Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
NOTE: The BET+ holiday movie A Soulful Christmas will debut online today. Also, the second part of the final season of Stranger Things will premiere online on Netflix today.
5:30 PM: The Holiday movie on WE TV
5:35 PM: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie on HBO 2
6 PM: A Grand Ole Opry Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) A Pickleball Christmas movie on Lifetime (Encore) A Bride for Christmas movie on Hallmark Mystery (Reair) Toy Story (animated) movie on FX
6:15 PM: Shadow Force movie on Starz
6:30 PM: Top Gun: Maverick movie on Paramount Network
6:45 PM: Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love movie on CMT
7 PM: Ocean’s Eleven movie on Showtime 2 Angels in the Outfield (classic) movie on TCM
7:45 PM: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 movie on USA Network
8 PM: Call the Midwife Holiday Special on PBS (DEBUT) A Suite Holiday Romance movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) My Christmas Family Tree movie on the Hallmark Mystery (Reair) Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune movie on Lifetime (Reair) Sleepless in Seattle movie on Encore Toy Story 2 (animated) movie on FX From the World of John Wick: Ballerina movie on Starz
8:30 PM: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers movie on HBO 2 Mrs. Doubtfire movie on WE TV
9 PM: Steel Magnolias movie on CMT Ocean’s Twelve movie on Showtime 2 12 Days of Christmas Eve movie on MOVIES!
9:30 PM: Top Gun movie on Paramount Network
9:50 PM: Apollo 13 movie on Encore
10 PM: Elsbeth on CBS (Encore) Spartacus: House of Ashur on Starz (Encore) Call the Midwife Holiday Special on PBS (Encore) Twelve Dates ‘Til Christmas on Hallmark Channel (Encore) Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday movie on Hallmark Mystery (Reair) Dear Christmas movie on Lifetime (Reair) The Bodyguard movie on BET Toy Story 3 (animated) movie on FX
I’ve shared for many years now how much music has played a key part in my life. As far back as I can remember, music was always playing in my childhood home. It all started when I was a little girl, listening to music while sitting in the middle of my big brothers’ shared bedroom on their old 1970’s turntable then listening to my big boom box and later the Walkman I had in the 1980’s all the way through to my iPod in the 2000’s to now with my Pandora account.
In fact, I wake up to music every morning rather than a buzzing alarm; and then I go to bed with music. Music may not mean to everyone what it means to me, but it does play a crucial part in television, Broadway, theatre and the box office.
The following are just some of the top performers for 2025:
Collaborations of the Year – Sara Bareilles and Brandi Carlile
Both Sara and Brandi are talented singer-songwriters who have, in the past, performed together either in impromptu or concert settings, but until now they had not done an official recording with each other. They were brought together for “Come See Me in the Good Light,” the documentary about Andrea Gibson, the spoken word poet, Poet Laureate of Colorado in 2023 and activist who passed away this July from ovarian cancer. Not only did they both serve as executive producers on the documentary, but their song “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet,” based on Gibson’s poetry, was used as the theme of the documentary.
Here is the video for “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet”:
Young Songwriter of the Year – Gracie Abrams
This young singer, who is the daughter of Alias and Felicity series creator J. J. Abrams has been in love with music for most of her life and has been working professionally since 2019. This year she was the recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an acknowledgement given to gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs. Besides being a talented songwriter, Gracie has performed as an opening act to Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. Her current single “That’s So True” became a fan favorite and a career peak for her.
Here is the video for “That’s So True” by Gracie Abrams:
The Trouble With AI – “Walk My Walk” by Breaking Rust
There has been a lot of talk this year about AI from how it has already affected our day-to-day lives and as it takes over more and more aspects of it to Tilly Norwood, the AI-generated actress created by Eline Van der Velden that caused an uproar within the entertainment industry. What’s more: there is Breaking Rust, the country music artist project created by Aubierre Rivaldo Taylor that is presented with a cowboy persona, “who” had a single – “Walk My Walk” – that topped the Billboard charts and has amassed over 35,000 followers on Instagram. The main problem is this project was developed using generative AI tools to produce vocals, instrumentation and lyrics with NO human performers involved. It’s like welcoming Skynet into the music world, groan!
Here is the video for “Walk My Walk” by Breaking Rust:
Hit of the Summer – “Golden” by Huntr/x
This single comes from the fictional K-pop girl group Huntrix from the Netflix animated musical film KPop Demon Hunters. The song is performed by Kim Eun-jae, known professionally as Ejae, as well as Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami. “Golden” quickly became the hit single of the summer, being released on the Fourth of July and making its way up the charts after being played literally everywhere. It should be noted that at least three other songs from this animated film’s soundtrack made its way onto the charts and the movie featured voices provided by the aforementioned Ejae, Teen Wolf alum Arden Cho, Lost alums Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim, Community alum Ken Jeong and Lee Byung-hun from the G.I. Joe movie franchise and Red 2.
