Lois Sandborne

Deborah Vance's house burned down in the Eaton Fire 😢

Mia and Jacqueline are dragging this show to hell. I don't see how Stacy hopped continents without toothpaste or deodorant. And, if I squint I can see the logic for them having to change without going back to the resort, but 1) did it have to be in the restaurant, and 2) did they have to waste all that time in the episode showing us?

32 movies?! Wow. Ten years ago or so I think I made an effort to watch all the new movies, but that was back when Hallmark was putting out like five a year. No way I could catch them all anymore even if I wanted to. I probably watched a dozen of the new crop. I really liked The Santa Class, Sugarplummed, Christmas on Call, and Trivia at St. Nick's. I could see making an effort to rewatch those next year. I didn't like anything this year as much as my old standbys like Window Wonderland, or even as much as A Biltmore Christmas and Round and Round from last year. We can always hope. I know they do market research like any network, but I don't think they havevsurveys. They do take feedback though: viewers@hallmarkmedia.com

I'm old enough to remember when the 24-hour movie schedule meant interrupting their I Love Lucy reruns. Personally I'm always glad to see the reruns return. I get tired of the sameyness of the movies way sooner than I do my shows, but I know it's the opposite for other people. I guess it's just one of things, like cilantro.

https://www.vulture.com/article/hacks-comedy-drama-season-4.html Sharing this BS not as an endorsement, just to raise awareness. But seriously folks, the idea that The Bear is the true comedy or that Hacks isn't funny is ... laughable.

I really enjoyed this year's holiday episodes. I don't watch any UK soaps, so I didn't recognize any contestants on the Christmas Special. But I think the producers responded to some of the negative feedback after 2023's specials because the people they cast were all great. Everyone took it seriously, and even though it was still super obvious the production staff created their recipes, they turned out some good stuff. The New Year's special was wonderful! I have an enduring crush on S3 James and his fabulous wool sweaters, so it was great to see him again, and this time with a decent haircut! I always regretted his loss in the final, even though John was a very worthy winner. I hoped James could get a little redemption with a win here, but alas it was not to be. Still, they brought back a great mix of contestants, and I loved the Hogmanay theme. I didn't particularly want to eat anything they made, except the shortbread, but it was great to learn some Scottish traditions.

Contestant Lineups: https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/the-great-christmas-bake-off-2024-line-up/ https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/great-new-years-bake-off-2025-line-up/

Yeah, I don't like meringue, and I generally don't decorate with food, so the tree recipe would never be worth all that effort for me. They were adorable though.

Just speaking as an attorney on this. Once we take a case, we have to abide by what a client wants. A lawyer can strongly urge a client toward different courses of action, but if they say "I want to go to court," you have to go, or withdraw as their attorney. And withdrawal is its own process. It's not automatic; a court may not allow you to withdraw in some circumstances, even when there's a disagreement. All that to say, her lawyers may have done their best. Now, they could easily also be charlatans. I read something about a plan to appeal, so they could very well be in it together to waste public time and money. But maybe they tried. She can't file an appeal until after any sentencing is issued.

Aw man. I definitely have my DVR set up to catch it, so that's disappointing. Mistletoe Murders is right up my alley, but I just can't justify paying for Hallmark Plus. I hope it eventually ends up on the Mystery channel.

Hallmark hasn't shown Trading Christmas in a long time, but it's one of my all time favorites, so I hunt it down every year. Tonight I found it on Pluto. Watching it always reminds me how much better Hallmark stuff used to be. It's so witty and mature. And there's actual passion in multiple kisses! I think they still turn out some good movies each year, but I wish they'd pump out fewer each year and focus on making a few real quality movies like they used to.

I'm sure everybody who knew this group in college is having a good little time this week, after the newest episode.

For those who were wondering, on Extra Slice Dylan mentioned he's a chef de partie, so basically a line cook. It's not likely he has anything to do with the restaurant's desserts. But it's great he landed his dream job.

I love "For Good" too, but I agree all the real showstoppers are in Act 1. I think that'll be a big letdown after waiting a whole year for the finale. If they had to split it in two (and they didn't), I wish they'd drop Part 2 in February. After finally seeing it, it seems more obvious to me than ever the creative team decided they wanted two movies and then worked backward to figure out how to do it. All the expanded stuff with the animal resistance, and all that applesauce during the "Defying Gravity" portion were the most obvious examples. There was just so much padding. I loved it overall though. The song production was fantastic. I don't like Ariana Grande's voice, but her harmonizing with Cynthia Erivo was beautiful. Idina and Kristin were a terrific surprise. The choreography and staging of all the numbers was amazing; one of the few real reasons to take a show from stage to screen is being able to do really cinematic stuff with dancing and shot composition, and honestly they nailed it. The whole thing looked incredible, the costuming, the set designs, the lighting, all of it. It was great. Not great enough to justify wringing two films out of one story, but really, really good.

Finally got around to checking this out. It wasn't perfect, but I would like a legal drama in my rotation, so we'll see. Even with all the overwritten lines and silly legal blunders, the only thing that really bothered me was the ambitious lady associate calling Maddie "Perry Mason" but not knowing who Matlock was.