And that’s it for TV in 2024. How was it? Thanks so much for visiting #SetTheVCR and letting me be your sarcastic TV Guide. Here’s to amazing TV in 2025.
Monday, December 30
SYFY‘s Twilight Zone New Year’s Eve Marathon (Anytime / SYFY)
SYFY’s annual New Year’s marathon of The Twilight Zone episodes kicks off today in the morning (3 a.m. on the 31st technically) and the twisty extravaganza stretches over four calendar days ending on Thursday January 2nd. Nothing like a Nightmare at 20,000 Feet to welcome a fresh year. (That episode is on January 1 at 6:15 p.m.) So put down your To Serve Man cookbook (Jan 1: 5:25 p.m.) and invite the Monsters on Maple Street over (Jan 1 5:50 p.m.): this is a fantastic holiday tradition. I wrote anytime because you just watch anytime you want…but Time Enough At Last is on at 7:55 pm December 31st! The full schedule is the link above.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: TEACUP: SEASON 1 (9:00 P.M. / SHOWCASE)
Follows a disparate group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive.
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Series Premiere (for Canadians): Finally confirmed!! Showcase will broadcast Peacock’s Teacup starting with today’s 2-episode premiere. (All episodes of Teacup have been streaming on Peacock since Halloween.) I’m nervous to watch because it hasn’t been renewed. But TV sucks in December so it is what it is. Writer, producer, and showrunner Ian McCulloch has adapted Stinger. I think? First published as a paperback in 1988, Stinger is by Robert McCammon. (Only novel I’ve read by Robert is Boy’s Life. And it is breathtaking.) Anyways, Stinger is like The Stand only it unfolds over a twenty-four hour period in Inferno, Texas. How much of the novel survives in the TV show? “Of course, during production the series changed and evolved. Just as it should. Even the title’s different. Stinger is now Teacup. The reasons for this are too spoilery to share but watch the first few episodes and all will be revealed,” says McCulloch. “Point being, the series is now very much its own thing: a puzzle-box mystery, an edge-of-your-seat thriller, a can’t-but-must look horror story, a family drama, a science fiction epic—of the keyhole variety, of course.” Clearly things have changed…the novel is set in Texas, this show takes place in rural Georgia. And the reason two families are tapped on a farmhouse (yes trapped, beware those who attempt to the leave the property…the less said about that, the better.) is a puzzling reveal. Well then; let’s discover just what kind of storm in this Teacup.
Tuesday, December 31
The 2025 NHL Winter Classic (5:00 p.m. / HBO Max & TNT)
The NHL Winter Classic between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues on New Year’s Eve will mark the second time the NHL’s annual outdoor game is played at Wrigley Field. I’m an NBA Dude but even I’m aware of how special this. Hopefully, MLB brings back the Field of Dreams game and makes that a baseball classic.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: HORROR’S GREATEST: SEASON 2 (ANYTIME / SHUDDER)
Embark on a thrilling journey through the genre’s best with insights from the masterminds behind your favorite scares.
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Did you watch The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time? Just an outstanding horror docuseries. The people that made that are back with Horror’s Greatest. Season 1 dropped on August 27th on Shudder. (That title needs work…it’s not as clever a hook as: The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time.) “Horror’s Greatest is a deep dive into everything we love about horror — from fresh looks at classics to unearthing scores of hidden gems, this series has something for every fright film enthusiast. A gallery of ghoulish pros, including actors, directors, writers, composers, and special effects artists, draw on their unique knowledge to answer the big questions: What are the must-see films in horror’s many sub-genres? What’s the appeal of horror tropes, and how do today’s filmmakers subvert our expectations? What shape does horror take in countries outside of the United States? The answers encompass the breath of the nightmares we watch for our entertainment.” For Season 2 the trailer teases horror movies such as The Exorcist, Carrie, Halloween, Ready or Not, Rosemary’s Baby, Get Out, Aliens, Jaws, Jennifer’s Body, Prom Night, American Psycho and The Birds. Well, this is a fun way to scream in a new year…
Wednesday, January 01
Luther: Never Too Much (8:00 p.m. / CNN)
Chronicles the life of an iconic musical performer, from childhood musical talent to worldwide fame. Explores his collaborations, influences, character and relationships with family, friends and fans.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: MISSING YOU: LIMITED SERIES (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)
What would you do if your ex disappeared and came back into your life after 11 years?
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Do Netflix views enjoy The Harlan Coben Collection? Fool Me Once, Safe, The Stranger, Say Close, Innocent…they’re often like low-rent Mary Higgins Clark. Like the Netflix algorithm is trying to manufacturer a BBC detective TV series. Yet, welcome to 2025 and here’s more Harlan Coben on Netflix. The TV Guide says: “Missing You focuses on Kat Donovan, a detective specializing in Missing Persons. Eleven years ago, her fiancé Josh, the love of her life, vanished without a trace, and she hasn’t heard from him since. Now, swiping profiles on a dating app, she suddenly sees his face and her world explodes all over again. Josh’s unexpected reappearance will force her to dive back into the mystery surrounding her father’s murder and uncover long-buried secrets from her past.” It’s Harlan Coben on Netflix. You’re either in or you’re out. And if you’re out well, Netflix is clearly Missing You.
Thursday, January 02
Only Murders in the Building: Season 2 (9:00 p.m. / ABC)
The Broadcast Season Two Premiere – For two hours enjoy the hit series starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez which will air Thursdays in January on ABC. Season two follows the shocking death of Arconia Board President Bunny Folger; and Charles, Oliver and Mabel race to unmask her killer. However, three (unfortunate) complications ensue—the trio is publicly implicated in Bunny’s homicide; they are now the subjects of a competing podcast; and they have to deal with a bunch of New York neighbors who all think they committed murder.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: LOCKERBIE: A SEARCH FOR TRUTH: LIMITED SERIES (ANYTIME / PEACOCK)
Inspired by the true-life story, on December 21, 1988, 259 passengers and crew were killed when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie 38 minutes after take-off, with a further 11 residents losing their life as the plane came down over the quiet, Scottish town.
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Limited Series Premiere: A “You Can’t Handle The Truth!” limited series from Peacock. Based on the 2021 non-fiction book The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father’s Search for Justice by Jim Swire and Peter Biddulph, this 5-part series offers a poignant exploration of grief, resilience and the relentless quest for accountability. The series is named for the Scottish town over which the flight went down, killing all 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground. Dr. Jim Swire (Colin Firth) lost his daughter who was flying to New York to spend Christmas with her boyfriend. As he conducts a dogged investigation — one that takes him all over the world and into perilous geopolitical danger — Swire learns the shocking truth: The British and American governments knew about the terror plot and decided not to act on it. This was a 9/11 conspiracy theory, one it’s real life. Programming Note: For Canadians Season 1 premieres Tuesday, January 7 at 9 p.m. on Showcase: #SetTheVCR.
Friday, January 03
They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce (1:00 am / ESPN)
The new personality-driven, one-hour program will take its inspiration from traditional late-night television, emphasizing a comedic approach. . . . They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce will be an immersive experience from Union Transfer in Philadelphia, showcasing the Super Bowl champion’s oversized personality and infectious humor mixed with celebrity guests from the football world and beyond, in front of a live audience of NFL fans. The show’s format will position Kelce and his guests to dissect NFL topics and storylines, mainly focused on that weekend’s games, in both conventional and good-humoredly unconventional approaches including active participation from the fans in attendance.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE RIG: SEASON 2 (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)
Workers on an oil rig off the coast of Scotland are about to take a break: when the time comes for them to return back to land, the oil rig becomes engulfed by a supernatural mist. Will they make it back?
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I didn’t mind The Rig when it was released all the way back on Jan 6, 2023. I watched the entire first season of this Scottish-sci-fi-Mist meets The Thing. (Couple of accents were thick hadda subtitle that sucka.) You know what will “Happening” when you mess with Mother Nature. Eh..I can’t come up with a third movie reference…anyways it’s now streaming. Those who survived Season 1; those crew members are relocated to a clandestine offshore facility known as the Stac, that’s deep within the Arctic Circle. Here, the crew grapple with the aftermath of the catastrophic events from Season 1. Of course all the while facing new threats emerging from the uncharted depths of the ocean. Some horror and some sci-fi…2 of the major food groups of a nerd’s pop culture diet: Rig On!
Saturday, January 04
Family Guy (Various Times / Adult Swim)
Saturday Morning Cartoons: To mark the return of Family Guy, Adult Swim will host a three-day marathon of episodes every evening from 7:00 p.m. to 5 a.m. beginning Wednesday, January 1. After that, massively popular with Adult Swim fans since the network began airing the Seth MacFarlane created series in 2003, Family Guy episodes will air back-to-back every weekday from 10:00 – 11:30 p.m.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: NIGHTBITCH (ANYTIME / HULU & DISNEY+ CANADA)
A woman (Amy Adams) pauses her career to be a stay-at-home mom, but soon her new domesticity takes a surreal turn.
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I’m not moved by lengthy standing ovations or by critical consensus or Rotten Tomatoes or by buzz, hype and Twitter trends. So, I decided to ignore Nightbitch at TIFF 24. Lemme get this right…she’s just becoming a dog? That’s the whole hook? Now, if the chick was becoming a suburban werewolf, that’s something. But this? Hard pass. Programming Note: This’ll be on Disney+ Canada on January 24.
Sunday, January 05
Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches: Season 2 (9:00 p.m. / AMC & AMC+)
Based on Anne Rice’s Lives of the Mayfair Witches, season two of Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches continues the journey of Rowan Mayfair after she has unwittingly given birth to the demon Lasher. She is determined to understand what he has become – human or monster? – and to use him to fulfill her purpose as a healer, but when tragedy strikes, she must put aside her own desires and fight to protect her family.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE JETTY: LIMITED SERIES (ANYTIME / HULU & BRITBOX)
While investigating a case of arson in a sleepy lakeside town, Detective Ember Manning (Jenna Coleman) gets drawn to the mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl, and a world of secrets and illicit affairs.
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Limited Series Premiere: Who is in the mood for a seemingly tranquil British town with dark undercurrents? Fresh from the BBC: The British series was released for streaming on July 15 and concluded on July 22, 2024. Jenna Coleman plays Detective Ember Manning, a recently widowed investigator in a picturesque Lancashire lake town. Manning is called to investigate a fire at a holiday home, which leads her to uncover connections to a decades-old cold case involving a missing and abused teenager. As she delves deeper, she confronts buried secrets (those are the best kinds of secrets!) that challenge her understanding of her past and force her to confront the community she thought she knew. Yes, classic British TV. As we prepare to “Jetty” 2024 one way to keep your mind sharp in 2025 is by trying to solve these unsettling British mysteries.
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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
