Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
STARS ON SCREEN
The year in review: Whew, what a year it’s been! It’s had its highs and it’s definitely had its lows, but the events of 2017 have provided a boon of content for late-night comedians, as the post-prime time landscape has continued to evolve while still poking fun at virtually all aspects of life.
Comedy Central’s long-running satirical take on a news program, like so many actual news shows do at this time of year, takes a look back on the year that was in “The Daily Show’s The Yearly Show 2017” on Monday, Dec. 18. Recorded earlier this month, “The Yearly Show” features entirely original content from the minds that bring “The Daily Show” to life night after night.
South African comedian Trevor Noah hosts the special, in a role he’s held with “The Daily Show” since Jon Stewart’s departure in 2015. He’s joined by his team of correspondents and contributors, called “The Best F#@king News Team Ever,” whose faces will be familiar to folks who like to catch “The Daily Show” on weekday nights.
Since its inception in 1996, “The Daily Show” has been a bit of a star factory for comedians who have gone on to become some of the biggest names in late-night TV. Stephen Colbert ended his long “Daily Show” tenure to launch “The Colbert Report” in 2005, and in 2015 he took over “The Late Show” from David Letterman. John Oliver premiered “Last Week Tonight” in 2014 on HBO, and in 2015 Samantha Bee, who had the distinction of being “The Daily Show’s” longest-serving regular correspondent, left to launch “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” on TBS.
Night after night, “The Daily Show” gives the day’s news stories a comedic twist, and on Monday, Dec. 18, it’s giving the year’s top stories the same treatment on Comedy Central.
A live story: Ahh, Christmas. It’s a time of year for peace on earth, joy to the world, togetherness and ... a lamp in the shape of a woman’s leg wearing a fishnet stocking?
In case that reference isn’t ringing any jingle bells, it’s from the classic 1983 comedy “A Christmas Story,” starring Melinda Dillon (“Magnolia,” 1999), Darren McGavin (“Billy Madison,” 1995) and Peter Billingsley (“Iron Man,” 2008). For many, the film is a holiday favorite, and in 2012 a musical based on the classic premiered on Broadway. Now, on Sunday, Dec. 17, Fox is taking a turn at recreating the classic with a special three-hour television production, “A Christmas Story Live!”
Live TV productions of classics have become a bit of a holiday tradition in recent years, and Fox’s offering this year has lined up some impressive talent. Two-time Tony award winner Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” 1986) headlines the cast as the narrator, a grown-up Ralphie Parker looking back on his favorite Christmas from his childhood.
Eleven-year-old Andy Walken (“NCIS”) stars as young Ralphie, with Maya Rudolph (“Saturday Night Live”), Jane Krakowski (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), Chris Diamantopoulos (“Silicon Valley”) and Ana Gasteyer (“Mean Girls,” 2004) also starring in various roles.
“A Christmas Story” is the tale of Ralphie Parker’s favorite childhood Christmas, when all he wanted was a particular toy gun. It’s a humorous and heartwarming look at the unusual and out-of-control circumstances in life that, in hindsight, can make for some of the best memories. “A Christmas Story Live!” broadcasts Sunday, Dec. 17, on Fox.
A little more soul: “Star” is getting a few more stars. The Fox musical drama about a group of singers struggling to make it big is midway through its second season, and when it returns from its midseason hiatus in the spring, it will have a few more familiar faces on screen.
Singers Patti LaBelle (“Patti LaBelle’s Place”) and Brandy Norwood (“I Still Know What You Did Last Summer,” 1998) have both joined the drama as guest stars for multi-episode arcs, with LaBelle tackling the role of Carlotta Brown’s (Queen Latifah, “Girls Trip,” 2017) mother, Christine, and Norwood stepping into the role of Brown’s sister, Cassie.
This isn’t the first time that LaBelle has had a spot in a drama from creator Lee Daniels. The two-time Grammy winner and member of the Grammy Hall of Fame previously appeared in “Star’s” sister show, “Empire.” The R&B singer recently premiered the second season of her Cooking Channel series, “Patti LaBelle’s Place,” and in 2015 she was a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars.”
Norwood is just as perfect a fit for “Star.” The R&B singer rose to fame in the early 1990s with her debut album, “Brandy,” being certified four-times platinum — an ideal casting choice for a series about young female artists trying to break into the competitive music industry.
Watch for LaBelle and Norwood sometime this spring, when they join “Star” for multiepisode arcs when the show returns from hiatus.