PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. — It’s already been a long, cold winter across much of the United States, and on Monday, Punxsutawney Phil’s handlers will announce whether the weather-predicting groundhog says there’s more of the same to come.
When Phil is said to have seen his shadow upon emergence from a tree stump in rural Pennsylvania, that’s considered a forecast for six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, an early spring is said to be on the way.
Tens of thousands of people will be on hand at Gobbler’s Knob for the annual ritual that goes back more than a century, with ties to ancient farming traditions in Europe. Punxsutawney’s festivities have grown considerably since the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray.
Last year’s announcement was six more weeks of winter, by far Phil’s more common assessment and not much of a surprise during the first week of February. His top-hatted handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club insist Phil’s “groundhogese” of winks, purrs, chatters and nods are being interpreted when they relate the meterological marmot’s muses about the days ahead.
Phil isn’t the only animal being consulted for long-term weather forecasts Monday. There are formal and informal Groundhog Day events in many places in the U.S., Canada and beyond.
Groundhog Day falls on Feb. 2, the midpoint between the shortest, darkest day of the year on the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It’s a time of year that also figures in the Celtic calendar and the Christian holiday of Candlemas.
Whether you prefer something naughty, like the animated movie “Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer” or nice, like classics “The Sound of Music” and “Home Alone,” streamers, cable and broadcast networks offer up festive choices in December.
Highlights this year include music specials with Derek Hough and Jimmy Fallon, the Rockefeller Tree lighting hosted by Reba McEntire, Lacey Chabert’s latest Hallmark Channel movie, NFL games and even cozy mysteries with a Christmas theme.
Here are some highlights.
Dec. 1
— “Dancing with the Stars” judge Derek Hough hosts the annual “The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular” on ABC. Popular recording artists including Nicole Scherzinger, Gwen Stefani, Trisha Yearwood and Mariah the Scientist put their own spin on Christmas classics. Streams next day on Hulu and Disney+.
Dec. 3
— Reba McEntire hosts NBC’s annual “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” which culminates in the lighting of the giant Christmas tree in New York’s Rockefeller Center. This year’s tree is a Norway spruce from Greenbush, New York. It has more than 50,000 colored lights and is topped with a Swarovski star that weighs 900 pounds. The special will also stream live on Peacock.
(Jake Rosenberg/Netflix via AP)
(Jake Rosenberg/Netflix via AP)
— Some people find holiday prep daunting. It comes naturally to Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, whose life seems to be a Pinterest page. She’s got ideas to share in a special episode of Netflix’s “With Love, Meghan” lifestyle series. In “With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration,” Meghan taps guests including Naomi Osaka and Tom Colicchio to bake, make treats with holiday flair and craft. “Being a hostess or a host, it’s about making people feel comfortable,” the royal says.
Dec. 5
— In the new Apple TV special, “The First Snow of Fraggle Rock,” the Fraggles are anxiously waiting for snow to kick off their festive season. Instead, a single snowflake falls, leaving Gobo, feeling uninspired to write an annual holiday song. For the first time, he ventures into the human world to seek out ideas. The special is a reminder that unplanned moments can also come with their own magic.
— Roku Channel has a follow-up to the holiday romance “Jingle Bell Love” starring Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block and Michelle Morgan. In “Jingle Bell Wedding,” Jack and Jessica are engaged and looking forward to a New Year’s Eve wedding. They’re also in charge of organizing an annual Christmas concert. Will all the planning derail their relationship?
Dec. 6
(Roku/OWN/Hallmark Channel via AP)
(Roku/OWN/Hallmark Channel via AP)
— Lacey Chabert works for Santa Claus in the new Hallmark Channel movie “She’s Making a List.” Chabert plays Isabel, whose job is to track kids’ behavior throughout the year. Isabel’s strict rules lighten up a bit when she’s assigned to report on an 11-year-old whose father Jason (Andrew Walker) is a widower. Chabert and Walker previously co-starred in a Valentine’s Day movie for Hallmark in 2018. “She’s Making a List” also streams on Hallmark+.
— The OWN original, “The Christmas Showdown,” reunites Amber Stevens West and Corbin Reid from the acclaimed Starz comedy “Run the World.” They play former besties competing for the same job who learn it’s better to work as a team. Loretta Devine also stars.
