2011 Network TV Holiday Specials; NBC Picks-Up Full Season of Grimm, Adds 2 More Up All Night Episodes

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

2011 Network TV Holiday Specials; NBC Picks-Up Full Season of Grimm, Adds 2 More Up All Night Episodes

Can you believe the holiday season is nearing? Thanksgiving is um tomorrow, which means Christmas is right around the corner! And then it will be 2012 already a week after Christmas. Time flies! Anyway as I mentioned, I have put together our annual network television (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, The CW) holiday specials list that we all like to watch every year like Frosty the Snowman and A Charlie Brown Christmas, new classics like Shrek the Halls and Disney Prep & Landing and we even get some all-new specials like Disney Prep & Landing 2: Naughty Vs. Nice. Sure the network holiday line-ups are not as detailed as some cable networks like ABC Family, but the main holiday specials are still on network television! These are just actual holiday related specials and movies, not movies or specials airing during the holiday season on broadcast network television, kicking it off tomorrow with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on ABC:

ABC
Thursday, Nov. 24, 8-9pm: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving/This is America Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers
Thursday, Nov. 24, 9:30-11pm: A Very Gaga Thanksgiving (NEW!)
Monday, Nov. 28, 8-9pm: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated) and Shrek the Halls
Thursday, Dec. 1, 8-9pm: Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
Thursday, Dec. 1, 9-11pm ET: CMA Country Christmas (NEW!)
Monday, Dec. 5, 8-9pm: A Charlie Brown Christmas and Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice (NEW!)
Thursday, Dec. 8, 8-9pm: Winter Wipeout: Deck the Balls (NEW!)
Thursday, Dec. 8, 9-10pm: America's Funniest Home Videos Christmas Spectacular (NEW!)
Monday, Dec. 12, 8-9pm: I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown
Thursday, Dec. 15, 8-9pm: A Charlie Brown Christmas/Charlie Brown Christmas Tales plus seven-minute short from Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa
Saturday, Dec. 17, 8-9pm: Winter Wipeout: Deck the Balls ENCORE
Saturday, Dec. 17, 9-11pm: CMA Country Christmas ENCORE
Sunday, Dec. 18, 7-8pm: America's Funniest Home Videos Christmas Spectacular ENCORE
Sunday, Dec. 18, 9-11pm: ABC Sunday Movie of the Week: The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause
Monday, Dec. 19, 8-9pm: Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special and A Chipmunk Christmas (Both NEW! to ABC)
Thursday, Dec. 22, 8-9pm: Disney Prep & Landing and Disney Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice ENCORE
Thursday, Dec. 22, 9-10pm: I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown ENCORE
Friday, Dec. 23, 8-9pm: Shrek the Halls ENCORE and Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation
Friday, Dec. 23, 9-10pm: Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs Nice and Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special ENCORES
Saturday, Dec. 24, 8pm: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated) ENCORE
Saturday, Dec. 24, 8:30-11pm: ABC Thursday Movie of the Week: Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Monday, Dec. 27, 8-9pm: Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Thursday, Dec. 29, 8-9pm: Happy New Year, Charlie Brown/She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown
Saturday, Dec. 31, 8-10pm New Year's Rockin' Eve: The 40th Anniversary Party (NEW!)
Saturday, Dec. 31, 10-11pm Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012 (NEW!)
Saturday, Dec. 31, 11:30pm-2:11am Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012, Parts 1 and 2 (NEW!)
For other non-holiday related movies and specials airing during the holiday season on ABC, view our schedule.

CBS:
Friday, Nov. 25, 8-9pm: Hoops & Yo-Yo Ruin Christmas and Elf on a Shelf: An Elf's Story (NEW!)
Tuesday, Nov. 29, 8-9pm: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Friday, Dec. 9, 8-9pm: Frosty the Snowman and Frosty Returns
Friday, Dec. 9, 9-10pm: Yes, Virginia There Is A Santa Claus and Elf on a Shelf: An Elf's Story ENCORE
Saturday, Dec. 10, 8-9pm: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ENCORE
Saturday, Dec. 10, 9-10pm: The Flight Before Christmas
Saturday, Dec. 17, 8-9pm: Frosty the Snowman and Frosty Returns ENCORES
Saturday, Dec. 17, 9-10pm: The Story of Santa Claus
Wednesday, Dec. 21, 8-9pm: 13th Annual Home for the Holidays
For other non-holiday related movies and specials airing during the holiday season on CBS, view our schedule.

NBC:
Friday, Nov. 24, 10-11pm: The 85th Anniversary of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (NEW!)
Saturday, Nov. 26, 8-9pm: The 85th Anniversary of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ENCORE
Wednesday, Nov. 30, 8-9pm: Christmas in Rockefeller Center (NEW!)
Saturday, Dec. 3, 8-11pm: NBC Movie of the Week: It's a Wonderful Life
Monday, Dec. 5, 8-10pm: The Sing-Off Holiday Special (NEW!)
Tuesday, Dec. 6, 8-9pm: A Michael Buble Christmas (NEW!)
Tuesday, Dec. 20, 9-11pm: Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas
Saturday, Dec. 24, 8-11pm: NBC Movie of the Week: It's a Wonderful Life ENCORE
For other non-holiday related movies and specials airing during the holiday season on NBC, view our schedule.