Here is a live performance of the single by Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami:
Hitmaker of the Year – Sabrina Carpenter
Every year there is usually one artist who just seems to be, well, everywhere. In years past, artists like Lorde, Olivia Rodrigo, Lainey Wilson and Taylor Swift have been that hitmaker (and some would say that Taylor Swift seems to hold that title every year); but this year the hitmaker is Sabrina Carpenter, who was honored with the Hitmaker of the Year award by Variety. Her 6th studio album “Short N Sweet” hit number 1 on the Billboard charts, she earned her first Grammy nominations and headlined her first arena shows. And, on top of all that, she had three top 10 hit singles from that album, including “Manchild,” “Please Please Please” and “Espresso.”
Here is the lyric video for her current hit single Lyric video for “Manchild”:
Best New Female Artist [TIE] – Gigi Perez and Lola Young
First, let’s talk about Gigi Perez, the 25-year-old singer who was born in New Jersey but raised in Florida. She had a unique way of making it in the music industry. She began by uploading “do it yourself” tracks on TikTok in 2021, which spawned viral hits. That led to a deal with Interscope and gigs playing before Coldplay and Noah Cyrus. But then that major label dropped her in 2023, but that didn’t deter her. She self-released her current hit “Sailor Song,” which highlights her androgynous voice, and the rest is – as they say – history. That queer love song went from being a hit online to hitting the Billboard Hot 100, amassing – get this – 1.3 billion streams, and spawned her debut album “At the Beach, in Every Life.”
Here is the video for “Sailor Song” by Gigi Perez:
Then there is Lola Young, the 24-year old singer-songwriter from the U.K. whose hit single “Messy” actually came out in May 2024, but has become a massive hit over the course of this year. You can’t really turn on the radio without hearing it in heavy rotation. This single wasn’t just an international smash – she got her first Hot 100 hit here in the States and topped the Pop Airplay chart – it has become an anthem for Gen Z, especially those with ADHD. To cap off her year, she was the recipient of the Rising Star Award from the Ivor Novello Awards (now in its 70th year); these awards are given out annually in London by the Ivor Academy for songwriting and composing.
Here is the lyric video for “Messy” by Lola Young:
Best New Male Artist – SOMBR
SOMBR, the 20-year-old New Yorker born Shane Boose, stands at an impressive height of 6-foot-7 and just might be the youngest Grammy nominee. His hit single “Back to Friends” showcases what is being called his smoldering vulnerability when he performs onstage. His album “I Barely Know Her” just came out in August, but it contains – in addition to “Back to Friends” – several Hot 100 singles like “Undressed” and “12 to 12”.
You can watch the lyric video for “Back to Friends” by SOMBR below:
Breakthrough Artist of the Year – Alex Warren
Alex Warren is another self-starter who has been on a four-year journey in the music industry starting out on TikTok and YouTube where he independently released his first singles in 2021, to being signed to Atlantic in 2022, working on collaborations with Jelly Roll and Blackpink breakout star Rose to winning the MTV VMA for Best New Artist. The 25-year-old California native saw his hit single “Ordinary” stay in the Hot 100 for 10 nonconsecutive weeks this year.
You can watch the video for “Ordinary” by Alex Warren below:
What singer or band has been your “go-to” music during the past year? Which singles were the stand-outs for you this year? What song did you get sick of hearing on the radio? What was the top album in your opinion? Please share your thoughts on the music of 2025 below.
Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:
NOTE: The Netflix movie Goodbye June will debut online today.
5 PM: Braveheart movie on Showtime 2
5:30 PM: Back to the Future movie on E!
5:50 PM: Mrs. Doubtfire movie on MGM+
6 PM: Fake Yourself a Merry Little Christmas movie on OWN (Encore) The Christmas Note movie on Hallmark Channel (Reair) Return to Christmas movie on Hallmark Mystery (Reair)
6:30 PM: Serendipity movie on Showtime Shrek Forever After movie on TNT
7 PM: Raiders of the Lost Ark movie on Paramount Network An Affair to Remember (classic) movie on TCm
7:30 PM: Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors movie on CMT
8 PM: The Christmas Showdown movie on OWN (Encore) Miracle in Bethlehem, PA movie on Hallmark Channel (Reair) Reunited at Christmas movie on Hallmark Mystery (Reair) It’s a Wonderful Life (classic) movie on NBC A Minecraft Movie (2025) on HBO Titanic movie on Showtime Red One movie on Syfy and USA Network
9:15 PM: Holiday Affair (classic) movie on FMC
9:30 PM: Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors movie on CMT Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie on Paramount Network
9:45 PM: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie on HBO
10 PM: FBI on CBS (Encore) Christmas Above the Clouds movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) Very Merry Mystery movie on OWN (Encore) Christmas Land on Hallmark Mystery (Reair)
10:30 PM: Red One movie on E! and USA Network Shooter movie on Showtime 2
While this year has been quite tumultuous within the political spectrum as well as natural disasters and unbelievable worldwide events, television (both linear and streaming) has not failed to provide viewers with lots of programming options: good, bad or otherwise.
The following list is just some of the highlights from 2025 (listed in no particular order):
Top Actress – Gina Torres, 9-1-1: Lone Star (FOX)
While there is little chance that the folks over at the Emmy’s will even consider nominating the performance of Gina Torres in the final season of 9-1-1: Lone Star, I think she had a stellar year playing Tommy Vega, especially that unexpected cancer storyline twist as well as what is being called the “otherworldly” reunion with her late character’s husband Charles that had all fans of the show wondering whether Tommy would survive or not [SPOILER ALERT] she did survive and was seen on the mend in the show’s series finale.
Fresh New Face (Actress) – Anna Lambe, North of North (Netflix)
The Netflix comedy North of North, based in Iqaluit, the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, stars Inuk actress Anna Lambe, who ironically hails from Iqaluit herself. She plays the lead role of Siaja, a young wife and mother, who is struggling to build a future after a very public exit from her marriage and learning some unexpected truths about her origin. Eagle-eyed viewers will recognize Anna from her supporting role in last season’s True Detective: Night Country.
Top Actor – Noah Wyle, The Pitt (HBO Max)
Despite starring in the long-running medical drama ER for 12 seasons, Noah Wyle never won an Emmy for his role in that show (even though he was nominated five times); instead he finally won an Emmy for his role in the streaming hit medical drama The Pitt where he was exceptional as Dr. Michael “Robby” Rabinovich, the chief attendant in the emergency room at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. Between his PTSD over the loss of his beloved mentor during the pandemic, the loss of a young drowning victim or the failed resuscitation of his character’s “stepson’s” girlfriend, was just incredible and moving to watch.
Most Buzzed About Drama – Outlander: Blood of My Blood (Starz)
Each TV season there is typically one stand-out new drama that performs better in the ratings than any other drama; but this year, the overall ratings for new (or even returning) dramas have been rather lacking for the most part. But there was one new drama that, much like its predecessor, caught viewers attention and held on: Outlander: Blood of My Blood.
While there was no actual source material, based on the popular book franchise by author Diana Gabaldon other than a few lines of dialogue in Outlander, this prequel series turned out to be just as vibrant, action-packed and filled with sultry chemistry. The casting of leads Jamie Roy and Harriet Slater as Jamie’s parents and Hermione Corfield and Jeremy Irvine as Claire’s parents was nearly heaven-sent as they bear uncanny resemblances to the lead stars of the mothership.
Best Couple – Karl and Cassandra, Murder in a Small Town (FOX)
This FOX drama, based on the crime novels by L.R. Wright, may be set in the sleepy village of Gibsons in British Columbia but the murders that are investigated there by former Minneapolis detective, now Chief of Police, Karl Alberg (Rossif Sutherland) and his deputies are anything but sleepy or simple. Karl is a different kind of cop, but he sure has a unique way of solving the crimes that plague his new home. But, it’s his relationship with local librarian Cassandra Lee (Kristin Kreuk) that really makes the show zing. Their relationship isn’t easy, and it has hit quite a number of bumps in the short time the show has been on the air; but they have great chemistry and are my top pick for Best Couple this year.
Worst Show – Zero Day (Netflix)
You would think that with a cast that includes Robert De Niro, Angela Bassett, Connie Britton, Joan Allen, Matthew Modine, Dan Stevens, Jesse Plemons and Lizzy Caplan as well as Clark Gregg, Gaby Hoffmann and Colin Donnell that the 6-episode Netflix mini-series Zero Day would be a hit, right? Well, sadly, it didn’t. Viewers and critics alike seemed to really dislike this mini-series that was supposed to be a timely conspiracy thriller – think House of Cards and Homeland – but it got “bogged down in endless exposition and bonkers plot twists.” What’s more the show had “too many characters and storylines” for viewers to try and comprehend. In the end, a luminous cast does not equate to good TV.
Handsome Newcomer – Milo Callaghan, The Rainmaker (USA Network)
This British actor landed the prime role of hotshot young lawyer Rudy Baylor in the TV adaptation of the John Grisham novel once made famous by Matt Damon in the box office flick. Filled with youthful optimism and a nose for the law, Rudy ended up working for a small-time ambulance chaser and her less-than-honest paralegal, but made quite an impression on them and the prestigious white-collar firm from which he was fired on his first day. Viewers might remember Milo from his small roles in The Spanish Princess and Rivals.
Unbelievable Storyline – Paradise (Hulu)
As viewers watched the debut episode of this Sterling K. Brown-led political thriller, it appeared to be about the much-unexpected death of the President of the United States, played by James Marsden. But in actuality, the big reveals [SPOILER ALERT] were the fact that what seemed like Washington, D.C. was a city-sized underground bunker in Colorado three years after a doomsday event.
Most Disappointing Cancellations [TIE] -The Residence (Netflix) and Poker Face (Peacock)
Unfortunately, despite a fairly sizable cliffhanger for season two and the popularity of this Peacock drama, the plug was pulled on the Natasha Lyonne-led Poker Face with the unusual potential caveat that the show MIGHT come back with Peter Dinklage taking over as Charlie Cale, a character with the uncanny ability to know when someone is lying merely by talking to them.
Also, the Netflix mystery comedy drama The Residence, which starred Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Ken Marino, Randall Park, Susan Kelechi Watson, Jason Lee and Bronson Pinchot (among countless others), came to a close after only one season. The best part of the show was the whodunnit search by Detective Cordelia Cupp (Aduba) – all while on her mission as an avid birder. This screwball comedy could have been yet another hit for the streaming service, but…
Best Dance Number – Will Trent (ABC)
The 13th episode of season 3 of Will Trent, entitled “One of Us Now,” was both lucky and unlucky for the lead character, played by Ramon Rodriguez, because he was still reeling from the accidental shooting of a child during the pursuit of a criminal, and his using that tragedy as a way to get closer to a suspected cult leader. When he was found out to be a cop, that cult leader drugged him, and out of that drug-fused state came one of the best sequences in the show’s run so far. He had a fever dream where he hallucinated dancing to Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” with all of the main cast members – as well as his beloved dog Betty and recurring guest star Gina Rodriguez – and even confessed his love for Angie (series lead Erika Christensen).
You can watch that dance sequence below:
NOTE: What’s even more interesting is the fact that the powers that be on the show had four days prep time on the dance sequence and less than a full day of shooting. Pretty impressive!
Best Villain – Julianne Nicholson, Paradise (Hulu)
The new TV series Paradise is part of this year’s Hits and Misses once again because of the performance by Julianne Nicholson, who plays Samantha “Sinatra” Redmond, the tech billionaire who created that underground bunker mentioned above. Her character is multi-layered, and far more powerful within that world than expected, and far more evil than anticipated. Her grief caused her to create that bunker, but then her need for control caused everything else to go to hell…fast.
Ubiquitous Star of the Year – Helen Mirren in 1923 (Paramount+), MobLand (Paramount+) and The Tuesday Murder Club (Netflix)
Dame Helen Mirren has played an expert in wet work in RED, Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, the mother of Jason Statham in the Fast movie franchise and a detective in Prime Suspect along with countless other memorable roles, but this year she was the ubiquitous star of the year appearing as Cara Dutton, the matriarch of the Dutton family in the Taylor Sheridan series 1923, the precursor to Yellowstone; Maeve Harrigan, yet another matriarch – but of the Harrigan family – the crime family in MobLand and Elizabeth Best, a retired MI6 officer, investigating a cold case murder in the Netflix flick The Thursday Murder Club.
The Saddest Deaths of the TV Year – Nikki Batista, Alert: Missing Persons Unit (FOX); Bobby Nash, 9-1-1 (ABC) and Joel Miller, The Last of Us (HBO)
TV deaths are just par for the course on the small (and big) screen, but there are some TV deaths that are just either extremely unexpected, very hard to watch or just unnecessary – even if the powers that be behind the show “claim” that it helps the story move along.
This TV season, viewers watched as Nikki Batista (series lead Dania Ramirez) on the now defunct FOX drama Alert: Missing Persons Unit was kidnapped by the Irish mob and then found in a shallow grave out in the woods. While her demise was not shown on screen, it was still hard for fans to wrap their heads around her death because it was extremely unexpected.
Then there was the brutal death of Joel Miller (series lead Pedro Pascal) in The Last of Us on HBO, who was killed in the second episode of season two. While his death was a testament to the show’s commitment to its source material, it was still very hard for the show’s fans to watch.
Lastly, the hardest TV death to deal with was Bobby Nash (series lead Peter Krause) in 9-1-1 on ABC. While dealing with a fire at a bio-lab, the 118 firefighters ended up trapped inside that lab with a deadly new virus. Howard “Chimney” Han (series regular Kenneth Choi) was the first to be infected, but not the last. As the episode came to an end, the firefighters and the viewers learned that Bobby Nash was also infected, but there was only one antidote so he self-sacrificed in order to save Chimney’s life. His loss was tragic, to say the least, and completely unexpected. In fact, showrunner Tim Minear confirmed the loss of Bobby was entirely a creative decision on his part, which really upset the show’s base.
Coolest TV Episode – Wheezervision, SkyMed (Paramount+)
This Canadian medical drama delivered an extremely interesting storyline in episode 6 of season 3 when Pilot William “Wheezer” Heaseman (series regular Aaron Ashmore) was dealing with blindness from a green laser flashing in his eyes when he was flying on a medical mission. While recovering in his hospital room, he played out stories of his friends as if they were movies – one was a B&W film noir story, one was a horror story, one was a western, one was a soap opera and then an ongoing issue with a patient in room 3B, which was the hospital room that he was actually in.
What have been the stand-out moments on the small screen (networks or streaming) for you? Who was your favorite actor for the year? What series, special or TV event disappointed you the most? Please share your thoughts on TV from this year below.
On December 27, the new series The Copenhagen Test will debut online on Peacock.
This drama is about a first-generation Chinese American intelligence analyst named Alexander Hale (Simu Liu), who realizes his brain has been hacked (think the Zachary Levi-led TV series Chuck but with much less comedy and slapstick), giving the perpetrators access to everything he sees and hears. Caught between his shadowy agency and unknown hackers, he must maintain a performance 24/7 to flush out who is responsible and prove where his allegiance lies.
Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:
5:30 PM The Karate Kid (original) movie on BBC America
5:50 PM: Shooter movie on Showtime
6 PM: Christmas Under the Clouds movie movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) Homegrown Christmas movie on Hallmark Mysteries (Reair) Merry Swissmas movie on Lifetime (Reair)
7 PM: The Lion King (animated) movie on FX Ocean’s Eleven movie on Paramount Network Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom movie on Showtime 2
8 PM: High Potential on ABC (Encore) Murder in a Small Town on FOX (Encore) Christmas at the Catnip Cafe movie movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) Christmas Everyday movie on Lifetime (Encore) Mystery on Mistletoe Lane movie on Hallmark Mysteries (Reair)
8:30 PM: The Karate Kid Part II movie on BBC America
9 PM: High Potential on ABC (Encore) Doc on FOX (Encore) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie on Showtime 2
9:30 PM: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle movie on FX Ocean’s Twelve movie on Paramount Network
10 PM: High Potential on ABC (Encore) The Christmas Baby movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) Deck the Hallways movie on Lifetime (Encore) Northern Lights of Christmas movie on Hallmark Mystery (Reair) Ghostbusters (original) movie on Sundance TV Shrek the Third (animated) movie on TNT
To say that 2025 has been a tumultuous year is a clear understatement of the facts. Our country has been turned upside down by an unhinged dictator-wanna-be and all of his cronies who are taking his policies far too much to heart, unleashing cruelty on our streets, causing absolute mayhem in every corner of the government, upsetting our health and school systems and so much.
The effect he and his “administration” has wrought on the world as a whole isn’t any better especially where Venezuela is concerned, his inability to get the Ukraine-Russia war ended despite his claim that it would be done “on day one” and the fact he decimated the East Wing of the White House for a ridiculously opulent, and extremely unneeded, ballroom.
Even the entertainment world has been turned on its head in more ways than one because of this madman and his “people” especially where Jimmy Kimmel and the purchase of Warner Brothers Discovery are concerned, but it is still the hope of many in this country that aspects of our daily lives will take an important turn as 2026 gets underway, especially in regards to the mid-term elections.
Until that time comes, let’s take a look at some of the bigger headlines – good, bad or otherwise – for this past year, broken down by month:
January
Careless driver in New Orleans killed 10 people and injured 30 on Bourbon Street
A cybertruck exploded outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas
President Biden awarded second highest civilian award to leaders of the January 6 committee and 18 other people
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as party leader
Major winter storm hit over half the country
First person died from bird flu in Louisiana
7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Tibet’s holiest city, 93 perished
Meta (the umbrella company to Facebook) ended fact-checking program
Massive firestorm throughout Los Angeles that hit Pacific Palisades, part of Malibu, some of the Hollywood Hills and Altadena
Israel and Hamas agree to Gaza cease fire deal
President Biden gave final address, warning of big tech and social media manipulation
Historic winter storm hits Southeast, breaking records set in 1895; Louisiana under 10 inches of snow
Ski resort hotel in Turkey went up in flames with 76 people losing their lives
Another deadly high school shooting in Nashville
Israeli troops prevented Palestinians from returning to their homes in Northern Gaza
South Korea indicted President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection
Jim Acosta left CNN after turning down 12 Midnight TV slot
Plane collided with Army helicopter near Washington airport
Small medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia with a fiery explosion; no one on board survived
Chuck Todd, the former Meet the Press moderator, left NBC after 18 years
February
Several people injured after car plows into crowd in Munich, Germany
Delta airplane overturns while landing at Toronto airport
Joy Reid and Alex Wagner lost their jobs at MSNBC because of programming changes
Washington Post opinion editor, David Shipley, left the paper due to new direction taken by newspaper owner Jeff Bezos
March
American Airlines plane suddenly and mysteriously erupted into flames at Denver International Airport
Severe storm threat shifted to the East Coast
The stranded astronauts finally made it home safe
Massive 7.7 earthquake in Southeast Asia, centered in Myanmar
Massive wildfires in the South of US, specifically in the Carolinas and flooding in Texas
Far-Right EU leader Marine Le Pen found guilty of embezzlement and banned from 2027 election (she was barred for 5 years)
April
Heavy rain and tornadoes sweep Central United States
A tourist helicopter from Spain plunged into the Hudson River in New York City
Aircraft crashed in Boca Raton, Florida
5.2-magnitude earthquake hit San Diego, California
Murder suspect Luigi Mangione was indicted on federal charges in the killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare
20-year-old son of local sheriff’s deputy allegedly opened fire new Student Union at Florida State University
Private, single-engine plane crashed in rural Illinois, four people lost their lives
Lori Daybell, the mother convicted of murdering two of her children in a so-called doomsday plot, was found guilty of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband
Massive wildfire erupted in Ocean County, New Jersey
Car plowed through Vancouver Filipino festival, 11 people lost their lives
Russian Dictator Putin declared a temporary truce during Victory Day celebrations
United States fighter jet fell overboard while avoiding Houthi attack
May
The first American is elected Pope, Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo, was born in Chicago
Lester Holt left the anchor desk at NBC Nightly News
St. Louis-area hit with tornadoes, taking the lives of at least 5 people, injuring 35 others and affecting more than 5,000 homes
Former President Joe Biden diagnosed with prostate cancer
Mexican Navy sailboat crashes into Brooklyn Bridge with nearly 300 aboard; it caused two deaths and 19 people injured
More deaths due to tornadoes in Kentucky and Missouri
Small plane crashed in San Diego, setting home ablaze
Two Israeli embassy staffers – Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim – were shot dead outside DC’s Capital Jewish Museum
Supreme court rejected bid for religious charter school in Oklahoma
Billy Joel announced brain disorder with all concerts cancelled
June
At least six people injured in Boulder Colorado after “act of terror” with a makeshift flamethrower
Two people found dead at a remote campground in Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park
Israel attached Iran nuclear program
ABC News let correspondent Terry Moran go after he criticized a member of the current “Administration”
Over 200 people perished in Air India Crash
Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were killed by a Trump supporter and Trump voter and this same killer attacked Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette
Tyler Perry was hit with a lawsuit accusing him of sexually harassing and assaulting an actor
Karen Read, from Massachusetts, who was accused of killing her police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe in 2022, was found not guilty of murder in a retrial
A mega-yacht with 400 passengers crashed into a New York City dock
A madman opened fire at a Michigan church
Iran targeted a U.S. military base in Qatar
Legendary Anna Wintour announced she would leave her post as Head of Editorial Content at American Vogue after 37 years
A house in Philadelphia exploded
Two firefighters were killed in an Idaho ambush
July
Sean “Diddy” Combs convicted on 4 out of the 5 charges lodged against him
Mall shooting in Savannah, Georgia
Mass shooting in River North (in Chicago, Illinois) outside Artis Nightclub
Catastrophic flooding in Texas
Massive fire in San Luis Obispo County in California
Former Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit reportedly died by suicide just hours after Russian Dictator Putin fired him
New Mexico flash flooding
A plane crashed and exploded on a runway outside London
A fire at an assisted living home in Fall River, Massachusetts took the lives of at least nine people
Three deputies were killed in an explosion at a sheriff’s department training facility in Los Angeles
Bryan Kohlberger, the man accused of the killings of four University of Idaho students, was given four life sentences
An 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s coast led to warnings and Tsunami advisories for parts of Japan and Alaska
Former Vice President Kamala Harris announced she would not run for California Governor
August
Four people lost their lives due to a shooting in Montana
A U.S. Army Sergeant allegedly shot and wounded five soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia
Two people lost their lives when a helicopter crashed into a Mississippi River barge north of St. Louis
Three people lost their lives in a shooting at a Target store in Austin, Texas
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has been cancelled after the Skydance/Paramount merger
A Pennsylvania steel factory explosion trapped people in the rubble
Hurricane Erin reached a catastrophic category 5 level, hitting the Caribbean Islands
Two cruise passengers drowned within hours of each other on Carnival’s new private island in the Bahamas
Jasveen Sangha, known as the Ketamine Queen, plead guilty to her involvement in the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry
Two Utah police officers lost their lives while responding to a domestic disturbance
MSNBC announced a name change to MS NOW as the cable news network split from NBC News
Sadly Nazi flags were spotted hanging from a Texas High School roof
New York City was rocked with a Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak
Haboob, a towering wall of dust, slammed Phoenix, Arizona with a towering wall of dust, causing damage, airport delays and power outages
A shooter fired in church pews at a Minnesota Catholic school, killing two children and injuring at 17 others
Mass exodus of cast from Saturday Night Live
September
Former Real World “star” Kelley Wolf was arrested on suspicion of electronic harassment in the midst of her bitter divorce from Party of Five actor Scott Wolf
East Coast beaches were hit with fecal contamination warnings ahead of Labor Day weekend
Three people were hospitalized after a minivan drove through a Pennsylvania festival
Hawaii was under a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Kiko
Australia mushroom murderer Erin Patterson was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years
Russia hit Kyiv’s heavily protected government district
A Utah trucker was arrested after teens were found in a 29-degree refrigerated trailer
Four soldiers were believed to have perished in a military helicopter crash
Starbucks announced it would reduce its total number of coffeehouse across North America
A 27-year-old gunman attacked a midtown Manhattan office building because he was anger at the NFL due to his chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain condition
A destructive flood in Arizona took the lives of four people and swept away 1,000 propane tanks
A wildfire burned more than a third of one of Africa’s biggest national parks.
Hollywood was in an uproar over AI creation Tilly Norwood
October
The killing of 2 people on Yom Kippur in Manchester, England outside a synagogue
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs being sentenced to more than four years in prison over prostitution conviction
Hundreds of trekkers were stranded by a blizzard near the eastern face of Mount Everest due to unusually heavy snow and rainfall in the Himalayas
Young environmentalist Greta Thunberg alleged torture in Israeli detention after her Gaza flotilla arrest
A 29-year-old Uber driver, Jonathan Rinderknecht, was arrested for starting the inferno in the Pacific Palisades, California that took the lives of over a dozen people and decimated over 5,4000 homes
For while it lasted Israel and Hamas reached a deal on the release of the remaining hostages and pulling back troops
Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela”
A Tennessee explosives manufacturing plant suffered a devastating blast, taking the lives of at least 16 people
A bar shooting in St. Helena Island in South Carolina caused the deaths of at least 4 people and injuring 16
737 days later, the last 20 living Israeli hostages were set free
The Supreme Court declined to hear Alex Jones’ effort to appeal a $1.4 billion judgment against the families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting massacre
Prince Andrew was stripped of his Royal title amid the unrelenting allegations of his link to disgraced pedophile Jeffrey Epstein
The Louvre in France suffered a brazen daylight robbery where they fled with priceless jewelry
A pardoned Capitol rioter was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
The deadliest police operation against drug gangs in Brazil’s history killed at least 121 people
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba after hitting Jamaica
Mass shooting at huge North Carolina house party that left two dead and 11 other wounded
November and December
At least three people were killed and 11 were injured after a UPS plane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky
The US Mint produced the final penny, ending the coin’s 232-year-old life
An ammonia leak in Oklahoma left dozens hospitalized
Major Democratic win in New Jersey, Virginia and New York as well as Prop 50 passing with a massive win in California as well as 3 Supreme Court judges in Pennsylvania
Shareholders granted Elon Musk a $1 Trillion Tesla payday [as if he deserves any of that?!]
Indiana homeowner Curt Anderson shot and killed a house cleaner on his front porch after she and her husband mistakenly showed up on his property, thinking it was a different address
A massive fire engulfed a residential apartment complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district
Two National Guard members shot near White House with Sarah Beckstrom losing her life because of 29-year-old, extremely troubled Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal
A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck northwest of Anchorage, Alaska
Children killed in a mass shooting at a California birthday party
Huge 45 vehicle pile-up in Indiana after cars slid on ice in the largest wreck firefighters have ever seen
A suspect in the January 6, 2021 pipe bomb investigation was finally identified and arrested
Netflix and Paramount are in a battle royale over acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery
Legendary actor Dick Van Dyke turns 100-years-old
Brown University shooting in Providence, Rhode Island
Australia shooting on first day of Chanukkah on Bondi Beach
As for the multitude of war crimes, insults to female reporters, the inability to understand that tariffs are a tax on the American people, every department within the government being wrecked by the now-defunct DOGE (an idiotic, made-up department, I might add), the inhumane mass deportation efforts, the decimation of the Oval Office with his whorehouse “decorations” and countless other crimes against the American people, the list of offenses caused by the orange-faced bastard in the White House and all those “working on his behalf” easily spans pages and pages of information that I will refrain from providing here because we’ve seen all of them on the nightly news all year long. Needless to say, once the roles have been changed in Washington, D.C., I cannot wait for all of these people to be held accountable for what they’ve done to everyone across the globe.
I hope that you will join me through the end of this year, as I focus on the best and the worst of 2025 in the worlds of TV and movies, TV ratings and so much more.
NOTE: I apologize in advance for any omissions, spelling errors or oversights I might have made, but I definitely don’t apologize for any choices I made.
Here is the list of the programming options to expect on TV this coming week:
On December 24, the Netflix movie Goodbye June will debut online. The film centers on four siblings whose lives change when their ailing mother takes a turn for the worse over the holiday season. The ensemble cast includes Kate Winslet (who also directed the film), Helen Mirren, Toni Collette, Johnny Flynn, Andrea Riseborough, Timothy Spall, Stephen Merchant and Raza Jaffrey.
The second part of the final season of Stranger Things will premiere online on Netflix on December 25.
On December 25, the BET+ holiday movie A Soulful Christmas will debut online. When the children of two legendary — and feuding — R&B artists are forced to collaborate on a holiday song remake, their rivalry turns into unexpected romance. But between family legacies, long-buried grudges, and a looming Christmas Eve deadline, they’ll need to find harmony both on and off the stage to create the hit that could heal two families. The cast includes Kaci Walfall, Myles Truitt, Shanice and Kenny Lattimore.
The Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2025 will debut on December 25 at 8 PM on PBS. Senior members of the convent embark on a mercy mission, swapping the snowy East End of London for the sun-drenched terrain of Hong Kong. The rise in hospital births, and wider changes in the NHS, have clipped their wings. But their mission to the Far East is a chance to take flight and work out what really matters. For her part, Sister Julienne suddenly finds herself excited about the Order’s future. After years of battling change, she decides to embrace it and see what love can do.
On December 26, the season finale of Pluribus will air online on Apple TV.
The new series The Copenhagen Test will debut online on Peacock on December 27. This drama is about a first-generation Chinese-American intelligence analyst named Alexander Hale (Simu Liu), who realizes his brain has been hacked (think the Zachary Levi-led TV series Chuck but with much less comedy and slapstick), giving the perpetrators access to everything he sees and hears. Caught between his shadowy agency and unknown hackers, he must maintain a performance 24/7 to flush out who is responsible and prove where his allegiance lies. Melissa Barrera co-stars.
Lastly on December 28, the season finale of Mayor of Kingstown will air online on Paramount+; meanwhile, that same day, the season finale of Robin Hood will air on MGM+ at 9 PM.
Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:
6 PM: A Homecoming for the Holidays movie on Hallmark Mystery (Reair) Independence Day movie on TNT
7 PM: Robin Hood on MGM+ (Encore) The Bourne Ultimatum movie on Starz
7:45 PM: Invincible movie on FXM
8 PM: Mayor of Kingstown on Showtime (NEW) Rogue Heroes on MGM+ (Encore) The Christmas Campaign movie on Lifetime (Encore) Christmas in Angel Falls movie on Hallmark Mystery (Reair)
8:45 PM: Braveheart movie on Showtime
9 PM: The Pitt on TNT (NEW) FBI on CBS (Encore) Rogue Heroes on MGM+ (Encore) The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare movie on Encore
10 PM: The Pitt on TNT (NEW) FBI on CBS (Encore) A Cowboy Christmas Romance movie on Lifetime (Encore) Christmas by Starlight movie on Hallmark Channel (Reair) A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas movie on Hallmark Mystery (Reair)
Here are the entertainment news items for this past week:
CANCELLATIONS
Apple TV has pulled the plug on the drama The Last Frontier after one season. (Variety)
Paramount+ has pulled the plug on NCIS: Tony & Ziva after only one season. (Variety)
TV CASTING NEWS
Heels and Vikings star Alexander Ludwig and AJ Michalka, from The Goldbergs, have joined the cast of season four of The White Lotus that will take place in France, but plot details as well as who Ludwig and Michalka will play are being kept under wraps. (Variety)
Harry Potter and The White Lotus alum Jason Isaacs has joined the cast of the upcoming live-action Amazon MGM series Tomb Raider that will star Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) in the lead role of Lara Croft. There are no details on what character Isaacs will play, though. (Deadline)
The second season of The Pitt will find Travis Van Winkle (Fubar and The Last Ship), Meta Golding (Ransom Canyon and Rabbit Hole) joining the cast. They will play Curtis Larson, an aggressive patient of the ER and Noelle Hastings, a nurse, respectively. (Deadline)
Power franchise star Naturi Naughton-Lewis is coming back to Starz in the new 6-part drama The Nowhere Man will focus on Lukas (Bonko Khoza from The Woman King), a former Special Forces mercenary crippled by PTSD, who has turned his back on his violent past and is operating as a junk collector on the streets of Johannesburg. But when he witnesses a home invasion and intervenes, he is dragged back into the world he’s spent years trying to escape. To survive, he will have to come face-to-face with his demons and confront the dark secrets of his old life. (Deadline)
SERIES PICK-UP NEWS
Apple TV has picked up the dramedy Beat the Reaper to series. The show will star Guardians of the Galaxy alum Will Poulter as Dr. Peter Brown, an intern at Boston’s worst hospital, with a talent for medicine, a shift from hell, and a past he’d prefer to keep hidden. But when a patient recognizes him from his dangerous past, Brown has eight hours to elude the government, mob hitmen, quack surgeons, and a trail of dead gangers to somehow beat the reaper. (Variety)
A new prequel series to Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is in the works at Apple TV. The new spinoff series will follow the story of Colonel Lee Shaw, an American operative who in 1984 went on a secret mission behind enemy lines in an attempt to stop the Soviets from unleashing a horrific new Titan big enough to destroy the U.S. and turn the tide of the Cold War. (Deadline)
FX has a new drama that has been ordered to series Seven Sisters, starring Marvel’s alum Elizabeth Olsen, The Penguin alum Cristin Milioti and Succession alum J. Smith-Cameron, will follow a large, tight-knit family that begins to unravel when one sister, Adrienne (Olsen), starts communicating with a voice no one else can hear, forcing them to confront long-buried secrets. The cast also includes New Amsterdam lead Ryan Eggold and ER alum Anthony Edwards. (Deadline)
Amazon has given a series order to a small screen adaptation of the Wendy Wunder novel The Probability of Miracles that will follow Campbell Cooper, an acerbic teenager dying of cancer who, after receiving a terminal diagnosis, moves with her mom and younger sister to the town of Promise, where miracles are said to happen. Cam, however, doesn’t believe in miracles. How could she when science says she’s definitely going to die? But as she spends her summer in this quirky, mystical town, she discovers that miracles — and falling in love — are still possible, no matter how improbable they may seem. (Deadline)
MGM+ has given a greenlight to a small screen adaptation of the box office movie The Magnificent Seven. Set in the 1880s American frontier, the series will follow a group of mercenaries who are hired to protect a peaceful Quaker village after it is massacred by a land baron’s hired guns. As the flawed but gifted mercenaries embed with the Quakers, they must grapple with the question of whether it is acceptable to use violence to defend a people whose faith is based on nonviolence. The series will explore each member of the Seven, exploring what’s at stake and why they chose to take on this mission. (Variety)
BOX OFFICE NEWS
Johnny Depp will star in the box office movie Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol in the lead role with Harry Potter alum Rupert Grint, Star Wars alum Daisy Ridley and The Hunger Games alum Sam Claflin joining the cast. Grint will play Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s selfless employee, but it is unknown who the others will be playing. (Deadline)
STREAMING MOVIE NEWS
Matthew McConaughey and Zoe Saldana are in talks to star in the upcoming Netflix film Positano, but plot details are being kept under wraps. However, the movie is being described as a romantic caper set in the Italian town the film is named after. (Deadline)
Rueben's Ramblings 