).
MONDAY, Jan. 6 Kids Baking Championship Most moms don’t really want their kids getting the way in the kitchen, but these tater tots are no strangers to pots ‘n’ pans. The new season features a field of new kid chefs taking on creative food challenges, this time with “animal” themes (8 p.m., Food Network).
Minted If you don’t know your NFT (non-fungible tokens) from your NDAs, check out this inside look at how tech transformed the traditional art world, for better and worse (10 p.m., PBS)
TUESDAY, Jan. 7 A Nashville Marathon Watch every episode of the hit 2012-2019 music drama (above) starring Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere, Charles Eston and Clare Bowen in a country music-centric primetime soap drama (10 a.m., AXS TV).
Black Box Diaries Exposing the desperately outdated judicial system in Japan, this riveting documentary follows the director, as the victim of a sexual assault, and her attempts to prosecute her high-profile offender. It became a landmark court case and a book (Paramount+).
Wildcard Kitchen All-star chefs play late-night poker, where the luck of the draw determines what dishes they’ll cook, and how much time they’ll have to do it (9 p.m., Food Network).
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 8 Shifting Gears Tim Allen returns to primetime with this new network comedy series as the widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop, and Kat Dennings as his estranged daughter (8 p.m., ABC).
Murder Under the Friday Night Lights Go deep, as they say in football, for the previously untold story of New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez and his connection to a pair of high school teammates who became murderers (9 p.m., ID).
THURSDAY, Jan. 9 On Call New police drama about a rookie (Brandon Larracuente) and a veteran officer (Troian Bellisario) protecting their community in California (Prime).
Hollywood Squares Drew Barrymore takes the iconic center square in the new season of the re-invented classic game show, hosted by Nate Burleson of CBS Mornings (8 p.m., CBS).
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During the 1960s, comics evolved from pulpy pastimes to more refined, sophisticated art, not just in America but all over the world. Comics: 1964-2024 (Thames & Hudson) is a vibrantly illustrated look at the growth and creative development of the illustrated artform across the previous six decades, after Blondie, Dick Tracy or Beetle Bailey had become yesterday’s news and other bolder, more adventurous comics entered the pop-culture mainstream.
What does one of the most world-famous palaces of all time look like, up close? Well, you can find out in Versailles From the Sky (Thames & Hudson), a collection of 200 color pics with rarely seen views (including some striking aerials by drone cameras) at the sumptuous French home and the surrounding grounds commissioned in the early 1600s by King Louis XIV. It’s an international architectural tour at your fingertips!
The legendary Dick Van Dkye, now 99, has his own Little Golden Book! Re-live his life and career highlights (from childhood, thru his years serving in the military, to Mary Poppins! Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! and The Dick Van Dyke Show!), all warmly illustrated in Dick Van Dyke: A Little Golden Book Biography (Penguin/Random House) by Christy Webster.
‘Pirates’ ahoy, funny videos, Nashville’s big bash & rockers ring in the new year!
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FRIDAY, Dec. 27 Your Fault Based on the Culpable book trilogy by Mercedes Ron, this Spanish-language streaming flick stars Nicole Wallace and Gabriel Guevara in the continuing tale of young love and those trying to destroy it, including an ex-girlfriend seeking revenge (Prime Video).
The Greatest Home Videos: Holiday Edition Year-end Christmas fun, cute pets and more holiday hijinks, hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, below (8 p.m., CBS).
SATURDAY, Dec. 28 Pirates of the Caribbean Marathon Set sail with Johnny Depp and the rest of the high-seas scallywags for back-to-back airings of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and The Curse of the Black Pearl (3 p.m., TNT).
SUNDAY, Dec. 29 1923: A Yellowstone Origin Story Watch Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren in a double feature of episodes of the Yellowstone spinoff-sequel (8 p.m., Paramount).
MONDAY, Dec. 30 Darby and Joan Season two begins tonight of the Aussie drama about a retired detective (Bryan Brown) and widowed nurse (Gretchen Scacci) in Queensland (Acorn TV).
Who I Am Not Documentary about a South Africa beauty queen dealing with the discovery that she’s nonbinary. It’s a heart-wrenching look at a fight for acceptance in a world that’s wired differently (10 p.m., PBS).
TUESDAY, Dec. 31 Nashville’s Big Bash Host Keith Urban rings in the new year with Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Eric Church, Post Malone and other top stars in live performances from downtown Music City (8 p.m., CBS).
NYE Concert Marathon Celebrate all day with some rocking concert performances from Fleetwood Mac, Queen, AC/DC (above), Bon Jovi, ZZ Top, Blondie, Journey, Willie Nelson and Sammy Hagar (8 a.m., TBS).
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 1 Luther: Never Too Much Learn about the smooth soulful singer Luther Vandross, from his formative years in Harlem through his days on Sesame Street, before becoming the master of the love song (8 p.m., CNN).
