Tuning in: On TV this week.
Saturday Nov. 27
A Boyfriend for Christmas (Hallmark Channel, 9-11 p.m.): Romantic comedies are predictable - they all follow a formula - and the satisfaction lies in watching charming actors work out the minor details. The ultracharming Patrick Muldoon stars as a socially conscious corporate lawyer who gets off to a bad start with a children's social activist he falls for.
Noel (TNT, 8-10 p.m.): In this inspiring story, a woman finds herself so alone that she contemplates ending it all until a lonelier man helps her to affirm her life. Meanwhile, a young policeman nearly loses the woman he loves because of jealousy. One of the great things about stories set during the Christmas season is they often feature strangers generously helping each other when help is most needed. Susan Sarandon, Penelope Cruz, Alan Arkin, Robin Williams, and Paul Walker star.
Masterpiece Theatre: Pollyanna (PBS, check local listings): The name Pollyanna has come to connote a shallow optimist, but this sweet picture about the orphaned daughter of a minister who finds reasons to be "glad" in the most difficult of circumstances, is better than that. Set in the 1913 English countryside, the story is rich with complex characters who come to love the outspoken child.
The Day My God Died (PBS, check local listings):The sexual enslavement of children is rampant in many parts of the world. Using spy technology, filmmakers infiltrate brothels in Nepal where children as young as seven have been held captive. The intention of the filmmakers clearly is to investigate a horrific crime and, by uncovering it, help wipe it out.
