Worth Watching: ‘Call the Midwife,’ ‘When Calls the Heart,’ a Christmas Carol (Burnett)
A critical checklist of notable Tuesday TV:
Call the Midwife (9/8c, PBS, check local listings at pbs.org): In what has become a yearly Christmas tradition, the nostalgic drama (now set in the 1960s) set at Nonnatus House in London’s East End offers a holiday special. The splendid character actor Miriam Margoyles guests as indefatigable Sister Mildred, bringing four Chinese orphaned refugees into the midwives’ care. There could soon be a change in the holy chain of command, with Mother Superior taken ill, and Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) is all aflutter at the thought that she could be asked to inhabit that formidable habit. (The eighth season premieres March 31.)
When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing (8/7c, Hallmark): Here’s another good excuse to bring out the hankies on Christmas night for a good heartwarming cry. Fans of the 1900s period piece were crestfallen last season when Mountie Jack (Daniel Lessing) perished in a training accident, leaving his bride Elizabeth Thornton (Erin Krakow) widowed — and pregnant. In this two-hour Christmas special, a snowstorm and an overflow of visiting orphans — it’s a theme! — complicate matters in Hope Valley, Alberta. Time flies when your heart is healing, and before it’s all over, we’ll meet baby Thornton! Be still our you-know-what.
A Christmas ‘Carol’ (starts at 9 am/8c, Decades): The nostalgia channel turns over Christmas Day to the legendary Carol Burnett, who on Sunday will receive the Golden Globes’ first career achievement award for TV. Quite the gift to be reminded of her comic genius through 27 episodes of Carol Burnett and Friends (highlights from The Carol Burnett Show) airing through the day, including such unforgettable sketches as “Went With the Wind.” The tribute includes four episodes of The Lucy Show (starting at 1 pm/12c) in which Burnett appeared alongside her mentor, Lucille Ball, and her hosting gig for The Very Best of The Ed Sullivan Show (11 am/10c and 9/8c).
Inside Tuesday TV: The 24-hour marathons of A Christmas Story continue through 8 pm/7c on TBS and 9/8c on TNT… On a holiday filled with high-profile NBA basketball matches, the marquee event pits LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers against Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors, so big a match it’s airing on both ABC and ESPN (8/7c)… NBC doubles down on How the Grinch Stole Christmas, starting with the beloved 1966 animated classic (1966) and the unforgettable narration of Boris Karloff, followed by the somewhat less loved feature-film version from 2000 (8:30/7:30c), starring Jim Carrey… PBS’s poignant docuseries We’ll Meet Again (8/7c, check local listings at pbs.org) revisits the Korean War, with host Ann Curry introducing us to two veterans seeking to reconnect with compatriots lost to time. Jim wants to thank two lieutenants who bolstered his courage during combat, and Tony hopes to thank a friend who saw him through an ordeal on a hospital ship. Where are they now?
Conversation16 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Comments are closed on this story.
-
R
My GF and I (but multitasking, still, obviously)...are now watching White Christmas from Sundance (DVR)…
Interestingly...on alternate commercial breaks...they advertise their all day showing of White Christmas!!??!!
-
R
My GF and I (but multitasking, obviously)...are watching Holiday Inn (DVR) right now...
Don\'t know how/why I EVER confused it with White Christmas...
(It\'s like I...for some unknown reason...had lost the ability to be able to notice the differences between Fred Astaire and Danny Kaye!!??!!)
-
R
Yeah, not much to confuse between the elegant, debonair Fred Astaire and the funny, gawky Danny Kaye. :-D Holiday Inn is such the better movie.
1
-
C
Danny Kaye could be very elegant and debonair too when cast in a role that called for it. It\'s just that he was often cast in comedic roles that required him to be silly.
1
-
G
I found both Holiday Inn and White Christmas to be a joy to watch. Although I give Holiday Inn the edge.
Did you ever watch Christmas in Connecticut ? Another holiday movie classic. The new holiday movies, don\'t touch these!
-
-
R
We\'ll Meet Again for me.
Incidentally, Animal Planet is airing Too Cute all Christmas morning, and The Zoo all afternoon.
-
C
I\'ll bet I\'ve seen every Too Cute at least 10 times! It\'s been on weekday mornings for years along with that one that highlights about 5 different breeds of cats or dogs each show. The Zoo was on all day the other day too. I just leave it on and go about my business all day.
-
R
One show I wish Animal Planet would bring back is K-9 Cops. The show about the K-9 crew of the St. Paul police department was always interesting. I\'d love to see more of that.
-
C
If you mean those dogs they sic on people, no thanks. They do that on Live PD sometimes, the people they catch always come out all bloody, and the cops always say, \"You\'re going to need stitches.\" It\'s cruel and unusual punishment to me.
1
-
R
I guess it\'s a matter of perspective. In that show, I don\'t recall the dogs being \"sic\'d\" on anyone.... they were sent to track down either contraband or fugitives. The fugitives were told not to struggle, and the dogs wouldn\'t bite. Once the officers were on the scene the dog was called back to his handler.
I have no idea what happens on Live PD.... if they use their dogs differently, it\'s probably not the \'proper\' procedure.
-
C
I think it depends on the state and the particular police department. Plus, some shows may choose to show the bloodiest parts and others not. I just know the dogs grabbing a suspect by the arm or leg frequently bite down very hard and don\'t let go until ordered to.
-
R
The dogs are supposed to grab the suspect hard enough to retain control, without savagely biting, but of course there is naturally some amount of injury in that process.
(Ironically, and tangentially related, I read today that just yesterday, a fleeing suspect in Florida shot a K-9 officer as he was being chased. The guy was also shooting at human officers who were chasing him, too. The dog ended up dying from the wounds, but the suspect was caught also. The K-9 died a hero, in the line of duty.)
-
-
C
Looking forward to the Call the Midwife Xmas special. That\'s about it.
-
C
Same for me. 8th season next year!
I\'d love for you and other people here to watch \"The Bodyguard\", I know you don\'t have Netflix, but if you have the time and have a free preview available, It is very worth of viewing.
I thought I wouldn\'t like it, foolishly thinking it was like the movie with Kevin Costner. I couldn\'t be more wrong!
For me the best new show of the year. It is very fast paced and with just 6 episodes (The British way), it is awesome. No spoilers, but something happens in the 4th episode that is very surprising and changes the direction of the series.
No wonder, it became the UK\'s most watched drama ever.
-
C
Maybe someday.
-
B
jless why
-
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services