SATURDAY
DECEMBER 24
2016

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

BBC America, 12:00 a.m. ET

The buildup to tomorrow’s new Christmas Day episode of Doctor Who continues, with another all-day marathon of Doctor Who episodes – all day, that is, except for the 11 p.m. ET interruption of the latest, and last, episode of the new animated series, The Power of the Daleks, based on audio from the original 1960s British Doctor Who series. Six episodes were animated and recreated in this new form, and the sixth episode premieres tonight.

 
  
 
 

Various Networks, 1:00 p.m. ET

Because tomorrow is Christmas Day, most NFL games usually played on Sunday will be played today instead, including five 1 p.m. ET regional games on CBS, including the 12-2 New England Patriots at the 4-10 New York Jets (pictured), and two 1 p.m. ET regional games on Fox. CBS has one more game at 4 p.m. ET, Fox has three at 4 p.m. ET, and NFL Network has a Saturday late game at 8:30 p.m. ET. Check local listings.

 
  
 
 

NBC, 8:00 p.m. ET

For the final time this season, NBC and its Universal family presents this classic 1946 movie, starring James Stewart as a guy who gets to see what life would have been like without him. It’s a big premise, but think even bigger: Without him, for one thing, would Clarence ever have earned his wings?

 
  
 
 

HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET

When George Clooney starred in the Coen Brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou?, he played a delightfully dumb and vain character. In this 2016 Coen Brothers film, he does it again, this time playing an actor. And co-starring with him, in equally delightful terms in this Hollywood studio-system period comedy, are other great actors having great fun, including Tilda Swinton in twin roles as identical sisters who are rival gossip columnists, Scarlett Johansson as an aquatic actress, and Ralph Fiennes as an understandably frustrated director.

 
  
 
 

TNT, 8:00 p.m. ET

Also shown on TBS at the same time, this annual tradition is 24 hours straight of this 1984 holiday comedy, starring Peter Billingsley as the little kid with a big Christmas wish, and with Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin as his parents. Based on the novel In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd, who co-wrote the screenplay.

 
  
 
 

NBC, 11:30 p.m. ET

Live, from Rome, it’s Saturday night! But on this particular Saturday night live, which actually presents a tape delay of the midnight mass from St. Peter’s Basilica, the star is Pope Francis. And on this occasion, he's no conehead. No disrespect intended…
 
  
 
 
 
 
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David Bianculli

Founder / Editor

David Bianculli has been a TV critic since 1975, including a 14-year stint at the New York Daily News, and sees no reason to stop now. Currently, he's TV critic for NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, and is an occasional substitute host for that show. He's also an author and teaches TV and film history at New Jersey's Rowan University. His 2009 Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour', has been purchased for film rights. His latest, The Platinum Age of Television: From I Love Lucy to the Walking Dead, How TV Became Terrific, is an effusive guidebook that plots the path from the 1950s’ Golden Age to today’s era of quality TV.