Dec. 7
— How about a cozy mystery this Christmas? UPtv offers the new film “A Christmas Murder Mystery.” Vera Vexley is a puzzle editor for her local newspaper who also has a side-gig as a detective. When Vera’s invited to spend the holidays with family friends, a murder launches her into investigative-mode and everyone is a suspect.
Dec. 9
— A new two-hour, faith-based special tells the story of Mary, Joseph and the birth of Jesus in “Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas” for ABC. The Oscar winner serves as host and narrator.
Dec. 10
— Zooey Deschanel and Charlie Cox co-star in a new holiday rom-com called “Merv” for Prime Video. The pair play exes who share joint custody of their dog Merv. When Merv is visibly depressed because his human parents are no longer together, they take him on a trip to cheer him up.
Zooey Deschanel, left, and Charlie Cox in a scene from “Merv.” (Wilson Webb/Amazon Content Services via AP)
Zooey Deschanel, left, and Charlie Cox in a scene from “Merv.” (Wilson Webb/Amazon Content Services via AP)
— The animated movie “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” is an adaptation on the farcical song of the same name. In the special, airing on The CW Network, a boy sets out to find his missing grandmother on Christmas Eve.
Dec. 11
— The Dolly Parton song, “Coat of Many Colors” comes to life in a TV movie airing for the first time on the CW. Set against the Smoky Mountains in the 1950s, it’s about the Parton family and how their love, faith — and a patchwork coat — help them to move past tragedy. Alyvia Alyn Lind plays young Dolly and Jennifer Nettles and Rick Schroeder portray her mom and dad. “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors” originally debuted in 2015.
Alyvia Alyn Lind in a scene from “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors.” (The CW Network via AP)
Alyvia Alyn Lind in a scene from “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors.” (The CW Network via AP)
— Jimmy Fallon’s musical comedy special from last year gets a repeat. In “Jimmy Fallon’s Holiday Seasoning Spectacular,” the “Tonight Show” host searches a New York apartment building for the holiday spirit and encounters different celebrity guests behind each door. Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake, LL Cool J, the Roots and “Weird Al” Yankovic all appear.
Dec. 12
— AMC’s annual holiday programming includes a marathon of Will Ferrell’s “Elf” beginning at 6 p.m. It broadcasts back-to-back for eight-hours.
— In “A Suite Holiday Romance” for Hallmark Channel, Jessy Schram stars a ghostwriter who checks-in to a fancy New York hotel for a job writing a memoir. She meets a handsome Brit (Dominic Sherwood) and the two experience a series of misunderstandings until they realize they’re meant to be.
Dec. 14
— HGTV returns to the White House at Christmas for a one-hour special that goes behind-the-scenes of its decorating transformation at the holidays. It also streams next day on HBO Max and Discovery+.
— On the first night of Hanukkah, Hallmark Channel premieres the new movie “Oy to the World!” When the pipes burst at a local synagogue, a church opens its doors for an interfaith service. Brooke D’Orsay and Jake Epstein play choir directors who were also rivals in high school that must work together to put on a successful event for all.
Dec. 15
— Acorn TV has a two-part Christmas special of “The Madame Blanc Mysteries” airing Dec. 15 and Dec. 22. British actor Sally Lindsay plays antique dealer Jean White, who visits the France museum Maison Sainte-Victoire on Christmas Eve to authenticate an Ormolu box once owned by Marie Antoinette. It’s discovered that the box contains a ticking time bomb and Jean and her team have just 90 minutes to diffuse it.
Dec. 16
(Johan Persson/PBS via AP)
(Johan Persson/PBS via AP)
— “The Nutcracker” ballet is a Christmas classic, and PBS is offering a reimagined version taped at the London Coliseum. Still set to Tchaikovsky’s score, this version centralizes Clara’s story and is set in Edwardian London where a street scene has dancing chimney sweeps and suffragettes. “Great Performances: Nutcracker from English National Ballet” will also be available for streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app.
Dec. 20
— Lifetime is jumping on the pickleball popularity bandwagon with the new movie “A Pickleball Christmas.” It stars James Lafferty as a tennis pro whose family’s racquet club is on the brink of closing its doors. He and a tennis instructor take part in a holiday tournament to save the day.
