December 6, 2014 by The Sumter Item

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It’s a Wonderful Life (‘47, Holiday) aaaa James Stewart. On Christmas Eve, a discouraged, suicidal man WIS News 10 at (:29) Saturday Night Live Actor gains a new perspective on life when his guardian angel grants him a chance to see what the lives of his friends, 11:00pm News James Franco hosts. (N) (HD) family and neighbors in his small town would have been like if he had never been born. and weather. College Football: News 19 @ 7:30 48 Hours (N) (HD) 48 Hours (N) (HD) College Football: 2014 Mountain West Championship Game: Fresno State Bulldogs at Boise 9 9 Alabama vs Mis- News and State Broncos from Albertsons Stadium z{| (HD) souri (HD) weather. Wheel of Fortune Jeopardy! (HD) (:07) College Football: 2014 ACC Championship Game: Florida State Seminoles vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from Bank of Amer- Gamecock Sat- White Collar: 5 12 (HD) ica Stadium Charlotte, N.C. z{| (HD) urday Night (HD) Withdrawal (HD) Paid Program

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Great Performances: Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek Pledge Programming Acclaimed programming highJimmy Van Victor Borge’s Father Brown: The Wrong Shape WRJA E27 11 14 Heusen Movie Timeless Com- Poet hangs himself in his conserva- to Cheek LIVE! Tracks from “Cheek to Cheek” performed. lights a membership drive encouraging viewer support. (HD) tory. (HD) composer. (HD) edy! (HD) FOX College Football Pregame (HD) College Football: 2014 Big Ten Championship Game: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Wisconsin Badgers from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianap- WACH FOX News WACH E57 6 6 olis z{| (HD) at 10 Nightly news report. Community: Community: Cur- The First Family The First Family Mr. Box Office Mr. Box Office Anger Manage- Anger Manage- Cougar Town: Cougar Town: WKTC E63 4 22 Course Listing Un- riculum Unavail- President’s family. President’s family. Star must teach. Star must teach. ment Envious ment Taken hos- Runnin’ Down a Letting You Go available (HD) able (HD) (HD) (HD) (HD) (HD) Charlie. (HD) tage. (HD) Dream (HD) (HD)

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CABLE CHANNELS Criminal Minds: Mayhem Terrorist Criminal Minds: Minimal Loss (:01) Criminal Minds: Catching Out Criminal Minds: coma. (HD) shootings in New York City. (HD) bombing hits the BAU. (HD) Agents are trapped in a cult. (HD) Railroad killer. (HD) Lo-Fi (HD) The Santa Clause 2 (‘02, Holiday) aac Tim Allen. Santa Claus must find a Mrs. Claus The Walking 180 The Santa Clause 2 (‘02, Holiday) aac Tim Allen. Santa Claus must find a Mrs. Claus due to contractual fine print. (HD) due to contractual fine print. (HD) Dead (HD) 100 To Be Announced Yankee Jungle (HD) Yankee Jungle (N) (HD) Pit Bulls and Parolees (N) Yankee Jungle (HD) Pit Bulls The Preacher’s Wife (‘96, Drama) aa Denzel Washington. A troubled reverend gets a guardian angel who im162 2014 Soul Train Awards Live performances and honors for the year’s top performers. mediately wins over his wife. The Real House wives of At lanta: Bravo First Looks (N) Pearl Har bor (‘01, Ac tion) ac Ben Affleck. Two fighter pilots fight for a woman’s love as they are thrown into the Gangs of New 181 Bury the Ratchet tumult of World War II by a surprise Japanese attack on their Hawaiian airbase. York (‘02) 62 Ultimate Factories (HD) Marijuana Inc: Inside The Suze Orman Show (N) The Profit A man won’t listen. The Profit: Courage. b Suze Orman 64 CNN Spc. Drug distribution. Mike Rowe: Life Savers Mike Rowe: Mutter Museum Mike Rowe Aquatic show. This is Life: Unholy Addiction This is Superbad (‘07, Comedy) aaac Jonah Hill. Nerdy high schoolers go to great lengths Pineapple Express (‘08, Comedy) aaa Seth Rogen. Two marujuana-smoking friends 136 Dinner for Schmucks (HD) to buy liquor for a party. (HD) run for their lives when a murder is witnessed. (HD) Austin & Ally Girl Meets: Girl Dog Blog: Avery Liv and Maddie Mighty Med: How the Mighty Med Star Wars Rebels Jessie: 101 Lizards Girl Meets: Girl 80 Girl Meets Gov- Jessie: Coffee ernment test. Talk (HD) (HD) Meets Brother vs. Teacher (HD) Have Fallen Trapped in ER. (HD) (HD) Meets Boy 103 Fast N’ Loud (HD) Fast N’ Loud (HD) Fast N’ Loud (HD) Fast N’ Loud (HD) Fast N’ Loud (HD) Fast Loud 35 Scoreboard (:45) College Football: Kansas State Wildcats at Baylor Bears from McLane Stadium z{| (HD) (:45) SportsCenter (HD) Sports (HD) 39 Scoreboard College Football: Temple Owls at Tulane Green Wave from Yulman Stadium z{| (HD) Scoreboard College Football Final (HD) 131 (6:30) Toy Story 3 (‘10, Comedy) aaaa Tom Hanks. The toys are do- Arthur Christmas (‘11, Holiday) aaa James McAvoy. Santa’s youngest The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (‘06, Holiday) nated to a daycare center, but things get a little too rough. (HD) son attempts to use his father’s advanced business. ac Tim Allen. Jack Frost’s plan. (HD) 109 Pioneer (HD) Pioneer (HD) The Pioneer Woman (N) (HD) Outrageous Christmas (N) Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (HD) Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (HD) Outrageous 74 FOX Report Saturday (HD) Huckabee (N) (HD) Justice with Judge Jeanine (N) Geraldo Rivera Reports Red Eye (HD) Justice (HD) 42 Driven (HD) Golden Boy Live: Joseph Diaz Jr. vs. Roberto Castaneda (HD) Ext. Games: BMX Mini Mega World Rally: Wales Basketball 183 (6:00) Debbie Macomber’s Call Me Debbie Macomber’s Mr. Miracle (‘14, Holiday) Rob Morrow. Angel helps a One Christmas Eve (‘14) Divorced mother wants kids’ first Christmas with- Help for the HoliMrs. Miracle (‘10) aa (HD) woman before Christmas. (HD) out father to be memorable. (HD) days (HD) 112 Love It or List It (HD) Property Brothers (HD) Property Brothers (HD) House Hunters (HD) Hunters (HD) Hunters (HD) Prop Bro (HD) 110 Down East Dickering (HD) Down East Dickering (HD) Down East Dickering (HD) Down East Dickering (HD) Alaska Off-Road Warriors (HD) Down East 160 Law & Order: Criminal Intent: The Law & Order: Criminal Intent: The Law & Order: Criminal Intent: En- Law & Order: Criminal Intent: The Law & Order: Criminal Intent: Crazy Law & Order: Pardoner’s Tale (HD) Good Doctor (HD) emy Within (HD) Third Horseman (HD) Obsessed doctor. (HD) Criminal (HD) Dear Santa (‘11, Holiday) aac Amy Acker. A little girl writes a letter to Wishin’ and 145 Under the Mistletoe (‘06, Holiday) Wishin’ and Hopin’ (‘14, Drama) Molly Ringwald. Fifth-grader deals with aac Jaime Ray Newman. (HD) the dreaded Christmas pageant and a substitute teacher. (HD) Santa asking him to bring her dad a new wife. (HD) Hopin’ (‘14) (HD) 76 Caught on Camera (HD) Caught on Camera (HD) Lockup (HD) Lockup (N) (HD) Lockup: Inside Kern Valley (HD) Lockup (HD) 91 Henry Henry Henry Nicky Thunderman Haunted (HD) Prince Prince Friends (HD) Friends (HD) How I Met 154 Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (N) (HD) Cops (HD) Auction (N) Thrift (N) (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) We Are Marshall (‘06) Matthew McConaughey. 152 The Cabin in the Woods (‘12, Horror) Kristen Connolly. Five friends staying Insidious (‘11, Horror) aaa Patrick Wilson. Young, comatose boy is threatened to be stolen 30 Days of Night (‘07, Thriller) at a cabin in the woods are attacked by malevolent forces. by evil spirits. aaa Josh Hartnett. The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang Deal With Speed The Change-Up (‘11, Comedy) Ryan 156 Loves Raymond Loves Raymond The Big Bang (HD) (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) dating. Reynolds. Body switching. 186 (6:00) Annie Get Your Gun (‘50, Mu- Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (‘66, Drama) aaac Elizabeth Taylor. An alcoholic profes- The Graduate (‘67, Drama) aaac Anne Bancroft. A college graduate sical) aaa Betty Hutton. sor and his bitter wife play mind games with another couple. falls in love with the daughter of his married mistress. 157 Christmas Light Fight (HD) Untold Stories of the E.R (HD) Untold Stories of the E.R. (HD) Sex Sent Me to the ER (N) (HD) Sex Sent Me to the ER (N) (HD) Untold ER Transporter: The Series: Sex, Lies Transporter: The Series: Sex, Lies Lara Croft (‘01) 158 (6:30) The Dark Knight Rises (‘12, Action) aaaa Christian Bale. The Dark Knight resurfaces to protect Gotham from a brutal, new enemy. (HD) and Video Tapes (N) (HD) and Video Tapes (HD) aac (HD) 102 World’s Dumbest... Dumbest Unbalanced dancer. How to Be How to Be Bar: Queens vs. Queens (:01) truTV Top: Side Splitters (:02) Dumbest 161 Fam. Feud Fam. Feud Fam. Feud Fam. Feud Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Friends (HD) (5:00) The Fu gi tive (‘93, Ac tion) Har In de pend ence Day (‘96, Sci ence Fic tion) aaa Will Smith. An alien mothership launches a fleet of space craft Fast Five (‘11, Ac tion) aaa Vin Die sel. Former cop 132 rison Ford. Doctor seeks killer. which destroy entire cities. and ex-con team up. Mean Girls (‘04) Lindsay Lohan. Scream (‘96, Horror) aaa David Arquette. A killer stalks and slashes teenagers. Scream (‘96, Horror) aaa David Arquette. Teens murdered. 172 Parks (HD) Bulls Eye (N) NBA Basketball: Golden State Warriors at Chicago Bulls from United Center (HD) Hope (HD) Blue Bloods (HD) Blue Blood

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Ringwald stars in coming-of-age holiday drama BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH A star who all but defined the 1980s returns to the small screen in a flashback to the 1960s. Molly Ringwald stars in “Wishin’ and Hopin’” (8 p.m. Saturday, Lifetime, TV-PG), a coming-of-age drama set in a Catholic school milieu during Christmas 1964. Based on Wally Lamb’s bestselling novel, “Wishin’” gets many details right. It captures a mid-century Catholic culture where some feared communism more than hell and where children held nuns and priests in fear and awe mixed with an undercurrent of pity and derision. It evokes a modest culture of veiled and kerchiefed women navigating a wider world of bikinis, short skirts and Life magazine articles touting the existence of topless bathing suits. Despite Ringwald’s star status and the movie’s place on “the women’s network,” “Wishin’” is a boy’s story. “A Christmas Story” it is not, but it’s strange to think that we are nearly as far removed in time from that 1983 classic as it was from its late-Depression era setting. Wyatt Ralff stars as Felix Funicello, a 10-year-old just beginning to shed his baby fat and childish fears for more adult concerns. He enjoys mild celebrity as the cousin of the famous Mouseketeer and beach movie star, Annette. Annabella Sciorra stars as Felix’s loving and quite fashion-conscious mother. Adult Felix (voiced by Chevy Chase) narrates the story of a very special Christmas when a fetching French-accented lay instructor, Madame Frechette (Ringwald), arrived as a substitute for a daft and dysfunctional nun (Cheri Oteri). That season also brought the arrival of a spunky foreign student, Felix’s appearance on a local children’s TV show, his introduction to horror movies, dimly understood dirty jokes and a Christmas pageant for the ages. While you have to admire any film that casts Meat Loaf as a tipsy priest, “Wishin’” never quite establishes a credible tone or even a narrative flow. Not to talk shop, but the version I was given to review seemed only barely edited. Perhaps the final version will congeal into something more en-

PIETRO CAMARDELLA / LIFETIME

Molly Ringwald stars in the all-new holiday movie “Wally Lamb’s Wishin’ and Hopin,’” premiering at 8 p.m. today on Lifetime. tertaining. But that could take a Christmas miracle. “Wishin’” concludes with a long pageant scene that appears to unfold in real time. Chase’s narration is so laidback as to be indifferent. Sadly, that’s completely appropriate to this effort. I’m not piling on “Wishin’” because it is terrible, but because it could have been wonderful. • You have to give the Lifetime Network credit for an ambitious approach to the holidays. En Vogue, Grumpy Cat and a Wally Lamb story appeal to very different audiences, but Lifetime has tried to reach them all with their holiday specials. Now it offers “The Red Tent” (9 p.m. Sunday and Monday, TV14), a full-blown biblical miniseries. Based on Anita Diamant’s best-selling novel, “Tent” recalls key moments of the Old Testament from the perspective of Dinah (Rebecca Ferguson), the daughter of Leah (Minnie Driver) and Jacob (Iain Glen). An all-star cast includes Morena Baccarin as Rachel and Debra Winger as Rebecca, the mother of Jacob. Fans of biblical epics looking for the familiar lusty patri-

archs in dusty desert locales will find them here. We also hear noble dialogue and portentous voice-overs spouted in various British accents. But “Tent” mingles Bronze Age narratives with 20th-century feminism. Leah’s happiest moments were spent as a girl in the Red Tent that gives this story its name. It was a place of sanctuary for Jacob’s four wives and their many daughters, a refuge where women retreated during their monthly cycle. There they shared mutual support and passed around clay idols representing a female deity, the source of their lives and of life itself. Needless to say, this matriarchal thinking and furtive idolatry does not sit well with Jacob. Will it appeal to those who tune in to see “The Women of the Bible” (7 p.m. Sunday, Lifetime)? This more conventional Bible history documentary is narrated by Roma Downey and produced by Downey and Mark Burnett.

SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS • Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed star in the 1946 holiday favorite “It’s a Wonderful Life” (8 p.m., NBC).

• Catch 20 consecutive hours of “Starsky & Hutch” (6 p.m., El Rey) during the network’s holiday “Huggy Bearathon.” • Rob Morrow (“Northern Exposure”) stars in “Debbie Macomber’s Mr. Miracle” (8 p.m., Hallmark). • A witness’s murder derails two investigations on “The Missing” (9 p.m., Starz). • Nicole Kidman, Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters and Take That appear on “The Graham Norton Show” (10 p.m., BBC America, TV-14). • James Franco hosts “Saturday Night Live” (11:30 p.m., NBC, TV-14), featuring Nicki Minaj.

SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS • Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (7 p.m., CBS): Coal’s toxic residue; Italy’s violin-making center; a tycoon’s stab at a cancer cure. • Malinda Williams and Victoria Rowell co-star in “Marry Us For Christmas” (7 p.m., UP). • “Masterpiece Classic” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) offers back-to-back helpings of the fourth season of “Downton Abbey” in anticipation of season five’s January arrival.

• A naturalist goes to great lengths to get the inside scoop on an anaconda on “Eaten Alive” (9 p.m., Discovery, TVPG). • Lucy, Ricky, Ethel and Fred anticipate the holidays on a vintage “I Love Lucy Christmas Special” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-G). • Mr. and Mrs. Claus bring the gift of clairvoyance to the “Long Island Medium” (8 p.m., TLC, TV-PG) Christmas special. • The San Diego Chargers host the New England Patriots on “Sunday Night Football” (8:20 p.m., NBC). • With Will behind bars, the network chases younger viewers on “The Newsroom” (9 p.m., HBO, TV-MA). • The embassy is penetrated on “Homeland” (9 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA). • Valerie embarks on a publicity junket on “The Comeback” (10 p.m., HBO, TV-MA). • A chance encounter has painful consequences on “The Affair” (10 p.m., Showtime, TVMA). • DiDi’s sister brings too much drama on “Getting On” (10:30 p.m., HBO, TV-MA). • “Robot Chicken” (11:30 p.m., Cartoon Network, TV-MA) inflicts its Christmas special.

CULT CHOICE TCM recalls the films of the late Mike Nichols, including “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (8 p.m. Saturday) and “The Graduate” (10:30 p.m. Saturday).

SUNDAY SERIES A Christmas Eve spat on “The Simpsons” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) * The Snow Queen casts a spell of division on “Once Upon a Time” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) * A car thief may offer information on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (8:30 p.m., Fox, TV14) * Lisbon goes undercover behind bars on “The Mentalist” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) * Peter’s vision on “Family Guy” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) * A neighbor mourned on “Resurrection” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) * An old rift renewed on “Bob’s Burgers” (9:30 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) * Murder behind bars on “CSI” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14) * Jack feels torn on “Revenge” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG). Copyright 2014, United Feature Syndicate