THE TV COLUMN

Clarkson takes on Christmas in Cautionary Tale

Suddenly, fan favorite Kelly Clarkson is everywhere.

The newlywed (and expectant mama) not only has a new Christmas album out, but she stars in NBC’s Kelly Clarkson Cautionary Christmas Music Tale at 9 p.m. Wednesday.

The special is a comedic musical take on a traditional holiday morality tale with special guests Blake Shelton, Trisha Yearwood and Reba.

The comedy premise is that Clarkson, attempting to increase her popularity through the show, ends up learning an important lesson in the process. Probably the “True Meaning of Christmas.” (Wasn’t that the plot of a recent Lifetime holiday movie?Heck, that’s the plot of every Lifetime holiday movie.)

Kindly note that Reba McEntire is so famous now that she only goes by her first name. Come to think of it, I don’t know anyone else named Reba, so it works.

Other guest stars on the special are Jay Leno, Matt Lauer, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, William Shatner, Danica Patrick, Heidi Klum, Ken Jeong (Community) and Jai Rodriguez (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy).

The 31-year-old Clarkson released Wrapped in Red onOct. 25. The holiday album features 14 songs, including classics such as “Silent Night,” “Blue Christmas” and “White Christmas,” as well as the title track.

“Silent Night” features Reba and Yearwood with Clarkson.

It’s the sixth studio album for the three-time Grammy winner, who has sold more than 20 million albums and has had 10 singles in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart.

In addition to the Grammys, Clarkson has won three MTV Video Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards, a Country Music Association Award and 12 Billboard Music Awards since winning Season 1 of American Idol in 2002.

Her previous studio album, Stronger, was certified platinum, won the Grammy for best pop vocal album and produced the hit singles “Mr. Know It All” and “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).”

The special was filmed Oct. 30 at the Venetian in Las Vegas. That was just 10 days after Clarkson married her boyfriend of two years, Brandon Blackstock, a talent manager.

Blackstock is also Reba’s stepson, making Reba Clarkson’s mother-in-law.

As has become common these days, Clarkson took to Twitter on Nov. 19 to make her big announcement: “I’m pregnant!!! Brandon and I are so excited! Best early Christmas present ever :)”.

Since then, she has been on the Today show (and others) talking about morning sickness and weight gain.

Champion gone. In case you hadn’t noticed, Good Morning America weather guy Sam Champion has left the building. His last day was Dec. 4.

Fear not, the 52-year-old Champion (his real name) will be standing out in hurricanes and sifting through tornado rubble for the Weather Channel early next year with his own morning weather show. He has also been named managing editor of the Weather Channel.

Champion, who has a degree in broadcast news, was on the local ABC station in New York starting in 1988, and moved up to GMA in 2006.

Weekend GMA weather person Ginger Zee, 32, has been named Champion’s replacement. Zee’s real name is Ginger Zuidgeest. That’s Dutch.

Zee has a degree in meteorology from Valparaiso University and worked her way up to the Big Apple through stations in Michigan, Indiana and Chicago.

Kirstie’s back. While The TV Column was on vacation last week, Kirstie debuted on TV Land. The throwback sitcom stars Kirstie Alley (Cheers) as a self-absorbed Broadway diva. Check it out at 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Also on the series are Alley’s former Cheers co-star Rhea Perlman, Michael Richards (Seinfeld) and Broadway actor Eric Petersen.

Alley plays Broadway star Madison “Maddie” Banks, and Petersen plays Arlo, the son she gave up for adoption at birth. He tracks her down after his adoptive parents die. Maddie panics and then tries to make up for lost time.

Perlman is her assistant and confidant Thelma; Richards is her driver Frank.

Kirstie does not reinvent the sitcom wheel. We have corny jokes and grating canned laughter. The main joy will be seeing old favorites in action. It’ll either work for you, or it won’t.

For me, it did not.

Guest stars in the first season are John Travolta, Jason Alexander, Kathy Griffin, Cloris Leachman, George Wendt and TV Land’s Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock From the Sun), star of The Exes.

The Exes. Johnston and the rest of the crew return to the TV Land lineup at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. The comedy also stars Wayne Knight (Seinfeld), Donald Faison (Scrubs), David Alan Basche (The Starter Wife), along with Kelly Stables (Two and a Half Men).

The series finds humor in three divorced guys who are forced to room together by their attorney and landlord, played by Johnston.

The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email: [email protected]

Style, Pages 30 on 12/10/2013

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