9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1
Hallmark Channel
Gail O’Grady is probably too pretty to be an everywoman, but she comes pretty close in this charming romantic comedy-drama from Hallmark Channel.
In all of her TV work, beginning with “NYPD Blue” and through her many made-for-television movies, O’Grady just gets it right: She is the single mom, the single woman, the married, harried spouse — and she knows how to flesh out the frustration and frenzy of each of these women. In “All I Want for Christmas,” O’Grady gets it right again, and with hardly raising an eyebrow.
Here, O’Grady is a single mom raising her 10-year-old son with some panache all the while trying to save a dying-on-the-vine community center and get through the day with some energy left over. When a renowned toy company tags her to become part of a screwy Christmas promotion and run a national contest to find her a husband, she agrees to go through with it. The usual complications occur (let’s face it, it’s fun formula as expected). O’Grady’s character somehow finds the stamina to meet hundreds of men until a resolution finally comes walking into the story.
Director Harvey Frost has fun with Marc Loren Prey’s predictable script, even if the pace is a bit slow at times. Still, this seasonal love story is just what we expect for our Christmas fare. It’s fun all the way to the finish line, and O’Grady is a joy to watch.
