Rueben's Ramblings

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

On November 30, the new series Willow, based on the classic film, will debut online on Disney+. The story began with an aspiring magician from a Nelwyn village and an infant girl destined to unite the realms, who together helped destroy an evil queen and banish the forces of darkness. Now, in a magical world where brownies, sorcerers, trolls, and other mystical creatures flourish, the adventure continues, as an unlikely group of heroes set off on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their home, where they must face their inner demons and come together to save their world. Warwick Davis reprises his role as Willow Ufgood from the original movie on which this series is based.

The new Peacock series Irreverent will debut online on November 30. A criminal mediator from Chicago is forced to flee his life and everything he knows and hide out in a small Australian reef community in Far North Queensland posing as the new church Reverend. “Reverend Mackenzie Boyd” (P.J. Bryne) has made a mess so bad he can never go home, but he’s going to need all his considerable street smarts to pull off posing as clergy – something he doesn’t know the first thing about. Colin Donnell (Arrow) co-stars.

On December 1, Rolling Into Christmas is the latest holiday movie to debut on BET+. Two childhood sweethearts who shared a passion for roller skating are reunited 15 years later during the holidays, forcing them to question their love and life choices. The film stars Rhyon Nicole Brown, Donny Carrington, Brandee Evans and Gary Dourdan.

The HBO Max movie A Hollywood Christmas will debut online on December 1. Jessica Van (Jessika Van) is a young, up-and-coming filmmaker in Hollywood who has made a name for herself directing Christmas movies. But when handsome network executive Christopher (Josh Swickard) shows up threatening to halt production on her latest movie, Jessica’s assistant, Reena, points out the irony: Jessica isn’t just trying to save her Christmas movie, she’s actually living in one! Jessica must now juggle all the classic tropes—actors falling in and out of love, a wayward elf dog, and her own stirring romantic feelings for her perceived nemesis—in order to get her movie and her life to their happy endings. Is there enough Christmas magic to pull it off? In Hollywood? In July? The cast includes Tom Williamson and Missi Pyle.

On December 1, the NBC original film Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas will debut at 8 PM. The film is a frenetic backstage story with delightful on-camera results of Dolly’s desire to uplift an exhausted world’s spirits by sharing the unique mountain magic she has always found in and around Dollywood at Christmas. Throughout the movie’s production numbers and rehearsal chaos, Dolly finds herself taking a private journey into her past, guided by the mysterious appearances of her personal Three Wise Mountain Men. When it’s time for her big special to air, a renewed and inspired Dolly goes rogue and shows the world that the real magic of Christmas lies in the hearts of the children we all once were, the realization that Christmas is about the people we share it with, and how her faith remains the common thread between Christmases past, present, and future. Musical guests include Jimmy Fallon, Willie Nelson, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jimmie Allen, Zach Williams and Miley Cyrus while Tom Everett Scott, Angel Parker and Ana Gasteyer also star.

The Lifetime movie Serving Up the Holidays will debut at 8 PM on December 1. Scarlett (Britt Irvin) is an incredible chef and co-owner of an upscale restaurant. But every year, her too-sophisticated and unique holiday dishes never sell because they are not considered festive enough. To shake things up this year, her best friend and co-owner buys her a ticket to a holiday cooking getaway in a beautiful villa where Scarlett will re-learn festive cooking from the bottom up, maybe find love with a handsome rival chef from her past (Zach Roerig), and regain the Christmas spirit her food – and her life – truly needs.

On December 1, the second season of the reboot of Gossip Girl will premiere on HBO Max today; meanwhile, that same day, the 4th season finale of Titans will air online on HBO Max today.

The Freevee holiday movie Hotel for the Holidays will debut on December 2. The movie revolves around an ensemble of staff and guests at the charming Hotel Fontaine in New York City during Christmastime. Georgia (Madelaine Petsch) is an ambitious young woman and the manager of the high-end hotel, which attracts guests of all kinds—including heartbroken singles, an infamous pop star, and a European ex-prince who recently abdicated his throne—all looking to escape from their everyday lives and come to the hotel as a sanctuary during the holiday season. Georgia’s work and personal life become entangled when she is caught between the charming hotel chef Luke (Mena Massoud) and the sophisticated ex-prince staying at the hotel. The cast includes Max Lloyd-Jones and Jayne Eastwood.

On December 2, the Netflix movie Scrooge: A Christmas Carol will debut online. In this animated film, on a cold Christmas Eve, selfish miser Ebenezer Scrooge has one night left to face his past — and change the future — before time runs out. Voices are provided by Luke Evans, Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley.

