After being out of production for nearly seven years, high praise for the comedy’s latest episodes was not necessarily guaranteed. In fact, when the latest batch of all-new episodes were first announced months ago — there will be three in total, with a feature version of “Ab Fab” said to be the works — the news likely was met with a combination of excitement and trepidation among a number of fans.

Surely the most dedicated Eddy and Patsy loyalists may consider any less-than-glowing opinion of every “Ab Fab” incarnation to be sacrilege. That’s understandable; what’s not to love about champagne-swilling trend slave Edina (Jennifer Saunders) and her drunken style-addict of a best friend Patsy  (Joanna Lumley)?  The average superfan (guilty as charged) owns DVDs of every episode and indulges in marathon viewings whenever the mood strikes.  But only seasons one through three get a regular workout in my home, because that’s when “Absolutely Fabulous” was at its best — between 1992 and 1996.

Subsequent resurrections of  “Ab Fab”  proved to be a demonstration of diminishing returns. Series four returned in 2001 after a long hiatus – and an attempt at fitting the same cast into a different comedy that paled in comparison – and while it was still quite sharp at times (and included one of the funniest strings of slaps ever to be seen on television), it wasn’t quite the same.

Another largely forgettable bunch of episodes were produced in 2003. There was another special, “White Box,” in 2004, and a Comic Relief episode in 2005.  Then the doors of the Monsoon residence closed, not to be heard from again until the latest episode popped up online last week.

If series creator Jennifer Saunders has taught us anything, however, it is that the perennially opinionated Edina Monsoon can never be permanently silenced.

In the 20th anniversary special, Edina takes aim at reality television, harpooning the Kardashians along the way. Bubble re-enacts the Royal Wedding in a sequence one might liken to psychedelic kabuki theater. Saffy (Julia Sawalha) is still long-suffering, only this time we find out that years of wrangling her mother prepared her to endure one of the harshest environments on the planet. And Patsy is still Patsy — glamorous, unapologetic in her dependence on Eddy, and clinging desperately to “39″.

Nothing much has changed, aside from what’s “hip and happenin’” in the world. Luckily for us, most of the things considered to be edgy and fashionable these days also happen to be so utterly ridiculous that Saunders and Lumley don’t have to work very hard to be inspired, resulting in material that’s familiar and fresh all at once. Completely relaxed and in their groove, it’s as if the two divas never really left us. Of course, they never really have.

U.S. viewers can watch the first of the three new specials January 8 at 10pm ET/PT on BBC America and Logo. In the meantime, check out photos from the new episode.

Who can blame you? After the tree has been lit, the nog has been sipped, and the plunging into the cornucopia of gifts while quivering with desire and the ecstasy of unbridled avarice has ended… what is left but television? (If you answered “family togetherness time,” that is also correct…if you add “in front of the television.”) Thus, a number of channels are gifting viewers with marathons galore – some holidays themed, others… not so much. Here are a few to choose from:

- USA Network will be airing “NCIS” episodes from 10am on Saturday until 2am on Christmas morning. Great news for its fans. As for everyone else, consider yourself warned.

- Spike is striking back with a marathon of “Jaws ” films , starting at 9am Saturday with “Jaws: The Revenge” and running until midnight.

- BBC America is airing  an entire weekend’s worth of favorite “Doctor Who” episodes, including past Christmas specials, starting at midnight on Christmas Eve, leading up to the premiere of  “Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe“  at 9pm Sunday.

-  Lastly, a favorite tradition: TBS’s annual airing of  “24 Hours of a Christmas Story,” starting at 8pm Saturday and running through 8pm Sunday.

Happy Holidays!

Since TV does not sleep,  that means settling in for a long winter stretch of movies that have been edited for television and endlessly repeated Christmas specials. Or, more often, digging into your home DVD/Blu-Ray library to watch a few holiday classics for the umpteenth time.

Most of us know and possibly own the standards: “White Christmas.” “It’s a Wonderful Life.” “Miracle on 34th Street.” And in the modern standards category, “Elf.” Less appreciated, though, are holiday classics that focus less on the magic of the holidays than the yippee-ki-yay-mutha(BLEEP) of it all.

Thus we present this list of Christmas Movies by user “metalveinzz,” which begins sweetly enough with “The Polar Express” in the top slot, but is not above including one of the finest Christmas movies ever made, “Die Hard.”  What sealed the deal was the inclusion of “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” a much-reviled action movie viewed annually in this writer’s household, usually while baking cookies. But while all the other movies mentioned here will be airing at some point over the next few days on broadcast or cable TV, neither John McClane nor Charlie Baltimore will be showing up on any network or cable channels that we know of.  Humbug.

But thanks for the holiday memories, metalveinzz. We appreciate your effort and your taste in Christmas flicks.

After checking out this list,  feel free to create one of your own.

