Howard Hesseman

Seizure victim Henry Errington (Howard Hesseman) is in dire need of an immediate heart transplant. Unfortunately, the only potential donor has died from a strange illness, rendering the heart useless. In desperation, House (Hugh Laurie) decides to use the damaged heart anyway, and proceeds to "cure" the dead donor--while her grieving husband looks on! And in a separate development, Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) comes knocking at House's door after the breakup of his latest marriage, resulting in the Odd Couple to end all Odd Couples. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally titled Secret Santa, this made-for-cabe holiday treat stars Howard Hesseman as Fred Nickells, a lonely old eccentric who intends to spend Christmas Eve driving around town in a limo and tossing huge wads of money to deserving pedestrians. To this end, Nickells hires chauffeur Shannon McManus-Johnson (Andrea Roth), a single mom who'd much rather spend the Night Before Christmas with her son Trevor (Jason Spevack). Meanwhile, reporter Peter Archer (Yannick Bisson), determined to learn the motive behind Nickells' Yuletide generosity, uncovers a startling secret that could well determine the future of himself and Shannon--but will it be for the better? Chock full of cute "inside" references to earlier Holiday films, Crazy for Christmas made its Lifetime network bow on December 7, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Actor and comedian Harry Shearer makes his directorial debut with this mock documentary about the slightly sordid pastimes of some of America's wealthiest and most powerful men. Zambesi Glen is a private resort in Northern California whose highly exclusive membership rolls includes high-echelon politicians, leaders of America's military, owners of the nation's biggest corporations, renowned and respected political thinkers, and a handful of celebrity guests; the club's membership is overwhelmingly white and exclusively male. Once a year, Zambesi Glen holds a week-long retreat for its members, and while this gathering features the occasional group discussion of political and economic issues, most of the week is devoted to swilling booze, staging comic skits, performing odd rituals not out of place at a Boy Scout camp, doing business with the prostitutes imported for the festivities, and generally carousing like frat boys on a bender. However, not all is well in this playground for the power elite; feminist groups are protesting Zambesi Glen's "men only" membership policy, and far more embarrassing, a television reporter has found a way to smuggle cameras into the well-guarded resort, giving the world a less than flattering look at what America's leadership likes to do for a good time. The revelers at Zambesi Glen are played by a top-shelf comic cast, including Michael McKean, George Wendt, Henry Gibson, Kenneth Mars, Fred Willard, Howard Hessman, and Bob Einstein; among the female interlopers are Morgan Fairchild, Joyce Hyser, and Ming-Na. Teddy Bears' Picnic was inspired by Harry Shearer's visit as a guest to Bohemian Grove, the real-life men's-only retreat whose members are said to include George W. Bush, Henry Kissinger, Dick Cheney, Malcolm Forbes, David Rockefeller, Casper W. Weinberger, and William F. Buckley, though the film's opening credits humorously disavows any resemblance between Zambesi Glen and Bohemian Grove. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In order to convince a skeptical cabbie that a tragedy will occur if she doesn't reach the Queensborough Bridge by 10 PM, Monica recalls the chain of disastrous events that led up to this crticial and anxious moment. It all started when a total stranger (Howard Hesseman) made a rude gesture to Monica because of her inept parallel-parking skills. Outraged by this breach of etiquette, Monica transmitted her anger and bitterness to several other people in the course of the day. One of the second-hand recipients of Monica's wrath is a woman named Wendy (Kathie Lee Gifford)--who becomes so disheartened that she intends to commit suicide! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Finding her new life as a housewife and mother unfulfilling, an ex-radio-news-reporter starts doing a little gambling, just for some excitement. Unfortunately, it isn't long before her need for thrills becomes a craving and the craving a full-blown addiction that threatens to destroy her life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Christmas Eve is just like any other work day for pickpocket Trish Tracy (Mary Stuart Masterson) and her niece Patsy (Lauren Suzanne Pratt). With a store full of suckers ripe for plucking, Trish and Patsy work the crowd, amassing quite a fortune before they're caught by sharp-eyed (and soft-hearted) security guard Bert (Mark Ruffalo). Rather than have Trish spend the Holidays in jail and turning over Patsy to Social Services, Bert agrees to be temporarily responsible for the pair--and that's how Trish and Patsy end up passing the Yuletide days in Bert's tiny apartment. For the most part, this made-for-cable movie emulates such previous Christmas-themed films as 1940's Remember the Night?, though towards the