Top Ten #333: Special "I always thought .333 was a cool batting average" Edition!

1) Chico and the Man: I enjoyed a Christmas episode, sort of, from this show's troubled fourth season this week. Well, at least they tried to do a holiday episode. A surprising number of successful programs didn't.

2) Hal Linden: The multitalented star does a fantastic job as emcee on the 1984 Christmas in Washington special I watched this week.

3) CBS Saturday Night: Catchy Comedy announced this week it would replicate the fabled CBS Saturday night lineup on its own airwaves beginning in January. That's right, we're talking Early Edition, Martial Law, and Walker, Texas Ranger!

Wait, I looked at my notes again. It's actually the early Seventies lineup of All in the Family, MASH, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, and The Carol Burnett Show. I guess that's cool, too.

4) Holiday shopping: I don't want to see anyone get trampled, but I kind of miss the days of in-store frenzies over the hot toy. Missing out on an online "Lightning Deal" just isn't the same.

5) Double Trouble: The short-lived sitcom with the Sagal sisters (Well, 2 of them) aired a Christmas episode 40 years ago tonight, preceded by a Smurfs special and followed by a holiday offering of Gimme a Break.

6) Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol: I like to keep it positive around here, but I listened to a podcast purport to cover the classic animated TV special, and...let's just say I didn't get much out of it. At least it prompted me to get out my DVD and watch it. Why the heck isn't this on Peacock?

7) Bryant Gumbel: The longtime broadcaster and sometime Dave Letterman nemesis was inducted into a sports broadcasting ahll of fame this week along with Hubie Brown, Andrea Kremer, Steve Gorusch, and others.

8) Bowl games: Supposedly there is some kind of playoff going on right now, but don't sleep on the Liberty Bowl coming this Friday!

9) The Sonny Comedy Revue: The final episode aired 50 years ago tonight. At least he knew he would never, ever, ever reunite for a show with Cher.

10) R.I.P. Rickey Henderson: He wasn't a TV star, exactly, but indulge me. He was one of the most exciting baseball players to watch, one of the all-time greats, and he happened to be my favorite player when I got into the sport.