TV critic's picks: Friday-Sunday

"The Shop Around the Corner"; "Restless"

December 6, 2012 at 8:40PM

Game on! You can't get away from "The Walking Dead." The video-game version of the hit books and TV show is competing in "Spike TV's 10th Annual Video Game Awards" (8 p.m. Friday, Spike). The host is Samuel L. Jackson, who is still anxiously awaiting a video-game version of "Snakes on a Plane."

Down on the corner Most film buffs turn to "It's a Wonderful Life" for their Jimmy Stewart holiday fix. Try mixing it up this year with 1940's "The Shop Around the Corner" (11 p.m. Friday, TCM), another Christmas-themed tale in which combative co-workers Stewart and Margaret Sullavan don't realize they're secret pen pals. It's a gem.

Here kitty, kitty National Geographic's "Big Cat Week" kicks off with "Snow Leopard of Afghanistan" (7 p.m. Sunday, NGW), a desperate scavenger hunt for one of the rarest animals on earth. Turns out getting one to emerge takes more than just putting out a bowl of milk.

The spy who loved me Michelle Dockery of "Downton Abbey" can't stay out of trouble. In the new miniseries, "Restless" (8 p.m. Friday, Sundance), she plays a woman who discovers that dear mom (Charlotte Rampling) was recruited as a spy during World War II. Hayley Atwell plays the mother as a young woman. The conclusion airs at 8 p.m. Dec. 14.

NEAL JUSTIN

about the writer

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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