2013 Network TV Holiday Specials; Classic New York Sitcom Taxi Gets Marathon in New York on WLNY Friday

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

2013 Network TV Holiday Specials; Classic New York Sitcom Taxi Gets Marathon in New York on WLNY Friday

Can you believe the holiday season is nearing? Thanksgiving is tomorrow, which means Christmas is right around the corner! And then it will be 2014 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 2: Naughty Vs. Nice and we even get some all-new specials like Lady Gaga & The Muppets' Holiday Spectacular. 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:

ABC
Thursday, Nov. 28, 8-9pm: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving/This is America Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers
Thursday, Nov. 28, 9:30-11pm: Lady Gaga & The Muppets' Holiday Spectacular (NEW!)
Friday, Nov. 29, 8-9pm: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated) and Shrek the Halls
Sunday, Dec. 1, 9-11pm: Hallmark Hall of Fame: Christmas in Conway (NEW!)
Monday, Dec. 2, 8-9pm: A Charlie Brown Christmas/Charlie Brown Christmas Tales plus seven-minute short from Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa
Monday, Dec. 2, 9-11pm: CMA Country Christmas (NEW!)
Monday, Dec. 9, 8-9pm: Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
Monday, Dec. 9, 9-10pm: The Great Christmas Light Fight (NEW Series!)
Saturday, Dec. 14, 9-11pm: CMA Country Christmas ENCORE
Sunday, Dec. 15, 4-6pm ET/2-4pm PT: ABC Movie of the Week: The Borrowers
Monday, Dec. 16, 8-9pm: Disney Prep & Landing and Disney Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice
Thursday, Dec. 19, 8-9pm: A Charlie Brown Christmas/Charlie Brown Christmas Tales plus seven-minute short from Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa ENCORE
Saturday, Dec. 21, 8-9pm: I Want A Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown
Sunday, Dec. 22, 4-6pm ET/2-4pm PT: CMA Country Christmas ENCORE
Sunday, Dec. 22, 7-11pm: ABC Sunday Movie of the Week: The Sound of Music
Monday, Dec. 23, 8-9pm: Shrek the Halls ENCORE/A Chipmunk Christmas
Tuesday, Dec. 24, 8pm: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated) ENCORE
Tuesday, Dec. 24, 8:30-11pm: ABC Tuesday Movie of the Week: Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Monday, Dec. 30, 8-9pm: Happy New Year, Charlie Brown/She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown
Monday, Dec. 30, 9-10pm: Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 8-10pm New Year's Rockin' Eve Presents The 30 Greatest Women In Music (NEW!)
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 10-11pm Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2014 (NEW!)
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 11:35pm-2:12am Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2014, Parts 1 and 2 (NEW!)

CBS:
Tuesday, Nov. 26, 8-9pm: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Friday, Nov. 29, 8-9pm: Hoops & Yo-Yo Ruin Christmas and Elf on a Shelf: An Elf's Story
Saturday, Nov. 30, 8-9pm: The Flight Before Christmas
Saturday, Nov. 30, 9-10pm: The Story of Santa Claus
Friday, Dec. 6, 8-9pm: Frosty the Snowman and Yes, Virginia There Is A Santa Claus
Saturday, Dec. 14, 9:30pm: Frosty Returns
Wednesday, Dec. 18, 8-9pm: A Home for the Holidays with Celine Dion (NEW!)
Friday, Dec. 20, 8-9pm: I Love Lucy Christmas Special

NBC:
Wednesday, Nov. 27, 9-11pm: SNL Thanksgiving (NEW!)
Saturday, Nov. 30, 8-10pm: The National Dog Show Presented by Purina (NEW!)
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 8-9pm: Christmas in Rockefeller Center (NEW!)
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 9-11pm: SNL Christmas (NEW!)
Saturday, Dec. 7, 8-9pm: Christmas in Rockefeller Center ENCORE
Wednesday, Dec. 11, 10-11pm: Kelly Clarkson's Cautionary Christmas Music Tale (NEW!)
Saturday, Dec. 14, 8-11pm: NBC Movie of the Week: It's a Wonderful Life
Wednesday, Dec. 18, 10-11pm: Michael Buble: Home for the Holidays (NEW!)
Tuesday, Dec. 24, 8-11pm: NBC Movie of the Week: It's a Wonderful Life ENCORE
Wednesday, Dec. 25, 8-9pm: Kelly Clarkson's Cautionary Christmas Music Tale ENCORE
Wednesday, Dec. 25, 9-10pm: Michael Buble: Home for the Holidays ENCORE
Saturday, Dec. 28, 9-10pm WWE Tribute to the Troops (NEW!)
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 10-11pm: NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly - Primetime (NEW!)
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 11:30pm-2am: NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly (NEW!)