THURSDAY, Jan. 2 Holiday Baking Championship Tired of cooking after the holidays? Then sit back watch other people as they rise to the challenges of host Jesse Palmer (8 p.m., Food Network).
Lockerbie: A Search for the Truth What caused Pan Am Flight 103 to explode over a Scottish town in 1988, killing 259 passengers and crew. Colin Firth and Catherine McCormick star in this dramatization of the search for answers, and the truth (Peacock).
Classic Christmas flicks, Simpsons football & Paris & Nicole go to the opera!
Reality TV stars Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie are back in a TV special.
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FRIDAY, Dec. 6 The Sticky Inspired by real events, this six-part heist comedy series stars Margo Martindale as a maple syrup farmer who turns to crime when the going gets…well, gummy. With Chris Diamantopoulos and Jamie Lee Curtis (Prime Video).
Paris Has Fallen When a terrorist group attacks a high-profile Paris event in this eight-episode series, investigators discover someone hellbent on widespread vengeance (Hulu).
SATURDAY, Dec. 7 Home Alone Would Christmas be as Christmas-sy without this 1990 classic, which made little McCauley Caulkin into everyone’s favorite pint-sized holiday prankster? Methinks not. And stick around: It’s followed by its sequel, Home Alone 2 (3:25 p.m., Freeform).
Merry ‘80s Marathon Time travel back to a decade of yore with this slate of classics, including National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (above), Ghostbusters and The Great Outdoors (AMC).
SUNDAY, Dec. 8 Miss Scarlet Victorian England’s first female detective (Kate Phillips from Peaky Blinders) gets a new start for the show’s fifth season with a new “boss” in Scotland Yard (PBS Masterpiece Prime).
The Equalizer In tonight’s holiday-themed episode, “Slay Ride” (above), McCall, Dante and Miles find themselves held hostage in a hospital that’s been taken over by a cartel (8:30 p.m., CBS).
MONDAY, Dec. 9 The Simpsons Funday Football Monday Night Football transforms in this TV special—using state-of-the-art 3D animation—into the world of TV’s most successful primetime family as the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Dallas Cowboys (8 p.m., ESPN, Disney+ and ABC).
The Real Full Monty Anthony Anderson rallies his male celebrity friends in this TV event to drop trou, “bare it all” and raise awareness for prostate, testicular and colorectal cancer (8 p.m., Fox).
TUESDAY, Dec. 10 Dr. Suess How the Grinch Stole Christmas Another modern-day Christmas classic, this 2000 remake of the animated 1960s classic was directed by Ron Howard (yes, that Ron Howard) and featured Jim Carrey as the Grinch. Watch for Christine Baranski, Jeffrey Tambor, Molly Shannon…and Howard’s younger brother, Clint (8.30 p.m., Freeform).
Nature of the Crime Get an inside look at the working of the criminal justice system in this documentary, which follows two men convicted of murder when they were teens, their attorneys and their family members as they prepare for upcoming parole interviews and reflect on their crimes and rehabilitation (HBO).
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11 A Motown Christmas Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey (above) host this all-star musical event with Gladys Knight, Martha Reeves, Andra Day, Pentatonix, Jamie Foxx, the cast of MJ the Musical and more, singing holiday favorites. Dig it! (9 p.m., NBC).12.12
Too Many Christmases How can a couple spend Christmas with both their families in an attempt to please everyone? You’ll find out in this merry holiday dramady starring Denzel Whitaker and Porscha Coleman (Bet+).
Paris & Nicole: The Encore Two decades after making the scene with their reality-TV series, heiresses Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie return with a new TV special, this time trying to produce an operetta. Yes, you read that correctly (Peacock).
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Get in the happy holiday mood with Hartfelt Family Christmas, the new CD from the country trio Chapel Hart (and also available on vinyl). The Mississippi-based vocal group—sisters Danica and Devynn Hart, plus cousin Trea Swindle—certainly know about family, and their first Christmas CD stirs up sweet and soulful memories with Yule classics (including “Silver Bells,” “Blue Christmas,” “O Holy Night” and “O Come All Ye Faithful”), well-chosen covers (Alabama’s “Christmas in Dixie,” Ray Charles’ “Spirit of Christmas”) and all-star guests including Vince Gill, Darius Rucker, Gretchen Wilson and T. Graham Brown. It’s an all-star Christmas get-together with “hart” and harmony. https://www.chapelhart.com/shop
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If you grew up in the early ‘80s, you no doubt remember Rock ‘N’ Roll High School, a rip-roaring B-movie about a rockin’ revolt at a high school, starring P.J. Soles (the “bad girl” from Halloween) and Clint Howard (Ron’s little brother) and featuring the music of The Ramones, who sing the theme song. The 1979 flick has been newly remastered for is 45th anniversary with a locker full of special content, including commentary, interviews and making-of features (shoutfactory.com).
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Paul McCartney has never rested on his Beatles laurels, as The McCartney Legacy Vol. 2 1974-1980 (Dey Street) shows how his post-Beatles adventures included the release of four solo albums, dabbling in music publishing, experimenting as a science fiction writer and filmmaker, recording in Nashville and smuggling cannabis past authority figures…with mixed success. This well-researched exploration of Mac’s exceptionally creative period is a snapshot of a rollicking life after being in the world’s most famous band—and some scars from the group’s breakup that would never be completely healed.
How did live music ever make it onto wax records, then magnetic tape and plastic, and finally into microscopic digital “codes”? It’s all spelled out in Into the Into the Groove: The Story of Sound From Tin Foil to Vinyl (Bloomsbury). Author and avid vinyl collector Jonathan Scott traces the history of recorded sound…including how, for many music lovers, it all came back around to vinyl! And believe it or not, it all started on paper!
Yacht rock, Jimmy Fallon’s all-star Christmas special & a ‘Brewster’s Millions’ remake
Jimmy Fallon celebrates the holiday with a festive, all-star Christmas special.
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FRIDAY, Nov. 29 The Agency Michael Fassbender is an undercover CIA agent forced to abandon his covert persona and resume his real identity for a mission in this new political thriller series. Also starring Richard Gere (Paramount+).
Music Box: Yacht Rock: A Documentary Find out how this breezy subgenre of soft rock became cool again decades later with artists including Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, Steely Dan and Toto (9 p.m., HBO).
SATURDAY, Nov. 30 Reindeer in Here Animated special based on an award-winning book about a tiny young reindeer and his friends who band together to save Christmas (8 p.m., CBS).
Holiday Touchdown: A Chief Love Story A young woman vies for the Kansas City Chief’s “Fan of the Year” title in this holiday romance with a little Hail Mary magic (8 p.m., Hallmark).
SATURDAY, Dec. 1 Earth Abides When a monstrous plague sweeps most humans from the face of the Earth, a small band of shattered survivors remain to struggle against the slide into extinction. First of the new series launches tonight, starring Alexander Ludwig and Jessica FrancesDukes, above (MGM+).
A Creature Was Stirring Chrissy Metz from This is Us stars in this creepy tale about a mom, her teenage daughter and some very dangerous pills (Shudder).
SUNDAY, Dec. 2 All I Want for Christmas is You Maria Carey’s Yuletime megahit was refashioned into this 2017 animated movie in which she voices a little girl who wishes for a Christmas puppy. Henry Winkler is her grandpa (7 a.m., Freeform).
Dalgliesh Bertie Carvel returns for a new season to his role in the title detective crime drama based on a trio of popular murder mysteries by P.D. James (Acorn TV).
MONDAY, Dec. 3 As1One: The Israeli-Palestinian Pop Music Journey Four-part docuseries spanning five years shows how music brought together members from the two nations into a pop group (Paramount+).
TUESDAY, Dec. 4 Jimmy Fallon’s Holiday Seasoning Spectacular The late-night host spotlights his new festive holiday album with fanciful guest appearances by Meghan Trainer, Dolly Parton, the Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake, “Weird” Al Yankovic and more—including a spectacular finish by the Radio City Rockettes (10 p.m., NBC).
Lighttunes New series adopts a “webtoon” about six strangers all drawn to a mysterious light shop at the end of an alleyway, where they find the key to their past, present and future (Hulu).
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5 Brewster’s Millions: Christmas China Anne McClain and Romeo Miller (above) star in this “reimagining” of the 1985 Richard Pryor comedy, about a whopping inheritance that becomes a Christmas blessing…and Pryor’s son, Richard Jr., is in it too! (BET+).
How the Grinch Stole Christmas Annual airing of the classic animated tale of a curmudgeonly Grinch scheming to remove all the joy from Christmas…with a theme song performed by Thurl Ravencroft, who was also the voice in commercials of Tony the Tiger! (8 p.m., NBC).
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Go inside the world of one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed filmmakers in The Magic Hours (University of Kentucky Press), author John Beasdale’s inside look at Terrence Malick, the enigmatic visionary director of Days of Heaven, Thin Red Line and Badlands. If you’re a movie wonk, you’ll dig reading about the acclaimed lensman whose heralded films are often cited for their use of soft natural lighting shortly after sunrise or before sunset, the so-called “magic hour,” a term that his work ushered into filmmaking lingo.
How’s your rouge and lipstick holding up today? Probably not anywhere near what top-tier fashion models are showing off in Chanel: The Allure of Makeup (Thames & Hudson), a hefty coffee-table celebration of the iconic makeup company’s 100th anniversary, with 400 pages of photos from early product shots to cinematic campaigns starring legendary women. In a rainbow of the company’s quintessential colors—black, white, beige, red, pink, gold and blue—it’s a feast for your eyes…and eyeliner!
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Long before there was the remake starring John Travolta as a subway hijacker and Denzel Washington as the lowly dispatcher trying to thwart him, there was this 1974 version of The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 with Robert (Jaws) Shaw and Walter (The Odd Couple) Matthau in the same roles. A time-capsule classic, it’s been newly re-released with loads of bonus content, including interviews, TV and radio spots, a making-of, commentary and more. (Available at kinolarber.com).
A Patsy Cline re-do, classic Beatles reissues, and a Jack Black Christmas flick!
The music of Patsy Cline gets funneled through a new generation of performers.
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FRIDAY, Nov. 22 Patsy Cline: Walkin’ After Midnight Wynonna, Kristin Chenoweth, Kellie Pickler, Mickey Guyton, Grace Potter, Pat Benatar, actress Beverly D’Angelo and more pay homage to the late country music trailblazer (above) and her songs, including “Sweet Dreams,” “She’s Got You” and “Crazy” (9 p.m., PBS).
Jim Gaffigan: The Skinny The Grammy-nominated comedian gives “the skinny” on appetite suppressants, raising teens and more in his first comedy special for the streaming platform (Hulu).
The Witches What did early American women accused of witchcraft have to do with postpartum mental health? This new documentary films explores the connection with interviews from medical professionals, historians and contemporary females (Mubi).
SATURDAY, Nov. 23 Three Wiser Men and a Boy Christmastime tale of brotherhood, a high school musical and a mom with a new boyfriend (8 p.m, Hallmark)
Die Hard Is this 1998 Bruce Willis action flick (above) a “Christmas movie” or not? You’ve got another chance to see for yourself tonight, yippie kia yi yay! With Alan Rickman as a deliciously bad bad guy (8 p.m., TNT).
SUNDAY, Nov. 24 Expedition Files Host Josh Gates travels through history searching for new evidence and answers to unexplained mysteries (9 p.m., Discovery).
Dear Santa: The Series Meet the real-life “Santas” in the five episodes of this new holiday series about the people who actually answer kids’ letters to Santa Claus (ABC).
A Very Merry MeTV Get in the Thanksgiving mood with a day of Turkey Day-themed episodes of Happy Days, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan’s Island (below), The Love Boat and more (starts 11 a.m., MeTV).
MONDAY, Nov. 25 Get Millie Black A Jamaica-born Scotland Yard detective (Tamara Lawrence) digs into missing-person cases in this new series from the UK (9 p.m., HBO).
Tsunami: Race Against Time Four-part series uses first-person testimony and never-seen-before footage to re-examine the catastrophic 2004 Indian Ocean event that took over a quarter-million lives (9 p.m., NatGeo).
Dear Santa Jack Black stars in this new Christmas comedy (above) as “Satan,” a trickster who shows up to create holiday havoc when a young boy (Robert Timothy Smith) sends his wish list to the North Pole…but with a crucial spelling error. The movie’s from the Farrelly Brothers, of Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary and Shallow Hal, so get ready for some major yuks (Paramount+).
TUESDAY, Nov. 26 It’s in the Game: Madden NFL New series tells the story of one of the most popular and successful videogames of all time, its rise to greatness and its enduring pace in pop culture (Prime).
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 27 Countdown to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Wendi McLeodon-Covey hosts this sneak peek at the floats, balloons and bands that will be on display tomorrow in downtown New York City (8 p.m., NBC).
The Untold Story of Mary Poppins This special edition of 20/20 comes at the 60th anniversary of the Disney classic starring Julie Andrews as England’s most famous magical nanny and Dick Van Dyke as a merry-chap chimneysweep (9 p.m., ABC).
THURSDAY, Nov. 28 Sweethearts Two college freshmen (Nico Hiraga and Kiernan Shipka) make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts over the Thanksgiving break…but things take more crazy turns that a wild turkey (Max).
The Day Before Christmas When two parents accidentally swap their kids’ backpacks and their phones, it leads to a chaotic, heartwarming holiday mix-up…and some unexpected romance (BET+).
Blue Bloods: Celebrating a Family Legacy ET’s Nischelle Turner hosts this hour-long special includes series highlights and interviews with the stars and guests on the popular series, including a rare look inside the show’s recurring dinner scene, above (9 p.m., CBS).
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Christmas comes early for Beatles fans with this gollywhopper of a boxed set—all seven of the band’s albums compiled for U.S. release during the early days of Beatlemania, remastered anew into new analog mono, just as the originals. (As fans know, the U.S. albums were slightly different from the original British releases, sometimes with different artwork and tracks not always on their U.K. predecessors.) With The Beatles: 1964 U.S. Albums in Mono (Capitol), you’ll get Meet the Beatles, The Beatles’ Second Album, A Hard Day’s Night, Something New, The Beatles’ Story, Beatles ’65 and The Early Beatles, plus new artwork inserts, sleeve graphics and essays by Beatles historian Brian Spizer.
And if your tastes are for something a little more Southern, check out the groovy gravy of the Allman Brothers’ Final Concert 10-28-14 (Peach Records), the iconic Southern Rock ensemble’s “end of the road” concert event, staged at New York City’s Beacon Theater in 2014. It’s 30 songs drawn from six Allman Brothers albums, orchestrated by the band’s most recent lineup led by Warren Haynes.
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If you missed it back in 2016 at the theatres, now can snag this collector’s re-release edition of Hush (Shout! Factory) starring scream queen Kate Siegel as a deaf-mute writer fighting a serial killer who invades her solitary life in the woods. It’s a fan-favorite slasher flick that was remade—twice—in India!
Movie fans will freak out with Alfred Hitchcock: The Iconic Film Collection (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), a superb remastered 4K collection of six of the acclaimed director’s groundbreaking classics, including Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest, Psycho, Vertigo and The Birds. Plus, a cool collectible book!
DC Comics’ fan-favorite vigilante crime-fighting group returns in Watchmen Chapter II (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), the latest movie installment of their animated adventures, featuring a cast of voices led by Matthew Rhys, Titus Weliver and Katee Sackhoff.
Once upon a time, back in the early ‘70s, John Lennon and Yoko Ono “took over” America’s most popular daytime talk show. Find out all about it Daytime Revolution (Kino Larber), the new documentary about the superstar Beatle and his wife “hosted” The Mike Douglas Show for a full week, filling the studio (and the airwaves) with controversial guests (Black Panther Bobby Seale, political activist Ralph Nader, edgy comedian George Carlin) and rockiin’ the house with some not-ready-for-daytime music.
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Calling the Shots: A Queer History of Photography (Thames & Hudson) is an eye-opening look at nearly two centuries of LGBTQ+ imagery and subjects illustrating homosexual and pansexual representation in the arts, on the streets and in the world at large. Hey! There’s Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, David Bowie, activist Angela Davis, rocker Patti Smith, Judy Garland, singer Dusty Springfield, Queen’s Freddie Mercury, Billie Holiday and Truman Capote!
Are you “addicted” to shopping? Author Emily Mester takes on consumerism in American Bulk (W.W. Norton), a series of thought-provoking essays about excess and how it shapes our character, our sense of self and our connections to others. It’s a first-person narrative about our endless cycle of wanting, buying, consuming—and often discarding—all sorts of things and how it can still somehow leave us feeling empty inside.
Find out about the making of the fan-favorite sitcom Parks & Recreation by Jim O’Heir (who played Jerry Gergich), who gives a firsthand account of working alongside the top-notch cast in Welcome to Pawnee (William Morrow) and how it became a beloved pop-cultural fan favorite. Includes 60 color pics, plus interviews with Chris Pratt, Rob Lowe, Retta and the show’s co-creators.
It’s almost like being there in Midnight Moment (Phaedon), a unique photographic chronicle of watching artwork unfold in Times Square up on the gigantic electronic billboards. Learn how it’s done and see the work of more than a hundred artists who’ve been featured on one of New York City’s most iconic displays.
Magic, sleight of hand and carefully crafted and controlled illusions have been around since almost the beginning of time, so they’ve certainly made many appearances (and disappearances!) on film. In Magic and Illusion in the Movies (McFarland), author George Higham provides a thorough history of the technology, special effects, diversion and trickery (in projects as wide as early horror flicks, The Wizard of Oz, Scooby-Doo cartoons, The Sting and Spider-Man) that have been created to fool our eyes.
Country stars, swords ‘n’ sandals, big-screen witches & Billy Bob Thornton’s a ‘Landman’
Hey Luke! Country hitmakers Luke Combs and Luke Bryant tell the stories behind their songs in ‘It’s All Country.’
All times Eastern.
FRIDAY, Nov. 15 Silo Rebecca Ferguson returns for season two, about the last handful of people on Earth living deep underground in, yes, a massive silo to protect them from the toxic world above. With Tim Robbins (Apple TV+).
It’s All Country Country star Luke Bryan explores the inspirations, personal moments and secrets that help shape the sounds fans love, with input from Sheryl Crow, Kane Brown, Wynonna Judd and others (Hulu).
SATURDAY, Nov. 16 Saturday Night Live Charli xcx pulls double duty tonight, making her first appearance as host and her third as a musical guest, performing songs from her new remixed album “Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat.” Huh? (11:30, NBC).
The Polar Express The first big-screen “motion capture” digital animation film (it’s in Guinness World Records as such), this 2004 fantasy “stars” Tom Hanks as a train conductor who shows a young boy what Christmas is all about. It’s based on a book by the author who also wrote Jumanji (4:27 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., TBS)
SUNDAY, Nov. 17 LandMan Yellowstone creator Ty Sheridan’s new series stars Billy Bob Thornton (above), Ali Larter, Mark Collie and Demi Moore in a modern-day tale of oil-rigging drama (Paramount+).
