TV: Five shows worth watching tonight: Dec. 23
A select viewing guide for Friday, Dec. 23
MUSIC Christmas at the Concert Hall Bravo!, 7 p.m. Has the spirit of the season seized you yet? First broadcast two years ago, this music special should put even the Grinchiest person in the holiday mood. The hour-long concert features several of Canada’s brightest music stars putting their own spin on Christmas songs. Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson turns in a pitch-perfect version of Green Christmas, while Serena Ryder (pictured) delivers a mellow take on Elvis Presley’s Blue Christmas. C’mon, get happy.
DRAMA Chuck NBC, CHCH, 8 p.m. Nearing the end of its fifth and final season, this series gets into the spirit of the season in tonight’s new episode. The story finds nerdy spy-guy Chuck (Zachary Levi) and partner Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) discovering the person behind the plot to destroy Carmichael Industries. Meanwhile, Chuck’s co-workers at Buy More are fending off a horde of angry customers whose Christmas gifts have been infected with a computer virus. Ho-ho-ho!Mitchell Haaseth
DRAMA CSI: NY CBS, 9 p.m. First shown last year, tonight’s episode of the sturdy crime-procedural series looks at the holiday season from a decidedly grim perspective. CSI boss Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) and his team are summoned to a Big Apple department store, where the manager has been found dead in a holiday display window. See what happens when you don’t give your staff Christmas bonuses?
REALITY Top 10 Weddings of 2011 TLC, 10 p.m. Mercy, what a year it’s been for glamorous weddings. This new special, hosted by the fabulous Randy Fenoli of Say Yes to the Dress, looks back at the high-profile nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton, along with the wedding of country singer LeAnn Rimes and actor Eddie Cibrian. There’s also footage of the glitzy wedding ceremony between celebutante Kim Kardashian and basketball star Kris Humphries last August, but we all know how that turned out.
MOVIE Eight Crazy Nights MuchMusic, 9 p.m. Although this 2002 animated comedy flopped miserably at the box-office, it’s still the only holiday film to focus on Jewish characters during the Hanukkah season. Adam Sandler voices the character of Dave Stone, a twentysomething dude with a bad attitude. On the first night of Hanukkah, Dave gets intro trouble and is sent before a judge, who sentences him to hang out with a testy retiree named Whitey (also voiced by Sandler). Does the old fellow teach the young punk the true meaning of Hanukkah? Oy vey.