ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas 2013 Schedule

It is that time of year ago when you just stay inside with a blanket on and watch Christmas specials for a month straight. And ABC Family is happy to accommodate with its 25 Days of Christmas tomorrow. Some highlights include the world premiere of the ABC Family Original movie Holidaze starring Jennie Garth and Cameron Mathison as well as an all-new Christmas Special of Melissa & Joey and Baby Daddy. Here is the full schedule (all times PM unless otherwise listed):

Sunday, December 1
(7:00 AM) Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas
(8:30 AM) Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
(10:00 AM) Santa Buddies
(12:00) The Family Man
(3:00) Disney's A Christmas Carol
(5:00) The Polar Express
(7:00) Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Live Action)
Encore Presentation (9:30 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT)

Monday, December 2
(6:00) Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too
(6:30) Mickey's Christmas Carol
(7:00) Jack Frost (1979)
(8:00) The Santa Clause
(10:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause
Encore Presentation (12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT)

Tuesday, December 3
(6:00) The Santa Clause
(8:00) Scrooged
(10:00) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
(12:00 AM) Three Days

Wednesday, December 4
(6:00) Scrooged
(8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
(10:00 PM) Deck the Halls — ABC Family Premiere
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) A Very Brady Christmas

Thursday, December 5
(6:00) Rudolph's Shiny New Year
(7:00) The Polar Express
Encore Presentation (12:00AM)
(9:00) The Muppet Christmas Carol

Friday, December 6
(6:00) Frosty's Winter Wonderland
(6:30) The Muppet Christmas Carol
(8:30) Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Live Action)
(12:00 AM) Prancer

Saturday, December 7
(7:00 AM) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys
(8:30 AM) Home Alone: The Holiday Heist
(10:30 AM) Prancer
(12:30) All I Want For Christmas
(2:30) Disney's A Christmas Carol
(4:30) Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas
(7:00) The Santa Clause
(9:00) The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause
(11:00 PM) Deck the Halls

Sunday, December 8
(7:00 AM) Jack Frost (1979)
(8:00 AM) Christmas Cupid
(10:00 AM) Snowglobe
(12:00) Santa Baby
(2:00) Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe
(4:00) 12 Dates of Christmas
(6:00) The Mistle-Tones
(8:00) Holidaze — ABC Family Original Movie Premiere
(10:00 PM) Holiday in Handcuffs

Monday, December 9
(6:00) Holidaze
(8:00) Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Live Action)
(10:30) Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat

Tuesday, December 10
(6:00) A Chipmunk Christmas
(6:30) Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Live Action)
(9:00) The Year Without a Santa Claus
(10:00) Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
(12:00) Snowglobe

Wednesday, December 11
(6:00) Holiday in Handcuffs
Encore Presentation (12:00 AM)
(8:00) Melissa and Joey – All New Christmas Special
(8:30) Babby Daddy – All New Christmas Special
(9:00) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Thursday, December 12
(6:00) Baby Daddy
(6:30) Melissa and Joey
(7:00) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
(9:00) Scrooged
(12:00) All I Want For Christmas

Friday, December 13
(4:00) Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too
(4:30) Dinsney∙Pixar’s Toy Story
(6:20) Disney∙Pixar’s Toy Story 2
(8:20) Disney∙Pixar’s Toy Story 3
(10:30) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story of Terror!
(12:00) Chasing Christmas

Saturday, December 14
(7:00 AM) Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
(7:30 AM) Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too
(8:00 AM) Winnie The Pooh — ABC Family Premiere
(9:30 AM) Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too
(10:00 AM) Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas
(11:30 AM) Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
(1:00) Mickey's Christmas Carol
(1:30) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story of Terror!
(2:00) Dinsney∙Pixar’s Toy Story
(3:50) Disney∙Pixar’s Toy Story 2
(5:50) Disney∙Pixar’s Toy Story 3
(8:00) Disney's The Little Mermaid — ABC Family Premiere
Encore Presentation (9:45–11:30 PM ET/PT)
(11:30 PM) The Muppet Christmas Carol

Sunday, December 15
(7:30 AM) Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas
(9:00 AM) Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
(10:30 AM) Disney Prep and Landing
(11:00 AM) Disney Prep and Landing: Naughty vs. Nice
(11:30 AM) Mickey's Christmas Carol
(12:00) – I'll Be Home for Christmas
(2:00) All I Want For Christmas
(4:00) Deck the Halls
(6:00) The Muppet Christmas Carol
(8:00) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
(10:00) Scrooged

Monday, December 16
(7:00 AM) Snow
(7:00) The Santa Clause
(9:00) The Santa Clause 2
(11:00) The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause
(1:00 AM) Disney Prep and Landing
(1:30 AM) Disney Prep and Landing: Naughty vs. Nice

Tuesday, December 17
(7:00 AM) Three Days
(11:00 AM) Unlikely Angel
(1:00) Prancer
(3:00) – I'll Be Home for Christmas
Encore Presentation (12:00 AM)
(5:00) The Santa Clause
(7:00) The Santa Clause 2
(9:00) The Polar Express

Wednesday, December 18
(7:00 AM) Holidaze
(9:00n AM) Secret Santa
(11:00 AM) The Mistle-Tones
(1:00) Santa Baby
Encore Presentation (12:00 AM)
(3:00) Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe
(5:00) The Polar Express
(7:00) Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too
(7:30) Mickey's Christmas Carol
(8:00) Mary Poppins

Thursday, December 19
(7:00 AM) Eloise at Christmastime
(9:00 AM) Mary Poppins
(12:00) 12 Dates of Christmas
(2:00) Holiday in Handcuffs
(4:00) The Family Man
(7:00) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys
(8:30) Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas
(12:00) Deck the Halls

Friday, December 20
(7:00 AM) Chasing Christmas
(9:00 AM) Christmas Every Day
Encore Presentation (12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT)
(11:00 AM) Christmas Do-Over
(1:00) The Family Man
(4:00) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys
(5:30) Frosty's Winter Wonderland
(6:00) A Chipmunk Christmas
(6:30) Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Live Action)
(9:00) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Saturday, December 21
(7:00 AM) Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
(7:30 AM) The Little Drummer Boy
(8:00 AM) Pinocchio's Christmas
(9:00 AM) The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
(10:00 AM ) 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
(10:30 AM) Rudolph's Shiny New Year
(11:30 AM) Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
(1:30) The Year Without a Santa Claus
(2:30) Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
(3:30) A Chipmunk Christmas
(4:00) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
(6:00) The Santa Clause
(8:00) The Santa Clause 2
(10:00 PM) The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause
(12:00) The Mistle-Tones

Sunday, December 22
(7:00 AM) The Year Without a Santa Claus
(8:00 AM) Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
(9:00 AM) I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
(11:00 AM) Unaccompanied Minors
(1:00) The Santa Clause
(3:00) The Santa Clause 2
(5:00 PM) The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause
(7:00) Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Live Action)
Encore Presentation (9:30 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT)

Monday, December 23
(7:00 AM) I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
(9:00 AM) A Dennis the Menace Christmas
(11:00 AM) Home Alone: The Holiday Heist
(1:00) Deck the Halls
(3:00) Disney's A Christmas Carol
(5:00) Jack Frost (1979)
(6:00) Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
(7:00) The Year Without a Santa Claus
(8:00) The Muppet Christmas Carol
(10:00 PM) The Polar Express
(12:00 AM) Scrooged

Tuesday, December 24
(7:00 AM) A Very Brady Christmas
(9:00 AM) 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
(11:00 AM) Scrooged
(1:00) The Polar Express
(3:00) The Muppet Christmas Carol
(5:00) The Santa Clause
(7:00) The Santa Clause 2
(9:00) The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause
(12:00 AM) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Wednesday, December 25
(7:00 AM) Frosty's Winter Wonderland
(7:30 AM) The Year Without a Santa Claus
(8:30 AM) Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
(11:00 AM) The Muppet Christmas Carol
Encore Presentation (12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT)
(1:00) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Encore Presentation (9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT)
(3:00) The Santa Clause
(5:00) The Santa Clause 2
(7:00) The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause

2013 9th Green Holiday Schedule

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, or as those outside the U.S. like to call it, Thursday. So I hope you have (or had, depending on when you read this) a great Turkey Day. Just a heads up with the holidays upon us, here’s a look at the schedule the 9th Green will be taking the next couple weeks as well as a list of the best of 2013 and on day that are not listed, they will be filled by the regular reviews and such you have come to find at the 9th Green (card subject to change):


November 28-29 - Off for Thanksgiving
November 30 – ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas Schedule
December 2 - Induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame
December 19 - Lyrics Quiz: Best of 2013
December 21 - Worst Songs of 2013
December 22 – Best Performances of 2013
December 23 - Best Albums of 2013
December 24-25 - Off for Christmas
December 26 - Best Videos of 2013
December 27 - Best Mash-ups of 2013
December 28 - The Most Entertaining People of 2013
December 29 – 9th Green’s Reader’s Favorite Songs of 2013*
December 30 - 100 Best Songs of 2013
December 31/January 1 - Off for New Years
January 2 - Induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame
January 3 - Best Movies of 2013


*As you may have noticed, on the 29th I will have a Reader’s poll on what you all thought were the best songs of the year.

All you have to do is fill out the form below. If you have problems with it, feel free to e-mail me, ScooterMcGavin9thGreen(at)gmail(dot)com, your list. So if you would sometime time before Christmas fill out the form below, I will put a link at the top of the sidebar if you want to think about it. And as an added bonus, if you send me your list this year you can win a $5 Gift Certificate to iTunes. Please note, only people with American accounts can win but foreigners are still welcome to voice their opinions. Winners will be contacted sometime between Christmas and New Years.


If you need a refresher of songs from the last twelve months, check out the list of the albums I reviewed, just look at the labels in the side bar. All the songs from those albums are eligible, look through the music videos I highlighted the past year and of course any song released this year is okay too even if I didn’t talk about it. Your nominations will be confidential and I won’t disclose it here at the 9th Green, so if you enjoy the 9th Green please fill out the form by December 26.

Previewing Boston's Finest and Marshal Law: Texas

Even though they were not filming during Patriots Day, the Boston Bombing looms large after the first episode of the new season of Boston’s Finest. It opens on July 4, the first major event since the bombing at the Boston Marathon and the cops and the general public is hesitant about the festivities. Of course the Boston Police Department has deployed extra forces and most of the officers you met last season are on duty. This includes Jenn Penton, who joined the force after a military stint on Afghanistan; Diamantino “D” Araujo and Manny Canuto, members of the gang squad (gangs use the holiday to mask gunshots with the sound of firecrackers); and Greg and Nancy Dankers who work opposite shifts. This season we also go on Boston Harbor where there are different difficulties from their land stricken breather.

After Boston’s Finest, TNT will travel almost 2,000 miles southwest to Houston for their newest show Marshal Law: Texas. Nope, Governor Rick Perry has not declared Martial law for a reality series, despite the similar sounding phrase this show follows the U.S. Marshal Service located in Houston, Texas. Think Justified: The Reality Series. But where Raylan Givens never leaves the headquarters without his trusty hat, these Marshals routinely go on the hunt looking more like S.W.A.T. teams compete with helmets and bulletproof vests.

Business is booming for the Marshal Service in Houston with 30,000 fugitives on the lamb in the city, some of them for very violent crimes. But much like Raylan, these Marshals are not messing around. For instance, in tonight’s premiere, they corner a fugitive in a house currently for sale and bust out most windows, tearing down blinds to get a better looked at an armed man who is wanted for shooting his girlfriend and go in armed with semi-automatic weapons. To give each case deeper importance, we also get to hear from victims of the fugitives or their family. If you enjoyed the first season of Boston’s Finest, you will definitely want to stick around for Marshal Law: Texas.

Boston’s Finest airs Tuesdays at 9:00 on TNT followed by Marshal Law: Texas at 10:00. You can download Boston's Finest on iTunes

Previewing Major Crimes: Season 2 Winter Half

Major Crimes returns tonight to close out its last eight episodes of the season tonight. This past summer, Raydor and the detectives in the squad finally settled into a good working relationship. But they are now under the watchful eye of Deputy District Attorney Emma Rios, who has been assigned to shadow investigations and work with Raydor’s team to build successful cases and secure plea deals whenever possible. Then there was Rusty who struggled to come to terms with his past and pushed away a female classmate without explanation.

The winter season starts off with a double murder of two teenagers who get caught with the new drug of choice, molly, laced with a little something extra. This of course brings in the local NARC to help solve the case. Next week’s installment entitled Jailbait bring a new double meaning to the term when a juvenile rapist is murdered and the team is tasked with finding the murderer. Usually on shows like this I can spot the perp a half an hour before the reveal, but this episode was one of the few times I was legitimately shocked by who did it.

The detectives also follow a money trail full of surprises when a body turns up at a posh country club. These episodes also promise to reveal the mysterious person sending letters to Rusty and Raydor, while Rusty finally testifies against Phillip Stroh. Jon Tenney will also return to direct the December 16 episode and will appear as FBI Agent Fritz Howard in two episodes.

Major Crimes airs Mondays at 9:00 on TNT. You can also download Major Crimes on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 11/24/13

Once Upon a Time: Just when I thought they could not ruin Peter Pan anymore, they make his origin story an adult. Sure it makes absolutely no sense that Peter Pan’s shadow predates Peter Pan, but that is the kind of writing you get on this show. And even though I doubt that either will stick, but I have no problem with Henry dying or Rumplestilkin getting trapped in Pandora’s Box. And though the promo monkeys suggested not guessing what happens next, they bring Henry back to life and the second half of the season is Henry becoming the new leader of the Lost Boys.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Once Upon a Time on iTunes.

Homeland: I was hoping he would just rot in the half finished building for the rest of eternity but it looks like Brody will be back on American soil by next episode. And he will probably get a full pardon even though he is a known associate of Abu Nazir, tried to blow up the Vice President and other high ranking officials, and they succeeded in killing the Vice President the following season. Maybe if we are lucky, they will ship him overseas to help their asset in Iran.

The Walking Dead: Where has the fake cop been this whole time? Of course like every interesting character this show introduces, I fully expect her to be dead by the end of next episode. I do wonder if these new people are cousins to the Greene family because it is distracting how much the one looks exactly like Maggie.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Revenge: When the promo monkeys hyped someone from Emily’s past coming back, I rolled my eyes when her gay husband showed up. Oops, he was not it. Then when the reporter got all Deep Throat meeting in a parking garage, I just assumed the British chick was back in town. Nope, Lydia is back from the dead. Wait, what? I thought she was dead, except I do not remember how. I remember he falling off her balcony onto a car but I thought she survived that. (I had to look it up, she was supposed to be on the airplane that exploded at the end of season one. So Lydia was not on it, Victoria was not on it, who exactly was on the airplane?)
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Revenge on iTunes.

Masters of Sex: An episode of Masters of Sex without any sex. Unless you consider seeing the inside of a lady count. I do now wonder if Dr. Haas and Vivian will meet each other again in the sex study. Now that she has had an orgasm it seems like she would try to reenroll (unless she was too embarrassed by the first rejection). And I wonder if Barton himself will ever partake in some sort a way even if it is just a way to “cure” himself.

Castle: Number one rule of television: if you do not find a body, they are not dead. And even if you do find a body, there is still a fifteen percent chance they still not turn out to be dead. So I never for a moment thought the serial killer was actually dead. And now that he has a plastic surgeon girlfriend, he could end up being anyone. He may even show up as Ryan’s doppelganger at some point.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: I was worried when they said the episode would tie into the movie because I do not like going to movies and prefer to watch them from the comforts of the couch. Thankfully they did not spoil anything (sure they were cleaning up after London was destroyed but you could tell from the trailer a city was getting destroyed; that an a city inevitably gets destroyed in every superhero movie). But it was a bit disappointing that they had a movie tie in episode and none of the characters from the movie showed up. They really could not have run into Natalie Pirtman for a second or two?
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Sons of Anarchy: Wow, they actually killed off Clay. He had to die at some point, but after he survived two gunshot to the chest from Opie I assumed he was going to manage to survive until closer the series finale. But here he is shot by Jax during the antepenultimate episode of the penultimate season. So now what? The series has always been about a power struggle between Jax and Clay and now with Clay off the board for the reminder of the series there is a gaping hole. The rest of the series cannot possibly be about the power struggle between Tara and Gemma could it?
You can download Sons of Anarchy on iTunes.

Survivor: Blood vs. Water: If I had not seen just the day before a dude shoot his step-father in the throat in front of his mother and wife, what Ciera did to her mother would have been the most coldblooded thing on television this week. It is one thing to vote your mother out, it is other to writer her name down then put “mom” in parentheses so she, and everyone in the world, knows that you shot your mother in the throat. And it was awesome and almost makes this horrible Blood vs. Water idea worth it. The most bizarre thing is that Ciera could be in the driver’s seat. The promo monkeys make it seem like the newbies are going to ban together to oust the veterans. The she could easily get in the final three. Once there she could actually win because people may be weary of voting for Caleb (because Colton is evil) and Hayden (who already won a rival reality show). Of course whenever the promo monkeys suggests something, it almost always goes wrong, which means one of the newbies will either not flip on the veterans or let the veterans get wind and Tyson will use his Idol.
You can stream recent episodes on cbs.com. You can also download Survivor: Blood vs. Water on iTunes.

Nashville: If I were Rayna I would have totally let the police arrest me and then win the war in the court of public opinion. I really doubt a digital single is really going to completely placate the head of the record label.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Nashville on iTunes.

The Big Bang Theory: It doe not even matter if Amy pointed out how wrong it was, the writers should have never have heldon make the slavery comparison, it just was not funny. It did not help that this episode just aired after Sarah Palin also made a very inappropriate slavery comparison.
You can stream recent episodes on cbs.com. You can also download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.

Parenthood: Max is typically my least favorite character on the show, but Max asking out Hank’s daughter and the uncomfortable position that put Hank in was hilarious. Can’t they just have Hank’s daughter move back to California permanently? It would completely make up for the downer that the Julia storyline has been this season.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

Best of the Week: 11/23/13

Quote of the Week: I had people yell “Show me your boobs” so much you’d have thought it was hit song. (Rayna James, Nashville)

Song of the Week: Sabotage - Beastie Boys (How I Met Your Mother)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: The CW May Have Started Trying: I like to ding The CW because it is so easy. In successive years after its creation they canceled they only quality programs they inherited Veronica Mars and Everybody Hates Chris yet continued to renew crap like One Tree Hill and Supernatural past their decade mark. Now that the network is closing in on a decade itself, it routinely gets out rated by basic cable programs mostly because it continues to green light trashy teen focused dramas. Then news broke this week they were developing not one, but two Homeland type-show. Hopefully whichever one makes it to air stars Lyla Garrity as it could easily be one of the greatest hate watching shows of all time. Add this to the Rob Thomas / zombie show, and The CW may actually become watchable for the first time in eight seasons. But then again, these three shows will probably not make it to air but the proposed Fred Durst bio-series will instead.

Preview Picture of the Week:

Christmas Bounty, Tuesday at 8:00 on ABC Family

Free Download and Deal of the Week: 90’s Discount (Google Play): Last week Google had a rock fire sale and this week they go back into the nineties with free tracks and albums as low as $3.99 from artists like Boyz II Men, Mary J. Blige, 2 Pac, and Alanis Morrissette.

New Album Release of the Week: Foreverly - Billy Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones

New DVD Release of the Week: Breaking Bad: The Complete Series

Video of the Week: R. Kelly has a new album coming out next week and there really is only two things Kells is known for: Trapped in the Closet and weird sex songs. Unfortunately Black Panties does not have any new chapters of Trapped in the Closet but it does have songs entitled Crazy Sex and Marry That (Expletive Deleted) (the Deluxe Edition also has Show Ya (Expletive Deleted) and Every Position). So Rolling Stone tested the theory that Robert could write sex songs about anything and gave him three challenges. And they were awesome.


Next Week Pick of the Week: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday at 9:00 A.M. on NBC: Thanksgiving just is not Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce from a can and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year will feature apprences and performances from Big Apple Circus, Kristin Chenoweth, Cherokee National Youth Choir, Chica and the gang from Sprout, Cirque du Soleil, Gavin DeGraw, Brett Eldredge, Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots with the cast of "Sesame Street," Fifth Harmony, Florida Georgia Line, Goo Goo Dolls, Ariana Grande, Jack Hannah, Megan Hilty, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, Sandra Lee, Cher Lloyd, Austin Mahone, Mannheim Steamroller, Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri, NFL legends Bart Oates, Amani Toomer and Hines Ward, NHL legends Cam Neely and Mike Richter, as well as Kellie Pickler, The Robertson family from A&E's hit series "Duck Dynasty," Debby Ryan, Richard Simmons, and The Summer Set.

Around the Tubes: 11/22/13

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Getting On, Ja’mie: Private School Girl, Barbra Streisand: Back to Brooklyn, Party On, Face Off, Dallas, and Being Human.

- HBO’s latest series Getting On premieres this Sunday at 10:00 which will be followed by Ja’mie: Private School Girl. Check out a preview for both below:




- Barbra Streisand's heralded hometown return at the brand new 19,000-seat, billion-dollar Barclays Center, Barbra Streisand: Back to Brooklyn, airs on THIRTEEN's Great Performances Friday, November 29 at 9 p.m. as part of the PBS Arts Fall Festival (check local listings). Mixing her trademark classics with rarer older material and selections from her more recent albums, Streisand, in her first concert appearance in six years, and backed by a 60-piece orchestra led by William Ross, keeps the capacity house enthralled. In all, she sings 27 songs, nine of which she never before performed live, and three which she sings in different ways; that is, either with different arrangements or with newly composed lyrics. Streisand masterfully holds the stage for two hours, joined by special guests Il Volo, trumpeter Chris Botti, and (making it a true family affair) son Jason Gould, who thrilled the audience singing solo and in a duet with his mother.

- Oscar® nominee, three-time Emmy® winner and Tony Award® winner Hugh Jackman is set to host TNT's annual holiday spectacular Christmas in Washington. Jackman will introduce this year's lineup of musical performers, including Backstreet Boys, Sheryl Crow, Anna Kendrick, Janelle Monáe and Pat Monahan. In addition, the concert will feature a special guest appearance by NBA Hall of Famer and analyst for TNT's Inside the NBA Charles Barkley. The star-studded Christmas in Washington will premiere Friday, Dec. 20, at 8:00, exclusively on TNT.

- E!'s new show, Party On, which takes viewers into the world's most glamorous destinations and huge A-list hotspots, hosted by The Bold and the Beautiful's Jacqueline M. Wood, will be premiering December 5th at 10:00. Each week, Jackie takes viewers to a new destination like the Croatian Island of Hvar, St. Tropez, and Istanbul, and Turkey. Get a sneak peek of some of the beautiful locations


- Syfy’s smash hit and acclaimed unscripted series, Face Off, is back for a bold and extreme sixth season Tuesday, January 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Fifteen up-and-coming special effects make-up artists are introduced, all eager for the opportunity to achieve success in the competitive special effects makeup field. And in a Face Off first, the contestants travel to the other side of the globe for a special episode shot in Tokyo, Japan, where they are tasked with creating a stylized anime character based on their own alter ego.