It’s even nicer when one discovers new series to watch through other viewers who happen to share tastes similar to ours, which is what makes IMDb’s lists feature so handy. Peruse enough lists and you’ll discover someone whose tastes are very similar to yours and, through them, discover series you either have not heard of or have not considered viewing before.

That brings us to this list by user “GirishWinchester,” a guy who has watched a lot of TV and, as it turns out, likes a lot of great shows – including one of IMDbTV’s All Time Favorite Series, “Firefly.”  (GirishWinchester also likes the remakes of “Bionic Woman” and “Knight Rider,” which is where our paths diverge. To each his own!)

Check out his list. Then, feel free to create one of your own.

One reason we can’t wait for next year to begin is that we’ll get more of the fabulous animated series “Archer.”  Its third season kicks off at 10pm on January 19.

Better yet,  suave superspy Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin) will be joined by Burt Reynolds in an episode set to air in January. From the press release:

“Reynolds will play himself in an episode titled “The Man From Jupiter,” a reference to Reynold’s home of Jupiter, Florida.  In the episode, which will air in January, Reynolds dates Agent Sterling Archer’s mother and boss, Malory (Jessica Walter),  much to Sterling’s dismay.”

Fox has announced that it will decide the fate of the Steven Spielberg-produced drama after the holidays, but signs do not look favorable for its renewal. Special-effects heavy and clumsily plotted over its first 10 episodes, “Terra Nova” was expected to be a blockbuster for Fox.

However, its season-to-date ratings are modest at best, ranking 38th among viewers in the Nielsen rankings.  Optimists may point out that it is tied for 38th with Fox’s breakout comedy “New Girl,” (which, going into midseason, Fox considers to be a success) aging drama  “House,” and ABC’s “The Middle.” Problem is, “Terra Nova” costs more to make. A lot more.  “Terra Nova” is one of the most expensive series on television, and according various reports, the pilot alone cost somewhere between $10 and $20 million to produce.

There are always unknowns that factor into a network’s decision to stay with a series or let it go, so there may be hope yet for the Shannons. Nevertheless, “Terra  Nova” viewers are encouraged to watch and savor tonight’s episodes, “Occupation” and “Resistance” …and take comfort in knowing that if all else fails, you’ll always have Blu-Ray.

Among all the seasonal traditions that December brings, the annual parade of “Best of” entertainment lists is something people greet either with tremendous joy or the brand of piping hot loathing reserved for a gaily gift-wrapped tube socks.

“Best of”  lists force viewers to lay their cards on the table for all the world to judge,  agree with or dismiss — sometimes with a heaping helping of vitriol.  When said viewer happens to watch TV for a living, his or her list’s feedback section can get pretty ugly. After all, the pros are supposed to watch everything and therefore have impeccable filters that enable them to confirm that your idea of what shows are the best on television are, indeed, correct. Or, conversely, the pros confirm what you have known all along, that they don’t know what they’re talking about.

Here’s the deal: Year end lists are often subject to the whims of the writer at the time of the list’s creation, as well as said writer’s memory and the amount of time the listmaker has to compile his or her selections. For the most part, they are carefully considered; the best listmakers formulate their  annual round-ups throughout the year.  A couple of not-to-be missed Best of TV lists include Alan Sepinwall‘s and James Poniewozik‘s; I would also stay tuned for Mo Ryan’s and Jace Lacob‘s.

Above all, it is important to remember that every End of Year List reflects one person’s opinion. Critics, like everyone else,  are human beings with individualized experiences that inform which TV shows they’ll gravitate towards.

Given that fact, there are going to be some wonderful series that no amount of placements on Year’s Best lists can persuade people to watch. Case in point:  many, many viewers consider the fourth season of “Breaking Bad” to be some of the finest TV drama ever made. But there are just as many (if not more) who would rather have their molars scooped out with a spoon than watch it. Conversely  somebody out there considers “Harry’s Law” to be one of 2011 finest TV products, and you could not convince that person otherwise.  However, you may be able to steer them towards other series they might enjoy just as much.

That idea brings me to my end of 2011 list: Instead of declaring which shows were at their “Best” during the past calendar year, I’m taking a different route and sharing which shows I most enjoyed watching and recommending, because the concepts are not necessarily one in the same.

Mind you, many of the series on my list of Ten Reasons We Loved Watching TV in 2011 are common to a number of Best of lists. Others, however, probably won’t pop up on lists compiled by most critics. Take “Awkward,” for example. During a season in which half-hour comedies have made a comeback, one of the funniest on TV sneaked onto the air in the middle of July without much fanfare. But because it was on MTV, the network still besmirched by “Jersey Shore,” it had to wait to be discovered by the masses. Finding a gem like “Awkward” and telling people about it is one of the great joys of this job. Hence, Jenna Hamilton and her adventures in creating a so-called social life made the list.

To find out which other series made us love TV in 2011, click through to our list. And if my list moves you to do nothing else, please make your own list on IMDb and share the link in the comments section.

So, the new fall shows. You’ve seen them, right?

Yup.

(At this point, the questioner gets an excited gleam in his/her eye.)

Have you seen “American Horror Story”?

(Long pause.)…..Yes.

And?

(Me, convulsing): GaaaaaaaaAAAAAAugh. It’s not good. Really not good. That’s an understatement. Watching it was like being punched in the face by a crazed gorilla.

Too bad. I was really looking forward to that one.

Understandable. After all, Ryan Murphy and FX are experts at building hype. Those sly, apparently-meaningless clips slowly being released on to the Internet, those shots of eerie dolls and the pregnant figure in an patent-leather S&M get-up… freakadelic, right? It all seemed to hint at something SO unusual and weird and fabulous. Plus, in spite of a few one-season-and-out series (we still love you, “Terriers“!), FX has a fine track record.

But everybody whiffs it at some point and this thing? Hoo wee, what a whiff. P to the U!

Huh. So what you’re saying is, I shouldn’t watch it.

Oh, I’m not saying that. You should definitely check out the first episode.

I…I don’t understand. You said it’s terrible.

Yes. Not “Charlie’s Angels” terrible, mind you. It’s not pointless, vapid drivel. Rather, it’s terrible in the same way a pretty girl ruining a perfectly good outfit by piling on far too many accessories, and a fascinator, and a scarf, and a belt, and rhinestone-encrusted Uggs, is terrible. It hurts to look at the poor dear, but you can’t help staring.

Wow.

Indeed. Tonight, you will meet the Harmon family, which is recovering from father Ben’s infidelity (Dylan McDermott). Dad’s sin has left him saddled with a distrustful wife, Vivien (Connie Britton), and Violet, their grumpy teen daughter (Taissa Farmiga),  all fine ingredients to create high tension.  Jam the family into a murder house. Add one blithely cruel bigot of a next door neighbor, brilliantly played by Jessica Lange…fine. We’re on board.

But then Murphy and his co-creator Brad Falchuk bombard the family with a splatter-shot of garden variety weird, including a limping (but spry when he needs to be!) burn victim, an emotionally disconnected girl with Down Syndrome, a crazed adolescent suitor for the grumpy teen daughter, parts in jars, a creepy basement, a creepy attic, a creepy maid, creepy wallpaper, blahblahblah BLAH. Taking all that in at once is like having a bucket of toxic stew funneled down your throat. And by the way: We didn’t even include the full list of supposed “horrors” here.

There could have been a great show underneath all the cliches force-fed into that opening hour, but I have absolutely zero faith that we’ll ever see it.

Why do you say that?

Well, for one thing, I’ve seen episodes two and three. There’s barely any emotional development for these characters, and the choices that they make are simply ludicrous…and not in a fun “don’t go into the basement” kind of way. Each development is tedious, and only serves bring us to a string of scenes tailored to add TV-MA appropriate splatter injected into largely dull chapters.

In better hands, one gets the sense “American Horror Story” could have worked as something of an anthology series, with the house being the only member of the cast with any job security. That would help the whole enterprise make more sense, especially given that you’re likely to find the Harmons and their problems to be lethally boring by the end of that third episode. It would be nice to get a few new families in there and see what the house does to them. But alas, it doesn’t look like anyone is going anywhere until the finale. Which, admittedly, we’ll probably watch for the glee of seeing this stupid family get what it richly deserves for staying in a murder house for a full season.

Sooooo…..why should I watch again?

Because “American Horror Story” is a failure on a grandly fabulous level – it is uniquely bad,  the best worst television you’ll likely to see in a long time. Oh, and don’t look for any real scares in that first hour; rather, approach it as a work of high camp. It might also help to imagine that began its life as a theatrical production by a comedy troupe like the Upright Citizens Brigade.

Well…maybe you’re just not a horror fan. If you were a horror fan, you might understand what they’re trying to accomplish –

I promise you, that’s not it. I enjoy greatly horror movies. I went through my Lucio Fulci phase; I have spent many a rainy weekend with the likes of Rosemary’s Baby and Don’t Look Now and The Shining – all cited as influences of Murphy’s and Falchuk’s; I even sang the praises of Rob Zombie‘s Woolite commercial to friends of mine. My horror fandom has taken me to high and low places on Netflix’s ratings system, so trust me when I say that this does not do much justice to the horror genre. Or, for that matter, the psychological thriller genre. Even its camp value dies out by week two.

Don’t you worry, though. Like so many “controversial” TV shows, “American Horror Story” will have its diehard fans who will be enthralled by the premiere and intrigued enough by the murder house to see the Harmons through every episode. That’s why you should make it a point to turn to FX tonight at 10pm. You might be one of those people.

If you’re not, well…can’t say I didn’t warn you.