Weekend TV: 'Mister Magoo,' 'Christmas in Washington'
Posted December 20, 2012
Christmas in Washington
TNT, Friday, 8 ET/PT
Conan O'Brien hosts this annual holiday concert from the National Building Museum, one of Washington's most impressive interiors. Which is fitting, as the show -- which is often one of the holiday season's best -- has an impressive lineup of talent, including singing icon Diana Ross, Broadway and Smash star Megan Hilty, and that current YouTube favorite, Psy. The first family attends the event; we'll see whether Psy can get them to dance Gangnam Style. Odds are the Secret Service will sit the dance out.
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol
NBC, Saturday, 8 ET/PT
Oh, Magoo, you've finally done it again. NBC celebrates the 50th anniversary of TV's first animated holiday special by giving a well-deserved prime-time slot to this tuneful, well-told delight. The score by Funny Girl's Jule Styne and Bob Merrill is one of the best ever written for the medium, and even if children these days don't know who Magoo is, you'll find it doesn't much matter: The shortsighted character, so perfectly voiced by Jim Backus, is a surprisingly good fit for Dickens' classic tale. Watch, enjoy, and record -- just in case this airing doesn't mark Magoo's long-awaited return to the annual holiday rotation spot it once held.
Sunday Night Football
NBC, Sunday, 8:20 ET/PT
Lest we forget, for many people, football and fall/winter holidays are inexorably linked. For them, ESPN offers a special season finale of Monday Night Football on Saturday (yes, I know -- just go with it), followed on Sunday by NBC's next-to-last edition of Sunday Night Football. May your team win.
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