My Top Choices for November TV

The holidays are closing in on us, and besides lots of food, decorations and gifts, there is one thing that TV viewers can always count on: holiday-themed movies. Whether you love them, like them or tolerate them, this year the cable networks are debuting SO many Christmas themed movies over the course of the next couple months that it is going to be nearly impossible to keep track of them all, let alone watch them all.

Being the TV-ophile that I am, though, I am game to watch as many of them as I can; but while I may watch WAY too many holiday-themed movies, I can’t say that every single made-for-TV movie is on the top of my list.

More on that shortly…

Not to be outdone are the new and returning shows that will be hitting the small screen next month – as well as the series finales of a couple of very popular dramas. With all of that in mind, here are my top choices for November (not necessarily in any particular order):

WELCOME TO THE FOLD

Apple TV+ is joining the ever-growing list of streaming services, starting on November 1, providing programming options to the mass horde of viewers, who are probably shaking their heads as to why we need yet another streaming service as well as digging deep into their wallets to figure out how to pay for all these services.

Among the new programming on Apple TV+ that I would really like to get a chance to see include:

For All Mankind – The new series from Ronald D. Moore imagines what would have happened if the global space race never ended and the space program remained the cultural centerpiece of America’s hopes and dreams. This show features a lot of women in the cast (YES!) and Altered Carbon and The Killing star Joel Kinnaman.

See – This series stars Jason Momoa (you know that hunky guy who played Aquaman). I’ll give all of you a moment to catch your breath…

Set 600 years in the future, after a virus has decimated humankind and rendered the remaining population blind, humans must adapt and find new ways to survive until children are born with the ability to see.

Also on November 1, the second season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan will be starting on Amazon.

The new drama His Dark Materials will debut on HBO; and while I’m not familiar with the book series on which this show is based, I am very curious to see James McAvoy, Lin-Manual Miranda, Ruth Wilson and Dafne Keen, the young actress who starred alongside Hugh Jackson and Patrick Stewart in the box office movie Logan, in this series that will find two children embarking on a magical adventure through parallel universes.

One of the new dramas that will debut on Disney+ [yes, another new streaming service] on November 12 is The Mandalorian, the Star Wars small screen series that is set five years after the fall of the Empire, and 25 years before the emergence of the First Order, following an independent bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic. Among the ensemble cast are Giancarlo Esposito, Ming-Na Wen, Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Nick Nolte and Carl Weathers.

The Netflix original series Heartsongs will debut on November 22. The 8-episode anthology series will focus on songs written by the prolific singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, showcasing the stories, memories and inspirations behind some of her most beloved songs.

SO GLAD YOU’RE BACK

The much anticipated third season of the Netflix drama The Crown will premiere on November 17.

VIEWERS ARE GONNA MISS YOU

On November 15, the Amazon series The Man in the High Castle will return for its fourth and final season.

The series finale of Poldark, starring yummy British actor Aidan Turner, will air its series finale on November 17 on PBS.

LIVE PRESENTATION

The ABC special The Little Mermaid Live will debut on November 5, honoring the 30th Anniversary of the beloved Disney film, starring Auli’i Cravalho as Ariel, Queen Latifah as Ursula, Graham Phillips as Prince Eric, John Stamos as Chef Lous, Shaggy as Sebastian and Amber Riley as the Host.

HOLIDAY THEMED MOVIES

On November 8, Holiday for Heroes on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, starring Melissa Claire Egan and Marc Blucas.

On November 9, Picture a Perfect Christmas on the Hallmark Channel, starring Merrit Patterson and Jon Cor.

On November 10, A Sweet Christmas Romance on Lifetime, starring Adelaide Kane, Greyston Holt and Loretta Devine.

On November 16, Christmas in Louisiana on Lifetime, starring Percy Daggs III and Jana Kramer

On November 16, Christmas Under the Stars on the Hallmark Channel, starring Jesse Metcalfe, Autumn Reeser and Clarke Peters

On November 17, Christmas Cupcakes on UP TV, starring Erin Karpluk nd Cindy Busby.

On November 23, Twinkle All the Way on Lifetime, starring Sarah Drew and Ryan McPartlin.

On November 24, Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2 on the Hallmark Channel, starring Ali Liebert and Peter Porte.

On November 26, Double Holiday on the Hallmark Channel, starring Carly Pope and Kristoffer Polaha.

On November 28, Check Inn to Christmas on the Hallmark Channel, starring Rachel Boston and Wes Brown.

On November 29, Christmas at the Plaza on the Hallmark Channel, starring Ryan Paevey and Elizabeth Henstridge.

On November 29, Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, starring Erin Krakow, Kimberly Sustad and Luke MacFarlane.

On November 30, Christmas in Rome on the Hallmark Channel, starring Lacey Chabert and Sam Page.

The full November calendar, focusing on dramas, specials and movies, will be posted next week.