- Dallas now has a third season premiere date: Monday February 24 at 9:00 on TNT.

- If you like the music you hear on Being Human, now you can listen to the songs all in once place on the Being Human playlist on Spotify.

Previewing Nashville 2.0: The Rise of Americana

When you think of the Nashville music scene, it probably conjures up images of rednecks in a beat up pick truck blaring music that is played at the CMA’s but the city has been attracting more and more musicians that do not fit in the traditional country ideals like Jack White and The Black Keys. Nashville 2.0: The Rise of Americana premiering tomorrow on PBS (check your local listings) takes a look at that burgeoning sub-genre of country music: neo-folk from Emmylou Harris up to the new boom that bands like Mumford and Sons created.

The special includes an impressive list of artist performances and discussions about the genre and songwriting in general including Alabama Shakes, The Avett Brothers, Billy Bragg, Laura Cantrell, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rosanne Cash, The Civil Wars, Elizabeth Cook, Rodney Crowell, Dawes, Jerry Douglas, John Fullbright, Shakey Graves, Emmylou Harris, The James Hunter Six, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, Jim Lauderdale, The Lone Bellow, The Mavericks, The Milk Carton Kids, Buddy Miller, Mumford and Sons, Shovels & Rope, Richard Thompson, and Dwight Yoakam. You may want to keep that list handy because I found myself searching many of them out after watching the special. Nashville 2.0: The Rise of Americana is a much watch for any fan of the genre or anyone who needs a deep dive into the scene. Sure there were a few holes (Fleet Foxes, Ryan Adams) and I was hoping it would take more of an Metal Evolution approach to storytelling where they took a deep dive into the lineage, but still a great watch.

Nashville 2.0 kicks off the “PBS Americana Music Weekend,” which pairs this documentary with an Americana music concert from PBS’ iconic Austin City Limits (ACL) series. In a special episode, ACL travels to Nashville to capture performance highlights from the 2013 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards. ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2013 airs November 23rd on PBS in select markets (check local listings for broadcast dates and times) with an incredible line-up of artists that highlights the best of Americana. Recorded in September at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, the program -- like Nashville 2.0 -- showcases both established and rising stars. Many of the Americana Music Association award winners perform and participate in musical collaborations. ACL Presents features Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Shovels & Rope, Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison, The Milk Carton Kids, Old Crow Medicine Show, Holly Williams, Dr. John, Duane Eddy, John Fullbright, Stephen Stills, Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale. Full ACL episodes are available online at acltv.com following their initial broadcast.

Nashville 2.0: The Rise of Americana premieres tomorrow (Friday) at 8:00 on PBS (check your local listings).

Previewing Big Cat Week

Next week is Thanksgivings and for those who are smart enough to stay in on Black Friday, you can cuddle up next to the television and watch another species go wild with the start of Nat Geo Wild’s Big Cat Week. First off at 9:00 is a showdown between two of the fastest humans, Tennessee Titans Chris Johnson and Chicago Bears Hester go head to head in a foot race… with a cheetah. Also showing up during Big Cat Week is Betty White. Here is a complete run down of all the new programming airing during the fourth annual Big Cat Week:

Man v. Cheetah
Premieres Friday, November 29, 2013, at 9:00
Take nature’s fastest land mammal vs. two of the quickest and most elusive athletes in all of professional sports: who wins ... and what shocking secrets are revealed? Nat Geo WILD gets a front row seat as the Tennessee Titans’ Chris Johnson — the NFL’s fastest running back — and the Chicago Bears’ Devin Hester — the super-agile wide receiver and kick returner — take part in an extraordinary first-ever one-on-one challenge against a cheetah. It’s the race of a lifetime that has never been attempted before as cheetahs from Busch Gardens Tampa’s Cheetah Run attraction race NFL’s finest. Who will win? Could a human beat the animal kingdom’s fastest cat? Anything is possible.