Dec. 21
— Tate Donovan and Jillian Murphy star in a new Christmas movie for Great American Family called “Mario Lopez Presents: Chasing Christmas.” In the film, Donovan plays a morning show host and Murphy a designer who team up to make a child’s Christmas wish come true. Lopez’s son Dominic also has a role.
— The Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer classic “The Sound of Music” airs on ABC.
Dec. 24
— “Home Alone” airs on ABC. The film made Macaulay Culkin a child star for playing a boy whose parents accidentally leave him home when their large family hurries off on a Christmas vacation. He’s left to defend his house against two clumsy burglars.
Dec. 25
— Netflix is gifting us with football on Christmas again this year. The Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders game is at 1 p.m. Eastern followed by the Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
The 190th Oktoberfest has come to a close, wrapping up the world’s largest folk festival with the traditional Bavarian marksmen’s gun salute in Munich, after a bomb threat closed it for hours last week
MUNICH — MUNICH (AP) — The 190th Oktoberfest came to a close Sunday, wrapping up the world’s largest folk festival with the traditional Bavarian marksmen’s gun salute in Munich.
Roughly 6.5 million visitors attended between Sept. 20 and Sunday, German news agency dpa reported, including Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Austrian-born former governor of California spontaneously conducted a live music band and the singing crowd in a beer tent on Sept. 26.
Schwarzenegger, dressed in a traditional Bavarian-style leather jacket, a buttoned-down shirt and jeans, was accompanied by his partner, Heather Milligan, and his son, Christopher.
The fairgrounds were closed for hours Wednesday as police searched the area due to a bomb threat linked to an explosion across town.
During the initial investigation, a letter written by the suspect and found near the crime scene contained a “non-specific” threat of explosives related to Oktoberfest, Bavaria police previously said.
Wednesday’s images showed police in fluorescent vests patrolling nearly barren pavements near roller coasters and other rides and attractions. Revelers returned to the fairgrounds Wednesday evening after it was deemed safe.
Decades ago, Oktoberfest was the target of a deadly neo-Nazi attack. A bombing on Sept. 26, 1980, claimed 12 lives, including three children, plus the attacker, student Gundolf Koehler, a supporter of a banned far-right group. More than 200 people were wounded.
BERLIN — BERLIN (AP) — Arnold Schwarzenegger took up the baton at Munich’s Oktoberfest.
The former Republican governor of California spontaneously conducted a live music band and the singing crowd in a beer tent on Friday night — and clearly enjoyed himself. Afterward, the Austrian-born star of “The Terminator,” “Total Recall” and “True Lies” took selfies with the musicians, German news agency dpa reported.
Schwarzenegger, dressed in a traditional Bavarian-style leather jacket, a buttoned-down shirt and jeans, was accompanied by his partner Heather Milligan and his son, Christopher.
Schwarzenegger has visited the world’s largest folk festival in Germany’s southern state of Bavaria and the Marstall tent — one of many at the festival — several times in the past, dpa reported.
He frequently visits Austria and has also been to Bavaria. In 2024, he was stopped for hours by customs at Munich Airport after entering Germany with a luxury watch that was potentially to be auctioned at a charity event.
This year’s Oktoberfest began on Sept. 20 and ends Oct. 5. The world’s largest beer festival usually attracts up to 6 million visitors.
Cardi B releasing her long-awaited sophomore LP, “Am I the Drama?,” and Lily James playing the founder of the popular dating app Bumble in the new biographical drama “Swiped” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also among the streaming offerings worth your time, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s “The Morning Show” debuting its fourth season on Apple TV+., Ariana Madix heading back to Fiji to host “Love Island Games” on Peacock and a Hulu documentary seeks to tell the story of the music festival Lilith Fair in new detail.
— Lily James plays the founder of the popular dating app Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd, in the new biographical drama “Swiped” which streams on Hulu on Friday, Sept. 19. The film, directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, traces Wolfe Herd’s trajectory from college and beyond. In 2012, she co-founded Tinder and two years later started Bumble which would put her on a path to becoming the youngest female self-made billionaire. “Swiped,” which premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, also stars Dan Stevens and “Industry’s” Myha’la.
