— With literally hundreds of Christmas movies to choose from, it’s worth noting so few of them have anything to do with spirituality or religion. Curiously, the new offering with the most biblical overtones might be "The Mandalorian," the serialized "Star Wars" series now streaming on Disney+.
It was impossible to avoid the spiritual elements of the first "Star Wars" movie when it arrived some four decades back. Talk of "the Force," set against the background of an evil empire seemed an obvious reference to New Testament accounts of a new faith being born in the time of the Roman Empire.
To my mind, one of the great problems of the "Star Wars" sagas that have arrived since 1999 has been their departure from such stark simplicity. Every new movie seemed to ladle on more layers of mythmaking and detail. The introductory title crawls, once so powerfully concise, became clogged with tales of trade treaties and negotiations, followed by hours of banal dialogue.
Written and created by Jon Favreau, each episode of "The Mandalorian" runs for roughly 35 minutes and unfolds with the stark simplicity of a Sergio Leone Western. Or a "Road Runner" cartoon.
You don’t need to know, or care, about "Star Wars" myth and malarkey to follow the spare plot. You’ve got a taciturn, masked bounty hunter, with a rasp like Clint Eastwood, who discovers that his bounty is a mysterious infant, since dubbed "Baby Yoda" on a billion social media posts.
Along the way he tangles with a race of scavengers seen in the first "Star Wars," has a shootout with bad guys reminiscent of "The Wild Bunch" and engages in an epic battle with a wild beast.
The action is compelling, dazzlingly cinematic and flows with few words. Favreau has faith enough in his audience. Things aren’t explained.
And speaking of faith: Religious overtones are all over the place. Characters don’t so much speak as utter well-established mantras like "I have spoken," or "This is the way." And, of course, the Mandalorian’s bounty is not really called "Baby Yoda," but referred to as "the Child."
You don’t have to be a Sunday school teacher to catch the drift. Nor do you need to worship at the altar of George Lucas to follow the plot. I’m a complete "Star Wars" agnostic. Yet I’m hooked on "The Mandalorian." Who doesn’t love that little Baby Yoda!
— For those who think the 2016 "The Facts of Life" reunion just wasn’t enough, there’s the 2019 holiday film "You Light Up My Christmas" (8 p.m. Sunday, Lifetime, TV-PG), starring Lisa Whelchel (Blair), Kim Fields ("Tootie"), Mindy Cohn (Natalie) and Nancy McKeon (Jo) from that 1979-1988 sitcom.
Plot-wise, there’s a Christmas light factory that needs saving. I suppose only Tootie can rekindle the town’s sparkle.
Kim Fields’ post-"Facts" career has included a role on the Fox comedy "Living Single." She played herself in the acclaimed HBO series "The Comeback." While Mindy Cohn’s face is probably best known for her portrayal of Natalie, she also provided the voice of Velma on the "Scooby-Doo" cartoon from 2002 to 2015. In addition to roles in many TV films, Nancy McKeon was a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars" in 2018. According to Wikipedia, she met her husband on the set of the Hallmark movie "A Mother’s Gift" in 1995.
Those of us pining for the "Charles in Charge" Christmas special will just have to wait.
— Mere days after Thanksgiving, the weekend brings two of the best viewing traditions of the Christmas season. Each features tales of redemption and culminates with holiday joy. But first their protagonists must endure long nights of dread and contemplate their own deaths. What fun!
A decent small-town banker (Jimmy Stewart) runs afoul of a local miser (Lionel Barrymore) in the 1946 holiday classic "It’s a Wonderful Life" (8 p.m. Saturday, NBC, TV-G).
Alastair Sim stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1951 adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" (8 p.m. Sunday, TCM, TV-G). Released as "Scrooge" in the U.K., this film was not well received in the U.S. when released. Variety called the film "a grim thing that will give tender-aged kiddies viewing it the screaming-meemies."
In a way, Variety was right. Generations grew up watching "Carol" on television and loving its wonderful blend of Christmas and terror.
SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
— Colorado and Utah (7:30 p.m., ABC) and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State (8 p.m., Fox) meet in college football action.
— The work of Richard Curtis animates two 2002 "Robbie the Reindeer" (CBS, TV-G) specials: "Hooves of Fire" (8 p.m.) and "The Legend of the Lost Tribe."
— A businesswoman’s messy family life threatens to upend her holidays in the 2019 romance "Merry Liddle Christmas" (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-PG).
— Music brings two friends together on "Hip Hop Holiday" (8 p.m., BET, TV-PG).
— A tour guide befriends a beleaguered businessman in the 2019 romance "Christmas in Rome" (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
— Ed Asner narrates "The Story of Santa Claus" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-G).
— "Planet Earth: Blue Planet II" (9 p.m., BBC America, TV-PG) discusses what the future might hold for the world’s oceans.
SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
Scheduled on two helpings of "60 Minutes" (CBS): YouTube, homeless in Seattle and an Ethiopian pilgrimage (7:30 p.m.); the deepest mines in the world, falconry in Mongolia and Easter Island (8:30 p.m.).
— The Houston Texans host the New England Patriots in NFL football action (8:15 p.m., NBC).
— Fred Astaire narrates "Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-G).
— Prehistoric pachyderms visit Santa on "Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas" (8:30 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).
— Kate and Alice continue their delicate dance on "Batwoman" (8 p.m., CW, TV-14).
— Ray exiles Mickey to the Maldives on "Ray Donovan" (8 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).
— Contestants must concoct a confection depicting kids on the naughty list breaching Santa’s secret lair on the food competition "Holiday Wars" (9 p.m., Food, TV-G).
— Angela receives an unorthodox treatment on "Watchmen" (9 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).
— Noah hosts the previous owner of his house on "The Rookie" (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
— Bumpy’s transgression puts the family in peril on the season finale of "Godfather of Harlem" (9 p.m., Epix, TV-MA).
— PiperNet is put to the test on "Silicon Valley" (10 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).
— A conflict on the high seas on "Madam Secretary" (10:30 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
— Shot documentary-style, the 1966 Italian-Algerian film "The Battle of Algiers" (8 p.m. Saturday, TCM, TV-14) recalls Algeria’s war for independence.
SATURDAY SERIES
"48 Hours" (10 p.m., CBS).
SUNDAY SERIES
"Football Night in America" (7 p.m., NBC, TV-14) recaps the day’s action … Todd has a crisis of faith on "The Simpsons" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … Local theater on "Bob’s Burgers" (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … A new twist on holiday decorating on "Shark Tank" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … If anyone can, Rama Kahn on "Supergirl" (9 p.m., CW, TV-PG).
Hetty’s protege seeks vengeance "NCIS: Los Angeles" (9:30 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … Adventures on garbage island on "Family Guy" (9:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
