2025 Christmas TV Calendar !

It’s that time of the year again, the pumpkins have been discarded or are being eaten by the neighborhood critters, the bird is being turned into sandwiches, soups, and God only knows what else, and somewhere Hermie is telling anyone that will listen that he’d like to be a dentist. That means it’s time for my Christmas TV calendar which is always more challenging than the Halloween one. For one there’s just so many good classics and unlike Halloween the networks seem to understand that these are part of our Traditions and must be cherished. However all of them seem to need a calendar, I’ll explain why later. . . Bless em.

I have to admit I fear for the longevity of these calendars. Not just cause several someone’s at work reported me to IT for “spam” at Halloween; I asked for names, but they refused. You know who you are and may shame fall upon your head. JK no sweat off my back, but just know I know that you know what you did it! The real issue is that I use Microsoft Publisher on these calendars then turn them into PDFs and send them out into the world. However, Microsoft hates Holiday fun cause they are doing away with Publisher? As of October 2026, it will be removed from Microsoft 365 subscriptions and stand-alone versions will no longer be available for purchase. Just in time to start my holiday fun in 2026. Shakes fist at the sky!  So eventually I’ll not be able to edit or open these publisher files. In anticipation of that I tried to do this calendar in Powerpoint to see what that would be like, because they wouldn’t touch that program right, and even at 11X17 with the smallest margins I could get the font had to be so small even I couldn’t read it blown up on the screen. That’s not going to work. So, I’m going to eventually come up with another plan. I could use my work computer and InDesign but then I’d have to haul out my work computer, and the charger cause the thing might last about an hour and well this is a home project not a work project and I don’t wanna do that. For the record Microsoft suggests using Word as an alternative and I was like just um…no. Have they ever used that program for this kind of thing?! Honestly, Microsoft I use a lot of your projects and PUBLISHER isn’t your biggest concern of the moment. Just saying. If you guys could focus on the actual problems within your suite you might not have to bow down to the piece of fruit as often as you do. PS don’t tell my Dad I said that … IYKYK. My home computer has already told me it’s not Windows 11 compatible. I told it to suck it up I’m not in the market for a new computer at the moment. It told me it can’t guarantee my safety. I’m like sir you’ve seen my computer, we are safe, calm down nobody wants what I have. Hackers everywhere rejoiced (maybe I should be reported to IT)! So, my point is enjoy this while you can cause if the networks and streaming services don’t kick me out … Microsoft just might put the nail in the coffin.

Not this year however, so let’s crack on!

Now for those of you who get the following channels, check them out cause they are showing some fun stuff this time of year, I just don’t get them and thus they didn’t make this calendar …. GAC, UP, TCM, COZI, ION, MeTV, MeTV(toons). MeTV(toons) is showing a LOT of classic cartoon Crimmus (as my bestie calls it) specials featuring the Flintstones, Inspector Gadget, Scooby Doo, Heat Miser and Snow Miser, Cabbage Patch Kids, etc., if you get that kind of thing. I also didn’t include Hallmark Mysteries and Movies cause a lot of what they are showing also shows up on Hallmark. Tricky, Tricky, Tricky (said in the voice of the Magician from Frosty the Snowman).

I’ll also add that just cause it’s not on my calendar doesn’t mean it isn’t worthy of your eyeballs. Like The Wizard of Oz is all over the place, I assume cause of Wicked, but it didn’t make the cut. Same with Frozen and Toy Story, all great films but Crimmus they are not. Also Hallmark has two competition shows that almost made the calendar until I realized what they were. Finding Mr. Christmas is about finding the next Hallmark leading man, yeah no … I’m good. Baked with Love is another competition show that Hallmark is testing out. I almost added that one because they at least waited until December to air it unlike the same crap that was on Food Network in November. Yeah I’m still bitter about that. Both didn’t make the calendar cause that’s not what this calendar is about, but if you are interested feel free to look them up. I’m not so I didn’t include them, as loyal fans of this calendar know it’s all about me … I just share cause I’m cool like that.

Other shows worthy of your time:

·       ABC – Disney’s Prep and Landing is adding another special to their series. To go along with “Prep and Landing,” by far the most creative and original thing to be created for Christmas in a long time, they then added Naughty Vs Nice which was a good companion to the original. This year they are adding The Snowball Patrol but aren’t giving a lot of details about it, which is both odd and intriguing in a world where we know most everything before it happens now a days. Something goes sideways while Wayne and Larry are on holiday together and something about a baby seal. However, in true - nothing makes sense on network TV fashion - they aired all three on ABC the weekend after Thanksgiving. As you know this calendar starts Dec. 1^st. Sad Face. I’m hopeful they will show it again during the December month, but as of now I’m not seeing it on their schedule. However Freeform and Disney Channel have your back. Dec. 13^th they will show the original and The Snowball Patrol back-to-back to back, one in the afternoon (freeform) and one later that afternoon (Disney) why not all 3….who knows…it’s one of the mysteries of life, I guess. I’m also sure it will be on Disney+ along with the shorts they created a few years ago, which are fantastic and feature Betty White as Mrs. Claus. RIP BW! I love this series if only cause its original and new. There’s not enough of that this time of year, so I celebrate it when it happens. I felt the same way about 10 sleeps until Christmas but apparently NBC was done after a few airings and that’s a shame, it was pretty cute too.

·       Freeform – is once again doing 25 days of Christmas and bless them for it! Their love for Claymation, for classic movies, and family fun are commendable. Plus, did you see they are going to show Prep and Landing (see above). It’s a channel that frankly never disappoints. They understand the assignment and are a mainstay on these calendars  every year for that reason. Gotta love us some Freeform! This year they feature several marathons of The Santa Claus (not my favorite), as well as Home Alone (one of my favorites) several times throughout the month. Not all airings made my calendar but since they are showing them in order I applaud their efforts!  

·       AMC is doing their “Best Christmas Ever” again this year which features Christmas programming throughout the month with a mix of popular films, classic cartoons and those movies that make you just wanna sit down with a cup of coco while wearing a warm sweater in 90-degree Alabama weather. Afterall, it’s not Christmas until Clark is trapped in the attic watching old home movies while dressed like his grandma. PS AMC is also doing a December the TwELFth Marathon on Dec. 12^th showing Elf over and over (some of this is self explanatory guys please keep up). So far not a single Walking Dead in sight for the month of December and for that we rejoice!

·       Rankin/Bass Weekend – both AMC and Freeform are celebrating the stop motion awesomeness that is Rankin/Bass Productions with a weekend of their holiday classics like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, The Year Without a Santa Claus. Not all of the airings made the calendar so if you don’t see your favorite check out AMC or Freeform on the weekend of Dec. 6^th cause I’m sure it will be on at least once or twice or three times.

·       Lifetime is once again doing their “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” which is the PG13 version of Hallmark. I mean nothing all that naughty, but it doesn’t always end up at the alter either. They are even tapping into the pickleball crazy with A Pickleball X-mas on Dec. 20^th at 7 which I find kind of clever and can’t wait to watch. They have romantic comedies, family dramas, thrillers, and good ole Christmas fun.

·       Hallmark took a break from their Holiday programing to bring you some Holiday programing, a joke I reuse every year cause I mean they make me. ALL of their premiers were in freaking October or November … like what is that about? Get a freaking calendar people. Some of these popped up again in December, but not all of them which is just insane to me. I mentioned the competition shows they almost snuck by me, but I did pull some new ones and some old favorites to add to this calendar. I love me some Scott Wolf and will forever add his Crimmus movies as long as they continue to air them. His dimples are just that adorable.

·       Charlie Brown is still being held hostage by Apple TV but you can log into Apple TV on Dec. 13^th and 14^th to watch for free so mark that down on your respective calendars. It’s a classic and deserves to be seen as often as possible. Move aside Clark I have decided it’s not really Crimmus until Linus drops his blanket and tells Charlie Brown what Crimmus is all about! After you watch Charlie Brown, assuming it will allow, watch The Family Plan 2 on Apple TV a Crimmus version of this movie which I’ve heard is very good for a fun family film based in Europe that includes action, comedy, and holiday fun. There’s also “The First Snow of Fraggle Rock” but I haven’t seen that one yet, however it’s Crimmus and Fraggles what could go wrong?!

·       A Christmas Story – I’m really disappointed by how few times this show pops up on the calendar this year. Don’t worry 24 hours of a Christmas Story starting Christmas Eve and running all day on Christmas day is still a thing but otherwise it’s only showing a few other times on TBS and TNT. That’s a shame. I also can’t find A Christmas Story Christmas anywhere. I LOVED it for all it’s nostalgic and original glory and I’m bummed it’s not getting more love. I will tell you to RUSH to your nearest TV with access to HBO Max to catch it before it’s gone forever. Yes, I’m telling you to watch a streaming movie and it’s a good movie so I will likely do it again. It’s that good people! Don’t judge me. Please don’t report me for spam!

·       Nickelodeon is once again having an Nickmas with tons of Christmas themed established shows, and as you all know by now (or should) that’s not what this calendar is about. So tune in for your Paw Patrol Christmas Themed specials, your Loud House 1 hour “movie” or the Rock Paper Scissors Christmas themed shows cause frankly that’s clever. They are also doing another NFL Slimetime which I admit is very entertaining but is soooo not Crimmus. The fact that they don’t haul out the Rugrats Chanukah every year is just sad and should result in some serious jail time for someone.

·       Speaking of Chanukah there are a lot of specials for it on Hallmark they just all air at the crack of dawn like 3am…4am… etc. It’s like yeah we support but um … not really. I’m always shocked that they don’t show Adam Sandler’s 8 Crazy Nights (which used to air on AMC but isn’t this year again). So, to my friends who celebrate ….. sorry. Not my fault.

·       CNN Heroes is always an uplifting thing to watch this time of year. It will air on Dec. 6^th at 7 on CNN. Everyday people using their time and talents to help make the world a better place and getting recognized for it. Well played CNN. Whatever your political stance, this is a show that will make you smile and realize that it’s not hard to make a difference, you just have to get in the game. PS you have the ability to not only nominate people for the award but you can also vote throughout the year and help choose who will get the award which I’ve always thought was cool.  

·       Speaking of up lifting TV, in a time where I think we can all agree it’s very much needed. The Kennedy Center Honors will air on Dec. 7^th 7:30 on CBS. They focus more on the celebrity side of doing good and this year will be featuring George Straight, KISS, Gloria Gynor, Michael Crawford, and Sylvester Stallone. If that’s not a bizarre bunch I’ve never heard of one. Should be interesting.

Now for …the rules. If you are an OG user of this calendar, feel free to skip ahead. If you are new to the party, you will want to read on or face my wrath. I’m not even adding don’t report me to IT for Spam because I mean honestly that can’t happen again, right?!

·       NO E-MAILS about taking Christ out of Christmas, it’s just a really long word and using X-Mas allows for more shows on the already full calendar.

§  Thanks for your understanding.

§  For those that don’t understand I’ll be glad to remove you from the list, just let me know.

·       I live in the central time zone, the times on this calendar reflect that, adjust accordingly.

§  That said unless otherwise stated the times are PM

·       Late Hour Focus, but hour round fun. For you work from home people, stay at home mom’s, or employees with access to good wifi ….  they run these specials all day long, and while my calendar focuses mainly on the after-work hour times since that is when I can watch, fire it up as background noise for that meeting that you are totes paying attention to while you are on mute, or while you edit that really long annoying document that you have already edited several other times but it’s fine you’ll do it again. I also don’t list things if they are on at like 3am…. You insomniacs are on your own, Marcy likes her sleepy time! See note above about this being all about me!

The goal of all of this madness is to get us all to set aside some time to allow the holiday cheer to enter your soul. To give those shows and stories we all grew up with to re-fill your heart with the happiness from your childhood. Most importantly it’s to remind us all during this super busy time of year to stop…breathe…take a minute … recharge…. then jump back out there into the madness that is the holiday season. Teach the new generation that our generation was way better by making them watch the hour-long Rudolph or watch them spaz out when Ralphie well you know *spoiler alert*. Then casually say, “hey isn’t that the guy from the Elf movie …. Or if you are a Marvel Fan Iron Man/Spiderman movies and watch them sit back in awe of how amazing and smart you are for recognizing him. Plus if you play it right you get to watch Elf, or Iron Man or even better Spiderman Far From Home.

Merry Christmas to you all …. and I hope you each have a wonderful and safe New Years. Here’s to a fantastic 2026  for us all even those who reported me to IT I hope your Egnyte goes down hard but comes back quickly ! The JPEG is posted in its original size so that if you save it, and I hope you do it's readable. 

Marcy & Golden 

2024 Christmas Calendar

Happy Iron Bowl Saturday!!!!! So no matter who wins today we are all winners cause we can start planning our holiday watch lists as Dec. 1^st is literally tomorrow. How on Earth does that happen every year like literal clockwork but still sneak up on me?! Sigh. I am ahead of the game tho cause I’ve bought several presents already ….. none are wrapped oh no that’s future Marcy’s problem but they are at least purchased and in the house. So go past Marcy !

I may have re-found my mojo … or at least my typical websites that I check were more on the ball this year than last year. Maybe I was in a better mood … or maybe I started it earlier than last year .. who knows…I totes started it earlier than I did last year but the procrastinator in me refuses to believe that was helpful. I’ll be honest. This time last year I didn’t think I’d still be doing this calendar, but it lives, and you know this cause you are reading these words! It was harder this year to find the new stuff that these networks are showing, but I think I captured most if not all of them. It was weird like if they premiered in November they didn’t want to talk about them airing again in December like it was some big secret on when it would air again. It’s not that deep Hallmark why you gotta make everything so difficult, looking at you too Lifetime don’t think you are getting off easy on this one!

This calendar is crammed tight with nostalgia, new offerings, and remixes of old fun family favorites told in what they hope is a new and “interesting” way…spoiler alert it’s usually not. Speaking of “interesting way” if you haven’t seen Red One rush to the theater, grab some popcorn and sit back for a very enjoyable time. I’m not sure it’s child friendly (cause language), but it is a good time and at least it’s an “original” idea for the holidays. Oh, and there’s snarky Chris Evans and The Rock, who is beyond done with the Snarky Chris Evans, which makes for a fun and enjoyable time even without the Crimmus theme. By the way … THAT … is how holiday fun should be, not a shot by shot remake or a word by word remake…. Yeah I’m looking at you Grinch… oh and don’t give the main character a new backstory that’s just lazy.

To prove my point, I present you with this …. there’s Hallmark Channels 2024 “Countdown to Christmas” which I believe started a few days after New Years and is replacing their regular line up of, and I kid you not, Christmas in July or some jazz like that (honestly I can’t make this stuff up guys) …. Then there’s UPtv’s “Uplifting Christmas” with over 600 hours of holiday cheer (yet oddly didn’t really make my calendar cause I don’t get that channel anymore *sad face* and as I have said on numerous occasions this is all about me and I’m just sharing the fun (I think even Hallmark said sit down UPtv that’s too much) …. Then there’s “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” on well…Lifetime (but ironically they aren’t showing It’s A Wonderful Life .. which is a missed opportunity IMO. I guess NBC said nah but E! and you USA … go nuts! …rolls eyes so hard) …. you can also find the “The Best Christmas Ever” on AMC with an amazing nod to “adultier” holiday fun, “Nickmas” is on Nickelodeon and of course “25 Days of Christmas” on Freeform …the OG of Holiday fun. Not to mention all the streaming stuff cause well you have all heard my rant about that and I don’t think any of us have the energy to go through that again!

So, my point is the calendar is full … but there are days where it’s kind of light on offerings and those are the days you should go look at Crimmus Lights or wrap gifts or put up your tree, hek spend time with your family… maybe meet friends for dinner after work to catch up … I mean I can’t entertain you guys all month … you gotta bring something to the holiday table too. You might need a magnifying glass to read it but that’s why God invented the guy who created ZOOM. Am I right?! Of course I am. I tried to include as many new offerings as I could and yes sometimes a beloved had to go. Sorry Clark, but I mean there are plenty of other opportunities to watch Clark light up the house or read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas as Cousin Eddie comes up the walk with Clark’s boss so that Clark can tell him off for not giving him a Bonus. Really the only time in that movie that I get upset … Clark it’s a bonus not a guarantee it’s not your bosses fault that you overspent on crimmus! Geeze enjoy your fruit of the month and be happy you still have a job!  I always get a little angry when the guy gives in instead of firing him on the spot. Sorry but it’s true.

A few items of note because I don’t want you to miss these and that is the purpose after all…

·       CNN Heroes: An All Star Tribute will air on Dec. 8^th  at 7. It’s always a great reminder that in the doom and gloom of the world there are people attempting to make things better for us and good for them. I’ve always enjoyed this special cause it does seem to reach out to so many different types of people in so many different places just trying to use their time on Earth in a good way. 

·       Kennedy Center Honors will air on CBS Dec. 22^nd at 7:30 it’s another good program to remind you that there are very good humans in this world but this one leans more to the celebrity side while CNN’s version is more for the everyday man. This year’s honorees include Francis Ford Coppola, the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Arturo Sandoval, and The Appollo (that’s right even buildings get love at the Kennedy Center Honors) and will be hosted by my Queen …. Dana Owens.

·       CBS is airing the “Nate Bargatze’s Nashville Christmas” on Dec 19^th at 8 (central). They will also air a Josh Groban and Friends go home for the Holidays on Dec. 20^th at 8 (central), right after the National Tree Lighting special (is it not a little late for that CBS?!). Of Course these are all on CBS. Both of which have really stupid long names and thus they didn’t make the calendar but something you all might be interested in…if not keep walking.

·       NEW Shows for the Win! As stated, there are several new items on the calendar, I haven’t watched them, but I am interested in many of them cause well at least they are new. I like new. I like original. Do some research before you put Billy in front of the TV with popcorn or plop little Bailey down in your lap for something that you then decide is inappropriate …that’s not my mess. Take it up with your facebook friends on how horrible it is so they can justify themselves as well by sharing in your fake outrage. Or just take it for what it is .. a lesson learned for both you and your offspring crank up Disney+ and move on with your life. You are welcome!

·       TBS, Hallmark, and TNT started their holiday playlist in November. However, they do have enough classics in their lineups to calm me down some so I’ll let it go and not blacklist them like that other network. I would hate to interrupt their nightly Big Bang Theory marathons for something as silly as Crimmus, no seriously we all need to watch Sheldon explain his spot one more time please and thank you. Don’t worry tho the Christmas Day Marathon of A Christmas Story is still on the schedule for TBS so all is not lost, and as long as they keep doing that I’ll keep a soft spot in my heart for them. But I’m side eyeing them real hard.

·       As always if you are looking for something to throw the littles in front of while you wrap gifts, bake, shop online, drink a glass or three of wine, scroll on your phone, or just need a minute … Freeform is the place for you. Their love for Claymation is admirable and while not all the offerings are eyeball worthy they do have a very impressive lineup again this year. May we all bow to the awesome that is Freeform.

·       I’d like to point out the purpose of this calendar …. Jimmy Fallon’s “5 More Sleeps ‘Til X-mas” no longer comes on … or I couldn’t find it anywhere and I’m real good at this Calendar so I am going to say it’s not coming on. I think it aired what 2 maybe 3 years then poof it was gone! That’s how quick a beloved special goes from must watch TV (cause we are trying to help our Host sell books) to wait what was that? I am not a Jimmy Fallon fan but that was a cute special. Wish it had stuck around. While I’m at it what about Yes Virginia ….. I still can’t believe they took that one down …….. silly CBS….silly ABC…..silly NBC it’s like they just don’t care about Crimmus. I’m sure it’s on a streaming service somewhere….but again we won’t rant about that …again. This is how we save these specials tho by watching when they air. YES most of us have the DVDs and some even still have the DVD players but hit that DVR up when it comes on and let em know we want to see them. As long as we watch they will keep showing them.

·       Incase anyone is keeping score I’m still mad at Food Network so they can keep their holiday specials safely in November cause I’m not participating! PS I love Christmas Cookie Challenge or whatever it is called and it’s on repeat about 97,463,049,730,497,630,943,706 times a day so totally check it out between that and Diners Drive in and Dives. It’s madness what’s going on over there … madness … I tell you …. madness!

Now for …the rules. If you are an OG user of this calendar, feel free to skip ahead. If you are new to the party …. Well, you want to read on or face my wrath. Don’t make me hulk smash you cause I’ve been wanting to Hulk Smash something all year so I’m ready don’t come at me bro!

·       NO E-MAILS about taking Christ out of Christmas, it’s just a really long word and using X-Mas allows for more shows on the already full calendar.

§  Thanks for your understanding.

§  For those that don’t understand I’ll be glad to remove you from the list, just let me know.

·       I live in the central time zone, the times on this calendar reflect that, adjust accordingly.

§  That said unless otherwise stated the times are PM

·       Late Hour Focus, but hour round fun. For you work from home people, stay at home mom’s, or employers who have access to good wifi ….  they run these specials all day long, and while my calendar focuses mainly on the after-work hour times since that is when I can watch (again see note about this being about me and my schedule not yours), fire it up as background noise for that meeting that you are totes paying attention to while you are on mute, or while you edit that really long annoying document that you have already edited several other times but it’s fine you’ll do it again. I also don’t list things if they are on at like 3am…. You insomniacs are on your own.

Much like the Halloween one ….. I have been doing this one for over 15 years now …. The goal is to set aside some time for the holiday cheer to enter your soul …. for those shows and stories we all grew up with to fill your heart with happiness … and most importantly to stop…breathe…take a minute … then jump back out there into the madness that is the holiday season. Teach the new generation that our generation was way better by making them watch the hour long Rudolph or watch them spaz out when Ralphie well you know. Then casually say, “hey isn’t that the guy from the Iron Man movies and watch them again think of what a smart person you are for recognizing him. IYKYK.

Merry Christmas to you all …. and I hope you each have a wonderful and safe New Years. Here’s to a fantastic 2025 for us all !

Marcy

OLYMPICS PARIS 2024

**Blogger won't let me upload pictures ..... don't know why**

As I sit here watching the closing ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Olympics …. I admit ……. I’m exhausted. Getting up at 3 every morning … sometimes 4 to catch events as they happened was both necessary cause I need to see stuff live but also made for very long days at work. As with Tokyo …. I got a little insane during these 17 days (July 26^th – Aug. 11^th) and if I wasn’t watching the games live, or repeats of events at night, I was looking at athlete social media and thinking about what I’d be watching next.

I found a fantastic app that allowed me to add games to my calendar…. I didn’t realize it was adding it to my work calendar but I wasn’t mad at that either. That ap has now been flipped over to the Paralympic games which are as inspiring and special to me as these games. The drama the stories, the athletes, watching them do the impossible and make it look so simple is just an extension of these games.

Thank goodness for Peacock. I really hope they keep the momentum going for the Paralympic games cause their coverage was fantastic. Being able to click live events as they were happening or search by a specific day or search by a specific sport in order to plan your day.  I also loved that the times on Peacock were for my specific time zone which was instrumental in my planning process.

So what did I watch ……

Gymnastics, all kinds … Artistic, Rhythmic, Trampoline …. I love the drama of it. The athleticism and how there is very little to no room for error, you go up, do your routine and there is no do over. The Women blew me away as I expected them to and the Men had a rough start but a strong finish and finally got back to the podium.  Volleyball is my other love and to watch it on an Olympic stage is just the best. While Beach Volleyball ended up breaking my heart it was a fun ride while it lasted and the rally’s these teams played on the beach in the sand that was burning their feet, in the heat, and sometimes at night with the Eiffel Tower glittering in the background was just a spectacle to be seen. Well played Paris .. well played. Diving …. From all heights … the US struggled hard but it was still fun to watch… another sport that is one and done … like one bad dive and it’s kind of over cause at that point you are counting on another to have a bad dive. These are the best in the world and bad days rarely happen at that level. Artistic Swimming – AKA Synchronized Swimming – which finally got some TV love this year due to the US having a team that made it to the podium. Indoor Volleyball ended up being satisfying after watching all the other Volleyball teams fall early. The power and speed that this sport is played at gives me chills. Literal chills. 3X3 Basketball – it feels like backyard ball and I’m here for it every single time. Archery – it’s sooooooo dramatic for very little reason …. Like that dramatic pause I guess to steady themselves before letting it rip is important but is it really ? Asking for a friend .. who is me. Now this sport with the Paralympians … that deserves all the drama but they just let it rip. Badminton – I mean …. Who hasn’t played this sport with family in the backyard or at a BBQ and thought they could do this until they watch and are like wait did the shuttlecock even move before the point ends? Basketball – I watched this one more cause of my nephew he loves this sport and it gives us something to talk about plus it was fun to see the new version of the “dream team” take the court and play as a unit. They almost fumbled hard but they pulled it off. The women however never lost control of it and just sailed to that Gold medal.  Breaking - I still have no idea what was going on or how it was scored and yall I tried. I’ve read more about this “sport” that I’ve ever read about any other sport and I just can’t figure it out…. I don’t know if it will stay in the Olympics or not but it was interesting it just wasn’t explained very well for those of us that had not participated in a competition before. The announcers were …. Well I’m gonna be nice but I think they were making that shit up as they went along. Cycling … BMX … Track …. All fascinate me too cause the speed that they move and the closeness of each of the participants makes you think they are gonna die. I liken it to Snowboarding during the Winter Games it’s fun to watch but like Breaking I don’t quite know what’s going on but can at least tell a good run vs a not so good run. In breaking I couldn’t even attempt it. Routines that I thought were good and entertaining got no points … routines I thought were lousy got all the points. Like what the hell … but I digress. Equestrian …. I watched more of these events than I’ve likely watched in previous years…but I can’t really tell you why. Football … aka … Soccer … mostly cause my boss is obsessed with it and it gives us something to talk about. Rugby – this sport fascinates me but the Paralympic version of it, known as Murder Ball makes it look tame. Swimming ….. I mean how do you not watch it’s on for like 6 days straight and they have like 5,203,476,304,967 events each night. Table Tennis – see previous note about Badminton.  Tennis – I mean … we said goodbye to Nadal who left it all on the court, got to see Djokovic not shock anyone by taking the tournament by storm. The real championship was between Nadal and Djokovic, after that it was all downhill from there. I’m gonna give the ladies a break cause well that was kind of painful to watch. Water Polo - which fascinates me, cause like how do they jump like that without touching the bottom of the pool? Weightlifting - cause I wanna be watching when they throw down those weights and destroy the floor..it’s gonna happen …. You just wait.  I even got into some of the Track and Field events which I usually watch but with like one eyeball while I look for something else to watch.

I do admit there were sports that I didn’t get to watch … not as a boycott but more cause I just didn’t get to it or there just weren’t enough hours in the day …. Canoe Sprint (which I usually watch but didn’t this year for some reason), Fencing, Golf, Handball, Field Hockey (that blue field just was too much), Judo, Marathon Swimming, Modern Pentathlon (tho I did watch some of the events that make it up just not enough to say I watched it), Rowing, Sailing, Shooting (I mean honestly who came up with that?), Skateboarding, Sport Climbing (cause why really … what is the point ?), Surfing (again I saw pieces of it but not enough to say I watched it), Taekwondo, and wrestling.

Yall at one point my phone gave me a middle finger and said no more please …. It shut down and I was like oh goodness I guess we are done for the day. Like I couldn’t get it to come back on…. Couldn’t get it to charge… I really thought I was going to need a new phone but I guess it overheated or something cause she seems good now. Which is good cause like is said there is a rest then the Paralympic games get going. I will be watching but I will also be at Dragon Con so I’m gonna have to divide my two loves and catch what I can when I can. So Phone you are going to have to get it together and cause it’s going to be a long week again.

As I watch the Closing Ceremonies I’m struck by how colorful and exciting the Opening Ceremonies was vs this darker less celebratory version of a send off to these games. 

 Medal Count ... cause that's all anyone cares about (which is sad) ends with US on top of the pike for MOST MEDALS at 126 .... GOLD   40   SILVER 44    BRONZE 42 .... so we had a good O    Olympics for sure. China was behind us with 91 total (also 40 Gold), Japan with 45 total, Australia with 53 adn France rounding out the top 5 with 64 total medals as they hosted the biggest sporting party of all time. In 4 years we get to do this again on US soil once again. I’ve really given a lot of thought to Los Angels … but I know me I’ll talk myself out of it. However …. It’s always a possibility … I have 4 years to make up my mind after all.

Marcy @beaslma

2022 Christmas TV Movie Calendar

 Good news fellow lovers of random TV specials, the Crimmus Calendar (that’s how my bestie spells it and now I it looks weird spelling it the “right” way), unlike the Halloween calendar, was much easier tho Hallmark, Freeform, and Lifetime have done their best to overtake the darn thing once again this year. I would however argue that if you start showing Christmas shows in April on a loop 24/7 then maybe you don’t have much else to offer and might wanna review your strategy – just saying. 

I admit … This calendar has been burning a hole in my file structure for about a week, but since I didn’t put anything on it for the week of Thanksgiving I decided to hold it. I also didn’t want it getting lost in the shuffle that is yall’s inbox during the holiday. Then like 3 weeks in people are like did I not get your calendar and they have missed out on so much awesomeness. I mean that’s not my fault, I know that but still I’ll feel bad for you and your disorganized self.  

As many of you may know GAC is also trying to get into the holiday specials mix, Great American Country for those that don’t know, but I don’t have that channel. As I’ve said for the last several years if I don’t have it … it won’t appear on this calendar. I’m selfish that way. Plus, I don’t wanna be all political but if Candace Cameron Bure is how you plan out your TV watching time then just turn the thing off and read a book. Seriously. DJ is great but yeah calm down it’s just a Crimmus movie you aren’t saving the world.   

Before we dive in … I think it’s important to repeat the rules, cause without rules there is chaos and we can’t have that with Santa in the air and all. . . .  

• NO E-MAILS about taking Christ out of Christmas, it is there you all know it just stop being difficult..... I mean honestly, it’s just a really long word and using X-Mas allows for more shows on the already full calendar.  
• Thanks for your understanding.  
• For those that don’t understand I’ll be glad to remove you from the list just let me know.  
• I live in the central time zone, the times on this calendar reflect that, adjust accordingly.  
• That said unless otherwise stated the times are PM 
• Very special episodes need not apply. This calendar does not focus on established show “Christmas special episodes” so watch out for those … Psych for instance has a great one and Friends had some touching Christmas specials, however, that’s not what we are here for. 
• NASFL – Not all is safe for Littles … This calendar contains shows I want to see, some are new, some are classics, and some are just downright dumb but I like em so back off! There is a mixture of adult themed shows/movies and kid themed shows/movies cause I’m just a kid at heart. PLEASE be mindful of what is on before you sit the kids down with popcorn to watch. 
• Don’t call me cause your little one watched some holiday movie on Lifetime or and now has “questions”. . . . that’s your mess not mine.  
• Late Hour Focus, but hour round fun. For you work from home people, stay at home mom’s, or employers who have access to good wifi ….  they run these specials all day long, and while my calendar focuses on the after-work hour times, since that is when I can watch, fire it up as background noise for that meeting that you are totes paying attention to. Then you can thank me later.  
1. That’s right it’s all about me!  

It seems everyone has a gimmick or a brand they are selling, It’s a Wonderful Lifetime, on well … Lifetime, 25 days of Christmas on Freeform, Miracles of Christmas from Hallmark Movies and Mystery (which was a missed opportunity for them for sure) Best Christmas Ever from AMC (which is debatable but their love of Claymation makes up for it) and so on. Marketing departments have been working overtime for their various channels, but it kept them employed so … good for them. I do question a network that does 25 days of anything but when you really study their programing realize that they are really replaying the same 10 movies over and over and I wonder if their time couldn’t be better spent.  

Especially when you look at their line ups in their various Aps and see that there is so much more out there than a Burnt out executive who leaves the big city to help her parents shut down the ranch she grew up on but shunned and left for bigger things only to find the love of her life tending to {insert your animal here} with a plan to save the ranch but only if she agreed to leave the hustle and bustle of the big city to pick up where her aging parents have left off and agree to marry him on the spot or the deal is off. Or you know … something of that nature, over and over again.  

So, with that thought in mind, the focus of this calendar is on NEW specials and returning movies I want to see cause I mean frankly there is not enough paper and ink in the printers around the world to include them all. Trust me, I’ve tried. I meant if you haven’t seen a Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen in their hey day trying to get to Grandmas’ house have you even lived?! PS it only comes on a few times and for some reason at the arse crack of dawn each and every time. Don’t ask me why …. just be happy it’s still on the air. I mean they have to be what in their late 30’s or something by now? I also admit that Die Hard didn’t make the cut again this year, which is not my fault. I just can’t find that it’s airing anytime in the next 25 days. I tried Guys I promise!  

A Few suggestions for your holiday viewing:  

• Ralphie Love !!!!! Both TBS and TNT are showing 24 hours of a Christmas Story starting Christmas Eve … and you should also check out the A Christmas Story Christmas on HBO if you have it cause it’s everything little Marcy wanted in life!  It pulls at all the same heart strings that the original pulls on …. once in a while a little too hard.  
• The Star – appears several times on Freeform this year. I admit I didn’t give this special the notice it deserved when it first came on in 2017. I fell in love with it hard a few years ago and it’s now must see TV for me every year. Make sure you check it out. Your kiddos will LOVE this animated special and they just might learn something too.  
• A New Orleans Noel on Lifetime is well a NEW Christmas movie that is set in New Orleans and bring Rudi back to our television screens and I’m all for anything that does that. If it also brings Patti LaBelle then that’s just a bonus. The Big Easy at Crimmus what could be more fun !?  
• Lifetime: speaking of Lifetime they are working to end the reign of Hallmark as the place for Holiday fun by airing NEW movies EVERY Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at 7 central. Sure they all have a similar pattern to them but that didn’t bother you when Hallmark did it, so tune in cause did I mention they are NEW !  
• CNN All Star Tribute at 7 on CNN Dec. 11^thI have talked about this before … it’s an annual special that highlights some pretty amazing things being done around this planet to try and make it a better place. It’s a very uplifting night and reminds you that maybe .. just maybe the world has some good left in it.  
• Claymation Love – Both AMC and Freeform are giving us the Claymation love this year and I’m 100% for it. Now if they can just bring back the Claymation Christmas I will be the happiest Marcy ever! Bring the kiddos to the TV, make them watch it and explain just how much effort it took to bring that awesome to the screen.  
• Beauty and the Beast LIVE – will air on ABC Dec. 15^th .. and god love them no matter how bad these have been over the years they keep trying. Eventually they will get one of these right maybe it will be this one.  
• Hanukkah on Rye airs on Hallmark on the 18^th … which is the only Hanukkah movie on my calendar and it makes me sad that is a thing. I mean 8 Crazy Nights should air yearly but alas I can’t find it.  

Another programing note …. unlike Halloween where they are just all over the map with the order, Christmas specials tend to keep the flow going, so if they were say … showing The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2 and the Santa Clause 3 back to back on the same channel I didn’t list all 3 cause well A. Space is limited, B. If you want to watch one you’ll likely watch them from the beginning and C did you not read about having limited space to make this happen!? I mean if you don’t have an afternoon to devote to it then well just walk away, be a quitter … see if I care. I do… I care a lot … cause Tenderheart tells me I need to. That’s right I worked a Care Bears reference into this year’s calendar and if that’s not a Win… then what is. *does Happy Dance in my chair!* 

Digital Media is taking over and I’m no longer going to fight it … No, before you get all excited, I’m also not dropping it into my calendar, but I do admit that it is the week of Thanksgiving and I have watched A Christmas Story Christmas at least 3 times and loved every single second of it each and everytime I watched it. So, if you are interested in what’s happening in your various streaming services check out the links below. I admit I am proud to see all the original programing that’s dropping on the various streaming services and sad that networks don’t have enough faith in them to show them “offline.”  

New Christmas Movies to Stream: A Holiday 2020 Streaming Guide | Den of Geek 

New Christmas Movies in 2022 and Where to Watch Them (people.com) 

90+ Christmas movies to stream for holidays on Netflix, Hulu, more (usatoday.com) 

Where to Stream the Best Christmas Movies of All Time (2022) – The Streamable 

So go get your digital on and you won’t hear from me how the medium is killing the holiday special for cable providers and how Apple TV has already claimed Charlie Brown as theirs and how you can’t watch Mickey’s Christmas Carol without a Disney+ account or how Ralphie’s new special is only on HBO MAX  but yeah you go ahead stream to your hearts content and sit back and enjoy. It’s fine …. No really … go ahead it’s fine. Seriously why are you still reading this … go watch your programming … and Merry Christmas have a wonderful New Year and here’s to an even better 2023 for us all!  

Have a wonderful and safe holiday season so we can do this again next year!  

If you can't save the image above hit me up on twitter @beaslma and i'll send you the PDF/JPEG combo. 

Marcy  

Olympics are over ….. almost

I’m not going to lie…… I’m exhausted it was a long arse week that included about a day of Overtime and a day out of town delivering some conference items to another office that greatly cut into my Olympic watching time. I still managed a very impressive watch list for those days but the Olympic exhaustion due to the time zone change hit me hard yesterday. While in a meeting with my boss I could feel myself sinking and at one point he said “Marcy are you ok?” I immediately perked up and said yeah why. His response “I think your battery just ran out. Go home!” So I did. I then fell asleep on the couch for about 2 hours. Woke up feeling just awful, as I typically do after a nap – I suck at nap taking apparently. However it was a recharge I guess I needed to watch the Platform Diving semis, and some indoor volleyball, the end of a marathon, and some track and field during the night time coverage of the events.

The best thing about this Olympics being postponed, yes I found something positive about waiting a year …. Is that now the next Olympic games in Paris, France are even closer. . Right now the games are scheduled for July 26 – August 11 in 2024.3 years to prepare instead of 4 …. So yeah that’s a good thing, well for me not the athletes.

Random closing thoughts on this Olympic Cycle:

1.       Americans are spoiled – a medal is a medal. Sure no one grows up waiting a bronze medal but damn a Bronze is still pretty freaking fantastic. It’s time we stop that if it’s not a Gold it doesn’t matter mentality. Top 3 in the world is still awesome, top 2 is good and the top of the heap with that Gold is Amazing when you think about what all it took to get to these milestones, even without a global Pandemic, is what should be celebrated. Americans please do better.

2.       Mental Health – Don’t get me wrong … I’m glad that athlete’s are able to express themselves and are able to have their voices be heard when it matters and I hope that one day they won’t even be required to make a statement after something happens or they feel the need to pull out of an event. I do wonder if the “stars” of these sports weren’t the ones doing it would it be hitting in the same manner. If say the girl who was say 15^th in the world vs #1 was having the same conversation would we be listening. Sadly I think the answer is no. So let’s keep working on this guys.  

3.       Lots of first-time winners – Usually first time Olympians are there for the experience. They often get overwhelmed by the pressure and the just overall feeling of the moment they are in and yet this year there have been a lot more first-time winners than we have seen in past Olympics. So kids are either being better trained or are just getting lucky or they are just cocky and thus the moment isn’t as overwhelming. I personally think the pressure isn’t as high cause I mean most people do two maybe 3 rounds of Olympic games (depending on the sport) and so these “younger kids” know this will not be their only opportunity to medal and stay more relaxed.

4.       GOAT – The term “G.O.A.T” is way overused. There are athletes that deserve that recognition and I’d argue that even getting to the Olympics means you are the best of the best for your Country but not every athlete can be the “greatest of all time” cause if they are then they cancel one another out. They can be the greatest of their sport … maybe.. greatest for that moment in time, but years ago people would have said say Shannon Miller gets that distinction or Usain Bolt but their records are being shattered left and right. I just feel like we need to calm down with that distinction just a little bit and enjoy the athletes for what they are bringing to their individual sports without adding that moniker to their shoulders. Just saying.

5.       Sports I missed – I have watched more Soccer this year than in years past …. Not really sure why other than it seemed for a while that every time I turned on my various devices it was on my TV. That being said there are sports that I LOVE that I missed this year. Take Rhythmic Gymnastics and Trampoline Gymnastics, two really awesome sports to follow and watch but that never made it to my eyeballs this year and that makes me sad. I also didn’t get to watch the new Surfing competition but I’m not too chuffed about that. Sport Climbing I caught a glimpse of while they did a news around the games update but didn’t really watch the competition. Sailing, Golf, and Athletics were the same way but again I wasn’t too sad about missing these. Overall tho I saw more than I missed so I’m happy with my 2020/2021 Olympic experience.

 Time to catch up on my sleep. . Next up Dragon Con … then the Paralympic games which are often more compelling than the actual games to me. Then next year the Winter Games are right around the corner (Feb 2022) and Invictus will be back !

 

Marcy

Olympics Halftime - I NEED Sleep!

The first week of the two-week Olympic party is now in the books and what a week it has been. It’s been a thrilling week of surprises and things we saw coming and others that came from out of nowhere, I mean Great Britain 3^rd in Women’s Gymnastics ? I mean who had that on their bingo card. No one. Then again no one had Simone bails completely either. Now before you jump my arse I’m not saying she bailed, I know she was hurt. I saw the Vault that freaked her out and it freaked me out too. I’m just saying that before this Olympic games started no one saw her not being in the thick of it coming. USA Softball was another surprised. I fully saw them taking the Gold especially after being Japan in the qualification rounds. They were undefeated until the Gold Medal match and the bats just weren’t there. Hey I’m not one of those USA fans where Gold is the only color I care about … those two silvers are awesome and I’ll never turn my nose up even at a Bronze. I mean you are still top 3 in the world. Nothing to scoff at but those are two that I felt were pretty much ours to lose and boy did we. That being said even with a fully healthy Simone I’m not use the US would have caught “not Russia” they just had the best meet of their careers and if you are going to do it .. the Olympics is the meet most of them would choose for it to happen.

However … there are a few things getting in the way of my Olympic Dreams!!!!!

 Work

My job has been really cool about my watching the Olympics at my desk but I admit fully that my productivity this week hasn’t been at the highest level. I mean I’m getting things done, attending meetings etc., but I could have done more and I know it. I did watch the Woman’s All Around in Gymnastics the other day and didn’t even apologize for fully being invested in my screen. I also fully watched the Woman’s Football (AKA Soccer) match between the USA and Netherlands that went into overtime which was pretty amazing to watch live. It also didn’t hurt that this particular week many in my office left for a conference in Orlando so there were less people in the office than normal from Wed forward. Truth is they likely do too, but we all understand that this is a temporary drop in productivity and I will rise again.

NBC/Streaming

I’ve seen a lot of posts about the Streaming of these Games. I have also seen a lot of people complaining about the streaming options. I will say … I have fully enjoyed watching the Games on my cell phone. I have found that frankly the coverage is better. I do feel like the nighttime coverage of the Games is more a “hand picked” look at what NBC thinks I want to see. Stop doing that NBC. I mean guys I have been flipping back and forth between NBC, USA, NBCSN, CNBC, the Olympic Channel .... it's been a girls dream! That being said I’d say 90% of what I have watched has been through the Xfinity Stream Ap or the NBC Sports Ap. I used NBC Sports during the morning time when live events are happening but NBC is still showing me what they showed yesterday (AKA replays). I have been using Xfinity during the weird time of the day when there’s nothing new going on and yet the nighttime coverage hasn’t begun yet either. I do admit that I have missed the stories. The conversations about the athletes, how they got here, their stories of heart ache and triumph.

Timezones

Timezones are so fraking confusing. I added Tokyo to my “world clock” on my phone. Plus I found a great Olympic Scheduling ap that shows me the times in Tokyo but it’s still be hard. Like right now it’s 7:19pm on a Saturday as I’m writing this and it’s 9:20am on Sunday in Tokyo. I’ve dealth with that before but it’s been on a new level this year with so many following the games, social media reporting results like they will die if they aren’t the first to give any information and even NBC knows we know the results and are like the USA fought hard in this gold medal match that just didn’t go their way … let’s take a look… Like um you just told me we lost so I’m going to watch something else. It’s been tough staying up and then getting up early but totally worth it to watch these events as they are happening. Heck I’ve been watching a live even on my TV and streaming another on my phone while watching results coming in on my PC. I tell you Olympic Feaver is strong with me.

 Sleep

I an not like Golden, I’m not a member of Team No Sleep. I like sleep. My relationship with sleep is very important to me. However I’ve been neglecting it hard lately. But I know that like with work this is a temporary thing and sleep just needs to understand that. It is not uncommon for me to watch the games until about 11, go to bed and watch via my phone or PC until about 2 or 3 from my bed, roll over and rest for a few hours before I’m back up with my alarm going off at 5 so I can watch some before driving to work. I try not to watch while driving …. “try.” However it’s also fully catching up with me. I can barely keep my eyes open at the moment and last night I conked out and never even turned on my phone. I missed so many events last night/this morning since I slept until about 9:30. Opps. Most of what I missed was Track and Field, and while I try…. I just can’t get into Track and Field but I try lord knows I try.

It’s been a long week, we are half way to the finish line ….. as they usually say in sports … FINISH STRONG!!!!

PS - I have thoughts btw on the USA Women’s Gymnastics Team, and those thoughts are coming but I need more time to continue to gather my thoughts. If you follow me on twitter you have seen some of it already.

 

Marcy