Well, in New York it is, anyway. I’d say this is the first weekend of the fall that’ll be so egregiously cold that staying in and devouring some good small-screen entertainment — along with one of those "grids" of Nestle Tollhouse cookie dough, and I know you know what I’m talking about — is totally excusable. No one can expect you to leave the house in these harsh conditions — and if they do, why… would you look at that? The conditions have suddenly given you a cold. Grab your ratty fleece blanket and check out these recommendations from EW.
DVD
– Get your Christmas on with a special edition of Miracle on 34th Street.
– If it’s time for a "watch the same show until the season’s over or I fall asleep" kind of day (which it usually is), get caught up on season 5 of 24 before it premieres again Jan. 14.
– All five seasons of Alias are now out, FYI.
– So is the excellent first season of St. Elsewhere. Heads up, House fans: Here’s your chance to see David Morse in a medical drama as someone other than the guy everyone else hates.
TV
Tonight: Scurry on over (right now — you have, like, less than an hour) to record the Rankin-Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,the long-running Christmas special that made EW’s Dan Snierson ask,"How is it that we get older, but this special never gets old?" (CBS,8-9 p.m.)
Saturday: Somehow, Annette Bening’s going to host SNL.
Sunday: It’s finale night for The Wire (HBO, 10-11 p.m.) and The Amazing Race (CBS, 8-9 p.m.). EW’s Must List called this fall’s Wire "the best season of he best drama on TV." And Alabama moms Lyn & Karlyn are the first-ever all-female Racers to make it to the final 3.
CD
Give those eyes a break — albums from Tokyo Police Club, Army of Anyone, and Johnny Cash, as well as the all-cover collection The O.C. Mix 6 made good marks with EW.
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For the first two seasons, “Alias” was one of the best shows on TV (and EW agreed; also, miss the Season Two finale and you miss the legendary, “Francie doesn’t like coffee ice cream” cat fight–don’t do it!). Season Three was pretty dang snazzy, but by Season Four, the show had leaped the large, sharp-toothed fish. Still worth a watch though.
Yes, unfortunately I have eaten my fair share of Nestle grids this fall. And that was before it was cold.
Wow. Annette Benning on SNL. Seth Meyers will really have to earn his paycheck this week.
I have requested the Alias box set for Christmas this year. Mom was a little taken aback by the price tag ($150), but I assured her that it was worth that for all the entertainment it guarantees. So once I get that, I’ll have the perfect accompaniment to the Nestle grid currently awaiting devourment in my fridge.
Annie! How could you not tell people to add this Sunday’s all-new episode of “Brothers & Sisters” to their Weekend To-Do lists? Warm up with Hot Junkie!
Props for mentioning the band Tokyo Police Club – can’t wait for a full-length album from them.
No thanks to all of the suggestions for the weekend. I’ll just sit here in front of the screen and wait for the latest edition of Popwatch HeadScratcher. I’m sure it will surface eventually!
no thanks. ill curl around the poker table,and warm up to a nice,stiff fifth of jack daniels,and get so obliterated i dont care about the temperauture outside.
I am starting to JONES that stupid Christmas Story movie 24 hour marathon. Lord help me, but the adventures of Ralphie, the Red Rider bb gun and the Santa Claus boot to the face have been in this constant merry go round for weeks. And it’s bugging me to have to wait until December 24 to see it. That’s so odd to me somehow.