The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, December 17, 2010 2 coverstory Magic on the air Networks air sleighload of holiday faves Faith Hill performs in last year’s “A Home for the Holidays” special on CBS By Kyla Brewer TV Media T he holidays are a time for loved ones, and friends old and new to come to- gether. Critics may claim tele- vision doesn’t fit into that pic- ture of a traditional Christ- mas, but holiday program- ming gives viewers the op- portunity to share in Yuletide tales. Whether they yearn for heartwarming classic movies or silly animated specials, there’s something for every- one as families gather with bowls of popcorn and Christ- mas treats to revel in holiday shows. The networks are rolling out their signature specials -- such as CBS’s touching “A Home for the Holidays” adop- tion special on Wednesday, Dec. 22, and PBS’s “Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle Choir” on Dec. 23 -- and more than a few new favorites, such as NBC’s “Saturday Night Live: A Very Gilly Christ- mas” on Tuesday, Dec. 21, and “Disney’s Prep and Land- ing,” airing on ABC Christmas Eve. In fact, it’s ABC, traditional- ly home to such holiday offer- ings as “A Charlie Brown Christamas,” that leads the pack with a variety of special fare in the lead-up to Christ- mas Day. Tim Allen fans are in for a treat on Dec. 19 as the net- work airs both “The Santa Clause 2” (2002), which airs again on Christmas Eve, and “The Santa Clause 3: The Es- cape Clause” (2007). Those longing for a little wintry magic can enjoy the artistry of ice skating as the alpha- network presents the two- part season finale of “Skating with the Stars,” airing Dec. 20 and 21. The night before Christ- mas Eve, it’s a double dose of the Grinch with the classic 1966 animated version of “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” airing just before the big-screen feature film from 2000 starring Jim Carrey. Things get animated again as revellers settle in for a long winter’s nap on Christmas Eve with “Disney’s Prep and Landing,” a story about an elite unit of elves; and “Phin- eas and Ferb Christmas Vaca- tion,” based on the Disney Channel show. All of the Yuletide program- ming leads up to the big mo- ment as ABC presents “Dis- ney Parks Christmas Day Pa- rade.” Given the network’s affiliation with Disney, the program has become an an- nual tradition, going strong since 1983 (the only excep- tion occurred in the year 2000, when the network opt- ed to air a “Tracking Santa” special instead). A highly anticipated event for many families, the parade follows a route down Walt Disney World’s Main Street U.S.A., and often includes segments from other Disney resorts. In addition to classic cartoon characters, the spec- tacle features celebrities, marching bands and musical performances. Taped Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3 and 4, this year’s two- hour presentation will feature appearances by several stars, including Mickey Mouse and his pals, of course. Selena Gomez, star of the Disney se- ries “Wizards of Waverly Place,” will perform alongside host Nick Cannon and Big Bad VooDoo Daddy from Dis- neyland Resort. Cannon’s wife, Mariah Carey, has also agreed to share her vocal styl- ings with the Disney crew. CBS brings its own holiday tradition to the table with “A Home for the Holidays,” air- ing Wednesday, Dec. 22. Dur- ing the one-hour program, ce- lebrities and families share stories of adoption, hoping to inspire others to reach out to children in need. The special has attracted the attention of top-name stars in previous editions. Past performers include Faith Hill, Reba McEntire and Carrie Un- derwood, while celebs such as Nia Vardolos and Jenna Elf- man have shared stories of adoption. Many stars who have participated in past spe- cials have had their own con- nection to adoption, such as last year’s standout, rock/rap star Michael Franti, himself an adoptee. Promising another year of all-star talent, 2010’s “A Home for the Holidays” is presented by the Dave Thom- as Foundation for Adoption and the Children’s Action Net- work. Game show hosts Drew Carey and Wayne Brady also get in on the holiday fun with Christmas versions of their CBS daytime offerings “The Price is Right” and “Let’s Make a Deal,” respectively. Both long-running game shows are slated to air spe- cial episodes on Christmas Eve. NBC serves up some holi- day game show action as well with a Twelve Days of Christ- mas version of “Minute to Win It” on Tuesday, Dec. 21. They follow it up with the modern-day classic comedy special “Saturday Night Live: A Very Gilly Christmas.” It wouldn’t be Christmas Eve without the Yuletide classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946), the perennial favorite Frank Capra film starring Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey. Later that evening, NBC brings viewers coverage of the Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter’s Basili- ca in Rome as Christians the world over usher in another revered holiday Chirstopher’s Coins 2 x 2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: When actors are playing dead in all of these crime shows on TV, how in the world do they stay so still? It would be hard enough not to twitch or move, but in many instances they “die” with their eyes open. A: With crime-procedural shows still pulling in ratings across all of the networks on TV, a gift for playing dead now has a lot more uses than just really convincing bears not to eat you. Indeed, with three new “CSI”-brand epi- sodes and three “Law & Orders” every week, each episode featuring one or more corpses as the source of its plot, that’s at least six high-profile dead-guy roles being cast every week just between those two franchises. As for the acting part, the experts say it’s all about breathing. ”When your ‘body’ is part of the scene and the scene’s length is too long for you to hold your breath, take slow, shallow breaths,” according to the list of acting tips of- fered by The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. This raises the point that a modern TV or film shot rarely lasts longer than five seconds before the camera switches or pans away. The conservatory also advises the actor to “stay focused on keeping your breathing in your neck and throat. Of course, your lungs will be working, but this visualization on your part will help keep your chest cavity from mov- ing.” As for the eyes, most eye effects you see on screen these days are still done with good, old-fashioned contact lens- es. However, at sometimes hundreds of dollars a pair, there’s nothing simple about these (and imagine how much AMC’s new zombie series “The Walking Dead” must spend on them every week). There are also eye drops and makeup effects that can help the glassy effect, and too there is the increasing range of things that can be done with computer editing and graphics. Again, given the brief shot length in most shows these days, the actor playing Victim No. 1 often only has to hold his or her eyes open for a handful of seconds at a go. Have a question? E-mail us at questions@tvtabloid. com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided.