Skip to content
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • PodBean
  • Subscribe To The My Pal Sammy Newsletter
  • ABOUT
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms

My Summer Lair

Think NPR's Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: My Summer Lair with host Sammy Younan: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.

  • Home
  • Podcast
    • My Summer Lair
    • Space Station Oddity
  • Set The VCR
  • New Book Alert
  • True Sammy Stories
  • Toggle search form

#SetTheVCR: December 19 – 25, 2022

Posted on December 19, 2022December 19, 2022 By Sammy Younan No Comments on #SetTheVCR: December 19 – 25, 2022

If you wanna shake it up this Christmas; flirt with the naughty list a bit…I got some outstanding TV recommendations where there is no grand moral Christmas takeaway and the only setup is a double cross from secret agents. So gather your spirits and let’s assemble by the warm glow of a flat screen TV: it’s #SetTheVCR!

Monday, December 19

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (8 p.m. / CBC)

The Griswold family’s plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster. A Christmas Classic.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: CLERK (ANYTIME / CRAVE)

A documentary on the career and life of filmmaker Kevin Smith.
~~~

Considering how much Kevin Smith talks…and talks and talks for a living; I dunno how much a documentary can offer or even reveal about Smith. Directed by Malcolm Ingram Clerk features interviews with various actors, directors, and other prominent figures who have associated with Smith during his career, including Matt Damon, Richard Linklater, Jason Reitman, Jason Mewes, and the late Stan Lee. So why not enjoy this Canadian documentary to understand all the Kevin Smith dogma?

Tuesday, December 20

Women Who Rock (Anytime / EPIX & Crave)

Women Who Rock is a four-part docuseries that pays homage to the legion of female pioneers in music who have stormed the stage, wielded their instruments, amplified their voices, and sung the soundtrack of our lives. The EPIX series comes to Canada.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: INTRODUCING: PLUTO TV (ANYTIME / NEW CHANNEL!)

Pluto TV has landed in Canada with over 100 channels, and thousands of on-demand titles. The best part? It’s all FREE!!
~~~

Canada has another Tubi; same deal: all free, all on Demand: no subscription. (Pluto TV is a Paramount Company…I guess this is like paying for Prime/Paramount+ while enjoying Amazon Freevee/Pluto TV for free; kinda thing.) Initial offerings include: old school Love Boat (so exciting and new…), Mork & Mindy (Nanu Nanu), Mission Impossible (such an ironic title), old school Doctor Who (out of this world!) and so much more. Pants off; TV on!

Wednesday, December 21

Emily in Paris: Season 3 (Anytime / Netflix)

A year after moving to Paris for her dream job, Emily arrives at a career and romantic crossroads that will force her to decide where her future lies.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: TOM CLANCY’S JACK RYAN: SEASON 3 (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)

When CIA analyst Jack Ryan stumbles upon a suspicious series of bank transfers his search for answers pulls him from the safety of his desk job and catapults him into a deadly game of cat and mouse.
~~~

Welcome back to the Ryanverse: Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Universe. Season 2 saw Jack Ryan heading to South America to investigate a suspicious shipment and while trying to uncover “a far-reaching conspiracy.” Oh…those are the best kinds, they go right to the top. Though sadly Jack has been implicated in this dark conspiracy so now he’s a spy who cannot come in from the cold. What will Jack uncover next? Can he control the political chaos? Watch and find out; this is a December surprise.

Thursday, December 22

Jeff Dunham: Me The People (Anytime / Crave)

Hang out with Jeff Dunham (and friends?) as he tackles how much time we dedicate to our devices, the things we spend money on and cancel culture. The Comedy Central special broadcast on November 25 comes to Crave in Canada.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: TOP GUN: MAVERICK (ANYTIME / PARAMOUNT+)

After thirty years, Maverick is still pushing the envelope as a top naval aviator, but must confront ghosts of his past when he leads Top Gun’s elite graduates on a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it.
~~~

Return to The Danger Zone…if this Christmas season you feel the need…for speed. It’s Tom Cruise so replace the G in Gun to an F.

Friday, December 23

Christmas Bloody Christmas (Anytime / Shudder)

It’s Christmas Eve and fiery record store owner Tori Tooms just wants to get drunk and party, until the robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and makes her night more than a little complicated. Santa Claus begins a rampant killing spree through the neon drenched snowscape against a backdrop of drugs, sex, metal and violence, ultimately forcing Tori into a blood splattered battle for survival against the ruthless heavy metal Saint Nick himself.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Famed Southern detective Benoit Blanc travels to Greece for his latest case.
~~~

Welcome back detective Benoit Blanc: this is a fresh follow up to the 2019 hit Knives Out from Rian Johnson. I haven’t enjoyed the recent Agatha Christie movies: Death On The Nile (super bad!) and Murder On The Orient Express (rather boring…) but Knives Out is loads of mystery goodness; if Glass Onion holds up this’ll happily fill the Agatha Christie hole in my heart. You know all the actors who are playing suspects but…do you know who the killer is? It’s difficult to get to the heart of a “glass onion” without some tears.

Saturday, December 24

Tracking Santa – A Hulu/ABC Holiday Special (Live Broadcast) (6:00 p.m. / Hulu)

In this live broadcast television Stations will track Santa sightings across America. Starting at WABC in New York, the event will jump from station to station following Santa, with anchors in the studio tossing to reporters in the field, meteorologists tracking atmospheric disturbances that can only be Santa himself, celebrity shout outs and holiday greetings, live chats with Santa, and much more.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: DIE HARD (TODAY! / PICK A STREAMER…)

A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. A Certifiable Christmas Classic.
~~~

A fancy fun holiday tradition: Die Hard has humour and heart and is a Christmas special worth returning to over and over again. And sadly, another Die Hard terrorist has perished! It’s funny how they’re going out one…by one in real life. Just like the movie. It’s gonna be a sombre Christmas viewing this year knowing Clarence Gilyard aka Theo has passed. (Did we spend most of the 80s with a black guy named Theo?!) Rest Now! Take a moment during this year’s viewing to enjoy his brand of villainy.

Sunday, December 25

Elf (Anytime / Crave)

Raised as an oversized elf, Buddy travels from the North Pole to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter Hobbs, who doesn’t know he exists and is in desperate need of some Christmas spirit. A Christmas Classic.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: NBA CHRISTMAS GAMES SLATE
(NOON / ABC & ESPN)

NFL gets Thanksgiving. NBA gets Christmas: 5 games starting with 76ers at Knicks and concluding with Suns at Nuggets.
~~~

A cozy Christmas tradition: the annual NBA Christmas games. This season’s slate is: 76ers at Knicks (12 p.m. est on ESPN); Lakers at Mavericks (2:30 p.m. est on ABC, ESPN); Bucks at Celtics (5 p.m. est on ABC, ESPN), Grizzlies at a Steph Curry-less Warriors (8 p.m. est on ABC, ESPN) and finally Suns at Nuggets (10:30 p.m. est on ESPN). Knicks have won games recently, Bucks and Celtics is a battle for the East and ah…nobody cares about Lakers vs Mavs. Nap it up during that one. So yes: take a break from your fantastic new Sega Genesis that Santa got you and pick up the TV remote. Hopefully you’ll have either Christmas Eve leftovers or Christmas dinner to pair with the games.

–28-

Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.

Stress free pop culture tastefully harvested for your divine delight. Once a week a carefully curated edition of My Pal Sammy goes directly to your inbox. Sign up for my newsletter so we can have some fun…being a good friend!

Set The VCR Tags:#SetTheVCR, Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video, Streaming TV

Post navigation

Previous Post: #SetTheVCR: December 12 – 18, 2022
Next Post: #SetTheVCR: December 26, 2022 – January 01, 2023

More Related Articles

#SetTheVCR: November 28 – December 04, 2022 Set The VCR
#SetTheVCR: May 2020 Recap & Review Set The VCR
#SetTheVCR: August 09 – 15, 2021 Set The VCR
#SetTheVCR: December 29, 2019-January 4, 2020 Set The VCR
#SetTheVCR: January 19-25, 2020 Set The VCR
#SetTheVCR: June 2020 Recap & Review Set The VCR

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • #SetTheVCR: May 29 – June 04, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    Wanna Manifest some excellent TV week? Then #SetTheVVCR we got Tough Love to TLC.
  • #SetTheVCR: May 22 – 28, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    This week prepare: TV & #SetTheVCR are taking it to the #Max. If you're SmartLess about what to watch - perhaps your week has gone all #FUBAR - then you'll enjoy all these suggestions and puns so much Moore.
  • #SetTheVCR: May 15 – 21, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    Did you hear the one about a Black Knight and an Ant-Man who were Missing? Why yes it's #SetTheVCR where it's all Love To Love You when it comes to TV.
  • #SetTheVCR: May 08 – 14, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    A Time Traveler, A Man Who Can Fly, A Shapeshifter plus…lots more. Clearly it can only be #SetTheVCR.
  • #SetTheVCR: May 01 – 07, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    This week there's Bupkis on TV! So break outta your Silo and lean back in your White House; I'm Sheeran lots of #SetTheVCR recommendations. Guess How Much? Free…love!
  • #SetTheVCR: April 24 – 30, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    Citadel on the couch as it's a fresh #SetTheVCR where we say goodbye to James Corden and David Bowie but say hello to lots of new TV.
  • #SetTheVCR: April 17 – 23, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    Anybody who has been Ghosted with enjoy this week's #SetTheVCR: From Tupac to Duran Duran. So Scrap your plans; no need to be a Diplomat and Bring It On!
  • #SetTheVCR: April 10 – 16, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    It's a TV week of Titans as the NBA Playoffs tip-off. There's Barry good TV recommendations so punch your Ticket to Paradise: It's #SetTheVCR.
  • #SetTheVCR: April 03 – 09, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    From Beef to Beats to Babies to Boris Becker this week's #SetTheVCR is beautifully bodacious. Believe that!
  • #CouchWorthy: March 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    It’s hard to believe but we’re basically into April. Spring has sprung. However, before we leave March behind here are some TV highlights that are #CouchWorthy. Maybe you missed em or didn’t hear about em. What about something fresh? Or something different? Or fun! Then here ya go!
  • MSL Space Station Oddity: DCEU Is Pee-Ew | Batgirl vs HBO MaxAugust 5, 2022
    Sammy & Rob Gaudette discuss and review the status of the DCEU following the cancellation of Batgirl on HBO Max. Rob still has hope.
  • MSL Space Station Oddity: Contact Photography Festival 2022 | Culture SnapMay 12, 2022
    Sammy is joined by photographer Henry VanderSpek aka Culture Snap to discuss and recommend a happy handful of Contact Photography Festival exhibitions.
  • MSL Space Station Oddity: A Taylor Hawkins MemorialMarch 28, 2022
    Sammy & Stephanie discuss the shocking and sad passing of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins on March 25, 2022.
  • MSL Space Station Oddity: All The Batmans | Keaton To Nipples to BatfleckMarch 10, 2022
    Sammy & Stephanie discuss All The Batmans: from Michael Keaton to Ben Affleck.
  • MSL Space Station Oddity: 2021 Induction Ceremony | Rock & Roll Hall of FameNovember 25, 2021
    Sammy & Stephanie discuss their happy highlights from the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

  • Yaron Weitzman (Tanking to the Top) and Sammy Younan in My Summer Lair 148
    Under-Review: Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers
    by Sammy Younan
    Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Most Audacious Process in the History of Professional Sportsby Yaron WeitzmanPublished by Grand Central Publishing on March 17, 2020NBA // Non-Fiction // 76ers One of the best lines in Yaron Weitzman’s NBA book: “Hinkie triggered a culture war.” Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and...

    READ ON “Under-Review: Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers” »

  • New Book Alert: January 10-14, 2022
    by Sammy Younan

    My weekly collection of new and notable books for your pop culture pleasure and edification: #ReadMoreTweetLess.

  • New Book Alert: January 3-7, 2022
    by Sammy Younan

    My weekly collection of new and notable books for your pop culture pleasure and edification: #ReadMoreTweetLess.

  • New Book Alert: November 8-12, 2021
    by Sammy Younan

    My weekly collection of new and notable books for your pop culture pleasure and edification: #ReadMoreTweetLess.

  • New Book Alert: November 1-5, 2021
    by Sammy Younan

    My weekly collection of new and notable books for your pop culture pleasure and edification: #ReadMoreTweetLess.

Copyright © 2023 My Summer Lair.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme