A Last Batch of Christmas Movies (and a Few Classics), ‘Planet Earth’ Finale, NBC Comedy Sneak Peek

Movie Premiere

8/7c

The Yule Log: Depending on your tastes, you could either just put the video Yule Log (available many places) on your TV screen or have one last wallow in heartwarming new movies. On Lifetime, Mom’s Christmas Boyfriend (Saturday, 8/7c) is what 10-year-old Lily (Ai Barrett) puts at the top of her wish list in a writing contest. Will her single mom (Jeananne Goossen) find “the one?” Great American Family offers A Royal Christmas Holiday (Saturday, 8/7c) when a reporter (Brittany Underwood) scores a scoop, and probably more, with the visiting Prince Johnathan (Jonathan Stoddard) of Visaria. OWN gets a shade more dramatic with Christmas Revisited (Saturday, 9/8c) when a group of thirtysomethings gathers at a mountain cabin where, in the tradition of The Big Chill, old resentments, secrets, and second chances come into play. UPtv’s A Christmas Letter (Sunday, 7/6c) brings together a woman struggling to keep her foster-care home afloat and a friendly new postman. Those inclined towards holiday music might prefer to spend Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night (Saturday, 8/7c), featuring the historical drama’s stars Elizabeth Tabish (Mary Magdalene) and Vanessa Benavente (Mary) and a special performance by Andrea Bocelli and his son, Matteo.

8/7c

Holiday Perennials: Christmas Eve is a night for tradition, and TV complies with some of the most beloved holiday movies of all time. NBC presents its annual showing of Frank Capra’s 1946 sentimental classic It’s a Wonderful Life (Sunday, 8/7c) while ABC counters with 1990’s slapstick Home Alone (Sunday, 8/7c). Every hour on the hour for 24 hours, TBS and TNT offer 1983’s A Christmas Story (Sunday, 8/7c, TBS; 9/8c, TNT). Turner Classic Movies gets in the spirit, beginning with the musical Meet Me in St. Louis (Sunday, 6/5c), which gave us “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” continuing with the romantic comedy Christmas in Connecticut and crossing over into Christmas morning, appropriately enough, with 1938’s A Christmas Carol (11:45/10:45c), starring Reginald Owen as Scrooge.

Season Premiere

8/7c

SATURDAY: The spectacular nature series wraps its third iteration with a salute to some of the planet’s noblest humans on the front lines of the conservation movement to preserve Earth for future generations. Followed by The Making of Planet Earth III (9:20/8:20c), which goes behind the scenes with filmmakers using the most cutting-edge technology on a five-year mission to capture wildlife drama.

8:30/7:30c

SATURDAY: “Our marriage was getting in the way of our getting along,” explains Jim (Two and a Half Men’s Jon Cryer) in the mediocre pilot episode of a domestic post-divorce sitcom getting a peculiar Saturday preview in advance of its actual premiere on Jan. 2. Jim’s amicable divorce after 17 years with Julia (Abigail Spencer) becomes something of a prickly triangle when she falls for Boston Celtics owner Trey (Scrubs’ Donald Faison), and new rules need to be established in the shared “nest” where the exes take turns raising their kids. The pilot episode revolves around Jim and Julia trying to hide the bad news from 13-year-old daughter Grace (Sofia Cappana) that her goldfish died while she was away at camp. Thankfully, the off-putting device where the characters explain everything directly to the camera—this isn’t Modern Family, folks—tones down in future episodes. While it would be nice to extend some Christmas charity to this new series, the stars are the best thing about a show that comedically feels like getting a lump of coal in one’s stocking.

Special

8/7c

SATURDAY: Louder laughs are likely in a special “Night Court Before Christmas” episode of the rebooted sitcom, with naked carolers and drunken St. Nicks invading Judge Abby’s (Melissa Rauch) courtroom. While Abby works with an unexpectedly empathetic Dan (John Larroquette) to help a little girl find her letter to Santa, prosecutor Olivia (India de Beaufort) deals with a witness who believes she’s the Ghost of Christmas Present. Tis the season.

Inside Weekend TV:

• NFL: With NBC’s Sunday Night Football taking Christmas Eve off, the main action is Saturday, with a special afternoon game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers at 4:30 pm/ET on NBC and Peacock. For the first time, the streamer is the exclusive home of an evening game at 8 pm/ET between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Chargers.

• 60 Minutes (Sunday, 7/6c): Not a new edition, the newsmagazine compiles three of its most captivating segments on animals: sperm whales off the coast of Dominica, macaque monkeys on an island off the Puerto Rican coast, and slow-moving sloths in Costa Rica.
• Lingo (Sunday, 8/7c, CBS): M-E-R-R-Y. That’s the mood in a holiday edition of the game show where contestants decode words after being given the first letter. RuPaul hosts from a winter-wonderland set. Followed by a holiday edition of the short-lived Lotería Loca (9/9c) game show.