Holiday Specials Fill Airwaves
NBC’s “Christmas in Washington” at 10 tops off a night of Christmas episodes from nearly every one of prime time’s Wednesday comedies. See highlights below for the many ways your favorite stars get caught up in the holiday.
The evening’s keynote is the 15th annual concert from the nation’s capital, hosted by John Lithgow, Kristen Johnson, French Stewart, Jane Curtin and Joseph Gordon-Levitt of NBC’s hit comedy, “3rd Rock from the Sun.”
Guest performers include Luther Vandross, Faith Hill, CeCe Winans, Ruth Ann Swenson, the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club and the District of Columbia’s Eastern High School Choir.
Vandross sings “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Hill performs “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and “Silent Night.” Winans sings “Silver Bells” and “O Holy Night.”
Sure to be a treat is a sketch by the “3rd Rock” cast that observes the Christmas holiday from an alien perspective.
How about taping this one and watching it when the family gathers on Christmas day?
Highlights
“The New Explorers,” KSPS at 7: “Slavery’s Buried Past” is a fascinating look at how archaeologists are digging up a more complete picture of the life of slaves. Among the excavations is a burial ground found in Manhattan.
“Beverly Hills, 90210,” FOX at 8: Kelly (Jennie Garth) gets a Christmas surprise; Steve and Clare (Ian Ziering, Kathleen Robertson) play Christmas Cupids.
“Wings,” NBC at 8: Christmas plans go haywire. Antonio (Tony Shalhoub) has a fare (Brooke Adams) who can’t remember where she’s supposed to be going. Joe’s (Tim Daly) plan for a family dinner goes awry when Brian (Steven Weber) invites extra guests. Abe Vigoda (“Barney Miller”) guest stars.
NBC’s Christmas episodes follow on “Caroline in the City” (a 1995 repeat) at 8:30, “NewsRadio” at 9 and “Men Behaving Badly” at 9:30.
“The Nanny,” CBS at 8: Fran (Fran Drescher) decides to spend Christmas away from the Sheffields. She vacations with Val (Rachel Chagall) in the Caribbean where they’re caught in a hurricane and she realizes that there’s no place like home. Roll those clips from previous shows.
“Grace Under Fire,” ABC at 8: Grace’s (Brett Butler) Christmas is tarnished when she discovers marijuana in Quentin’s (Sam Horrigan) bedroom. It’s especially troubling for her, because she was doing the same thing when she was his age.
“Coach,” ABC at 8:30: The good news is that the Beakers are in the playoffs. The bad news is that Hayden (Craig T. Nelson) may miss little Tim’s first Christmas. Frank Gifford, Al Michaels and Dan Dierdorf guest star.
“My Cousin Vinny” (1992), CBS at 9: Joe Pesci stars in the courtroom caper that won Marisa Tomei an Oscar.
“Ellen,” ABC at 9:30: There are lots of laughs when softhearted Ellen (Ellen DeGeneres) rescues an abandoned dog who becomes a troublesome Christmas house guest.