Super Cat
Premieres Friday, November 29, 2013, at 10:00
Take Kobe Bryant’s ability to jump, add Michelle Kwan’s grace and beauty, then mix well with Stephen Hawking’s problem-solving genius — and you’ve got the recipe for Super Cat. We’ve combined the most amazing features of big cats to showcase the most awe-inspiring capabilities ever seen in action. Watch this ultimate feline live all nine lives as its superpowers of strength, endurance and stealth are put to the test.

Killer Queen
Premieres Saturday, November 30, 2013, at 9:00
Soon after the summer rains have fallen, lioness Manyari’s pride faces trouble when two nomadic males seek a pride of their own to lead. With a sixth sense for imminent trouble, Manyari makes a bid to escape to ensure the survival of her young cubs. Forced to fend for herself and her cubs alone in the wild, Manyari sacrifices her own security for her offspring’s safety. Constantly looking for food and shelter, and doing her best to stay out of marauders’ lines of sight, this former queen and her cubs make the odyssey to find safety and security.

Cougar v. Wolf
Premieres Saturday, November 30, 2013, at 10:00
Wolves and cougars are increasingly at war because wolf packs continue to multiply and spread into parts of the Rocky Mountains dominated for decades by cougars. Now, big cat wrangler Boone Smith tracks the most recent wolf and cat skirmishes as he delves into why these two big predators carry on the cats vs. dogs rivalry. In his big cat forensic investigation, Boone’s goal is to pinpoint the places where cougar-wolf conflicts most often occur by gathering clues about each creature’s hunting, feeding and fighting behaviors. Boone applies all the skills he’s acquired tracking big cats around the world to unravel the truth about what happens in a cougar v. wolf showdown.

Game of Lions
Premieres Sunday, December 1, 2013, at 10:00
From award-winning filmmakers and National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Dereck and Beverly Joubert comes their next feature film, exclusively for Nat Geo WILD. According to Dereck Joubert, there are 20,000 lions left on Earth. Only 3,500 of those are males. Although they are born at a 50/50 ratio, by the time they reach maturity, only one in eight male lions survive. We follow the journey of the lives of young males in the African bush and their potential to be king. From the birth of a male to his exile from his pride, our cameras follow along as males roam the jungles in an effort to spread their bloodlines through the kingdom. The Jouberts take an unflinching look at what happens to these lions in this spirited, moving and heartbreaking film.

Betty White Goes Wild!
Premieres Tuesday, December 3, 2013, at 9:00
“If it hadn’t been for Hollywood, I’d have fulfilled my other childhood dream … to be a zookeeper,” says Betty White when speaking about her love for animals. We take a rare look into one of White’s true passions — big cats! Head with her to the Los Angeles and San Diego zoos to get up close to big cats. White weaves her natural wit as we look at the cats’ individual behavioral traits and learn where they live, how many are left in the wild and the challenges they face.

Additional programming to air during Big Cat Week includes Swamp Lions, Cat Wars, The Last Lions, Built for Kill: Lions, Tiger Dynasty, Lion Army, Cheetah: Fatal Instinct and Lion Battle Zone.

Feed Your iPod LXXIX: Don't Follow

With the new album by Pearl Jam and the 20th anniversary of In Utero (Nirvana Unplugged was also recorded twenty years ago yesterday) I have been thinking about grunge lately and let’s face it: the genre has not aged well. Sure you can blame it on the second wave of grunge acts like Bush and Candlebox and it got completely bastardized by the time Nickelback co-opted the sound. Lackluster reunions recently by Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots certainly did not help either (at least Bush has stayed retired). Despite the unnecessary reunion, Alice in Chains is one of the few grunge acts I still look back fondly at. Would? remains my favorite grunge song of all time (naturally it was on the Single soundtrack). The band also has some deep cut that need to be rediscovered mostly on their two lesser owned EP. Don’t Follow on the Jar of Flies EP is the rare power balled from the band that even had a down south vibe to it thanks to a well placed harmonica.

Don’t Follow – Alice in Chains