Turkeys away! Thanksgiving week means that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas on TV again.
Here's my first holiday programming list of the season, for Thanksgiving week. My h-u-g-e Holiday Program Guide for shows Dec. 1-25 posts Sunday, Dec. 1.
This week you'll find Thanksgiving classics such as the WKRP In Cincinnati infamous "turkey drop," the Cheers gang's holiday dinner at the bar and M*A*S*H officers sickened by Klinger's turkey.
You can spend an early Christmas with the Kranks, Frosty the Snowman, Buddy the Elf, Cincinnati TV personality Ruth Lyons, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Fred Claus, Jimmy Stewart's It's A Wonderful Life, Whoopi Goldberg's Call Me Claus, and a half-dozen old Bing Crosby specials, including his 1975 duet with David Bowie.
New this week are NBC's Dolly Parton: 50 Years At The Opry with Dierks Bentley, Emmylou Harris, Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Hank Williams Jr. and others, and six new Hallmark Channel movies.
Cincinnati Public Radio helps you celebrate this week with the Cincinnati Opera's performance of Blind Justice (8 p.m. Sunday on WGUC-FM 90.9), and a trio of favorites on Thanksgiving: Mark Perzel's annual Feast For The Ears (10 a.m., WGUC-FM 90.9); Francis Lam helping Thanksgiving cooks on Turkey Confidential (noon, WVXU-FM 91.7); and John Birge's mix of music and poetry on Giving Thanks (6 p.m., WGUC-FM 90.9).
Enjoy a visit with your old TV/radio friends this week, and watch for my annual Holiday Programming Guide to be posted Sunday, Dec. 1.
SUNDAY, NOVEBMER 24
Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays (4 p.m., Hallmark): A Memphis resident (Kaitlin Doubleday) goes to work for a wealthy widower (Adrian Grenier).
Cheers (6 p.m., Ch 5.2 MeTV): Diane suggests the gang spend Thanksgiving together at Carla's new home.
Secret of Giving (6 p.m., Ch 25.3 Get TV): A widow (Reba McEntire) opens her heart to greedy townspeople at Christmas in 1999.
A Gift To Remember (6 p.m., Hallmark): A bookstore employee (Ali Liebert) helps an injured stranger recover his memory.
Cheers (6:30 p.m., Ch 5.2 MeTV): The gang spends Thanksgiving together at the bar.
M*A*S*H (7 p.m., Ch 5.2, MeTV): Most of the camp gets sick after eating Klinger's Thanksgiving turkey.
WKRP in Cincinnati (7:30 p.m., Ch 5.2 MeTV): WKRP's ill-conceived Thanksgiving promotion, dropping turkeys over a shopping mall parking lot. As God is my witness, it's still one of the funniest TV shows ever.
Cincinnati Opera 2019 Season (8 p.m., WGUC-FM 90.9): Performance of Blind Justice from July 22-27.
Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2 (8 p.m., Hallmark): NEW. A year after meeting, Darcy and Aiden (Ali Liebert, Peter Porte) search for the perfect Christmas gifts for each other.
A Song For The Season (8 p.m., Ch 25.3 Get TV): A teacher (Naomi Judd) fights the school administrator (Gerald McRaney) to save her music program in 1999.
Johnny Cash Christmas (10 p.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With Merle Haggard, Ricky Skaggs and June Carter Cash in 1983.
Nashville Christmas (11 p.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With Wynonna Judd and Emmylou Harris in 2017.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25
Mingle All the Way (6 p.m., Hallmark): Mason native Brant Daughterty and Jen Lilley star in 2018 movie about testing a new dating app.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (7 p.m., AMC): A Griswold family Christmas in 1989 with Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo.