Dune: Prophesy The futuristic sci-fi movie franchise now gets a small(er) screen extension with this dramatic series about two sisters fighting forces that threaten all mankind. Cause, of course, it’s the future. Starring Emily Watson, Olivia Williams and Mark Strong (9 p.m., HBO).
MONDAY, Nov. 18 Leonardo da Vinci Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns turns his lens to his first “non-American” subject, the 15th century Italian innovator and how he influenced and inspired future generations to this day (8 p.m., PBS).
The Making of Gladiator II Go behind the scenes of director Ridley Scott’s new mega-movie (above), an epic extension (starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal,Denzel Washington and more) of the 2000 original. Learn about new characters, the spectacle and the scale, training the cast in gladiatorial combat, costumes, props and the movie’s historical accuracy (10:30 p.m., CBS).
TUESDAY, Nov. 19 Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande (below) host this TV event taking viewers inside their new movie based on the hit Broadway musical (10 p.m., NBC).
Interior Chinatown A small-part actor (Jimmy O. Yang) in a TV police procedural set in Chinatown inadvertently become a witness to a real crime, leading him to unravel a hidden criminal web in San Francisco (Hulu).
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 20 The CMA Awards Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning and Lainey Wilson host tonight’s 58th annual awarding of trophies bestowed by the Country Music Association, live from Nashville (8 p.m., ABC).
THURSDAY, Nov. 21 Based on a True Story Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina star in season two as a couple capitalizing on America’s true-crime obsession by starting a podcast…partnering with the serial killer terrorizing Los Angeles (Peacock).
Nugget is Dead? A Christmas Story When her beloved family dog falls sick over Christmas, a young woman (Vic Zerbst) has to make new plans with her family in Australia (8 p.m., CBS).
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Remember the ‘80s? In The 1980s: Image of a Decade (Thames & Hudson), author Henry Carroll looks at the eventful decade through images of its design, art, fashion, technology, games, sports and global events. From the rise of hip hop to the fall of the Berlin Wall, it’s all here, in a kaleidoscope of culture from all corners—a world big enough to contain Pee-Wee Herman, Dirty Dancing, the Berlin Wall, the Challenger disaster and Live Aid at the same time!
The iconic singer and actress tells her own story in Cher: The Memoir, Part One (Harper Collins), from being a dyslexic child who dreamed of being famous to becoming the only woman to top the Billboard charts in seven consecutive decades, an Oscar winner and an inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
How much do you know about the forces that shape our world, sometimes cause chaos and destruction, and have inspired poets, scientists and philosophers for eons? Elements (Thames & Hudson) takes a close and evocative look, with accompanying photography and insightful texts, on the five natural elements (wood, fire, earth, water and metal) essential to life on planet Earth, how they’ve been represented, interpreted, revered and feared across the centuries.
In American Artifacts (Thames & Hudson), award-winning photographer Matt Black presents a diverse collection of flotsam and jetsam he’s come across in his 100,000-mile, six-year, cross-country odyssey. A continuation of his 2021 photobook American Geography, it’s spectrum of discarded objects, from scribbled notes to cigarette boxes, shoes, bottles, cans, yard signs and busted locks. It’s a strikingly unique portrait of America, revealed and symbolized by the things we throw away, lose or leave behind. And you may not think your old dirty glove or broken hairbrush is “art,” but he might.
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The new deluxe steelbook reissue of the epic 1984 fantasy movie Labyrinth is a true collectors’ set with a 4k restoration of the film directed by Jim Henson, and featuring his fanciful non-Muppet “puppet” creatures alongside the actors, which included rock star David Bowie and Demi Moore. (Shout! Factory).
Happy anniversary to three classic movies, all now available remastered on 4K! The West was never wilder—or as wildy funny—as it was Blazing Saddles (1974), director Mel Brooks’ spectacularly hilarious spoof of the cowboy genre. (And Richard Pryor helped write the screenplay!). Ah-nold is the iconic cyborg assassin from the future in The Terminator (1984). Didja know his costar, Linda Hamiliton, would go on to marry the director, James Cameron? And Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959) was one of his greatest thrillers, with Cary Grant chased across the country in a case of mistaken identity.
The ghost with the most is back in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), with Michael Keaton reprising his 1980s role as the devious netherworld demon, with former castmates Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara, plus newcomer Jenna Ortega. Extras include commentary by director Tim Burton, a feature on the movie’s stop-motion artistry, and other insider stuff!
Boy bands, an award for “The Beav” and a salute to soldiers
All times Eastern.
The Backstreet Boys—and other boy bands—are featured in the new doc ‘Larger Than Life.’
FRIDAY, Nov. 8 Gold Rush The rush is on in the new season of the mining drama as soaring gold prices ignite greed, competition and family turmoil in the Klondike (8 p.m., Discovery).
Cold Case Files: The Grim Reaper Regina Hall narrates the new crime series about an infamous serial killer who preyed on women in South Central California over a 25-year span (9 p.m., A&E).
