Rueben's Ramblings

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

On December 13, the fall finales of All American and 4400 will both air on The CW at 8 and 9 PM respectively.

The following movies will debut on December 13:

* Let’s Get Married on VH1 at 9 PM. The movie focuses on what happens when a hard-partying, down-on-her-luck, holiday-hate marries a man she just met on a Christmas bachelorette weekend. The cast includes Mishel Prada, Xosha Roquemore, Tahj Mowry, Nicolette Pearse, Nicole Power and Savannah Basley. The film is executive produced by Eva Longoria.

* Maps and Mistletoe on Lifetime at 8 PM. Emilia Martin (Humberly González), a cartographer of school maps, has plans for a cozy Christmas at home until her boss has a last-minute project for her, designing a novelty treasure map of the North Pole. Emilia decides to seek out the expertise of North Pole explorer Drew Campbell (Ronnie Rowe), who reluctantly agrees to help her. As the two work closely, they discover more than either of them ever expected.

On December 14, the fall finale of Queens will air on ABC at 10:01 PM; while the fall finales of The Flash and Riverdale will air on The CW at 8 and 9 PM respectively on that same night. Also, FBI and FBI: Most Wanted will both air their fall finales on CBS at 8 and 9 PM respectively.

The following movies will debut on December 14

* A Christmas Stray on OWN at 9 PM. A tightly wound corporate executive finds himself hopelessly stranded in a small mountain town on Christmas Eve, unable to shake the adorable stray dog who ran him off the road, and irresistibly drawn to the free-spirited, local veterinarian who is sorely in need of some Christmas magic herself. The film stars Andra Fuller and Rhyon Nicole Brown.

* Ghosts of Christmas Past on Lifetime at 8 PM. Ellie (Annie Clark), a serial “ghoster” on dating apps, is told by a fortune teller that she must resolve her past and make amends with all of those she ghosted before Christmas, or she is destined to never find true love! Over the course of one week, she takes it upon herself to track down all the men she ghosted before the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve and discovers love in the process. Dan Jeannotte also stars

On December 15, the 90-minute special presentation of the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2021 will air on The CW at 8 PM.

The Lifetime movie The Enchanted Christmas Cake will debut on December 15 at 8 PM. After recently losing her grandmother, Gwen (Erica Durance) is struggling to run their bakery, regain the Christmas spirit and figure out her grandmother’s magical recipe for the town’s legendary Enchanted Christmas Cake. So when a high-end chef comes to town to film a Christmas special, Gwen reluctantly agrees to help the producer, Gavin (Robin Dunne), prepare for the shoot to help support the bakery. As sparks fly, will she discover that Gavin is the secret ingredient she was missing all along?

On December 16, the season finale of the thriller Ragdoll will air online on AMC+; while that same night, the fall finale of Legacies will air on The CW at 9 PM; and Station 19, Grey’s Anatomy and Big Sky will all air its fall finales that same night on ABC at 8, 9 and 10:01 PM respectively.

The following movies will debut on December 16:

* A California Christmas: City Lights on Netflix. It’s been a year since Callie and Joseph (real life husband and wife Lauren Swickard and Josh Swickard) fell in love, and they’re happier than ever running their dairy farm and winery, until business and family obligations call him back to the city — and threaten to derail their romance. David Del Rio and Ali Afshar also star.

* Christmas by Chance on Lifetime at 8 PM. Chance Charleswood (Winny Clarke) owns a struggling gift shop called By Chance Gifts. As the Christmas shopping season approaches, Chance is hired by William Richards (Jacob Blair), a wealthy and popular entrepreneur, to help him organize the perfect proposal for his girlfriend, Leyla Brooks. When Chance needs to get closer to Leyla to find out what she likes, they devise a plan to have her attend their Christmas party as an old friend of the family. Chance and William continue to spend more time together with the hopes of devising the perfect proposal, but Leyla does not seem to be ready for marriage and each plan seems to fall apart. As Chance and William get to know each other more they begin to bring out the best in one another and are able to find their true selves along the way.

* A Christmas Wish on BET+ online. Roz McKenzie, a single mother, is calling upon a miracle so she and her daughter can survive Christmas. The movie stars Noree Victoria, Nadia Simms, Blue Kimble and Javon Johnson.

The following new shows will debut on December 16:

* Firebite on AMC+. The 8-episode thriller is set in a remote desert mining town, a hive for the last vampire stronghold shipped from Britain to Australia in 1788 by the colonial superpower to eradicate the Indigenous populations. Sheltering from the sun in the underground mines and tunnels that surround the town until the present day, the colony’s numbers and hunger is growing. The cast includes Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black), Rob Collins (Cleverman and Extraction), Callan Mulvey (Avengers: Endgame) and Indigenous Australian star Shantae Barnes-Cowan.

* Station Eleven on HBO Max. The limited series, based on the best-seller by Emily St. John Mandel, is a post-apocalyptic saga spanning multiple timelines, this drama tells the stories of survivors of a devastating flu as they attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew while holding on to the best of what’s been lost. The cast includes Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Lori Petty.

* Close to Me on AMC+ and Sundance Now. The 6-part suspense drama, based on the Amanda Reynold novel, the series follows Jo Harding (Connie Nielsen) a woman who seems to have it all, until a fall erases an entire year from her memory. As she struggles to piece events together, Jo discovers that her life wasn’t quite as perfect as she imagined and that someone will do all they can to keep a terrible secret from her. Christopher Eccleston also stars.

On December 17, the second season of The Witcher will debut online on Netflix.

The new Amazon drama With Love will debut online on December 17. The five episode series follows the Diaz siblings, Lily (Emeraude Toubia) and Jorge (Mark Indelicato), who are on a mission to find love and purpose. The duo cross paths with seemingly unrelated residents during some of the most heightened days of the year: the holidays. The cast includes Desmond Chiam, Constance Marie, Benito Martinez and others.

The following movies will debut on December 17:

* Mother/Android on Hulu. Set in the near future, the movie follows Georgia (Chloë Grace Moretz) and her boyfriend Sam (Algee Smith) through their treacherous journey of escape as their country is caught in an unexpected war with artificial intelligence. Days away from the arrival of their first child, they must face No Man’s Land – a stronghold of the android uprising, in hopes of reaching safety before giving birth.

* Mistletoe in Montana on Lifetime at 8 PM. Welcome to Paradise Ranch, where city slickers get to be cowboys and cowgirls. Merry (Melissa Joan Hart), who owns the ranch, has been unlucky in love, but that’s about to change when a single father, Mark (Duane Henry), and his two kids book the ranch for Christmas week. Adventure is on the menu, the holiday spirit is everywhere, and love is in the air. Jamey Sheridan also stars.

* Swan Song on Apple TV+. Set in the near future, this movie is a powerful, emotional journey told through the eyes of Cameron (Mahershala Ali), a loving husband and father who is expecting his second child with his wife Poppy (Naomie Harris). When Cameron is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he is presented with an alternative solution by his doctor (Glenn Close) to shield his family from grief. As Cameron grapples with whether or not to alter his family’s fate, he learns more about life and love than he ever imagined.

The following movies will debut on December 18:

* Christmas for Keeps on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries at 10 PM. At Christmastime, a close-knit group of childhood friends return home after 10 years to take part in the celebration of life of their beloved high school teacher. The film stars Ashley Newbrough, Ryan Rottman and Christa B. Allen.

* When Hope Calls moves from Hallmark Movies Now to GAC Family, airing a two-part holiday special – When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas – at 8 and 9 PM

* Toying with the Holidays on Lifetime at 8 PM. Workaholic designer Danielle (Cindy Busby) returns to her hometown of Holly Pines for the holidays with her young son, Paul, with hopes to introduce him to some beloved holiday traditions, in particular the town’s North Pole Express train. Once home, she discovers that the North Pole Express has been sidelined. Determined to help, Danielle reconnects with her former high school classmate Kevin (Chad Michael Murray), now a hobbyist and model train enthusiast himself. Together, Danielle and Kevin attempt to pull off a Christmas miracle that would get the old North Pole Express running — and quite possibly give Danielle many reasons, one of them romantic, to consider staying in Holly Pines for good.

* The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls on the Hallmark Channel at 8 PM. The Mitchell brothers (Robert Buckley and Jonathan Bennett) compete to see who can create the best Christmas House. Ana Ayora, Sharon Lawrence, Treat Williams and Brad Harder all reprise their roles.

On December 19, the two-hour fourth season premiere of Claws will air at 9 PM on TNT.

The new Yellowstone prequel 1883 will debut its series premiere on the Paramount Network on December 19 at 9 PM [after a new episode of Yellowstone]. The series takes place in 1883, following the Dutton family (Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as James and Margaret Dutton and Isabel May as their daughter Elsa) as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. Sam Elliott, LaMonica Garrett and Billy Bob Thornton will also appear in the prequel series.

NOTE: The series will simultaneously be available on Paramount+ online with all new episodes airing only on that streaming service after its cable network debut.

The following movies will debut on December 19:

* Christmas Takes Flight on CBS at 8 PM. A holiday battle of wills between pilot Jenny Beckett (Katie Lowes) and Matt Connor (Evan Williams), a number-crunching CEO who purchases Jenny’s family-owned, regional airline. Matt’s cost-cutting initiatives threaten Christmas when he cancels the airline’s annual holiday charitable benefit for underserved children. Determined to show Matt that the sweetest things in life are worth any price, Jenny rallies the community to help save the event and unexpectedly finds herself falling for the magnate in the process.

* Under the Christmas Tree on Lifetime at 8 PM. Marketing whiz Alma Beltran (Elise Bauman) and Christmas tree whisperer Charlie Freemont (Tattiawna Jones) cross paths when Charlie finds the perfect tree for the Maine Governor’s Holiday Celebration — right in Alma’s back yard. While they initially spar, romantic sparks soon begin to fly between the two women as the enchanting tree and some Christmas fairy dust from the town’s pâtissière extraordinaire (Lake) bring out the best in them and spark each other to take leaps of faith and fight for love and Christmas magic. Ricki Lake also stars.

* Joy For Christmas on GAC Family at 8 PM. When her family firm’s annual Christmas toy drive is in jeopardy, Holly Silver (Cindy Busby) must convince pro athlete Jack Kane (Sam Page) to be the public face of the campaign to help save it. As Noelle helps Jack rediscover the meaning of Christmas, Holly reconnects with her own family traditions. While Jack and Holly go through challenges of making Christmas dreams for others come true, they discover kindred spirits in each other and the potential for the gift of romance this holiday season.

* ‘Tis the Season to Be Merry on the Hallmark Channel at 8 PM. Looking for a fresh angle to her book on relationships, Merry heads to snow covered Vermont. She finds a new perspective and Christmas cheer with charismatic aid worker Chris. The film stars Rachael Leigh Cook and Travis Van Winkle.

Mark your calendars!