Fox:
Thursday, Nov. 24 8-9:30pm: Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas and Happiness is Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown (NEW!)
Friday, Dec. 16 8-9pm: Happiness is Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown ENCORE
Wednesday, Dec. 28, 8:30pm: Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas ENCORE
For other non-holiday related movies and specials airing during the holiday season on Fox, view our schedule.

The CW:
Friday, Nov. 25 8-10pm: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer and Olive, The Other Reindeer
Wednesday, Nov. 30 8-9pm: A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa (NEW! to The CW)
Friday, Dec. 23 8-10pm: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer and Olive, The Other Reindeer ENCORE
For other non-holiday related movies and specials airing during the holiday season on The CW, view our schedule.

NBC has picked-up a full season of the new Friday drama Grimm. The series has surprisingly done decently for a Friday, either winning its time period or coming in second place over its four airings to date. As a result, NBC has picked-up a full 22 episode season for the series. NBC will also air an all-new episode on a special night and time on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 10pm to try and expand its audience and drive more tune-in to its regular Friday airings. The series has averaged about a 1.8 rating among adults 18-49 in live+same day data.
Also at NBC, two more episodes of new comedy Up All Night have been ordered, bringing the number of episodes from 22 to 24. The single-camera starring Christina Applegate, Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph was picked up for a full season early last month, as we mentioned. The series will be moving to Thursdays after The Office starting January 11. After a decent start, the comedy has plunged in the ratings but NBC will give it a boost by moving it to another night and time. Will it work? We shall see.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Thursday, January 27

Young Sheldon - "A Lot of Band-Aids and the Cooper Surrender" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Sheldon makes friends with his dorm neighbors. Also, George Sr. learns his job is in jeopardy.

United States of Al - "Hunt / Shikar" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Riley, upset that Freddy taught Hazel how to ride a bike while he was deployed, attempts to teach her something new to make up for it. Also, Ariana invites Al to a fundraiser involving spin bikes, where he becomes competitive with Ariana’s handsome cycling instructor, and Art introduces Lois to his favorite secret pastime.

B Positive - "Dagobah, a Room and a Chimney Sweep" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
A therapist and newly divorced dad is looking for a kidney donor when he runs into a rough-around-the-edges woman from his past who offers her own kidney.

B Positive - "A Boss, a Bear Claw and a Defibrillator" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
A therapist and newly divorced dad is looking for a kidney donor when he runs into a rough-around-the-edges woman from his past who offers her own kidney.

Call Me Kat - "Call Me Forty" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Oscar attempts multiple surprises to celebrate Kat's 40th birthday, including meeting his mother; Max tries to figure out why he continually strikes out with women.

Pivoting - "Hell on Wheels" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Sarah dips her toes into the dating pool and enlists Amy and Jodie's help in vetting a woman whom she ran across on a dating app; Amy's maternal instincts are tested when she learns Luke isn't fitting in with other kids.

grown-ish - "It Was Good Until It Wasn't" (Freeform, 10:00PM ET/PT)
The gang copes with the fallout of the explosive events that took place at the luau; Aaron deals with the accountability of his actions at the party; Zoey turns to Pops and Ruby for advice; Ana and Vivek keep a secret under wraps.

Single Drunk Female - "I'm Sorry, But…" (Freeform, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Sam tries to win over Brit by making an amends at her birthday party. Unfortunately, Sam wasn't invited, and neglects Felicia. Meanwhile, when Sam's probation officer stops by, Carol struggles to explain Sam's "situation" to her friends.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 24)

Thursday, January 27

Kevin James (The Crew/Kevin Can Wait/The King of Queens) - Catch Kevin on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Ilana Glazer (The Afterparty/Broad City) - Ilana appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Oliver Hudson (Splitting Up Together/Rules of Engagement/My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star) - Oliver and his sister Kate are guests on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Kean will be on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
David Cross (Arrested Development/Running Wilde/Oliver Beene) - David appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Cynthia Nixon (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Cynthia is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 10:30pm on Bravo.
Tom Selleck (The Closer) - Tom talks about Blue Bloods on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Sherri Shepherd (Mr. Iglesias/Trial & Error/Sherri/Less Than Perfect) - Sherri guest hosts The Wendy Williams Show.
Yvette Nicole Brown (The Mayor/The Odd Couple/Community) - Yvette appears on The Real, so check your local listings.
Julie Bowen (Modern Family) - Julie is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie is talking all about her new memoir and cooking up her mom’s upside-down cake on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Ana Gasteyer (American Auto/People of Earth/Subutagory) - Ana talks about American Auto on Access Daily, so check your local listings.
Stanley Tucci (Central Park) - Stanley talks about AMC's La Fortuna on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Halle Berry (Living Dolls) - Halle talks about Moonfall on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Trevor Jackson (grown-ish) - Trevor talks about grown-ish on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.