SATURDAY, Nov. 9 Family Film and TV Awards Leave It to Beaver’s Jerry Mathers (above) will receive tonight’s Icon Award at this event honoring family-themed shows and films across the eras. Hosted by Kevin Frasier and Amanda Kloots (8 p.m., CBS).
SUNDAY, Nov. 10 Yellowstone Fans of the hit modern-day Wild West series can rejoice with tonight’s return of the series as it prepares to wrap up its five-season run—but without founding star Kevin Costner aboard (Paramount).
Moonshiners New season begins tonight of more backwoods booze-makers continuing the fight the obstacles to their “tradition” and way of livelihood (8 p.m., Discovery).
MONDAY, Nov. 11 The American Soldier In honor of Veteran’s Day, this special (executive produced by Payton Manning) tells the story of America’s fighting men and women throughout history and into the modern era (8 p.m., History Channel).
Larger Than Life Remember boy bands? This music doc looks at how male groups—from the Beatles to the Backstreet Boys—became woven into our pop culture, with interviews from Donnie Wahlberg, Donny Osmond, Hanson and more (Paramount+).
TUESDAY, Nov. 12 Operation Undercover Docuseries takes viewers inside real-life down-low operations run by police to keep communities safe from drug dealers, arms suppliers, human traffickers and other criminal enterprises (10 p.m., ID.
St. Denis Medical Tonight’s back-to-back episodes launch this mockumentary series about the medical staff at an Oregon hospital trying to maintain their own sanity. With Wendi McLendon-Covey, David Alan Grier and Allison Tolman (8 p.m., NBC).
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 13 Bad Sisters Comedy series (above) blends more dark comedy and thrills for season two, starring creator Sharon Hogan, Ava-Marie Duff and Eve Hewson as part of a group of sisters after the “accidental death” of an abusive husband (AppleTV+).
Building Stuff Learn all about engineering, how it works, who creates it and the many ways it enriches our lives in this cool new NOVA documentary (PBS, check local listings).
THURSDAY, Nov. 14 Cross If you’re a fan of author James’ Patterson’s detective fiction, check out this new series starring Aldis Hodge as Alex Cross, Patterson’s gumshoe forensic psychologist digging into crimes through the minds of killers and victims (Prime).
Say Nothing Based on the bestselling book by Patrick Raden Keefe, this nine-episode limited series presents a dramatic tale of murder and memory in Northern Ireland during the three decades of political unrest known as The Troubles (Hulu).
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In The Endless Refrain (Melville House), veteran music journalist David Rowell puts the spotlight on a music culture run amok, driven by conformity and subverted by the internet and social media, from streaming’s paltry revenues for musicians and songwriters to the rise of dead artists “touring” via high-tech holograms. It’s both a wake-up call and a requiem for music the way it used to be, just a few years ago.
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Director Oliver Stone’s classic Born on the Fourth of July gets a new shine for Veteran’s Day with this new two-disc 4K UHD edition from Shout! Factory. Tom Cruise plays a Vietnam vet (based on real-life Ron Kovac) who returns from war bitter—and paralyzed from the waist down. Extras include commentary and interview with the director and others who worked on the film.
What is folk horror? Well, it’s scary stuff that mixes elements of folklore into tales rich with fear and foreboding—like the 24 flicks in this roundup of folk-horror classics from around the world. All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror (Severin) is a horror lover’s feast, with loads of special features and a 252-page hardbound book of folk horror fiction. If you’ve never seen Psychomania (1973), Who Fears the Devil (1972) or The White Reindeer (1952), gird your loins up and dive in!
Classic Disney, movie remakes, box office flops, a Dunder Mifflin Christmas & oh, yeah…election night!
All times Eastern.
FRIDAY, Nov. 1 Freedom Lucas Bravo from Emily in Paris stars as a French bandit in the 1970s who stole hearts as well as riches, masterminding dangerous heists without ever firing a shot (Prime).
30 Days of Disney Kick off a week of programming celebrating Disney animation, kicking off today with The Great Mouse Detective, The Aristocats, Pinocchio (above), Finding Nemo, Finding Dory and Coco (10:30 a.m., Freeform).
SATURDAY, Nov. 2 Wine, Women & Dementia An intimate look in the personal side of dementia through the lives of caregivers (check local listings, PBS).
United Way Benefit for Hurricane Relief The stars—including the Backstreet Boys, Billy Bob Thornton, Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini and Stephen Colbert—come out for this hour-long TV special to raise fund for hurricane relief (8 p.m., CBS and CMT, plus Paramount+ with Showtime).
SUNDAY, Nov. 3 Like Water for Chocolate New adaptation of the iconic novel—about a lovestruck woman who channels her deepest desires into recipes—stars Irene Azuela and Azul Guaita (above). It was previously made into an acclaimed film in 1992 (HBO).