— And for something completely different, and silly, Netflix has the Liam Neeson action pic “Ice Road: Vengeance” streaming on Monday. Neeson plays an ice-road truck driver who wants to scatter his brother’s ashes on Mount Everest but finds himself having to fight mercenaries. It got terrible reviews when it was released in theaters this summer, but that’s probably beside the point.
— She’s back and bigger than ever. On Friday, Cardi B will release her long-awaited sophomore LP, “Am I the Drama?” — seven years after the release of her landmark debut, 2018’s “Invasion of Privacy.” What has been released so far sounds like freedom: the sexy empowerment anthems “Up” and “WAP” with Megan Thee Stallion from years past, and the bravado of “Outside” and smooth flow of “Imaginary Playerz.”
— Fans of jangly guitar tones and power pop, listen up. Philadelphia’s Golden Apples, led by singer-songwriter Russell Edling, will release an addictive new album on Friday, Sept. 19 titled “Shooting Star.” Start with “Noonday Demon,” the cheeriest-sounding song about depression you’ll hear this year. It’s a charmer.
— It was radical then and now. In the summers of 1997 through 1999, a music festival founded by Sarah McLachlan shined a light on women musicians — both bands and solo artists. Streaming on Sunday, Sept. 21, a new documentary seeks to tell the story of Lilith Fair in new detail. “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” premieres on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ and features a long list of incredible talent, from those who performed to those whose music takes obvious influence from the events. That includes McLachlan, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Natalie Merchant, Mýa, Jewel, Indigo Girls, Emmylou Harris, Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo.
— “Dancing with the Stars” returns for its millionth, er, 34th season Tuesday on ABC and Disney+. Contestants learning the paso doble and foxtrot include Olympian Jordan Chiles, Hilaria Baldwin, actor Corey Feldman, comedian Andy Richter, Robert Irwin, son of late wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin and former NBA star Baron Davis. Whitney Leavitt and Jen Affleck from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” will also compete. Jan Ravnik, one of the dancers from Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour,” also joins the show as a pro. Episodes stream next day on Hulu and Disney+.
— Just as the dust has settled on season 7 of “Love Island USA,” host Ariana Madix is headed back to Fiji to host “Love Island Games” on Peacock. Premiering Tuesday, the show brings back fan-favorite Islanders from “Love Island” iterations across the globe to partake in competitions and get a second chance at love. Fans will recognize Chris Seeley, Andreina Santos and Charlie Georgiou from season 7 and Kendall Washington and Andrea Carmona from season 6 as part of the new cast.
— Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s “The Morning Show” debuts its fourth season Wednesday on Apple TV+. The two play TV news anchors at a fictional news network called UBN. Each season features topical themes and this one is no different, addressing AI, deepfakes, and conspiracy theories in the media. Additional series regulars include Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Karen Pittman, and Nicole Beharie and adds new characters played by Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Aaron Pierre and William Jackson Harper to the mix.
— Hulu’s legal soap “Reasonable Doubt” returns Thursday for its third season. Emayatzy Corinealdi stars as Jax Stewart, a successful criminal defense lawyer in LA who in the new episodes, is defending a former child actor accused of murder. Jax’s standing at her flashy law firm is also in jeopardy when a new hire is determined to take her position.
— Starz’s steamy “The Couple Next Door” is back on Friday, Sept. 19 with a new season and a new cast that includes Sam Palladio (“Nashville”); Annabel Scholey (“The Split”); and Sendhil Ramamurthy (“Never Have I Ever”). Scholey and Palladio play Charlotte and Jacob, a seemingly solid couple living in a well-to-do neighborhood whose marriage gets threatened by a new colleague in their workplace. The tangled web only grows from there.
— Over the years, Lego video games have featured the likes of Batman, Indiana Jones and Luke Skywalker. Annapurna Interactive’s Lego Voyagers may have the most versatile hero of all: a simple Lego brick. It’s a cooperative game in which each player is a 1×1 piece — one red, one blue — that can attach itself to other chunks and build bridges, vehicles and other devices. Red and Blue need to work together to solve puzzles as they try to rescue an abandoned spaceship. It’s the sort of game that parents with young kids may appreciate, and things start clicking Monday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch and PC.