Bundle up for the Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina Christmas special
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Friday, December 14 and Saturday, December 15. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina: A Midwinter’s Tale (Netflix, Friday): The weather outside is frightful, but instead of breaking the chill with a heartwarming Christmas classic, let’s take a page out of Sabrina’s (dark) book, and embrace it. In this wicked holiday special, the Archie Comics-inspired series picks up right where it left off, with a newly platinum blond Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) dealing with the repercussions of signing her name in the dark book. The new episode shows the teenage witch celebrating the Winter Solstice, “when families gather together around the Yule Fire to sing pagan carols, tell ghost stories and huddle against the supernatural creatures that come out to cause mischief.” Judging by the trailer, those creatures include a sinister Santa Claus, creepy wooden puppets brought to life, and a spooky she-demon. Plus, we’ll be getting our first look at the perfectly cast McKenna Grace (The Haunting Of Hill House, Gifted) as a precocious Li’l Sabrina. Hopefully, this yuletide spook will be enough to tide us over until the series picks up again April 5, 2019. Lisa Weidenfeld will be on hand to let you know.
Regular coverage
Saturday Night Live (NBC, Saturday, 11:30 p.m.)
Wild cards
Rupaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 (VH1, Friday, 8:00 p.m.): Last week’s Holi-Slay Spectacular may have been a showy (if charming) scripted musical infomercial for RuPaul’s holiday albums, but tonight, the Emmy Award-winning competition goes back to its fierce, glamorous roots. That’s right, RuPaul’s Drag is back, which means Drag Race royalty will make their grand reentrance to lip sync-battle it out for another shot at the crown. And, with a roster that includes the likes of Gia Gunn, Latrice Royale, Manila Luzon, Monet X Change, Farrah Moan, Valentina, Monique Heart, Trinity Taylor, Jasmine Masters, and Naomi Smalls, we can count on competition to be fierce as hell. Their first challenge? Pay homage to LGBTQ troops in an All Star-Spangled Variety Show. Check in with Kate Kulzick later tonight to see who slew the competition.
Pete Holmes: Dirty Clean (HBO, Saturday, 10:00 p.m.): Pete Holmes, a comedian who jumpstarted his career after his then-wife cheated on him, is currently killing it on HBO’s Crashing, a show about a struggling comedian named Pete who pursues a career in comedy after his wife cheats on him. The real-life Holmes isn’t struggling anymore. He’s had lead performances on Comedy Central Presents, just renewed Crashing for a second season, hosts the popular podcast You Made It Weird, and is now apparently killing it as a new father. Tonight HBO welcomes Pete back to head his own comedy special, Dirty Clean, in which he’ll tackle “personal truths about the mechanisms of consciousness, Michael Jackson, the afterlife and Elon Musk, as well as shar[e] a few thoughts on being a new dad,” perhaps to warn us once more to please, don’t shake the baby.