“20/20” presents “Disney 100: A Century of Dreams” (9 p.m., ABC). Cramming 100 years of creativity into two hours is a tall order. Few companies have been as associated with American popular culture as it has evolved from the era of the Model T to the iPhone.
For its first three decades, Disney’s association with animation was almost total. Primitive black-and-white Mickey Mouse cartoons gave way to the gorgeous color musicals of the 1930s and ’40s, like “Snow White” and “Fantasia.” It’s no exaggeration to put the animated musical among the great creations of the 20th century. “Snow White” (1937) remains a staggeringly beautiful work of art.
Founder and creator Walt Disney seemed to embody the forward-thinking visionaries coming out of Southern California in mid-century America. Not long into the 1950s, he was embracing both television and theme parks as the core of his company, and moving Disney into live-action features and documentaries, all the better to feed his TV pipeline.
The company experienced some fallow decades between Disney’s death in 1966 to its reemergence in the mid-1980s, with live-action comedies (“Splash”) and animated musicals (“Little Mermaid”).
After this creative burst, Disney grew exponentially by devouring other corners of the pop culture firmament, acquiring ABC, Pixar, Marvel and the “Star Wars” franchise.
But even a company this vast is not bulletproof. Streaming has so upset viewers’ expectations that Disney’s box office numbers have begun to falter. With so much “product” on Disney+, why go to the movies?
This stands in stark contrast to Disney’s long history. Time was, it withheld screenings of its classics for years and decades at a time, making rereleases a major event. The same “Fantasia” released in 1940 to give prestige to mere cartoons was received as a real “trip” for midnight movie mavens when re-released in 1969.
A hundred years is an eternity in popular culture. At the time of Disney’s emergence, MGM was probably the most dominant Hollywood studio. And while it once featured “more stars than there are in heaven,” nobody really knows what makes a movie “MGM” anymore.
As I file this column, I read that Paramount might be sold.
In contrast, Disney has managed to survive, grow and thrive while other companies have evaporated. It’s interesting to think what the next century will bring.
— Netflix streams the second half of the sixth and final season of “The Crown,” one of the most opulent period series ever made.
— Six degrees of Christmas movie separation. Peter Billingsley, best known as Ralphie in “A Christmas Story” (8 p.m., TNT, TV-PG) went on to direct the 2009 comedy “Couples Retreat” (8 p.m., VH1, TV-14), written by (and starring) Jon Favreau, who directed the 2003 Christmas comedy “Elf” (5 p.m., AMC, TV-PG). Both “Elf” and “Story” can be streamed on Max. “Retreat” streams on Netflix.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— “The Clip Show: Holiday Edition” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14) surveys viral videos.
— “CMA Country Christmas” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
— The Raiders host the Chargers in Thursday Night Football (8:15 p.m.), streaming exclusively on Prime.
— “Saturday Night Live” (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14) presents holiday sketches.
— The season finale of “Lego Masters” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).
— Recorded in Newark, “MTV Unplugged Presents: A Hip Hop 50th Celebration of Jersey’s Finest” (9 p.m., MTV, TV-14) features performances by Queen Latifah, Wyclef Jean, Redman, Treach, Sugarhill Gang and Poor Ri.
CULT CHOICE
A scientist discovers a patient with an immunity to a brain-rotting fungus in the 2016 sci-fi horror drama “The Girl With all the Gifts” (8:35 p.m., Starz).
SERIES NOTES
“Big Brother: Reindeer Games” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … “Hell’s Kitchen” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … A trip down memory lane on “Ghosts UK” (9:30 p.m., CBS, TV-PG … A renewed tangle with the Taliban on “SEAL Team” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
LATE NIGHT
Greta Gerwig and Andrew Scott are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Billie Eilish, Claire Foy, Rebecca Shaw & Ben Kronengold and Gracie Abrams on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Zac Efron, Jason Mantzoukas and Queens of the Stone Age appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (11:35 p.m., ABC).
Tracee Ellis Ross and Mike Birbiglia visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC) … Jennifer Murphy, Rick Overton, ANT and Dean Edwards appear on “Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen” (12:35 a.m., CBS).
