— ‘Tis the season when naughty and nice loom large. And it would be decidedly naughty to think that a certain daytime host’s “nice” routine was too insipid for prime time. “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) steals a page from the Oprah playbook as she bestows gifts on surprised celebrities, strangers and members of her studio audience with the help of former first lady Michelle Obama and Jennifer Aniston.
Ellen’s cute cornucopia of cornball is probably no place for Aniston to promote her new series “The Morning Show,” launched last month to much fanfare on the Apple TV+ streaming service. Aniston stars as a Katie Couric-type whose girl-next-door image has started to slip just as her co-host (Steve Carell) has his own Matt Lauer #MeToo meltdown.
Already picked up for a second season and produced with a reported budget of $300 million, “Morning Show” really doesn’t generate the buzz it truly deserves. It’s one of those so-bad-you-can’t-stop-watching train wrecks that come along all too infrequently.
A mashup of an Aaron Sorkin-esque inside-media tale and an “All About Eve” backstage drama, “Morning” drowns in stilted and unbelievable dialogue, characters who take themselves and their jobs terribly seriously, preposterous misreadings of the current media reality and a curious number of song-and-dance routines and references to Broadway shows!
Reese Witherspoon stars as a Southern spitfire anchor whose penchant for “truth-telling” upsets the chemistry at the anchor desk and in the studio. The character seems like a throwback to spunky Witherspoon heroines of a decade or more ago. Carell and Aniston, natural comedians with an easy rapport, are astoundingly miscast as deeply miserable, selfish schemers who throw the F-word around with abandon during frequently ridiculous and self-serving tirades. “Morning Show” is so joyless, it’s hilarious.
Aniston’s role here may remind you that Patty Duke was America’s sweetheart before she starred in “Valley of the Dolls.”
Yes, it’s that good/bad!
I’m old enough to remember when Apple was a fledgling computer company, when their Apple II became an essential item because of spreadsheet software called Visicalc. I believe that was the first product referred to as a “Killer App.”
“House of Cards” was the Killer App that hooked many on Netflix. “The Mandalorian” is doing the same for Disney+.
“Morning Show” may not make Apple TV+ an indispensable subscription, but it’s at the top of my list of TV guilty pleasures for 2019, if not the decade.
— “Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching” (9 p.m., HBO, TV-PG) profiles two NFL legends. Perhaps the reason that Patriots coach Belichick is so parsimonious with words is that he’s smart enough to know how trite and cliche coaching wisdom can sound when put into bumper sticker bromides.
TV-themed DVDs available today include season nine of “Doc Martin.”
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Missing a grandmother essential to her holiday memories, a young woman starts traditions of her own in the 2018 romance “Reunited at Christmas” (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
— Semifinals decide the fate of the top eight on “The Voice” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
— A most-wanted suspect comes into sight on “FBI” (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
— Kidnappers put Pride on the spot on “NCIS: New Orleans” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
— Jo keeps the feds at bay on “Emergence” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
— Pennsylvania steelworkers (Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage) endure the rigors of combat and captivity in the 1978 Vietnam War fever dream “The Deer Hunter” (5:55 p.m., Showcase). John Cazale’s final film, this also features his off-screen lover, Meryl Streep.
SERIES NOTES
A mystery child presents a holiday riddle on “NCIS” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) … “The Masked Singer” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … Dan feels forgotten on “The Conners” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14) … Heroes converge on “The Flash” (8 p.m., CW, TV-PG) … Crises get in the way of a country Christmas on “Bless This Mess” (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
A clash of traditions on “mixed-ish” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Pops’ sudden holiday spirit seems suspicious on “black-ish” (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Clive Owen, Florence Pugh and Jon Batiste are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Annette Bening and Charlie Puth on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC).
Saoirse Ronan, Alex Borstein, Dan Soder and Coady Willis visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC).
