TV picks for Dec. 9-11: 'Albert,' Madonna, Jimmy Kimmel, "Lip Sync Battle Shorties"

December 8, 2016 at 10:08PM
Still from Madonna:Rebel Heart Tour on Showtime. Image can be used in promotion through December 8th, 2018.
Kevin Mazur
Madonna is in the spotlight on Showtime. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Standing tall

"Saturday Night Live" troublemakers Bobby Moynihan and Sasheer Zamata attempt to get off Santa's naughty list by lending their voices to a new animated holiday special, "Albert," which features a fir tree that dreams about taking center stage in NYC. Nickelodeon's first animated TV movie is being touted as the next yuletide classic, which is exactly what programmers said about "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol."

6 p.m. Friday, Nick

Express yourself

The 1980s-'90s Queen of Pop isn't quite ready to abdicate her throne. "Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour," filmed in Australia earlier this year, could be interpreted as the 58-year-old working through a midlife crisis with inappropriate costumes, a teenager's fascination with phallic symbols and issues with the Catholic church that she didn't quite work out via that "Like a Prayer" video. But it's just as easy to applaud the performer for an imaginative presentation and willingness to rework standards. Either way, the retirement center will have to wait.

8 p.m. Friday, Showtime

The force is with him

"Jimmy Kimmel Live" doesn't usually offer new episodes on Friday nights, but when the cast of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" comes calling, you work vacation days. No exception for the late-night host, despite the fact that he was just named host of the 2017 Oscars and announced that his wife is expecting.

10:35 p.m. Friday, KSTP, Ch. 5

Kids sing the darndest things

The mindless fun behind "Lip Sync Battle" is tied to watching celebrities act like drunken karaoke singers at a neighborhood bar, so I'm pessimistic about the long-range success of "Lip Sync Battle Shorties," featuring everyday kids who are neither famous nor intoxicated (we assume). For those craving a little star power, there's host Sarah Hyland, who plays the relentless party girl on "Modern Family."

7 p.m. Sunday, Nick

Neal Justin

Jimmy Kimmel at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 18, 2016 in Los Angeles. Kimmel has been selected as host of the 2017 Academy Awards. (Buckner/Rex Shutterstock/Zuma Press/TNS) ORG XMIT: 1194120
Kimmel (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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