On Christmas night, my daughter Tay Tay’s future father-in-law, Andy Helm, generously rented an entire theater for our families to watch “Christmas Vacation.” To sit in a theater seat and watch previews almost made me cry. AMC is doing a fantastic job at cleaning and keeping things very sanitized, so much so that by the time you read this I hope to have gone to the theater several more times.
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The day after Christmas, my youngest daughter and I watched “Wonder Woman 1984.” While we loved the film, it begged to be seen on a big screen. So, this is the month I’m seeing movies in a theater. My Christmas night AMC Majestic experience was so positive I feel safe. I had COVID-19 in November so I’m venturing back.

It’s the time of year for “best of the year” lists. Doing a “best of 2020” list feels strange, as so much of 2020 was spent in ways that didn’t seem to be the best of anything. The year 2020 did provide a plethora of entertainment options, so I give you my personal “best of” list:

“Gilmore Girls” Yes, I am late to this party but I love this series. I laugh, I cry and I want to hug my girls when each episode ends.

“The Crown” - Yes, I watched it in two days while I had COVID-19, and I loved it. Do yourself a favor and go to YouTube.com and watch “The Queen’s Christmas Broadcast 2020.” Seriously. Go watch it now.

“Call the Midwife” - Another party I’m late to join, but it’s so, so good.

“The Social Dilemma” - This may be the most thought provoking documentary of the year. If you have given or are considering giving a middle schooler a smart phone, I’d suggest you watch this ASAP.

“Virgin River” - So Hallmark movie feelings can continue after the holidays.

“Christmas on the Square” - As if we need another reason to love Dolly Parton.

“Yellowstone” (parental guidance suggested) - Kevin Costner stars and it’s addictive. You have to have Peacock streaming to finish it.

“The Midnight Sky” - Recommended to me by our Mirror book reviewer Nancy Carstens. I’m so glad I watched it! I love space movies because my daddy took me to rocket launchings as a child, and he always wanted to go into space. He even applied to be on The Challenger. This movie is beautiful, and I wish I’d seen it on the big screen. I was reminded again why I love George Clooney and Kyle Chandler.

I’ve mentioned many times how much I love this job. I also feel the burden to warn adults about sensitive content. Please know like “Yellowstone,” the following recommendations are strictly adult. Both of these are on HBOMax (the one streaming service I’d add if you only have Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime). “The Undoing” starring Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman is the best acted, most engrossing “who dunnit” I’ve seen in years. The same goes for “The Flight Attendant,” but I used my fast forward button more in this series. “The Murders at White House Farm” is a true crime that took place in the 1980’s in England. Older teens could watch with parental supervision.

I also loved watching “Hamilton” (Disney Plus), “Enola Holmes” (Netflix), “Onward” (family viewing with discretion )(Disney Plus), “Magic Camp” (Disney Plus). There are not enough adjectives to describe how much I love “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”on Peacock and Hulu; it’s the story of a father preparing to die while his daughter finds her voice. It’s like a musical TV show that feels like hot chocolate.

Several people have highly recommended “Uncorked” on Netflix, and it’s on my list to watch.

I’m loving “Ted Lasso” on Apple TV. So funny and sweet.

So next month, I’ll have theater and couch recommendations, so definitely pass that popcorn!

I’ve been asked to do another concise list based on each streaming service’s offering. But I want to start by saying two days before I sat down to write this article, Warner Brothers Studios (parent company of HBO Max) announced it would release every major motion picture release in 2021 in theaters, as well as on HBO Max, the SAME day. If you see two movies a month, the cost of HBO Max is less than those two tickets. I am very excited, as no recent movie offerings have made me want to go to the theater. Also, if we do have to have stay at home orders anytime in 2021, we can get blockbuster entertainment from our couches.

I know you will be reading this after Christmas, but if you did not watch Dolly Parton’s “Christmas on the Square,” it’s worth seeing. Dolly wrote the story, the music and produced this gem. And, can we just agree we all need a little more Dolly in our lives right now?

Speaking of Netflix, I continue to enjoy “Call the Midwife.” The taping of “Bruce Springsteen on Broadway” is so entertaining, even if you’re not a Springsteen fan; he is an excellent storyteller. I did not like “Hillbilly Elegy,” but I will say Glenn Close’s performance is spectacular. If you haven’t seen “Gilmore Girls,” please start today! The second season of “Virgin River” was just released, and it is a sweet show, much like a warm cup of cocoa. I had COVID-19 when “The Crown” was released and finished it in two days. The performances are pitch perfect. “The Holiday Movies That Made Us” is a fun behind-the-scenes peek of the movies we all love.

If you have HBO Max, there are three shows I am CRAZY about. “The Undoing” is a riveting crime drama about a pediatric oncologist who may or may not be a killer. This is not a family friendly show! The docu-series “Murder on Middle Beach” delivers one heart-stopping moment after another. It is the true story of the murder of Barbara Hamburg and is produced by her son as he seeks to know the truth. “The Murders at White House Farm” is excellent. It is based on actual murders outside England in 1985.

On Hulu, we just started “Blue Bloods,” which is about a family of police officers and lawyers in New York. Also, if you have not started “The Good Doctor,” I highly recommend it. It follows the life of a brilliant doctor who has Asperger syndrome. It’s an incredibly moving series. There is a fascinating series called “Cults and Extreme Belief.” Episode six features Chattanooga and the Yellow Deli restaurant near UTC. The first episode is about the NXIVM organization and leads up to the arrests of several members and their leader.
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This month I didn’t watch anything on Prime Video, Disney Plus or Apple Plus so nothing to report on that end. Please always email any suggestions to merriles@epbfi.com. Stay warm and healthy and keep passing the popcorn ...