I know firsthand there are those of you out there who don't want to spoil the TV magic.
For example, I can't wait to watch AMC's The Talking Dead each Sunday following The Walking Dead. In that apres-episode chat show hosted by Chris Hardwick, guest celebrity fans dissect what we've just seen, view behind-the-scenes tidbits and insider info, chew on the minutiae of what just transpired and speculate on what the next episode will bring.
I love that sort of thing. Another member of our household, however, will flee the room. Knowing what goes into the hot dog spoils the hot dog for her.
Hopefully, she won't be that way when NBC airs The Making of Peter Pan Live! at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The hour special gives viewers an inside peek at the teamwork and creativity behind Peter Pan Live!, the highly anticipated three-hour musical airing at 7 p.m. Dec. 4.
You'll find all you need to know about the musical in Sunday's TV Week cover story. Meanwhile, tune in to Wednesday's special to see how Allison Williams (Peter Pan) learned how to fly and Christopher Walken (Captain Hook) mastered sword fighting.
In this age of computer-generated wizardry, the small fry may not be all that impressed to see an actor fly across the stage, but it made an impression on me when I witnessed Mary Martin do it playing Peter in 1955.
Wires? I didn't see any wires. All I saw was Peter, left knee cocked, right leg extended, zooming around and around the Darling kids' bedroom.
I just knew that if I thought "lovely, wonderful thoughts," then up I'd go, too. Lovely thoughts such as fishing, hopscotch, candy, picnics, summer, sailing, flowers -- well, you get the idea. It turns out that "Christmas" was the magic word.
Sing it with me, fellow boomers: "I'm flying! Look at me, way up high, suddenly here am I! I'm flyyyyingggg!"
Of course, it never occurred to 5-year-old me that the Darlings' bedroom had 40-foot ceilings when Wendy, Michael and John started zooming around after being sprinkled with fairy dust.
Martin had a full year of Broadway flying time under her harness by the time the TV special aired. It'll be interesting to see how Williams has mastered the skill in the short time she has been practicing.
• SNL Thanksgiving. At 8 p.m., stick around after The Making of Peter Pan Live! for this two-hour NBC compilation of the best Thanksgiving-theme sketches from 40 years of Saturday Night Live.
I'm certain it will include the 1976 classic where Paul Simon hosted and came out dressed as a turkey and sang "Still Crazy After All These Years." I crack up just thinking of it.
• Planning ahead. Are you one of those who fills in the calendar well in advance so you'll be sure to catch all your Christmas favorites on the tube? Here are a couple you'll want to include.
How Murray Saved Christmas, 7 p.m Dec. 5, NBC. From four-time Emmy-winning writer and executive producer Mike Reiss (The Simpsons), the animated hour musical How Murray Saved Christmas is based on Reiss' best-selling children's book of the same name and is written entirely in rhymed verse.
Featuring original songs by Walter Murphy (Family Guy, Ted), the story centers on cranky deli owner Murray Weiner (Jerry Stiller), who is forced to fill in for Santa (Kevin Michael Richardson) one Christmas and, with the help of Edison Elf (Sean Hayes), does an oddly competent job. The special also stars the voices of Dennis Haysbert, Jason Alexander and John Ratzenberger.
Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without Jimmy Stewart and It's a Wonderful Life. NBC will air the iconic Frank Capra 1946 classic twice -- 7 p.m. Dec. 6, and 7 p.m. Christmas Eve.
• Staying. Fox has renewed So You Think You Can Dance for a 12th season next summer, but there are a few changes.
For the next season, there will be two teams after the auditions -- stage dancers who are trained in styles like jazz, tap or ballet, and street dancers who have mastered hip-hop, break dancing or animation. One dancer from each genre will be sent home each week leading up to the finale.
The goal is to keep dancers who aren't professionally trained from becoming overwhelmed early in the competition.
• Leaving. TV Land has announced that the current season (No. 6) of Hot in Cleveland will be the series' last. The season began Nov. 5, so the finale will air in late April or May.
The series debuted in 2010 and stars Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves and TV legend Betty White. It airs at 9 p.m. Wednesday and averages 2.4 million viewers each week.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
Style on 11/25/2014