The It List: WWE pits champions of Raw and SmackDown against one another at Survivor Series, Megan Thee Stallion drops 'Good News,' the 'Lego Star Wars Holiday Special' debuts and the best in pop culture the week of Nov. 16, 2020
The It List is Yahoo’s weekly look at the best in pop culture, including movies, music, TV, streaming, games, books, podcasts and more. During the coronavirus pandemic, when most of us are staying at home, we’re going to spotlight things you can enjoy from your couch, whether solo or in small groups, and leave out the rest. With that in mind, here are our picks for Nov. 16-22, including the best deals we could find for each. (Yahoo Entertainment may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page.)
WATCH IT: The Undertaker gives his final farewell at WWE Survivor Series
Survivor Series, the second-longest running annual event in WWE history, airs this Sunday on the WWE Network. While every WWE pay-per-view features talent from both Monday Night Raw and Smackdown, Survivor Series is the one event that pits the stars from the two brands against each other. On the card this Sunday are contests between WWE Champion Drew McIntyre and WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, WWE Raw Women’s Champion Asuka and WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks — who is coming off her Disney debut as Koska Reeves in The Mandalorian — and two traditional five-on-five Survivor Series elimination matches.
The biggest and most emotional moment of the night will come as the Undertaker (real name: Mark Calaway) says his “final farewell” to WWE. The Undertaker debuted at Survivor Series on Nov. 22, 1990 and has had one of the greatest and most influential careers in WWE history. Undertaker’s farewell caps off an unprecedented year for Calaway, who was the subject of a multi-part documentary, titled The Last Ride, which highlighted part of his career and journey from WrestleMania 33 in Orlando to his final match which took place this past April at WrestleMania 36. — Anthony Sulla-Heffinger
Survivor Series airs Sunday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. on the WWE Network.
STREAM IT: Relive your childhood with the not ready for slime-time Nickelodeon documentary The Orange Years
Nickelodeon remains a popular destination for the 13-and-under TV audience, but there’s no question that the network’s glory days were during The Orange Years of the ‘80s and ‘90s. That’s when games shows like Double Dare and Nick Arcade, series like Clarissa Explains It All and Are You Afraid of the Dark? and cartoon shows like Doug and Rugrats had millions of Gen Xers and Millennials glued to their televisions after school and on weekends. Directors Scott Barber and Adam Sweeney chronicle that slime-tastic era in a new documentary that’s guaranteed to push all of your nostalgia buttons. Featuring new interviews with former Nickelodeon executives, show creators and stars — including Kenan Thompson and Melissa Joan Hart — as well as a treasure trove of vintage clips and behind-the-scenes footage, The Orange Years is an unabashed “play the hits” celebration of Nickelodeon’s past that only glancingly addresses some of the mistakes made along the way. (Most glaringly, the filmmakers completely elide the disturbing history of Ren & Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi.) Clarissa Darling stans will definitely want to watch this exclusive clip that features Hart discussing the show’s groundbreaking legacy, and showcases some choice early ‘90s technology and fashions. — Ethan Alter
The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story is available Tuesday, Nov. 17 via on-demand services including iTunes, FandangoNOW and Redbox.
HEAR IT: Megan Thee Stallion has Good News for her fans
It’s going to be a Hot Girl Winter, as the savage new hip-hop superstar finally drops her long-awaited, just-announced, aptly titled debut album, Good News. “Through this rough-ass year we’ve all been having, I felt like we could all use a lil bit of good news,” the rap diva announced on Instagram, revealing that the LP will feature collaborations with SZA, DaBaby, Young Thug, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Lil Durk and more. — Lyndsey Parker
Download/stream Good News on Apple Music.
STREAM IT: Lego Star Wars Holiday Special rings in Life Day
After the release of last year’s The Rise of Skywalker and a run of five Star Wars movies in five years, it seemed like Lucasfilm was taking a break from the feature film format to concentrate on all the small-screens spinoffs (how about that Mandalorian?). We were wrong. Disney+’s Lego Star Wars Holiday Special extends that streak to six — though the animated comedy is a far cry from the live-action adventures of Rey Skywalker and company. It’s also a much needed antidote to Episode-Debating Overload and a long-awaited rebuttal to 1978’s infamous Star Wars Holiday Special and its Life Day celebrations. A cheeky, spoofy, time-traveling, multiversing adventure that may not rival The Lego Movie (too bad they couldn’t get Lord and Miller… oh wait), but offers up plenty of Force-light laughs. — Kevin Polowy
Lego Star Wars Holiday Special premieres Tuesday, Nov. 17 on Disney+.
STREAM IT: The 25th anniversary of GoldenEye provides a quantum of solace during a Bond-free year
No Time To Die may be on ice until April 2021 at the earliest, but James Bond fans still have something to celebrate. Twenty-five years ago this week, GoldenEye kicked off Pierce Brosnan tenure as 007 and revitalized the franchise’s box-office power after Timothy Dalton’s commercially underwhelming (and critically underrated) run. While GoldenEye isn’t Brosnan’s best Bond adventure — that would be 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies — it was the ideal vehicle to introduce him to audiences and reintroduce Bond to the world. Director Martin Campell (who would later launch the Daniel Craig era with 2006’s Casino Royale) brings back some of the globetrotting glamour that defined the franchise in its heyday and stages crisply-edited action sequences that are over-the-top without being completely cartoonish. The movie also features one of the best villainesses in Bond history: Famke Janssen’s Xenia Onatopp, who literally crushes on England’s top spy. And GoldenEye’s impact extends beyond movie screens; Nintendo 64’s video game spinoff is a stone-cold classic that’s just as playable today as it was in the ‘90s. — E.A.
GoldenEye is currently streaming on Netflix.
STREAM IT: Get into the holiday spirit with Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square
COVID-19 and all, the holidays are coming. This new movie, which features big dance numbers, 14 original songs and the country music favorite playing an angel, is guaranteed to spread some joy. Parton helps a Scrooge-esque character played by The Good Fight’s Christine Baranski uncover her kinder self, after the latter callously tries to sell off the land in her hometown. Treat Williams, seen last year in Hallmark’s Chesapeake Shores, and Black-ish’s Jenifer Lewis co-star in this follow-up to Parton’s heartwarming 2019 Netflix series, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings. Sounds like the perfect thing to watch while drinking hot chocolate under a giant, cozy blanket. — Raechal Shewfelt
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square premieres Sunday, Nov. 22 on Netflix.
BUY IT: Black & White & Weird All Over collects the lost (and found) photographs from “Weird Al” Yankovic’s mid-‘80s period
“Weird Al” Yankovic has never been out of fashion, but the new coffee table tome Black & White & Weird All Over preserves the beloved singer/songwriter’s vintage ‘80s lewks. Spanning 1983 to 1986 — after Dr. Demento and before UHF — these rare photos come directly from the archive of Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz, Yankovic’s drummer and personal shutterbug. Schwartz snapped away while his pal filmed the classic videos for “Ricky” and “I Love Rocky Road,” and mixed his accordion-heavy 1986 album, Polka Party!, providing an up-close-and-personal perspective as Weird Al’s star went supernova. “This book will undoubtedly appeal to both Weird Al completists and those who enjoy black-and-white photographs taken by drummers,” Yankovic writes in the typically hilarious forward. Here’s hoping we’ll get to see Schwartz’s snapshots from the 1987-1990 period that gave us “Fat,” Tapeheads and “Gandhi II.” — E.A.
Black & White & Weird All Over: The Lost Photographs of "Weird Al" Yankovic '83 – '86 is available beginning Tuesday, Nov. 17 on Amazon.
HEAR IT: Garth Brooks brings the much-needed Fun
We all could use a little fun right now, and consummate country entertainer Brooks is just the man to provide it. The country megastar’s 12th studio album features duets with wife Trisha Yearwood (an official studio recording of their viral “Shallow” cover) and Blake Shelton (the rowdy single “Dive Bar”). While Brooks delayed the album’s release due to COVID-19, he recently explained in a statement, “The pandemic has gone on so long, [the question became] ‘Could we just have a little fun? Toward the end of the year, can we just celebrate a little bit of the healing through music?’ And when an artist gets a chance to be part of the healing through his or her or their music, that’s the greatest honor of getting to be a music or an entertainer or an artist.” — L.P.
Download/stream Fun on Amazon.
STREAM IT: Baby no more: Three Men and a Little Lady turns 30
Anyone who’s parented during a pandemic may find the original hard to stomach right now — three thriving men struggling to deal with one baby?! Please! — but the sequel to 1987’s Three Men and a Baby retains plenty of charm 30 years after its release. More rom-com than bachelor-meets-poopy-diaper mayhem, the follow-up sees Tom Selleck’s dashing architect Peter realizing he’s smitten with Jack’s baby mama Sylvia (Nancy Travis), just in time for her very proper, very English countryside wedding. Look out for Ted Danson impersonating a doddering old vicar, Fiona Shaw as a hilariously awkward headmistress and the “little lady” in question, cutie pie Mary, played by a now-36-year-old Robin Weisman. They grow up so fast! — Erin Donnelly
Three Men and a Little Lady turns 30 on Saturday, Nov. 21, and is available to stream on Amazon and Disney+.
