Today's premieres and other notes (Tuesday, Dec. 22)

[Robin Miller]

Lovestruck in the City [new] (3:01 am, Netflix)

Korean romantic drama.

https://www.netflix.com/title/81340910



London Hughes: To Catch a D*ck (comedy special) (3:01 am,
Netflix)

https://www.netflix.com/title/81273458



Rhyme Time Town Singalongs [new; complete season 1] (3:01
am, Netflix)

Animated children's series.

https://www.netflix.com/title/81221345



NeXt (season 1 and series finale) (8 and 9 pm, two episodes,
Fox)



The Bachelorette (season 16 finale) (8-10 pm, ABC)



The Price Is Right at Night (special) (8 pm, CBS)

Moved from Monday night.



The Christmas High Note (movie) (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)

After being stood up by her partner Brad (William McNamara), Rachel
(Jamie Luner) soon meets Michael (Johnny Messner) and his teenage
daughter, Sophia. During Christmas Eve pageant rehearsals, Sophia finds
herself challenged to hit the high note in her solo of Hark! The Herald
Angels Sing. Rachel offers to coach Sophia’s performance and discovers a
new interest in Michael.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10659766/

https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/the-christmas-high-note



City Hall (documentary) (8 pm, PBS)

One of this year's most acclaimed films (it technically opened in
theaters in October), the latest extra-long doc from Frederick Wiseman
takes a deep dive into the administrative functions performed by
Boston's city government.

https://www.metacritic.com/movie/city-hall [score 88]

https://www.pbs.org/show/city-hall/



Let's Make a Deal Primetime (special) (9 pm, CBS)

Moved from Monday night.



First Christmas (movie) (9 pm, OWN)

https://press.discovery.com/us/own/programs/first-christmas/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13159820/



Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story (documentary)
(9 pm, HBO)

In his own words, Sabathia narrates his story. As the highs and lows of
his last season are chronicled, Sabathia looks back on his legacy as one
of the game’s pre-eminent pitchers, as well as the profound challenges
that shaped him, including his longtime battle with addiction that came
to a head in 2015 while playing for the Yankees.

https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/under-the-grapefruit-tree-the-cc-sabathia-story



Supermarket Sweep (special night) (10 pm, ABC)




Tomorrow's advance notes:


Sylvie's Love (movie) (12:01 am, Amazon Prime Video)

Tessa Thompson stars as a woman seeking to become a TV producer in 1950s
New York in this now-Amazon-exclusive drama that was previously headed
to a theatrical release (and will likely still make a brief appearance
in theaters to qualify for awards).

Aja Naomi King, Alano Miller, Erica Gimpel, Eva Longoria, Jemima Kirke,
John Magaro, Lance Reddick, Nnamdi Asomugha, Rege-Jean Page, Ron
Funches, Ryan Michelle Bathe, Tone Bell, and Wendi McLendon-Covey also star.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWNCLsogopY

https://www.metacritic.com/movie/sylvies-love [score 68]

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9827834/



The Midnight Sky (movie) (3:01 am, Netflix)

This George Clooney-directed adaptation of the novel Good Morning,
Midnight centers on a dying scientist (Clooney) who must find a way to
send a message to the crew of a long-term space mission (led by Felicity
Jones) and warn them not to return to Earth, which is in the midst of a
global catastrophe. To do so, he must trek across the Arctic, which has
become toxic. David Oyelowo, Demián Bichir, Ethan Peck, Kyle Chandler,
Miriam Shor, Sophie Rundle, Tiffany Boone, and Tim Russ also star.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXUUqr3AFKs

https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-midnight-sky [score 58]

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10539608/

https://www.netflix.com/title/80244645



Your Name Engraved Herein (movie) (3:01 am, Netflix)

As martial law ends in Taiwan, two young men fall in love. Taiwanese film.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10329134/

https://www.netflix.com/title/81287844



Christmas at the Castle (movie) (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)

This Christmas, Blaire Henderson (Brooke Burfitt), a perfume expert from
New York, is sent to remote Scotland to find a rare fragrance, The Heart
of the Highlands. But when she arrives, she finds the dashing license
owner, Alistair McGregor (Dan Jeannotte) is a stubborn aristocrat who
won’t sell. Thinking on her feet, she poses as a documentary filmmaker
to learn the secret formula. The more time they spend together, the more
sparks fly. With the scent of romance in the air, will Blaire find love
where she least expected? This appears to be the US television premiere
of a film that was released in 2019 in the UK and has since appeared in
places as diverse as Brazil and Bulgaria:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8708564/releaseinfo

