Rueben's Ramblings

Here is the long list of the programming options to expect on TV this coming week:

On November 23, the FX limited series Black Narcissus will debut all 3 of its episodes starting at 8 PM [the full series will be available on FX on Hulu on November 24]. The 3-episode limited series is based on the best-selling novel by Rumer Godden and set in 1934 in Mopu in the Himalayas. A remote clifftop palace once known as the ‘House of Women’ holds many dark secrets. When the young nuns of St. Faith attempt to establish a mission there, its haunting mysteries awaken forbidden desires that seem destined to repeat a terrible tragedy. During the latter years of British rule in India, ambitious young nun Sister Clodagh (Gemma Arterton) heads a mission to a remote part of the Himalayas. The palace of Mopu has been donated by General Toda Rai, who hopes the Sisters of St. Faith will rid the ‘House of Women’ of unhappy memories connected to his late sister, Srimati. Although Clodagh ignores the warnings of the General’s raffish agent Mr. Dean, isolation and illness soon take their toll, with the haunting atmosphere of the palace particularly affecting volatile Sister Ruth. As past and present collide, the arrival of the young General Dilip Rai is the catalyst for an explosion of repressed desires that may end in a fatal confrontation. The ensemble cast includes the late, great Diana Rigg and Jim Broadbent.

The Hallmark Channel movie Heart of the Holidays will debut at 8 PM on November 23. Career-driven Sam (Vanessa Lengies) returns to her hometown for the holidays where she comes face-to-face with her high school boyfriend, Noah (Corey Sevier). Together they rediscover what matters most in life.

On November 24, the season premiere of The Haves and the Have Nots will air on OWN at 8 PM.

The holiday movie A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado will debut on the Hallmark Channel on November 24 at 8 PM. Erin (Rochelle Aytes) is planning the town’s Christmas celebration and must win over firefighter Kevin (Mark Taylor) in order to obtain the beautiful spruce tree from his property for the celebration.

On November 25, the season premiere of SEAL Team will air on CBS at 9 PM.

Good Morning Christmas is the latest holiday movie to debut on the Hallmark Channel on November 25 at 8 PM. Two competing TV hosts (Alison Sweeney and Marc Blucas) are sent to a festive small town over Christmas. While pretending to get along for the sake of appearances, they discover that there’s more to each other than they thought.

On November 25, the box office holiday rom-com Happiest Season will debut online instead at Hulu. Meeting your girlfriend’s family for the first time can be tough. Planning to propose at her family’s annual Christmas dinner — until you realize that they don’t even know she’s gay — is even harder. When Abby (Kristen Stewart) learns that Harper (Mackenzie Davis) has kept their relationship a secret from her family, she begins to question the girlfriend she thought she knew. Actress Clea DuVall directed and co-wrote the film with Mary Holland, who also has a supporting role in the film. The ensemble cast also includes Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, Jake McDorman, Mary Steenburgen, Dan Levy, Victor Garber, Michelle Buteau, Ana Gasteyer and Sarayu Blue.

The sequel movie The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two will debut online on Netflix on November 25. It’s been two years since siblings Kate (Darby Camp) and Teddy Pierce (Judah Lewis) saved Christmas, and a lot has changed. Kate, now a cynical teenager, is reluctantly spending Christmas in Cancun with her mom’s new boyfriend and his son Jack (Jahzir Bruno). Unwilling to accept this new version of her family, Kate decides to run away. But when a mysterious, magical troublemaker named Belsnickel threatens to destroy the North Pole and end Christmas for good, Kate and Jack are unexpectedly pulled into a new adventure with Santa Claus (Kurt Russell). Goldie Hawn, of course, returns as Mrs. Claus.

Also on November 25, the movie Uncle Frank will debut online on Amazon Prime. Set in 1973 the film follows teenager Beth Bledsoe (Sophia Lillis) as she leaves her rural Southern hometown to study at New York University where her beloved Uncle Frank (Paul Bettany) is a revered literature professor. The film also stars Peter Macdissi, Steve Zahn, Judy Greer, Margo Martindale, Lois Smith and Stephen Root.

The new 8-episode dark comedic thriller series The Flight Attendant will debut on HBO Max on November 26. Two episodes will air each on December 3 and December 10 with the finale set to air on December 17. A flight attendant (Kaley Cuoco) wakes up in the wrong hotel, in the wrong bed, with a dead man (Michiel Huisman) – and no idea what happened. The cast includes Bebe Neuwirth, Merle Dandridge, Michelle Gomez, Colin Woodell, Nolan Gerard Funk, Rosie Perez, T.R. Knight and Zosia Mamet.

On November 26, the holiday movie Christmas by Starlight will debut on the Hallmark Channel at 8 PM. When her family’s beloved eatery, The Starlight Café, is slated for demolition, Annie (Kimberley Sustad) vows to put a stop to it before Christmas. Paul Campbell also stars.

The Lifetime holiday movie Dear Christmas will debut on November 27 at 8 PM. Natalie Morgan (Melissa Joan Hart) is the host of a popular podcast, Holiday Love, which shares true stories of holiday romance with its listeners. While to the outside world and her listeners everywhere see Natalie is an expert on romance, she’s never truly experienced a romance of her own. As Natalie prepares to embark on a promotional tour for her new book, she stops back home to spend Christmas with her family where she unexpectedly begins to experience her own holiday romance as sparks ignite with local firefighter, Jack (Jason Priestley). Ed Begley Jr., Nicky Whelan and Robin Givens also star.

On November 27, the Hallmark Channel holiday movie Five Star Christmas will debut at 8 PM. When a travel writer shows up unexpectedly at their dad’s B&B, the Ralston family all pretend to be guests in hopes of a good review. Lucy Ralston (Bethany Joy Lenz) falls for guest Jake (Victor Webster), but can’t share her secret.

The latest box office adaptation of Black Beauty will debut on Disney+ on November 27. Based on the beloved novel of the same name from 1877, a wild horse and a teenage girl (Mackenzie Foy) forge an unbreakable bond which keeps them connected for a lifetime. The cast includes Kate Winslet, Claire Forlani and Iain Glen.

On November 27, the second season of Virgin River will premiere on Netflix online.

The holiday movie Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding will debut on Lifetime on November 28 at 8 PM. The sequel will follow Jacquie Liddle (Kelly Rowland), as she and Tyler (Thomas Cadrot) try to plan their perfect destination Christmas wedding. Naturally, Jacquie’s plans go awry when her boisterous family intervenes in her planning and her snooty wedding planner quits in protest. While nothing goes as initially planned, Jacquie and Tyler get a Christmas wedding more memorable than they could have ever dreamed. The cast includes Debbi Morgan, Jaime Callica, Latonya Williams and Nathan Witte.

On November 28, the Hallmark Channel holiday movie Christmas Waltz will debut at 8 PM. After Avery’s (Lacey Chabert) storybook Christmas wedding is canceled unexpectedly, dance instructor Roman (Will Kemp) helps her rebuild her dreams.

The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries holiday movie USS Christmas on November 28 at 10 PM. Maddie (Jen Lilley), a reporter for a Norfolk newspaper, embarks on a Tiger Cruise during Christmastime where she meets a handsome naval officer (Trevor Donovan) and stumbles upon a mystery in the ship’s archive room. Barbara Niven co-stars.

On November 28, the Lifetime movie Finding My Daughter will debut at 8 PM. When Ashley (Cristina Rosato) was sixteen she had to give up her newborn daughter for adoption but always wondered what happened to her. Eighteen years later she receives a letter from Brittany (Megan Best) requesting to meet her birth mother. Delighted and a little anxious, Ashley sets out to meet her daughter but by the time she arrives in her small hometown, Brittany has vanished. The only people willing to help her are Scott (Kyle Cassie), owner of the local bookstore and Jake (Jesse Hutch), Ashley’s old high school boyfriend and the town sheriff. As Jake helps Ashley search for Brittany, they discover that they still have feelings for each other, but their new relationship is strained after Jake uncovers a long-hidden secret. Putting her trust into the wrong person, Ashley must fight to reunite with her daughter and see Jake again.

The season finale of The Spanish Princess will air on Starz on November 29 at 8 PM.

On November 29, the Lifetime holiday movie Once Upon a Main Street will debut at 8 PM. Amelia Lewis (Vanessa Lachey) is super excited when she buys an available storefront, planning to open a year-round Christmas shop. But her celebration comes to a screeching halt when she discovers that Vic Manning (Ryan McPartlin) has also bid on the property. Amelia and Vic have the same idea, get to the seller – Elder Dubois (Patrick Duffy) in the next town – and convince him to sell his space to them. Despite the holidays, Elder is down in the dumps. It’s the first Christmas without his wife, and he’s in no mood to chair the decoration committee for the “Battle of the Main Street” yearly holiday competition with the neighboring town. Hoping to win favor with Elder, Amelia and Vic volunteer to take over his duties. After continually bickering and trying to one-up each other, the two combatants learn to work together and even get the merchants on Main Street to put aside their differences for the greater good. Everyone, including Amelia and Vic, realize that compromise is the key that leads to a happy – and romantic – ending.

The final episode of the limited series The Undoing will air on HBO on November 29 at 9 PM while that same night the season finale of Fargo will air on FX at 10 PM.

On November 29, the Hallmark Channel movie If I Only Had Christmas will debut at 8 PM. At Christmas, a cheerful publicist (Candace Cameron Bure) teams up with a cynical business owner (Warren Christie) and his team to help a charity in need.

Lastly, also on November 29, the ION holiday movie A Royal Christmas Engagement will debut at 7 PM. A Manhattan ad agency boss, John Holiday (John Schneider), entrusts Lauren (Paige Bach) to deliver the big pre-holiday client pitch, but only winds up annoying her when she’s teamed up with a European consultant. To Lauren’s surprise, this consultant turns out to be the handsome Prince Edward of Candashire (James Nitti), masquerading as his consultant pal to escape his royal duties for an incognito American Christmas.

Mark your calendars!