Fox:
Monday, Dec. 16 9-10pm: Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas and Dreamworks Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury
Friday, Dec. 20 8-9pm: Happiness is Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown
Wednesday, Dec. 25, 8-9pm: Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas and Dreamworks Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury ENCORES
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 11pm: Fox New Year's Eve Live (NEW!)

The CW:
Friday, Nov. 29 8-9pm: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
Monday, Dec. 2 8-10pm: CW Movie: It's a Very Muppet Christmas
Monday, Dec. 9 8-9pm: Kung Fu Panda Holiday and Merry Madagascar (NEW! to The CW)
Monday, Dec. 16 8-9pm: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer ENCORE
Wednesday, Dec. 18 8-9pm: iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2013 (NEW)
Monday, Dec. 23 8-9pm: iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2013 ENCORE
Tuesday, Dec. 24 8-10pm: CW Movie: The 12 Dogs of Christmas (NEW! to The CW)
Wednesday, Dec. 25 8-9pm: Kung Fu Panda Holiday and Merry Madagascar ENCORES

Taxi

It's back for the second straight year! One of the most classic New York comedies in television history will have you laughing on Friday, November 29, when WLNY-TV (Channels 10/55) presents the Taxi marathon from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm for the second straight Friday after Thanksgiving! The marathon will include 24 unforgettable episodes introduced by Carolina Bermudez, John Elliott and Jodi Applegate, the co-hosts of WLNY's Live From the Couch, the station's morning show which airs weekdays from 7:00 am to 9:00 am. Bermudez, Elliott and Applegate will present Taxi trivia and discuss classic scenes from the series. The marathon will culminate in primetime with the 1982 "Jim's Inheritance" episode, when Jim receives an inheritance after his father dies and is declared incompetent by his siblings in an effort to gain control of the money, airing at 8 pm and the fun filled 1982 "Elegant Iggy" episode, when Elaine attends an upscale dinner party with Jim as her date, and is embarrassed by his behavior until he impresses guests by playing the piano, airing at 8:30 pm.

WLNY's Taxi marathon will also feature the 1979 "Reverend Jim-A Space Odyssey" episode, where the cabbies try to persuade Louie, the head dispatcher for the Sunshine Cab Company to hire Jim but first they have to help him pass his exam (5:00 pm) and the 1981 "Latka’s Cookies" episode when Latka's grandmother passes away, he inherits her cookie recipe and plans on opening a business until he discovers the secret ingredient (7:00 pm), and the entertaining 1981 "Latka The Playboy" episode, when Laka alters his appearance to become a ladies' man but the other cabbies are not happy with his transformation (7:30 pm).

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Tuesday, December 7

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes - (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
In this one-night-only event, an all-star lineup of talent will tackle the roles first portrayed in the iconic television sitcom “The Facts of Life,” including Jennifer Aniston playing the role of Blair, Gabrielle Union taking on the role of Tootie, Allison Tolman who will play Natalie and Kathryn Hahn recreating the role of Jo. Previously announced “Diff’rent Strokes” cast member Ann Dowd is also set to appear as Mrs. Garrett in this recreation of “The Facts of Life.” The Sony Pictures Television special can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu.

The live special event will feature reenactments of the hit series “The Facts of Life,” created by Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon, and “Diff’rent Strokes,” created by Bernie Kukoff and Jeff Harris, and will reunite executive producers Norman Lear, Jimmy Kimmel, Brent Miller, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux and Jim Burrows. Previously announced cast members taking on the famed “Diff’rent Strokes” roles include John Lithgow, who will play Mr. Drummond; Kevin Hart, assuming the role of Arnold; and Damon Wayans and Ann Dowd, who will play Willis and Mrs. Garrett in “Diff’rent Strokes.”

Abbott Elementary - "Pilot" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
In this workplace comedy, a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible educators may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.

The Last O.G. - "Know Thyself" (TBS, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Amira attends college presentations, and her quick decision surprises Tray, who then works to guide Amira toward a better understanding of her identity; while cleaning out Roberta's storage unit, Shahzad makes a discovery about her past.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Wondering Prince" (BET, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Lisa helps Miranda set up her online dating proﬁle.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "What the Wellness" (BET, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Mr. Brown vows that he's finished eating meat until he's left alone with a lot of soul food.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 6)

Tuesday, December 7

Brandy (Zoe Ever After/The Game/Moesha/Thea) - Catch Brandy on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
J. B. Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm/Mapleworth Murders/Bent/'Til Death) - J. B. guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kristin Davis (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) and Cynthia Nixon (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Kristin and Cynthia are guests on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. Kristin also talks about And Just Like That... on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Chris Kattan (The Middle) - Chris will be on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Jane Levy (Suburgatory) - Jane appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Sterling is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Whoopi Goldberg (Harlem/Whoopi/Bagdad Cafe) - Whoopi talks about her new holiday collection on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.