TV and Movies and Books, Oh My!
It’s the last week of December, and you know what that means: more lists than you possibly have time to read.
But that’s not going to stop me from linking to them!
TV: I used to watch a lot of TV, but even I can’t keep up with all of the shows these days, with broadcast and cable and streaming and other viewing options I probably don’t know about. Here are the best shows according to The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The Hollywood Reporter.
Movies: Indiewire has the 50 Best Movies of 2023, according to a poll of 158 critics. Variety, Esquire, Empire, and RogerEbert.com have their picks too.
Books: NPR has their annual interactive Books We Love feature. And here are lists from Town & Country, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Literary Hub, and Time.
And if you want to browse one place that has everything, check out the Year-End Lists site. They also have the best in music, poetry, and podcasts.
In 2024 I Resolve To …
Also this time of year, many people insist that the only New Year’s resolution they make is that they’re not going to make any New Year’s resolutions. But that itself is a New Year’s resolution, which proves you make New Year’s resolutions!
What are yours? 2024 is an election year, so I’m going to drink more.
Did You Know …
If you were to make a list of movies that should never be remade, It’s a Wonderful Life would be high on that list.
But they did remake it! In 1977, as a TV movie starring Marlo Thomas.
It’s called It Happened One Christmas, and she plays Mary Bailey. It’s sort of a gender-switch, as the movie focuses on Mary while her husband George is away fighting in World War II. And look at the rest of the cast: Wayne Rogers as George! Cloris Leachman as the guardian angel! Doris Roberts as the mom! And Orson Welles (!) as Mr. Potter!
Here’s the original promo. I can’t find the entire movie on YouTube but there are several scenes you can find.
Uploaded to YouTube by Mass Media Past
Headline of the Week
“Reynolds Finally Settles the Debate: This Is What Each Side of Aluminum Foil Is For”
RIP Tom Smothers, Lee Sun-kyun, Laura Lynch, Mike Nussbaum, Ken MacKenzie, Kamar de los Reyes, and Sajid Khan
Tom Smothers was half of the Smothers Brothers comedy/music team that hosted the groundbreaking (and controversial) CBS variety show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the 1960s. He died Tuesday at the age of 86.
Lee Sun-kyun was the South Korean star of the multi-award-winning black comedy suspense film Parasite. He died Wednesday at the age of 48.
Laura Lynch was the co-founder and former lead singer for The Dixie Chicks. She died last week at the age of 65.
Mike Nussbaum played George in the original Broadway production of Glengarry Glen Ross and appeared in such movies as Fatal Attraction, Field of Dreams, Men in Black, House of Games, and several TV shows. He died Saturday at the age of 99.
Ken MacKenzie was the only winning pitcher on the infamous New York Mets 1962 squad. He died last week at the age of 89.
Kamar de los Reyes played Antonio Vega on One Life to Live, Jobe on Sleepy Hollow, and Coach Montes on All American. He also was one of the lead voices in the Call of Duty video games. He died Sunday at the age of 56.
Sajid Khan was the star of the movie and TV show Maya in the 1960s. He died last week at the age of 71.
This Week in History
The “Christmas Truce” (December 24, 1914)
In a rare moment of wartime civility, Allied and German soldiers laid down their arms and exchanged gifts, shared a drink, and sang songs.
Radio City Music Hall Opens (December 27, 1932)
The first show didn’t go that well.
This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: Alka-Seltzer® (December 23, 1961)
You might need it this weekend.
What Are You Making for New Year’s Eve?
If you’re going to drink, make sure you also drink a lot of water and eat some food. I don’t have any recipes for water, but Rachael Ray has a Gorgonzola Spinach Artichoke Dip, Smitten Kitchen has Cider-Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Dates, The Pioneer Woman has a One-Pot French Onion Pasta, Epicurious has a Hoppin’ John (don’t forget the clean penny for good luck!), and Food Network has New Year’s Resolution Cookies.
If you have any leftovers, wrap them in aluminum foil.
Happy New Year!
Next Week’s Holidays and Events
National Hangover Day (January 1)
This makes sense.
Fruitcake Toss Day (January 3)
Look, there are ways to make a good fruitcake, but if you got a bad one or simply don’t like fruitcake, this is the day to toss it.
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Comments
Dan C, I never even heard of this TV-movie before, much less seen it, so you’re ahead of the game over me on two counts. Having just watched the preview here, I’d be willing to give it a chance. It has a good cast, and I love Marlo Thomas. I told Bob last week I was done with “It’s A Wonderful Life” until further notice. The film IS a classic, and at least this ‘re-telling’ take on it used a different name.
What I don’t get is the very ’80s raspberry and blue at the beginning and end; WAY after this was made. My guess it was probably on ABC too, since that was her network for ‘That Girl’ years earlier. Bob, you’re resolving to drink more in ’24? I know it’s not booze since we know that’s not healthy. More water with electrolytes, Martinelli’s for when you want that champagne ambiance; right? Of course I am.
LOVE the ’61 Alka-Seltzer ad. Definitely from the ’60s. See, if you’re drinking sparkling cider you won’t need that at all. Tom Smothers was wonderful. For some great laughs, everyone needs to watch ‘Hospital Visit from The Carol Burnett Show’ on You Tube. It was one of the best ‘Family’ skits ever, from October 1974.
National Hangover Day January 1st probably means lots of calling in sick on the 2nd and 3rd too, most likely. “Fruitcake Toss Day”is shameful! This nation is sooo wasteful sometimes. Even if you don’t like it (either), there has to be a way to get it to food banks, that’ll get it to where it’ll be appreciated, and shown the respect it’s entitled to.
I remember watching the TV movie It Happened One Christmas on TV. I remembered its was in the 70s and not the early 70s, so I figured I was 12-16 at the time. (Yep.) I want to say it was on ABC, but I am not at all sure of that. I don’t remember much other than Marlo Thomas played a sad sack and the movie wasn’t as good as the original and that I never saw it on TV again (or had any desire to).