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8708564 [as "Christmas in the Highlands"]

https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/christmas-at-the-castle



The Great Christmas Light Fight (season 8 finale) (9-11 pm,
ABC)



Sistas (season 2 fall finale) (9 pm, BET)



Buddy Valastro: Road To Recovery (special) (9-11 pm, TLC)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/12/22/cake-boss-buddy-valastro-hand-injury-recovery/4006311001/


--Robin

[Ian J. Ball]

On 2020-12-22 23:14:52 +0000, Robin Miller said:

> NeXt (season 1 and series finale) (8 and 9 pm, two episodes, Fox)

Set to record!

> The Christmas High Note (movie) (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
>
> After being stood up by her partner Brad (William McNamara), Rachel
> (Jamie Luner) soon meets Michael (Johnny Messner) and his teenage
> daughter, Sophia. During Christmas Eve pageant rehearsals, Sophia finds
> herself challenged to hit the high note in her solo of Hark! The Herald
> Angels Sing. Rachel offers to coach Sophia’s performance and discovers
> a new interest in Michael.

Will probably watch!

> Tomorrow's advance notes:
>
>
> Sylvie's Love (movie) (12:01 am, Amazon Prime Video)
>
> Tessa Thompson stars as a woman seeking to become a TV producer in
> 1950s New York in this now-Amazon-exclusive drama that was previously
> headed to a theatrical release (and will likely still make a brief
> appearance in theaters to qualify for awards).

This does not sound interesting to me.

> The Midnight Sky (movie) (3:01 am, Netflix)
>
> This George Clooney-directed adaptation of the novel Good Morning,
> Midnight centers on a dying scientist (Clooney) who must find a way to
> send a message to the crew of a long-term space mission (led by
> Felicity Jones) and warn them not to return to Earth, which is in the
> midst of a global catastrophe. To do so, he must trek across the
> Arctic, which has become toxic. David Oyelowo, Demián Bichir, Ethan
> Peck, Kyle Chandler, Miriam Shor, Sophie Rundle, Tiffany Boone, and
> Tim Russ also star.

OTOH, this does. And, besides! - Tim Russ (Principal Franklin!) is in it!!

> Christmas at the Castle (movie) (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
>
> This Christmas, Blaire Henderson (Brooke Burfitt), a perfume expert
> from New York, is sent to remote Scotland to find a rare fragrance, The
> Heart of the Highlands. But when she arrives, she finds the dashing
> license owner, Alistair McGregor (Dan Jeannotte) is a stubborn
> aristocrat who won’t sell. Thinking on her feet, she poses as a
> documentary filmmaker to learn the secret formula. The more time they
> spend together, the more sparks fly. With the scent of romance in the
> air, will Blaire find love where she least expected? This appears to be
> the US television premiere of a film that was released in 2019 in the
> UK and has since appeared in places as diverse as Brazil and Bulgaria:

I like Jeannotte. Just wish he was paired with a higher wattage co-star here...

>
> --Robin


--
"Who would ever do this to him!?" - HottCiara on DOOL (04-27-2020), asking
who would stab Victor Kirakis... How about ANYONE WHO'S EVER MET HIM??!!

[Ian J. Ball]

On 2020-12-22 23:26:06 +0000, Ian J. Ball said:

> On 2020-12-22 23:14:52 +0000, Robin Miller said:
>
>> The Christmas High Note (movie) (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
>>
>> After being stood up by her partner Brad (William McNamara), Rachel
>> (Jamie Luner) soon meets Michael (Johnny Messner) and his teenage
>> daughter, Sophia. During Christmas Eve pageant rehearsals, Sophia finds
>> herself challenged to hit the high note in her solo of Hark! The Herald
>> Angels Sing. Rachel offers to coach Sophia’s performance and discovers
>> a new interest in Michael.
>
> Will probably watch!

OK, this is from a prodcution house I've never even heard of! It's
definitely not one of Lifetime's usual suppliers.

I bet Lifetime picked this up for a $1.98!!

[Adam H. Kerman]

On Tue, 22 Dec 2020 15:26:06 -0800, Ian J. Ball wrote:

> On 2020-12-22 23:14:52 +0000, Robin Miller said:
>> Sylvie's Love (movie) (12:01 am, Amazon Prime Video)
>>
>> Tessa Thompson stars as a woman seeking to become a TV producer in
>> 1950s New York in this now-Amazon-exclusive drama that was previously
>> headed to a theatrical release (and will likely still make a brief
>> appearance in theaters to qualify for awards).
>
> This does not sound interesting to me.

