John Legend’s ‘Legendary Christmas,’ ‘Vikings’ Returns, Conan Goes to Japan
A critical checklist of notable Wednesday TV:
A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy (10/9c, NBC): It’s good to be an EGOT (shorthand for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony winner), and John Legend is clearly having a ball — having achieved the rare feat with last spring’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, in which he starred and executive produced. With a new Christmas CD (A Legendary Christmas) to promote, he rode in last week’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and is one of the performers in NBC’s live Christmas in Rockefeller Center tree-lighting extravaganza (8/7c), alongside the likes of Diana Ross, Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Brett Eldridge, Martina McBride and Kellie Pickler.
To top it off, he and wife Chrissy Teigen host a merrily cornball holiday special, in the tradition of those ’60s-’70s variety specials in which the likes of Andy Williams would welcome the Osmond family into their “homes” for song, dance and (in this case canned) laughter. With ironic winks to the audience at home, Legend greets famous friends including Stevie Wonder and Zach Galifianakis (in a Santa suit), while Chrissy in the kitchen is “entertained” by a pushy Kris Jenner. If you’re not in on the joke, it could put you in a saccharine coma.
Vikings (10/9c, History): The war rages on as the fifth season of the tumultuous 9th-century saga resumes, with vengeful Ivan the Boneless (Alex Høgh Anderson) having triumphed over former queen Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) and her allies. Enter Duke Rollo (Clive Standen), older brother of late king Ragnar, to stir more disruption in the combative stronghold of Kattegat.
Conan Without Borders: Japan (10/9c, TBS): Marking the 10th time the late-night host has gone abroad for a prime-time special, Conan O’Brien finds much to satirize, and to love, in the Land of the Rising Sun. He visits Conan Town, a village named after an anime detective, takes an etiquette lesson and, in a first, rents an entire family.
Inside Wednesday TV: With the tribe now evenly split between “Davids” and “Goliaths,” CBS’s Survivor (8/7c) doubles up with a two-hour episode, featuring the always emotional reading of letters from home… Nev Schulman is auditioning potential co-hosts in a new season of MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show (9/8), starting with Jane Carrey (daughter of Jim). They help a guy named Mike who’s crushing on Joey, a broke mechanic he met on Grindr… Recrimination and emotional angst are among the items on the menu in ABC’s A Million Little Things (10/9c) when Regina (Christina Moses) and Delilah (Stephanie Szostak) host a tasting party for their friends at their soon-to-open restaurant. Gary (James Roday) seizes the occasion to once again try to shame Maggie (Allison Miller) into seeking treatment for her cancer.
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R
My thoughts of all the hiatuses giving me a little time to get a little "breathing room" on the ol' DVR...is NOT working out as expected...
Tonight...Vikings--start of NEW season...Survivor--TWO episodes...A Million Little Things--RE-START of season...
What's a guy to do???
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C
I'm catching up with the Masterpiece Theatre programs I had saved up. I finished Poldark this weekend, and I'm starting on The Woman in White now.
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R
What is the big obsession with Chrissy Tiegen? I've seen her interviewed, read about her tweets or posts or whatever being extremely popular, etc. Over and above who her husband is, millions of people seem to be interested in this woman and what she has to say.
So what's the draw? Why is she supposedly so fascinating??
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G
I don't know what she does other than being married to Legend. I honestly never heard or saw her on TV or movies. Perhaps a reality star?
Maybe a model?
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G
I just did a quick search. She is the co- host of Lip-sync battle on cable. Never watched it.
She appeared in several movies and shows that I never watched. Was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at one point. Started out modeling. Oh well, marrying Legend certainly didn't hurt her career.
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G
Swimsuit model as her cover on Sports Illustrated can attest...
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R
LOL, Tony's familiar with her "body" of work. 😉
Yeah, I think she modeled and was in one of Legend's music videos, probably how they met.
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C
Started as a model. Is also a cookbook author and TV host (most notably of the Billboard Music Awards) who's become a social media sensation.
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R
Wow. There is NOTHING on tonight that catches my attention.
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G
Magnum rerun at 10:00 is better than nothing.
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R
Agree. Magnum is pretty entertaining of a show, imho.
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G
For me, there's "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" which will be especially interesting for me this year because I just came from New York a few weeks ago and saw the place including the skating rink where I actually saw some people ice skating there in the middle of October!
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G
I can even watch it twice.
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R
🙂
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R
NYC during the holidays is very impressive.
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C
ABC night again with all the comedies and A Million Little Things! I'll record Riverdale and watch all new Vikings later!
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R
Is A Million LIttle Things any good? Just seems like a clone of other shows.
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R
Well Jena...for me...when my DVR picks up a new A Million Little Things...I watch it pretty quickly...(it NEVER backs up)...
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C
It's a soap opera about a group of friends that started off with one of them killing himself. I started watching because some of my favorite actors (James Roday, David Giuntoli, Grace Park) are in it. It's not great, but it's addictive.
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R
Grace Park has been in VERY few scenes...(so far)...but I think she was a "late addition" to the cast...
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C
But the scenes she has been in are important dramatic ones rather than the ones where people are just sitting around chitchatting. Even if she was a late addition to the cast, I'd think the role had already been written for whoever was cast.
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C
She's in a lot of tonight's episode.
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C
Well, they gave her a lot more lines and even built a little subplot around her. It also looks like she'll play a bigger part in next week's episode.
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