Saturday, November 26, 2005

Network Holiday Programming: FOX

Continuing our holiday programming look at the networks, we look at FOX today.

FOX starts it all off with a reality special titled Dear Santa.
With Special Guest Appearances by Clay Aiken & Raven Simone, Dear Santa is a one-hour unscripted holiday special featuring the dramatic and heartwarming stories of children whose letters to Santa will be answered with the help of some very special guests. The U.S. Postal Service teams up with some of today's hottest stars to share some dramatic stories including a girl who wants to make the holidays special for needy children, a young boy who dreams of a safe place to skate, a little girl who hopes her dad will come home for the holidays from his military duties abroad and a girl who wants to further her education on Dear Santa airing Friday, Dec. 9 (8:30-9:00 p.m. ET/PT).

Malcolm in the Middle Holiday Classic: In an encore holiday episode, Broke, Hal and Lois decide that all the Christmas gifts must be homemade. When Hal realizes Lois and the boys have made bigger and better gifts, he fibs about the fabulous present he has in store for them and takes the family on a wild goose chase. Meanwhile, Malcolm feels like his brothers are alienating him and Francis returns home with startling news on the episode "Hal's Christmas Gift" Sunday, Dec. 9 (9:30-10:00 p.m. ET/PT). And for those in the west coast ONLY, a special airing again on Sunday, Dec. 18 (7:00-7:30 p.m. PT).

Bones Christmas: Construction workers find a skeleton in an old fallout shelter from the 1950s and the Jeffersonian is brought in to help identify the remains. When Zack cuts into the bone, he accidentally releases spores of the deadly fungus Valley Fever, causing the team to be quarantined in the lab over Christmas. While everyone tries to maintain the holiday spirit, Brennan buckles down to solve the mystery of the fallout shelter. Booth and Brennan’s team are reminded that this is a rough time of year for Brennan, since her parents went missing right before Christmas when she was a kid. As Brennan works to bring closure to the family of the missing man – something she has yet to receive about her own parents – the time spent together in the lab provides the catalyst for revealing information about all of them in “The Man in the Fallout Shelter” airing Tuesday, Dec. 13 (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET/PT)

The O.C. Holiday Episode: After the gang spends hours picking out the perfect Christmas trees, they devise a special plan to help a friend in need. Meanwhile, the holidays bring out a somber Summer who misses her mom, and Johnny's sudden misfortune forces him to take matters into his own hands. Kirsten, meanwhile, puts the past behind her and reaches out to Julie Cooper. And when a reminiscing Seth vows to put a little "mukkah" into Ryan’s "chris," Ryan gets Bar-Mitz-vahkkahed on the third annual O.C. "Chrismukkah" episode, "The Chrismukkah Bar Mitz-vahkkah," airing Thursday, Dec. 15 (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET/PT)

Cops Go Ho Ho Ho!: When Detective Jason Lando of the Pittsburgh, PA, Bureau of Police investigates suspicious activity in a parking lot frequented by drug users and prostitutes, the parked driver claims to be waiting for her daughter. As the investigation continues, officers recognize the driver’s daughter as someone they encounter frequently. The shaky young girl is found with drug paraphernalia and the situation becomes very emotional as she is detained in front of her mother. On the other side of the country, Sgt. Tom Jenkins of the Las Vegas, NV, Metropolitan Police Department stops a young female behaving suspiciously on the legendary Las Vegas strip. After the female suspect lies to Sgt. Jenkins, she eventually breaks down and admits to working the streets. Another segment features Officer Derek Bishop of the Spokane, WA, Police Department, responding to a call where a female suspect claims to be hitchhiking. Although she was ticketed several weeks before for prostitution, she maintains her innocence. When officers begin to question her credibility, some arresting surprises surface and the suspect attempts to bargain with officers on COPS: HO HO HO! SPECIAL EDITION #3 airing Saturday, Dec. 17 (8:00-8:30 p.m. ET/PT). Last season's Ho Ho Ho! Special Edition #2 follows at 8:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

MADtv is in the Holiday Spirit: Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) plays the new boss when “Sean Gidcomb” (Michael McDonald) decides to leave the office on an all-new holiday episode of MADtv airing Saturday, Dec. 17 (11:00 p.m.-Midnight ET/PT)

King of the Hill Christmas: When an elderly stranger, Ms. Wakefield (Marion Ross), visits the Hill residence during Christmas, Hank is thrilled to show her his house since it was also her childhood home. However, when Ms. Wakefield announces that she wants to die in their house, Hank and Peggy want nothing more than for her to leave. Ms. Wakefield proves to be more difficult to put off in the ”Ms. Wakefield” airing Sunday, Dec. 18 (7:30-8:00 p.m. PT) -- Note West Coast ONLY.

The Simpsons Christmas Episode: The Simpsons deliver holiday cheer in this Christmas-themed trilogy. In “The First (Annoyed Grunt) – El,” when Reverend Lovejoy’s car breaks down en route to Christmas mass, Homer takes over the sermon and delivers his version of the birth of Christ (Bart) to his parents Joseph (Homer) and Mary (Marge). “I Saw Grampa Cussing Santa Claus” finds Grampa reminiscing about his daredevil days as a WWII fighter pilot, when he was stranded on an island alongside his gunner, Burns. Grampa recalls mistaking Santa Claus for an enemy aircraft and gunning him down from the sky. Realizing their mistake, Grampa helps Jolly Ol’ St. Nick to safety, only to have Burns steal the sleigh and escape the island – leaving Grampa stranded again. The final installment, “The Nutcracker … Sweet,” which finds the townspeople of Springfield preparing for Christmas Day, is set to the tune of the famed “Nutcracker” ballet on “Simpsons Christmas Stories” Sunday, Dec. 18 (8:00-8:30 p.m. ET/PT).

FOX has only released information thru 12/18. If they have anything else special, we will post it here. Stay tuned!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Monday, December 4

American Dad! - "The Pink Sphinx Holds Her Hearts on the Turn" (TBS, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Francine enters the strange and dangerous world of poker to learn how to hide her true feelings from Steve and Hayley.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 4)

Monday, December 4

  • Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Watch Ray on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Sebastian Maniscalco (Bookie) - Sebastian appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Sarah Paulson (Leap of Faith) - Sarah is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Gabriel Iglesias (Mr. Iglesias/Cristela), John Witherspoon (The First Family/The Tracy Morgan Show/The Wayans Bros.) and Thea Vidale (Thea) - Gabriel, John (RIP) and Thea are guests on repeats of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
  • Rachel Bloom (Upload) - Rachel appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Kenan talks about When I Was Your Age on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
  • Kate Flannery (The Office) - Kate tells Sherri all about A Swingin’ Little Christmas, her holiday concert with Jane Lynch, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Henry discusses his new memoir Being Henry: The Fonz...and Beyond on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Bellamy Young (The Other Black Girl) - Bellamy appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Marilu Henner (Taxi/Evening Shade) - Marilu is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:15am.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (September-December)

Family Matters - The Complete Series Step by Step - The Complete Series ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

That Girl - The Complete Series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

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