What to watch
December 9, 2022
All times Central. Start times can vary based on cable/satellite provider. Confirm times on your on-screen guide.
America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation
Amazon Freevee ■ New Series
Eleven home cooks from across the country compete in a series of challenges to see who has what it takes to join the coveted America’s Test Kitchen team. Episodes are available Fridays.
Emancipation
Apple TV+ ■ Feature Film Exclusive Inspired by a true story and directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), this drama stars Will Smith as a runaway slave who embarks on a perilous journey through the swamps of Louisiana to escape abusive plantation owners and reunite with his family during the Civil War.
Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage? Disney+
Tony Award-winning actor/singer Idina Menzel’s many triumphs include iconic Broadway roles in productions of Rent and Wicked, as well as voicing Elsa in Disney’s Frozen movies. In this documentary, filmmaker Anne McCabe follows Menzel on a national tour over the course of 16 shows as she juggles the challenges of being a working mom with a grueling travel schedule.
It’s a Wonderful Binge
Hulu ■ Original Film
Like Hulu’s original 2020 dark comedy The Binge, a parody of the Purge movies, this holiday-themed sequel — complete with magical storybooks, catchy songs and stopmotion animation — is set in a near future where all drinking and drugs are banned except for one glorious day known as “the Binge.” This year, that day happens to fall on
Christmas.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Netflix ■ Feature Film Exclusive Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro and award-winning stop-motion legend Mark Gustafson reimagine the classic Carlo Collodi tale of the fabled wooden boy. The whimsical tour de force finds Pinocchio on an enchanted adventure that transcends worlds and reveals the life-giving power of love. The voice cast features Gregory Mann as Pinocchio and Carlo, Ewan McGregor as Cricket, David Bradley as Geppetto, Tilda Swinton as Death and the Wood Sprite, and Finn Wolfhard as Candlewick.
Penn & Teller: Merry Fool Us The CW, 7 p.m.
Featuring magicians, costumes and a Christmas trophy, this special holiday episode of Penn & Teller helps kick off the holiday season, with Alyson Hannigan as host.
A Recipe for Joy Original Film
Lifetime, 7 p.m.
Carly (Erin Agostino), an ambitious food reporter, is offered the chance to have her own TV show; for the pilot episode, she is
sent to Angel Heights to help Grant (Dillon Casey), a shy perfectionist chef, reopen his family’s beloved diner. Nothing goes as planned, but sparks fly between the two food lovers.
Fire Country CBS, 8 p.m.
In this year’s last new episode, “Bad Guy,” directed by Kevin Alejandro (aka inmate team leader Manny), a harrowing mission brings up Battalion 1608 leader Vince’s (Billy Burke) memories of daughter Riley’s (Jade Pettyjohn) fatal crash.
Battle of the Bling
HGTV, 9 p.m. New Series
Diamonds and pearls as home decor? You’ll be blinded by sparkle as singer Todrick Hall and designer Kim Myles judge the first two installments of this style-off featuring sunken
grottoes, furry walls, mirrored fireplaces and more.