The Lifetime movie Cloudy with a Chance of Christmas will debut on December 2 at 8 PM. Bridget Torres (Valery Ortiz) is a prominent national news weather forecaster who comes to the magical, wintry town of Leavenworth, Washington, where Christmas traditions prevail each holiday season. This year, Bridget has been asked by her network to announce a special “snow-cast” at the annual Christmas Eve festival and has brought her boss Lisa (Nicole Bilderback) along with her. Bridget’s plans to shine are foiled when a talk show host from her network arrives to join her for the broadcast. Drake Kincaid (Brandon Quinn), as it turns out, refused to hire Bridget as his co-host for their morning show a year earlier, making tensions high. The unlikely duo soon finds themselves falling for each other, but when Bridget finally discovers why Drake didn’t hire her, their romance is put to the test.

On December 2, the holiday movie A Big Fat Family Christmas will debut on the Hallmark Channel at 8 PM. Liv is a photojournalist eager to make it on her own. To get a dream assignment – shooting the Chang family’s annual holiday party for a cover story – she doesn’t reveal that they are in fact, her family. When she finds herself growing close to Henry, the coworker covering the story with her, she wants to confide in him but doesn’t want to jeopardize her big break. The film stars Jack Wagner, Shannon Kook, Shannon Chan-Kent and Tia Carrere.

The Netflix movie Lady Chatterley’s Lover will debut online on December 2. Based on the novel by D.H. Lawrence, unhappily married aristocrat Lady Chatterley (Emma Corrin) begins a torrid affair — and falls deeply in love — with the gamekeeper (Jack O’Connell) on her husband’s country estate. The movie also stars Matthew Duckett.

On December 2, the finale of The Peripheral will air online on Amazon; while that same day, the second season of the Netflix drama Firefly Lane will premiere online.

The new drama series Three Pines will debut online on Amazon on December 2. Adapted from Louise Penny’s New York Times best-selling Chief Inspector Gamache series, the drama follows Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (Alfred Molina) as he investigates cases that happen beneath the idyllic surface of the Quebec village of Three Pines, finding long-buried secrets, and facing a few of his own ghosts. The cast includes Tantoo Cardinal and Rossif Sutherland.

On December 2, the new Amazon limited series Riches will debut online. The series follows the exploits of the stylish, privileged, super-successful Richards family. When Stephen Richards (Hugh Quarshie) passes suddenly, the family’s world comes crashing down. As his business hangs in the balance, his different sets of children are about to collide as they vie for control. The ensemble cast includes Adeyinka Akinrinade, Brendan Coyle, C.J. Beckford, Deborah Ayorinde, Emmanuel Imani, Hermione Norris, Hugh Quarshie, Nneka Okoye, Ola Orebiyi and Sarah Niles.

The Disney+ holiday special Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays will debut online on December 2. In this special the superstar a cappella group is struggling to find inspiration for their annual holiday album, and the clock is ticking. To make matters worse, their well-intentioned but misguided manager mistakenly locks them in a magic mailroom. But with the help of some Disney magic, we’re soon on a whirlwind tour around the world, discovering holiday traditions and inspiration from Pentatonix fans all around the globe: from Japan to Grenada, Iceland to Ghana and Mexico. The journey leads the group to realize that wherever we find ourselves, the holidays offer the perfect opportunity to discover how much we have in common and that it really is a small world, after all!

On December 3, the Hallmark Channel movie A Fabled Holiday will debut at 8 PM. Talia (Brooke D’Orsay) and her childhood best friend Anderson (Ryan Paevey) unexpectedly reunite in a curiously familiar looking town full of Christmas spirit that restores its visitors when they need it most.

The Great American Family holiday movie Christmas on Candy Cane Lane will debut on December 3 at 8 PM. Ivy (Andrea Barber) struggles with the long shadow cast by her late mother, Muriel, the darling of Icicle Falls; head of the Candy Cane Lane Lights Extravaganza, owner of The Christmas Haus, and a former TV star known adoringly as the “Christmas Maven.” This Christmas, a series of comical and mysterious events bring the town together in a masterstroke of perfection only the “Christmas Maven” herself could appreciate. Dan Payne co-stars.

On December 3, the new holiday movie Christmas on the Slopes will debut on UPtv at 7 PM. After a disappointing restaurant opening and an embarrassing break-up, a celebrity chef (Soma Chhaya) takes her first real Christmas vacation. When she wanders into the kitchen at a luxury resort and is mistaken for the sous chef by the handsome, but grouchy, head chef (Olivier Renaud), their chemistry sparks a holiday romance. But will everything blow up when the head chef learns the truth about her?

The Lifetime holiday movie A New Orleans Noel will debut on December 3 at 8 PM. Grace Hill (Keshia Knight Pulliam) and Anthony Brown (Brad James) could not be more different. Despite having gone to college to study architecture together, their lives took them on completely separate paths. But when they’re both hired to work together on the home of Loretta Brown (Patti LaBelle) – a New Orleans praline icon – the two find themselves stuck working together at Christmas…and butting heads over more than just architecture. The film also stars Tim Reid.

On December 3, the holiday movie Holiday Stocking will debut at 10 PM on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. RJ (B.J. Britt) is a new angel, who is given the chance to address his one regret, that he didn’t help his sisters reconcile while he was still alive. Returning to earth as a stranger, he gets each of them to revive The Holiday Stocking, their parent’s old tradition to encourage charity at Christmas. The film also stars Nadine Ellis, Tamala Jones, Karon Riley and Mykelti Williamson.

The OWN holiday movie The Great Holiday Bake War will debut at 9 PM on December 3. When former pastry school rivals Julian (Finesse Mitchell) and Brianna (LeToya Luckett) meet years later in a TV baking competition, the sparks – and the flour – fly! Each has their own plans for the winning prize money, but only one can win…unless they work together. While Brianna struggles to support her daughter Willow (Naomi Sogbein) and Julian longs to escape his mother’s shadow, they learn that collaboration can create a new recipe for success – and love.

On December 4, the limited series George & Tammy will debut on Showtime at 9 PM. The limited series chronicles the country music power couple, Tammy Wynette and George Jones (Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon), whose complicated-but-enduring relationship inspired some of the most iconic music of all time. The cast includes Kelly McCormack, Steve Zahn, Walton Goggins and Pat Healy. This limited series will also air its debut episode at the same time on Paramount Network.

The ION movie The Search for Secret Santa will debut on December 4 at 8 PM. Cub reporter Sophia (Skye Coyne) thinks she’s found a Christmas story that will make her career when she discovers a long-lost, undelivered Secret Santa gift from “Tony to Abigail.” But the mystery gets even juicier when she learns that the item – a priceless nutcracker – was in fact stolen years ago. With the help of a handsome and shady art dealer Jackson (Alex Trumble), she sets off on a dangerous, romantic quest to match the Secret Santas and catch the thieves. Jackee Harry guest stars as Sophia’s boss at the newspaper.

On December 4, the TV One holiday movie Christmas with My Ex will debut at 7 PM. Christmas chaos ensues when a woman is forced to spend the holidays with her ex and family. The film stars Daniella Vega, Renelle Nicole and Vanessa Simmons.

The Great American Family movie B&B Merry will debut on December 4 at 8 PM. Renowned luxury travel blogger, Tracey Moore (Jen Lilley), is invited to a Christmastime getaway in exchange for a review of a smalltown B&B. Despite her initial reservations, she finds herself wanting to help the property…and falling for the owner’s handsome son, Graham (Jesse Hutch), who helps her to learn that every experience can be five-star when shared with kindred spirits.

On December 4, the holiday movie Christmas on the Rocks will debut on UPtv at 7 PM. A ski-lodge event manager’s task of hosting a corporate Christmas party goes awry when the resort is cut off by a snowstorm and the hard-to-please CEO turns out to be an old flame. The film stars Jon McLaren and Lyla Porter-Follows.

The holiday movie Undercover Holiday will debut on December 4 at 8 PM on the Hallmark Channel. When returning home for the holidays, newly minted pop star Jaylen tells her protective family that Matt is her new beau, when in reality, he’s her overzealous security guard. The cast includes Noemi Gonzalez and Stephen Huszar.

On December 4, the CBS holiday movie Fit for Christmas will debut at 8:30 PM. This is the holiday tale of Audrey (Amanda Kloots, who also serves as executive producer and co-writer), an enthusiastic Christmas-obsessed fitness instructor teaching classes at her beloved, financially beleaguered community center in quaint Mistletoe, Mont. She begins a holiday romance with a charming, mysterious businessman (Paul Greene), complicating his plans to turn the center into a more financially profitable resort property.

The Lifetime movie Merry Textmas will debt at 8 PM on December 4. Gaby Diaz (Ariana Ron Pedrique) is an app developer from Austin, Texas, and the last unmarried sibling in her very close and very traditional family. Every year, the Diaz family gathers at abuela’s house in Oaxaca, Mexico, a town renowned for its “12 Challenges of Christmas,” which playfully ignites the entire town’s Christmas spirit. When Gaby accidentally adds Alex Alvarado (Rodrigo Massa), a handsome graphic designer who’s lost touch with his own Mexican roots, to the family group chat, her well-meaning family decides to secretly invite him to join them in Oaxaca for Christmas. As they begin to play matchmaker for Gaby and Alex, can the Diaz family help Gaby and Alex recognize that each of them is actually the other’s perfect Christmas present?

Also, lastly on December 4, the two-hour winter finale of The Rookie will air on ABC at 9 PM.

Mark your calendars!