Becker : Dr. Angry Head (2000)

Made for CBS, airing December 11th in the US.

Season 3. Episode 9.

The story: This year Becker makes it his mission to not have any expectations and he won't be disappointed.

This is the complete opposite of Reggie, who wants to make her Christmas special.

After showing off her prized tree ornament she accidentally breaks it.

Later, when Becker is cutting through a crowded store on Christmas Eve on his way to a house call, he sees the Christmas display with a tree that has the same exact ornament that Reggie had.

He wants to buy it but isn't allowed so while trying to get it off the tree himself, Becker throws out his back and is stuck, in the Christmas display,  which is complete torture, until help gets there to rescue him.

Stars Ted Danson, Terry Farrell, Saverio Guerro, Alex Desert, Shawnee Smith, Hattie Winston, Molly Hagan, Scott Zeller, Dylan Capannelli, Zachary Isaiah Williams

Directed by Andy Ackerman 

Rated TVPG
COMEDY/SERIES/CHRISTMAS

The Ann Jillian Story (1988)

Made for TV, airing January 4th in the US.

Filmed entirely in Canada.

The story: In 1977, singer/actress Ann Jillian is in Chicago singing in a show.

While staying there she meets policeman Andy and the two quickly fall in love.

Ann wants to be in Andy's life but she wants to continue working.

At first, this causes turmoil between the two of them but soon Ann names Andy her manager and he helps her get some exciting work performing.

By 1978 the couple finds themselves in a well-paying contract with Ann starring in a TV sitcom.

But in 1985, when nothing could be better for the couple, Ann learns she has breast cancer.

Stars Ann Jillian, Tony Lo Bianco, Leighton Bewley, Viveca Lindfors, George Touliatos, Diane D'Aquila, Thomas Hauff, Pam Hyatt, Kate Lynch, Todd Postlethwaite, Ann Turnbull, Timothy Webber

Directed by Corey Allen

Not Rated

BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY/DRAMA

To Catch a Yeti (1995)

Made for The Disney Channel, airing January 12th in the US.

Filmed in Canada.

The story: Hunter Big Jake Grizzley and his assistant Blubber have traveled to the Himalayas to capture a yeti.

The plan is to return to New York with a yeti and sell it off to a very rich client for 4.5 million.

While trying to capture the yeti, it gets spooked and takes off.

It lands on a camper's tent but no one can find it.

One of the campers is husband and father Dave

He has a young daughter named Amy.

When Dave returns home he tells Amy to go look in his bag for the gift he brought her back.

What she finds is the small-sized yeti who Amy really takes a liking to.

But soon Big Jake Grizzley is at Dave's house looking to get the yeti back.

He gets it back but then Amy makes it her mission to claim the yeti once again and care for it as it requires...

Stars Meatloaf, Rick Howland, Jim Gordon, Leigh Lewis, Chantellese Kent, Jeff Moser, Mona Matteo, Ria Franchuk, Michael Panton, Reginald Doresa, David Walberg, Rob Rutter, Audrey Barraclouth

Directed by Bob Keen

Rated PG
FAMILY/COMEDY 

Kevin Can Wait : I'll Be Home for Christmas...Maybe (2016)

Made for CBS , airing December 12th in the US.

Season 1. Episode 12.

The story: While out to dinner with Cindy and Mott, Cindy starts talking about how much work 7 children is.

Kevin agrees and overdoes it a bit, which sets Cindy off.

She takes off without saying anything, leaving Mott as times before, alone with the children.

When Mott has to work and Cindy isn't back yet, he asks Kevin to help out.

At first, he doesn't really want to but after spending a couple days with the kids he begins fitting right in as the role of mother/caretaker.

Stars Kevin James, Erinn Hayes, Jackie Sandler, Christopher Brian Roach, Gary Valentine, Taylor Spreitler, Ryan Cartwright, James DiGiacomo, Mary Charles Jones, Nora Murphy, Delphina Belle, Jessica Cherniak, Devin Henry, Alexander Jameson

Directed by Andy Fickman

Rated TVPG
COMEDY/SERIES/CHRISTMAS

Edge of Winter (2016)

Released August 2nd in the US.

Filmed entirely in Canada.

The story: Bradley and Caleb are spending the weekend with their father, who they don't get to see very often.

While unpacking their things in his bedroom they find a riffle.

Dad hears them talking and walks in to find them with the gun.

At first, he snaps out but then asks if they have ever shot one, which of course they have not.

Dad decides to take the kids far out into the woods to try shooting.

When they are ready to leave, Bradley mentions how his father has been drinking.

So dad tells Bradley to drive, which he never has but does.

When Caleb wants to drive and begins messing with Bradley behind the wheel, he loses control, getting them into a minor accident.

But now their problem is much worse because the car is stuck in the snow and they have no reception on Bradley's cell.

While sitting in the car they all get to talking.

The kids accidentally tell their dad that they are going to be moving out of the country.

This angers their dad something fierce, which sets in motion a completely hallucinated effort to keep his kids from ever leaving him.

Stars Percy Hynes White, Tom Holland, Rachelle Lefevre, Shaun Benson, Joel Kinnaman, Patrick Garrow, Shiloh Fernandez, Rossif Sutherland

Directed by Rob Connolly

Rated R
DRAMA/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Why Him? (2016)

Released December 23rd in the US.

Filmed in Michigan and California.

The story: While college student Stephanie is wishing her father a Happy Birthday via video call she, along with her mom, dad, younger brother, and a bunch of their friends are all embarrassed by her boyfriend in the background.

One big part of that whole mess is that Stephanie's family didn't even know she was seeing anyone!

So to make things up to her family, Stephanie invites them all out to California to spend Christmas together instead of their traditional Christmas at home.

Little does her family realize though, Stephanie has planned that her family stay at her boyfriend Laird's house.

Laird is a millionaire, extremely eccentric, and lives his life completely and utterly outside the box.

Nothing about Laird sits well with Stephanie's dad and when he realizes that Laird is planning on proposing, dad gets even more uneasy just when the rest of the family is warming up to him.

Stars Bryan Cranston, Megan Mullaly, Griffin Gluck, Cedric the Entertainer, Zack Pearlman, Zoey Deutch, Keegan Michael Key, Jacob Kemp, James Franco, Mary Pat Gleason, Tangie Ambrose

Directed by John Hamburg

Rated R
COMEDY/CHRISTMAS

The Dumb Bunnies : I'll Be Dumb For Christmas (1998)

Made for TV, airing in 1998...

Season 1. Episode 20.

The story:  Every year on Christmas, the Dumb Bunnies do something to help Santa get to them easier...or at least that's what they think!

When Santa arrives this Christmas Eve, he is slightly confused with his landing on the roof goes without a problem.

Then he checks the chimney, which seems clear as well.

So in he jumps, only to slide way too fast down it, landing on his back in their kitchen.

When he asks The Dumb Bunnies about it, they assure him they greased it so he would have a much easier trip down.

But when Santa tries to get up, he realizes he hurt his back.

Now it's up to The Dumb Bunnies to get the rest of Santa's Christmas packages delivered and they couldn't be happier about helping.

Even if it's a really bad idea...

Stars (voices by) Peter Wildman, Dwayne Hill, Catherine Gallant, Rob Smith, Dustin Lauzon, Tony Daniels, Norm Spencer

Directed by Chad Hicks and Eugene Linkov

Rated TVY
ANIMATION/FAMILY/COMEDY/SERIES/CHRISTMAS