What part of "Tessa Thompson stars" did you not understand?

Meanwhile, look at the blatant cash grab. Whereas you were supposed to
be able to go see this with a pocket full of change and a short drive or
walk to your local multiplex, now they've moved the goal posts and will
withhold it from you if you don't have all of these much-more-expensive
things:

1. A credit card.
2. An expensive streaming subscription.
3. An expensive high-speed internet plan.
4. An expensive address in a major metropolitan area, where a bachelor
apartment costs $2000 a month or more to rent and a starter home will
set you back a cool million, since internet speeds high enough for
streaming at a decent quality mostly don't exist outside of those
areas.

That's thousands of dollars a month to either a big bank or a big
developer, hundreds to a big telco, and tens more to Amazon, as well as
some big bank getting interest and service fees, instead of the few
dollars of pocket change it would have cost to see this before. You can't
even watch this movie without going into debt now. Ridiculous!

I don't think I've seen so extreme, ludicrous, and unconscionable a price
hike since that Martin Shkreli thing a few years back. The only difference
being, Bezos is being slightly less selfish, as instead of raking it all
in for himself he's giving the lion's share of it away to his rich buddies
in the banking, real estate, and telco sectors. :/

I hope the new incoming Congress, with its expanded "Squad", will have the
backbone to do something about these plutocratic maneuvers, starting with
putting real teeth back into the Sherman Act and giving Amazon their full,
undivided attention for a couple of months before then starting to look
into the telco monopolies, and then the big developers and banks ...

Somehow I doubt it will, though. I think this country is fucked beyond any
repair short of a Second American Revolution. So round up the torches and
pitchforks, folks, and look up Bezos's address. And Shkreli's, and everyone
else who's been profiteering ridiculously these past few years.

[RichA]

> The Midnight Sky (movie) (3:01 am, Netflix)
>
> This George Clooney-directed adaptation of the novel Good Morning,
> Midnight centers on a dying scientist (Clooney) who must find a way to
> send a message to the crew of a long-term space mission (led by Felicity
> Jones) and warn them not to return to Earth, which is in the midst of a
> global catastrophe. To do so, he must trek across the Arctic, which has
> become toxic. David Oyelowo, Demián Bichir, Ethan Peck, Kyle Chandler,
> Miriam Shor, Sophie Rundle, Tiffany Boone, and Tim Russ also star.
>
>

Scientific reality no doubt being at the head of the line for this one!! Can I guess that it might be full of references to "evil" man
having brought about Earth's problems? Aside from liberals of course.

[Robin Miller]

Ian J. Ball wrote:
> On 2020-12-22 23:26:06 +0000, Ian J. Ball said:
>
>> On 2020-12-22 23:14:52 +0000, Robin Miller said:
>>
>>> The Christmas High Note      (movie)       (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
>>>
>>> After being stood up by her partner Brad (William McNamara), Rachel
>>> (Jamie Luner) soon meets Michael (Johnny Messner) and his teenage
>>> daughter, Sophia. During Christmas Eve pageant rehearsals, Sophia
>>> finds herself challenged to hit the high note in her solo of Hark!
>>> The Herald Angels Sing. Rachel offers to coach Sophia’s performance
>>> and discovers a new interest in Michael.
>>
>> Will probably watch!
>
> OK, this is from a prodcution house I've never even heard of! It's
> definitely not one of Lifetime's usual suppliers.
>
> I bet Lifetime picked this up for a $1.98!!
>
>

Come on. Jamie Luner's worth a fiver.

--Robin

[kensi]

On 12/22/2020 11:20 PM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
> On Tue, 22 Dec 2020 15:26:06 -0800, Ian J. Ball wrote:
>> On 2020-12-22 23:14:52 +0000, Robin Miller said:
>>> 1950s New York in this now-Amazon-exclusive drama that was previously
>>> headed to a theatrical release (and will likely still make a brief
>>> appearance in theaters to qualify for awards).

> Meanwhile, look at the blatant cash grab. Whereas you were supposed to
> be able to go see this with a pocket full of change and a short drive or
> walk to your local multiplex, now they've moved the goal posts and will
> withhold it from you if you don't have all of these much-more-expensive
> things:
>
> 1. A credit card.
> 2. An expensive streaming subscription.
> 3. An expensive high-speed internet plan.
> 4. An expensive address in a major metropolitan area, where a bachelor
> apartment costs $2000 a month or more to rent and a starter home will
> set you back a cool million, since internet speeds high enough for
> streaming at a decent quality mostly don't exist outside of those
> areas.
>
> That's thousands of dollars a month to either a big bank or a big
> developer, hundreds to a big telco, and tens more to Amazon, as well as
> some big bank getting interest and service fees, instead of the few
> dollars of pocket change it would have cost to see this before. You can't
> even watch this movie without going into debt now.

While you're waiting for the Second American Revolution, might I suggest
learning how to use BitTorrent? It will mean waiting for the Blu-Ray to
come out, at least if you want quality, and in the meantime navigating a
potential minefield of spoilers, but it will deny these awful plutocrats
their cash grab. If you would otherwise feel a bit guilty, you could
mail the studio and your local cinema a few bucks each so they get what
they would have gotten without that goal post move and then call it
evens stevens.

--
"To explain the unknown by the known is a logical procedure; to explain
the known by the unknown is a form of theological lunacy." ~David Brooks
"I get fooled all the time by the constant hosiery parade
in here." ~Checkmate

[RichA]

Every new production produces a slew of "new" companies for "tax" reasons.

[Dimensional Traveler]

On 12/22/2020 8:01 PM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
> On 2020-12-22 23:26:06 +0000, Ian J. Ball said:
>
>> On 2020-12-22 23:14:52 +0000, Robin Miller said:
>>
>>> The Christmas High Note      (movie)       (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
>>>
>>> After being stood up by her partner Brad (William McNamara), Rachel
>>> (Jamie Luner) soon meets Michael (Johnny Messner) and his teenage
>>> daughter, Sophia. During Christmas Eve pageant rehearsals, Sophia
>>> finds herself challenged to hit the high note in her solo of Hark!
>>> The Herald Angels Sing. Rachel offers to coach Sophia’s performance
>>> and discovers a new interest in Michael.
>>
>> Will probably watch!
>
> OK, this is from a prodcution house I've never even heard of! It's
> definitely not one of Lifetime's usual suppliers.
>
> I bet Lifetime picked this up for a $1.98!!
>

And blow their entire year's movie budget on one flick!?


--
I like living in the suburbs of Sanity. I can commute there when I need
to be serious or mature but otherwise I can do as I please.

[anim8rfsk]

Dimensional Traveler <dtr...@sonic.net> wrote:
> On 12/22/2020 8:01 PM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
>> On 2020-12-22 23:26:06 +0000, Ian J. Ball said:
>>
>>> On 2020-12-22 23:14:52 +0000, Robin Miller said:
>>>
>>>> The Christmas High Note      (movie)       (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
>>>>
>>>> After being stood up by her partner Brad (William McNamara), Rachel
>>>> (Jamie Luner) soon meets Michael (Johnny Messner) and his teenage
>>>> daughter, Sophia. During Christmas Eve pageant rehearsals, Sophia
>>>> finds herself challenged to hit the high note in her solo of Hark!
>>>> The Herald Angels Sing. Rachel offers to coach Sophia’s performance
>>>> and discovers a new interest in Michael.
>>>
>>> Will probably watch!
>>
>> OK, this is from a prodcution house I've never even heard of! It's
>> definitely not one of Lifetime's usual suppliers.
>>
>> I bet Lifetime picked this up for a $1.98!!
>>
> And blow their entire year's movie budget on one flick!?
>
>

The majik DVR says there a *lot* of Jamie Luner shows available.

--
“The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it’s still on my list.”

[Ian J. Ball]

On 2020-12-23 04:20:30 +0000, Adam H. Kerman said:

> On Tue, 22 Dec 2020 15:26:06 -0800, Ian J. Ball wrote:
>
>> On 2020-12-22 23:14:52 +0000, Robin Miller said:
>>> Sylvie's Love (movie) (12:01 am, Amazon Prime Video)
>>>
>>> Tessa Thompson stars as a woman seeking to become a TV producer in
>>> 1950s New York in this now-Amazon-exclusive drama that was previously
>>> headed to a theatrical release (and will likely still make a brief
>>> appearance in theaters to qualify for awards).
>>
>> This does not sound interesting to me.
>
> What part of "Tessa Thompson stars" did you not understand?

Shut the fuck up, Seamus.