READ IT: Doonesbury goes digital for the comprehensive 50th anniversary collection Dbury@50
Collecting a half-century’s worth of Doonesbury comic strips is no easy feat. Fortunately, Garry Trudeau and Andrews McMeel Publishing has made it easy for fans and newcomers alike with the comprehensive digital anthology Dbury@50. The entirety of Trudeau’s pioneering work is archived on a flash drive includes every Doonesbury strip published between 1970 and 2020. The collection comes with a helpful User Manual that features a wealth of information about the cartoonist’s influences, as well as the real-world people and historical events (including Watergate and the Gulf War) that found their way into his comic universe. There’s also a handy Character Guide that helps readers keep track of the strip’s giant cast of characters, which continues to expand 50 years into its run. And unlike Bill Watterson and Lynn Johnston, Trudeau shows no signs of bringing down the curtain on his signature creation anytime soon. If anything, Doonesbury will continue to be incisive and timely as it covers the transition from the Trump Era to the Biden Era. — E.A.
Dbury@50 is available beginning Tuesday, Nov. 17 on Amazon.
WATCH IT: Moonstruck makes its way to Criterion Collection
Cher, meet the Criterion Collection. The musician-turned-actress’s most excellent month continues — if you follow her on Twitter you know how elated she is over Donald Trump’s defeat — with her famed rom-com getting new release from Blu-ray’s most preeminent label. Cher won her first and only Oscar (did they really not see Stuck on You?) for playing the Brooklyn bookkeeper who ditches her dull fiancé (Danny Aiello) for his brother (Nicolas Cage). Cher is indeed phenomenal in a performance that stands the test of time, but so is Cage, who, even as the hot-blooded Ronny, gives one of his most tempered performances to date. — K.P.
Moonstruck from The Criterion Collection is available beginning Tuesday, Nov. 17 on Amazon.
WATCH IT: Holiday Crafters Gone Wild will inspire your next at-home project
You know those shows where they make gorgeous crafts that make you want to run to the store and get supplies immediately? This is one of those, part of HGTV’s special end-of-year lineup. In one two-hour special, four teams will compete for $10,000. They’ll make specialty tree toppers, elaborate tablescapes and other impressive projects. Former America’s Next Top Model star Jay Manuel hosts, while designer Kim Myles (the 2007 winner of HGTV Design Star and host of the network’s Myles of Style) and celebrity party planner Michael Russo sit behind the judges’ table. — R.S.
Holiday Crafters Gone Wild airs Friday, Nov. 20 at 9 p.m. on HGTV.
HEAR IT: Neil Diamond is forever
Iconic songsmith Neil Diamond retired from touring in 2018 after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but the live Diamond experience sparkles bright as ever on Classic Diamonds: Neil Diamond With The London Symphony Orchestra. The double-LP features reinterpretations of his past classics, with new Diamond vocals paired with orchestral arrangements recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London and Diamond’s studio in Los Angeles. — L.P.
Download/stream Classic Diamonds: Neil Diamond With The London Symphony Orchestra on Apple Music.
BID IT: Bid on Hollywood memorabilia for a good cause with the inaugural Celebrity Sale 4 Hope auction
If you’ve ever wanted to own a piece of Hollywood history, the first-ever Celebrity Sale 4 Hope auction offers the chance to bid on rare items and support a good cause at the same time. Organized by and benefitting City of Hope, a world-renowned cancer treatment center, the auction features a myriad of memorabilia donated by celebrities from Tinseltown’s past and present. Some of the vintage items include an original silver bullet directly from the gun belt of Clayton Moore, who played the Lone Ranger on the 1950s TV Western series; a signed manuscript of TV theme songs written by Charles Fox; an autographed drumhead from The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz. From the present day collection, there’s a signed Billie Eilish Fender Ukulele; an autographed shirt from Hugh Jackman; and an original painting of Mandy Patinkin. Get an early look at the catalogue during a Nov. 17 VIP preview event, and bid on your favorite items between Nov. 17 and Nov. 19. — E.A.
Celebrity Sale 4 Hope runs from Nov. 17-19; visit the official site for more information.
WATCH IT: America’s Got Talent’s favorite/least favorite roaster brings his act across the pond
Alex Hooper didn’t win America’s Got Talent in 2018. Not even close. But you have to wonder if he ever really had any intention. He spent his entire act mercilessly roasting the judges as the audience booed loudly (bunch of suck-ups). “Howie, I’m so glad you’re here, I’ve always wanted to know what a big toe would look like if it was a person,” he told Howie Mandel, each judge sounding their buzzer as they got blitzed. As a result, the bombastic Hooper racked up YouTube views and scored a return appearance this year, where this time the judges — gasp! — approved of his jabs. Now Hooper launches his first YouTube special, Alex Hooper: When Does the Club Shut?, described as “part abstract comedy show, part travelogue,” with the comic embedded in London comedy clubs pre-COVID. And hopefully still making fun of England’s (1,000th or so) favorite son, Simon Cowell. — K.P.
Alex Hooper: When Does the Club Shut? premieres Thursday, Nov. 19 at 10 p.m. on YouTube.
HEAR IT: Nick Cave is an Idiot savant
Australian post-punk legend Cave certainly demonstrated the healing powers of music when he played a globally live-streamed solo piano show at London’s famous “Ally Pally” this past July. That pandemic event is now a limited-run concert film (the final installment in the cinematic Cave trilogy that includes 2014’s 20,000 Days on Earth and 2016’s One More Time With Feeling) and an accompanying live double-album, Idiot Prayer: Nick Cave Alone at Alexandra Palace. — L.P.
Download/stream the album on Apple Music.
WATCH IT: Brooke Shields’s infamous Calvin Klein ad turns 40
“You wanna know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing,” the then 15-year-old model uttered in a suggestive commercial that debuted simultaneously with racy print ads featuring Shields on Nov. 19, 1980. By Nov. 20, CBS had banned the TV commercial, along with two ABC stations in New York City. A spokeswoman for one said it was “rejected on the basis of taste.” Similar commercials starring Shields were restricted to early mornings and after 9 p.m.
Despite the controversy, the Blue Lagoon star came out unscathed to continue acting and create her own successful fashion line. The images taken of the actress, snapped by famed photographer Richard Avedon, were seen as an advertising coup. In May 2020, Shields explained to Fox News that she’d held onto the jeans. “I can get into them, but it looks painful,” Shields said. “I think the last time I fit into them comfortably was probably while I was in Wonderful Town on Broadway [in 2004]. They’re so high waisted.” She went on to say that she was “built like a little boy” as a teen, so she had no desire to fit back into them. — R.S.
Brooke Shields’s original Calvin Klein ad is available on YouTube.
HEAR IT: Josh Groban and friends bring the sweet Harmony
Crossover popera star Groban recruits a slew of superstar duet partners for a back-to-basics collection of fan-requested cover songs, including Sara Bareilles on the Joni Mitchell classic “Both Sides Now” and Leslie Odom Jr. on “Shape of My Heart”; Kirk Franklin also guests on the original track “The Fullest.” Other highlights showcasing Groban’s impeccable vocals include “The Impossible Dream,” “Angels,” “I Can't Make You Love Me” and “Celebrate Me Home.” — L.P.
Download/stream Harmony on Apple Music.
PLAY IT: A Game of Cat & Mouth provides explosive board game fun for cat-fancying families
The makers of the addictive Exploding Kittens card game has some more family-friendly feline fun in store just in time for the holidays. Billed as a “pinball-ish” action game, A Game of Cat & Mouth pits two players against each other at opposite ends of the board, with only a yawning cat mouth between them. The goal? Flick orbs at the plastic cat’s nose and teeth, knocking them onto your opponent’s side. First player to 5 points wins… and then the next challenger is up. Simple to learn and lightning-fast to play, A Game of Cat & Mouth will really keep the fur flying over the holidays. — E.A.
A Game of Cat & Mouth is currently available at Target
HEAR IT: Tom Petty guitarist Mike Campbell gets his hands ‘Dirty’
In the three years since Tom Petty died, his Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell has become a new official member of Fleetwood Mac. But Campbell has also refocused on his own band, the Dirty Knobs, which he started as a side-project 12 years ago. The Knobs’ long-in-the-making debut album, Wreckless Abandon, features contributions from Chris Stapleton and fellow Heartbreaker Benmont Tench, production from George Drakoulias and cover art from Beatles collaborator Klaus Voormann, and Campbell says it’s “in the spirit of honoring what [Tom and I] did together.” — L.P.
Download/stream Wreckless Abandon on Apple Music.
PLANT IT: Gophers don’t stand a chance against the My Hero Academia garden gnomes
Deploy the Quirk-powered heroes of the hit Funimation anime series My Hero Academia into your yard with this two-pack set. The Deku and Bakugo figures put a fresh spin on traditional garden gnomes, ready to spring into action against rodents, snails and other villainous invaders.
The My Hero Academia Deko and Bakugo two-pack garden gnomes are available online at the Funimation Shop.
— Video produced by Jon San and edited by John Santo