end of the story the writers throw a curve at the audience by introducing an unsavory character who plans to kidnap perky Patsy. On the 2nd Day of Christmas debuted December 8, 1997, on the Lifetime channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The cautionary phrase "It could happen to you!" was seldom more appropriate than in this two-part, four-hour TV movie, inspired by a true story and based on actual court transcripts. The story begins in Fayetteville, NC in 1985, when Army sergeant Tim Hennis (John Corbett) is accused of murdering the wife and children of an Air Force captain. A combination of overzealous prosecution from the District Attorney's office and pressure from the armed forces and the media makes a swift conviction a fait accompli, though Hennis and his family continue to protest his innocence. Refusing to give up on the case, Hennis' defense team presses its own investigation, ultimately turning up a maelstrom of hitherto unknown evidence, surprise rebuttal witnesses, and a startling eyewitness testimony. First telecast by ABC, Innocent Victims was originally shown on January 21 and 22, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The original 1987 Munchies was a PG-rated horror spoof about a monster with an insatiable appetite for junk food. Though public domain was not forthcoming, a sequel, titled simply Munchie, came out in 1991; this time, the title character was an invisible imp who helped unpopular kids learn how to cope. Both films were chock-full of such TV icons as Harvey Korman, Dom DeLuise, Loni Anderson and Arte Johnson. The 1994 Munchie Strikes Back, starring Lesley-Anne Down and Andrew Stevens, eschewed the "scare" elements altogether and was geared strictly for the kiddie trade. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this made-for-TV drama, a teenage girl named Sarah (Kathleen Robertson) is flying home to see her parents when she falls ill. While Sarah is convinced that she has simply come down with a bad cold, when she keels over and dies while crossing a street, an autopsy reveals that Sarah had in fact contracted the pneumonic plague. Dr. Nora Hart (Kate Jackson), the hospital's authority on epidemics and highly contagious diseases, now must track down as many people as possible who came in contact with the girl before the plague begins to spread -- including Calvin Phillips (Howard Hessman), a congressman Sarah met on her flight. Based on the novel The Black Death by Gweneth Cravens and John C. Marr, Quiet Killer also stars Jerry Orbach, Luis Guzman, and Al Waxman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Rubin & Ed is Trent Harris' off-the-wall buddy movie about two mismatched geeks on a quest to bury a frozen cat. Rubin Farr (Crispin Glover) is a shy, reclusive loner who lives in his mother's hotel. He'd much rather sit in his bedroom listening to Mahler, playing with his squeaky-mouse, than go outside. His mother has other plans, however, and one afternoon she decides to pull the plug on Rubin's eccentric behavior. She demands that he go out and make at least one friend. Rubin capitulates, and after a somewhat half-hearted search, he finds Ed Tuttle (Howard Hesseman, in one of his best performances). Ed is a divorced, middle-aged loser enrolled in a self-help/ get-rich-quick organization called PPR: Positive Power through Real Estate. Ed agrees to have dinner with Rubin and his mother if Rubin agrees to attend a PPR training seminar. All goes as planned for both, until Ed opens the freezer and discovers Rubin's dead cat. The unlikely pair then embarks on an hallucinatory quest through the Utah desert in order to find the perfect spot to bury Rubin's cat. Though at first mutually disgusted by each other, Rubin and Ed eventually learn how to become friends. Karen Black is superb as Ed Tuttle's annoying ex-wife Rula, as is Michael Greene as PPR magnate Mr. Busta. ~ Anthony Reed, All Movie Guide

This made-for-cable series features comedy performers starring in various skits and satires. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Based upon Patty Duke's bestselling autobiography, Call Me Anna details the Academy Award-winning actress's rise to stardom and her lifelong struggle with manic depression. Born Anna Marie Duke, the youngster from Queens embarked upon an acting career at an early age. Her manager, John Ross, essentially removes her from her family (including a depressed mother and alcoholic father) at the age of seven and tyrannically manages her career. While this effectively aids her professionally, his abuse takes a toll upon the sensitive young girl. She makes a name for herself when she lands the part of Helen Keller in the Broadway smash The Miracle Worker and gains national fame when her work in the film version earns her a coveted Oscar. She goes on to star in her own television series, and embarks upon a number of relationships, including ones with Desi Arnaz Jr. and John Astin (whom she marries). Eventually, Duke shows signs of mental illness, brought about both by her parents and her managers, and enters into therapy with a doctor, who is able to give her the help she desperately needs. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide