What to Watch Thursday: Dolly Parton movie repeats, plus new Christmas shows
Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors (9 p.m., NBC) - In this popular 2015 movie, set in 1955 Tennessee, 9-year-old Dolly Parton (Alyvia Alyn Lind) and her family (Jennifer Nettles, Gerald McRaney) discover the healing power of faith and love while struggling to overcome tragedy. See Dolly Parton perform “Coat of Many Colors” from a 1983 concert in London.
MacGruber (Peacock) - This new original series reviews the popular “Saturday Night Live” character played by Will Forte. After rotting in prison for over a decade, America’s ultimate hero and uber patriot MacGruber is finally released. His mission: to take down a mysterious villain from his past—Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth. With the entire world in the crosshairs, MacGruber must reassemble his old team, Vicki St. Elmo and Dixon Piper, in order to defeat the forces of evil. The cast is pretty great. In addition to Forte, we get Kristen Wiig (Vicki St. Elmo), Ryan Phillippe (Dixon Piper), Sam Elliott (Perry), Laurence Fishburne (General Barrett Fasoose), Billy Zane (Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth), Joseph Lee Anderson (Major Harold Kernst) and Timothy V. Murphy (Constantine Bach).
Dead Asleep (Hulu) - This documentary is a new spin on the true-crime genre, flipping the traditional thriller narrative to explore a deeper and more troubling mystery: Did a remorseful Randy Herman Jr. really commit a brutal murder in his sleep, or was it a convenient cover story? Pulse Films secured exclusive access to Herman and his family, the defense and prosecution attorneys, journalists who covered the case, forensic psychiatrists and world experts in violent parasomnia (sleep-walking) to give viewers an inside look at the shocking twists and turns of the controversial crime.
Finding Magic Mike (HBO MAX) - This new unscripted competition series follows 10 regular guys who have “lost their magic” and are put through the paces of a Magic Mike Live bootcamp, baring their souls —and more — as they learn to perform sexy and daring dance routines with one being crowned the real Magic Mike. The winner gets a cash prize.
New Christmas movies on tonight
Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas (Peacock) - This original movie based on the popular daytime drama, follows Will Horton as he writes a screenplay before his Christmas Eve deadline. Using everyone’s favorite feel-good holiday movie tropes, he creates a festive story based on his family and friends in Salem — but with several twists and turns you’ll never see coming.
A California Christmas: City Lights (Netflix) - A new Christmas movie from Netflix: It’s been a year since Callie and Joseph fell in love, and they’re happier than ever running their dairy farm and winery, until business and family obligations call him back to the city — and threaten to derail their romance.
A Naija Christmas (Netflix) - A mother’s Christmas wish — and the grand prize that comes with it — sets off a fierce competition between her sons.
Christmas By Chance (8 p.m., Lifetime) - In this new movie, a wealthy and popular entrepreneur hires Chance Hazelton, owner of a struggling shop called Gifts by Chance, to help him organize a perfect proposal for his girlfriend.
Top classic Christmas TV picks tonight
Home Alone (6 p.m., Freeform) - Accidentally left behind by his Paris-bound family at Christmas time, an 8-year-old (Macaulay Culkin) makes mincemeat of two burglars (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) in the house. (“Home Alone 2” follows at 8:30.)
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (8 and 10:15 p.m., AMC) - The Griswolds spend the holiday with relatives in this 1999 holiday comedy, including a country cousin who arrives in an RV. It stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid and Diane Ladd.
Some programming descriptions are provided by networks.