A Christmas Duet (8 p.m., Hallmark): NEW. A former pop duo (Chaley Rose, Rome Flynn) reunite preparing for a Christmas festival.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips (8 p.m., TCM): Actor Robert Donat won an Oscar for his 1939 role as a former headmaster recalling his teaching career and personal life. With Greer Garson.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (9:15 p.m., AMC): A Griswold family Christmas in 1989 with Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26
Call Me Claus (8 a.m., AMC): Santa asks a TV producer (Whoopi Goldberg) to replace him.
To Grandmother's House We Go (12:30 p.m., AMC): Thieves sidetrack twins (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) on the way to grandmother's house.
Christmas With The Kranks (5 p.m., AMC): A couple (Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis) celebrate Christmas at the last minute.
Snow Bride (6 p.m. Hallmark): A tabloid reporter (Katrina Law) falls in love pursuing a story.
Elf (7 p.m., AMC): An elf (Will Ferrell) searches for his family.
Check Inn To Christmas (8 p.m., Hallmark): NEW. A New York lawyer (Rachel Boston) returns to her Colorado hometown where two old-family inns compete fiercely for business.
Dolly Parton: 50 Years At The Opry (9 p.m. Ch 5 NBC): NEW. NBC celebrates Parton's golden anniversary at the Grand Ole Opry with performances by Dierks Bentley, Emmylou Harris, Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Hank Williams Jr., Margo Price, Candi Carpenter and Chris Janson.
Elf (9 p.m., AMC): An elf (Will Ferrell) searches for his family.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER. 27
Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2 (6 p.m., Hallmark): A year after meeting, Darcy and Aiden (Ali Liebert, Peter Porte) search for the perfect Christmas gifts for each other.
Every Good Thing: This Thanksgiving (7 p.m., WGUC-FM 90.9): Host Andrea Blain presents stories from listeners and classical music favorites.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (8 p.m., Ch 9 ABC): Charlie Brown's 1973 toast and popcorn dinner for the Peanuts gang.
The Christmas Club (8 p.m., Hallmark): A dance teacher Elizabeth Mitchell rejects help from a businessman (Cameron Mathison) to open a dance studio.
Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving (9 p.m., Ch 5 NBC): Thanksgiving-themed sketches.
Fred Claus (9 p.m., AMC): Santa (Paul Giamatti) bails out his brother (Vince Vaughn).
THANKSGIVING
Beverly Hillbillies (7:30 a.m., Ch 5.2 Me TV): The Clampetts spend Thanksgiving in Hooterville.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (9 a.m.-noon, Chs 5, 12, NBC, CBS): NEW. Live coverage from New York of the 92nd annual parade with Celine Dion, Miranda Lambert, Natasha Bedingfield, Black Eyed Peas, Chicago, Ciara, Josh Dela Cruz, Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, Debbie Gibson, Chris Janson, Idina Menzel, Lea Michele, Muppets and the Sesame Street cast, Ozuna, Billy Porter, Kelly Rowland, That Girl Lay Lay, TLC, Tenille Townes and Chris Young.
Feast For The Ears (10 a.m., WGUC-FM 90.9): Mark Perzel hosts traditional music from American composers.
Turkey Confidential (noon, WVXU-FM 91.7): Francis Lam takes calls to help Thanksgiving cooks.
National Dog Show (noon, Ch 5, NBC): NEW. John O'Hurley again hosts the American Kennel Club competition.
Crown For Christmas (2 p.m., Hallmark): A maid (Danica McKellar) becomes a governess for a rebellious young princess.
Ruth Lyons: First Lady of Television (2 p.m., Ch 5): Repeat of 2011 special about popular WLWT-TV daytime TV host Ruth Lyons, who retired in 1967.
Picture a Perfect Christmas (4 p.m., Hallmark): A photographer (Merritt Patterson) becomes a temporary nanny near Seattle.
Ruth Lyons Special (4 p.m., Ch 5): WLWT-TV special about 50-50 Club host Ruth Lyons.
Ruth Lyons, Living Legend (4:30 p.m., Ch 5): Profile of former 50-50 Club host Ruth Lyons.
Giving Thanks (6 p.m., WGUC-FM 90.9): John Birge hosts music, inspiration and poetry celebrating Thanksgiving and the 200th birthday of Walt Whitman.
Write Before Christmas (6 p.m., Hallmark): After being dumped by her boyfriend, Jessica (Torrey DeVitto) sends five cards to people who changed her life.
Christmas at the Plaza (8 p.m. Hallmark): NEW. A historian (Elizabeth Henstridge) curates a history of Christmas exhibit at the Plaza Hotel. With Julia Duffy and Ryan Paevey.
The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration (8 p.m., Ch 9 ABC): Two-hour special from Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29
Facts Of Life (6 a.m., Ch 5.2 MeTV): Santa shows Beverly Ann (Cloris Leachman) what life would be like without her.
Beverly Hillbillies (7 a.m., Ch 5.2 Me TV): The Clampetts fly home for Christmas.
Leave It To Beaver (8:30 a.m., Ch 5.2 MeTV): Wally gives Beaver a haircut.
Christmas With The Bing Crosby's (9 a.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With Mac Davis and Karen Valentine in 1974.
Merry Christmas, Fred, From The Crosbys (10 a.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With Fred Astaire in 1975.
Matlock (10 a.m., Ch 5.2 MeTV): Ben defends a man (Bryan Cranston) accused of sneaking into his ex-wife's house to give their daughter a Christmas gift.
Bing Crosby's White Christmas (11 a.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With Jackie Gleason as Santa in 1976.
Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas (noon, Ch 25.3 Get TV): Christmas in England in 1976 with Bing's David Bowie duet.
Ryan's Mystery Playdate (noon, Nickelodeon): Ryan decks the halls with help from friends.
Bing Crosby And The Sounds Of Christmas (1 p.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With Robert Goulet in 1971.
Bonanza (2 p.m., Ch 5.2 MeTV): The Cartwrights take in a blind 11-year-old girl.
Christmas With The Bing Crosby's (2 p.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With David Hartman and Sally Struthers in 1971.
Bing Crosby's Sun Valley Christmas (3 p.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With Michael Landon, Connie Stevens and John Byner in 1972.
Christmas With The Bing Crosby's (4 p.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With Mac Davis and Karen Valentine in 1974.
Merry Christmas, Fred, From The Crosbys (5 p.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With Fred Astaire in 1975.
Bing Crosby's White Christmas (6 p.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With Jackie Gleason as Santa in 1976.
Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays (6 p.m., Hallmark): A Memphis resident (Kaitlin Doubleday) goes to work for a wealthy widower (Adrian Grenier).
Light Up The Square (7 p.m. Ch 5): Sheree Palello and Mike Dardis host the annual tree-lighting ceremony on Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati.
The Polar Express (7 p.m., AMC): A train conductor (Tom Hanks) takes a boy to the North Pole.
Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas (7 p.m., Ch 25.3 Get TV): Christmas in England in 1976 with Bing's David Bowie duet.
Frosty the Snowman (8 p.m., Ch 12 CBS): Jimmy Durante narrates the 1969 musical cartoon about the snowman who came to life.
National Dog Show (8 p.m., Ch 5, NBC): Repeat of Thursday's American Kennel Club competition.
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer (8 p.m., Ch 12.2 CW): Cartoon based on the novelty song.
Top Elf (8 p.m., Nick): Santa invites seven young contestants to a North Pole completion testing their holiday skills.
Frosty Returns (8:30 p.m., Ch 12 CBS): Animated. Jonathan Winters narrates story of how a new snow removal spray threatens Frosty.
Bing Crosby And The Sounds Of Christmas (8 p.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With Robert Goulet in 1971.
Christmas In Evergreen: Tidings of Joy (8 p.m. Hallmark): NEW. A novelist (Maggie Lawson) heads to Evergreen to write about the town's enthusiasm for Christmas.
The Polar Express (9 p.m., AMC): A train conductor (Tom Hanks) takes a boy to the North Pole.
Penn & Teller: Merry Fool Us (9 p.m., Ch 12.2 CW): NEW. Magicans compete.
Christmas With The Bing Crosby's (9 p.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With David Hartman and Sally Struthers in 1971.
Bing Crosby's Sun Valley Christmas (10 p.m., Ch 25.3, Get TV): With Michael Landon, Connie Stevens and John Byner in 1972.
The Twilight Zone (12:30 a.m., Ch 5.2 Me TV): A professor, suicidal over his termination just before Christmas, is visited by past students who convince him to reconsider.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30
Beverly Hillbillies (6 a.m., Ch 5.2 Me TV): The Clampetts spend Christmas in Hooterville.
Beverly Hillbillies (6:30 a.m., Ch 5.2 MeTV): The Clampetts head for Christmas in Hooterville - and a possible wedding for Granny and Sam Drucker.
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (7 a.m., AMC): Animated show from 1985.
Little Drummer Boy: Book II (7:30 a.m., AMC): An orphaned drummer boy helps a man ring silver bells.
Gunsmoke (1 p.m., Ch 5.2 MeTV): Christmas with seven orphans.
Bonanza (2 p.m., Ch 5.2 MeTV): A singer (Wayne Newton) comes home for Christmas with his scheming uncle.
Check Inn To Christmas (2 p.m., Hallmark): A New York lawyer (Rachel Boston) returns to her Colorado hometown, where two old-family inns compete fiercely for business.
The First Christmas: The Story Of The First Christmas Snow (2p.m., AMC): A French nun helps for a blind boy.
Little Drummer Boy: Book II (2:30 p.m., AMC): An orphaned drummer boy helps a man ring silver bells.
Radio Lab: Cities (3 p.m., WVXU-FM 91.7): What makes cities tick? Radio Lab staffers take to the streets and find out.
Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe (4 p.m., Hallmark): A career woman (Lacy Chabert) finds love when she comes home to help her sick mother.
'Twas The Night Before Christmas (4 p.m., AMC): Joel Gray narrates the 1974 cartoon about Santa removing a small town from his delivery route.
The Year Without A Santa Claus (5:45 p.m., AMC): 1974 animated show about a disgruntled Santa considers taking the year off. Voices by Mickey Rooney and Shirley Booth.
Christmas at the Plaza (6 p.m. Hallmark): A historian (Elizabeth Henstridge) curates a history of Christmas exhibit at the Plaza Hotel. With Julia Duffy and Ryan Paevey.
Elf (7 p.m., AMC): An elf (Will Ferrell) searches for his family.
It's A Wonderful Life (8 p.m., Ch 5, NBC): An angel helps a suicidal man (James Stewart) in 1946.
An Ideal Husband (8 p.m., WVXU-FM 91.7): Los Angeles Theater Works production of Oscar Wilde's play starring Jacqueline Bisset, Alfred Molina and Yeardley Smith.
Christmas in Rome (8 p.m., Hallmark): NEW. A New York businessman (Sam Pages) hires an American tour guide (Lacey Chabert) in Rome.
Robbie The Reindeer: Hooves of Fire (8 p.m., Ch 12 CBS): Animated. Reindeer compete to pull Santa’s sleigh.
Robbie The Reindeer: Legend Of The Lost Tribe (8:30 p.m., Ch 12 CBS): Blitzen plans a reindeer theme park.
All That (8:30 p.m., Nick): NEW. Holiday-themed comedy sketches.
The Story of Santa Claus (9 p.m., Ch 12 CBS): A jolly old man and his wife (Ed Asner, Betty White) start the toy-giving tradition in this 1996 cartoon.
Elf (9 p.m., AMC): An elf (Will Ferrell) searches for his family.
