ABC, 8:00 p.m. ET
This new special not only is a celebration of Pixar the studio – which has since been absorbed by Disney, which also owns ABC – and of the three Toy Story movies. It’s also an extended advance promo for the upcoming fourth entry in the franchise. And lest you think this is too blatant a promotional ploy for ABC and Disney, please refer back to the launch of ABC’s Disneyland 60 years ago. That series promoted every movie and theme park shamelessly, as far back as when Disneyland was still on the drawing board.
Fox, 8:00 p.m. ET
This two-hour midseason finale, or winter finale, or whatever it’s called this month, features Booth and Brennan going undercover at the same place – an Old West-style shooting competition – but not together. Which, of course, brings out the competiveness in them, and more.
TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET
French director Claude Chabrol is saluted tonight on TCM, and the first movie up in prime time is his influential 1958 character study, Les Cousins, in which Juliette Mayniel plays a young woman attracted to, and courted by, two cousins – one a city sophisticate, the other an unassuming country boy. Gerard Blain, Jean-Claude Brialy co-star. Other movies presented tonight include another 1958 Chabrol film, Le Beau Serge, at 10 p.m. ET, and 1988’s controversial Story of Women, in which Isabelle Huppert plays an abortionist in occupied France.
ABC, 9:00 p.m. ET
ABC’s 20th anniversary salute to Toy Story is followed by the original article: The 1995 movie that started it all, and also jump-started an entire new film industry in feature-length computer animation. Enjoy Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and the rest, taking Pixar to solvency, and beyond!
NBC, 9:00 p.m. ET
Dolly Parton’s early life in poverty was the basis for a song, which is the basis for this new NBC telemovie. Dolly, as a girl, is given a patchwork rag coat to wear to school, because her family can’t afford a new one. Dolly thinks it’s special – her classmates, not so much. And that’s where this holiday lesson begins. For a full review, see
David Hinckley’s All Along the Watchtower.