One Last ‘Timeless’ Adventure, ‘Murphy Brown’ Finale, A ‘Top Chef’ Holiday Meal
A critical checklist of notable Thursday TV:
Timeless (8/7c, NBC): An early Christmas gift for fans of the time-travel adventure, who begged NBC to bring Timeless back from the dead — twice! — and got their wish with a two-hour movie that serves as a series finale (for now, and probably for always). The first crucial piece of business for the team: saving Rufus (Malcolm Barrett), the beloved pilot. In the May cliffhanger, colleagues Lucy (Abigail Spencer) and Wyatt (Matt Lanter) zapped in from the future to reveal Rufus is alive in some timeline, so off they go. The final voyage takes them to Gold Rush-era California, to a Korean War Christmas Eve, and who knows where else or when. Along the way, they’ll keep trying to get the upper hand on the Rittenhouse cabal. And if they don’t wrap every single thing up by the end? Well, Timeless has already had three lives. Who knows what the future will bring?
Murphy Brown (9:30/8:30c, CBS): The topical sitcom ends its comeback season — and no, that doesn’t mean it’s canceled (yet) — with Murphy (Candice Bergen) still fretting over the fate of Avery (Jake McDorman), her son-turned-foreign correspondent, who’s MIA in Afghanistan. To distract her, the gang takes her to Phil’s Bar for a 100th anniversary New Year’s Eve party. Charles Kimbrough is back as retired anchor Jim Dial, and real-life news personalities Lawrence O’Donnell and Andrea Mitchell appear as themselves. Directing the episode: Barnet Kellman, who helmed 76 episodes of the original series, including the pilot (and winning a 1992 Emmy for the memorable “Birth 101” episode).
Top Chef (10/9, Bravo): The competition may be heated in the kitchen, but it’s holiday time — which means the chef-testants get a temporary break when they’re visited by superstar chef Eric Ripert, who joins the crew for a lavish French Christmas dinner. This is preceded by a white elephant Quickfire introduced by All-Stars winner Richard Blais and Season 14 winner Brooke Williamson. And barely have they finished their sit-down meal when Padma Lakshmi tells them they’re responsible for the dessert course, which results in a midnight pastry free-for-all. Bon Appetit!
Inside Thursday TV: With less than a week until the big day, ABC puts us back in the yuletide spirit with an encore showing of A Charlie Brown Christmas (8/7c), followed by the season finale — already? — of The Great American Baking Show (9/8c), with the remaining finalists showing their prowess (or not) with custards and cakes before “America’s Best Amateur Baker” is announced… From last December, Fox replays its musical version of A Christmas Story Live! (8/7c), featuring Matthew Broderick as a persistent narrator… Hallmark Movies & Mysteries delivers another in a seemingly endless stream of holiday movies with A Christmas for the Books (9/8c), starring Chelsea Kane as a best-selling lifestyle/romance expert who’s secretly single, and asks a morning-show producer (Drew Seeley) to pretend to be her mate. What could possibly happen next?
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R
I like fantasy...and time travel...shows...
But...during the 2 seasons of Timeless...although I put in a Season Pass for it on my DVR a couple times...it always backed-up and would end up being deleted...
However...because of all the brouhaha over its cancellation...I WILL DVR tonight's finale/movie...just to see what I (might have) missed...
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C
If you do get to watch it, I hope they explain enough of what happened in the last episode or two so you know what's going on.
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Well...I searched Timeless here (and on TVLine)...and found some pretty good Recaps...
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C
Timeless!!!
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G
So excited!! If the ratings are strong enough tonight......
Who knows??
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C
Don't get your hopes up.
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G
Nah, I know this show will be likely gone forever after tonight.
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G
Watching Timeless live right now. Funny how we just talked about not loving westerns and here we are watching one! But it's better than your average western.
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G
And the second half is set around the Korean War! Again better than your average war movie, at least for me.
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C
But it's not a western or a war movie. It's a sci-fi story about people traveling through time.
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G
I need to watch it again. Confused about what the Asian girl (likely a descendant from the pregnant woman from the Korean War) was planning on doing . Also the team was going back to save the world from her?
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Again today, I don't see a Worth-Watching page for today. I guess it will show up later for me.
Weird.
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I just read an EW recap. It helped, but I still need to watch this complex 2-hour episode again.
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C
They said the Korean woman's baby became a teacher like her mother, so I don't think it's her.
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G
So that young Asian scientist invents a time machine that may have something to do with ending the world? That's why the team has to go back. I would LOVE another movie! Of course I rather have another season!
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Maybe it was just a way of saying that even if their team didn't invent a time machine someone, somewhere would eventually invent one.
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R
Murphy Brown is the only new show for me. I may watch the re-airings of Big Bang and/or SWAT.
Meanwhile, that Christmas for the Books movie sounds like a poorly-conceived remake of Christmas in Connecticut.
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