Holiday Wars Host Jeff Maura oversees the competition as chefs work to out-do each other with over-the-top holiday-themed confections (9 p.m., Food Network).
Motorcycle Mary Find out about the woman who became a motorcycle racing legend, with a career spanning 30 years and shattering gender norms (2 p.m., ESPN).
MONDAY, Nov. 4 Holiday Baking Championship ‘Tis the season…for a new season of bakers showing their seasonal stuff to judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Nancy Fuller, and hoping to bag the show’s $25,000 grand prize (8 p.m., Food Network).
Inspector Ellis Sharon D. Clark stars in this new detective drama series (above) from Great Britain about a Black female cop on a new station assignment, trying to win over her coworkers and crack open the case she came there to solve (Acorn TV).
TUESDAY, Nov. 5 Presidential Election Coverage Pick a network, pick a channel. Chances are you’ll get a ringside seat to who’s winning, who’s losing, and what it all might mean (6 p.m., multiple platforms).
Game Changers If you grew up, well, a couple of decades ago, you love this new series about iconic e-games, including Nintendo, Pac-Man, EA Sports, Call of Duty, Sonic the Hedgehog, World of Warcraft, Minecraft, plus a couple of grand ol’ board games, Scrabble and Monopoly (9 p.m., Discovery).
Nature—San Diego: America’s Wildest City Find out all about the most biologically diverse municipality in America, located at the geographic intersection of the Mojave Desert, the Pacific Ocean, the Sierra Mountains and the Mexican border—a place where all kinds of wildlife thrives (8 p.m., PBS).
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 6 Feuds Turned Fatal Retaliation and revenge unfold as friendships take furious turns. Both sides share their versions of what went south, from mouthy disagreements to murder (10 p.m., ID).
THURSDAY, Nov. 7 Rebus Outlander’s Richard Rankin leads the cast of this BBC crime thriller series as a younger version of the iconic detective John Rebus from the detective novels of Scottish writer Sir Ian Rankin, as he’s drawn in to a violent conflict that becomes personal (Viaplay US).
The Day of the Jackal Eddie Redmayne (above) stars as an elusive lone assassin tracked by a tenacious British Intelligence officer (Lashana Lynch) in a thrilling cat-and-mouse game across Europe (Sky, on Peacock Nov. 17).
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Everyone remembers the big hits, the box-office gold, the award winners. But now let’s hear it for the fabulous flops! In Box Office Poison (Harper Collins), author Tim Robey runs down 100 years of cinematic tankers; they might have been clunkers as popcorn fare but (some, at least) are now considered cult classics—like Freaks, Rollerball, Doctor Dolittle, The Hudsucker Proxy and Cats. Three cheers for these loveable losers!
Fans of TV’s The Office will love The Night Before Christmas at Dunder Mifflin (Mariner Hardcover), which re-imagines the classic Christmas tale as a children’s story with characters from the iconic show, including Michael Scott as Santa and Rainn Wilson as a beet-loving elf!
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Auntie Em! Auntie Em! The Wizard of Oz turns 85 this month, and this new commemorative 4K Ultra HD collection from Warner Bros Discovery Home Entertainment includes memorabilia reproduced from the classic film’s original posters, tickets and lobby cards. Plus a making-of doc, deleted scenes and much more. Like the tornado that took Dorthy to Oz, it’ll blow you away!
Director M. Night Shayamalan’s Trap is a twisty tale that stars Josh Harnett as a dad who takes his daughter to a pop concert (shades of Taylor Swift), then finds out he’s at the center of a deadly chain of events involving a serial killer on the loose. Former Disney child star Hayley Mills plays the FBI profiler trying to catch the killer, and the director’s daughter, Saleka, makes her movie debut as the pop star. Full of surprises, it comes with a making-of documentary and deleted scenes.
Strange things start to happen in Blink Twice (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) when a cocktail waitress (Naomi Ackie) meets a guy (Channing Tatum) and agrees to visit him on his private island for a party. With Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Kyle MacLachlan, Geena Davis and Haley Joel Osment.
Hey, weren’t the ‘80s awesome? In 1982:Greatest Geek Year Ever (MVD) a host of Hollywood insiders (actors, directors, movie critics and more) run down the year’s top movies, music and pop culture with clips and commentary. It’s a gnarly hop down memory lane for anyone who lived it—or wished they did!
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Groove to the sounds of the King of Cool with Dean Martin’s Great Hits (Columbia), newly compiled and released on vinyl—just like they were originally! You’ll hear Dean-o crooning 13 of his classics, including “That’s Amore,” “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head,” “Volare” and “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You.” Fire up the turntable, pour yourself a cocktail, and dig it!
And take another trip down memory lane with the new release of The Carpenters’ Christmas Once More (Universal), cherry-picked from the brother-sister duo’s original holiday album releases in 1978 and 1984. The 16 tracks include “Sleigh Ride,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Ava Maria.”
The Media Tourist 