Cheers

The English manor comedy "Cheerful Weather for the Wedding" is lifted immensely by its cast, actors who can get their minds and mouths around the quip-heavy dialogue in the story of a young woman, Dolly ("Like Crazy" ingénue Felicity Jones), who may be more interested in a former paramour (Luke Treadaway) than the poor fellow she is about to marry. As family and assorted hangers-on flit about, many minor personal dramas bubble up while Dolly tries to make up her mind about her future.

On Wednesday night's "Top Chef," a new, local front-runner emerged in the competition. Brooke Williamson, chef and owner of Hudson House in Redondo Beach, was like a silent sleeper ninja awakening with her knives sharpened. After being in the bottom last week, she surprised everyone, including herself, by winning both the quickfire and elimination challenges. For the quickfire, the chefs were asked to cook sweet and savory dishes inspired by their family holidays for guest judge Marilyn Hagerty.

Reinhold Weege, who created the popular Emmy-winning sitcom "Night Court" about an often-anarchic, after-hours New York courtroom and its cast of memorably loony characters, has died. He was 62. Weege, who also wrote and co-produced the television series "Barney Miller," died Dec. 1 of natural causes at his home in La Jolla, said Bonnie Covelli, his former assistant. "Night Court," which aired on NBC from 1984 to 1992, starred a boyish Harry Anderson as the unorthodox, fun-loving judge Harry Stone and John Larroquette as lecherous prosecuting attorney Dan Fielding.

Old Navy plans to make it snow Saturday in the center courtyard at Hollywood & Highland , 6801 Hollywood Blvd., in Los Angeles. Youngsters and the young at heart will be able to sled down “Mount Old Navy” from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. while a DJ plays tunes. Those too young for sledding will have an area for making snow angels. Starting at 3 p.m., the retailer will give away free fleece scarves (while supplies last). And after the sledding, Old Navy is sponsoring an outdoor showing of “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation,” with free Starbucks hot chocolate and popcorn, from 5 to 7 p.m. Malibu County Mart also has some special holiday events planned for Saturdays this month.

A visit to the Conservatory at Bellagio is a holiday tradition for many Vegas visitors. The centerpiece this year, on display through Jan. 5, is a 45-foot-tall Shasta fir, the largest holiday tree ever displayed at the resort. It's decorated with 2,500 ornaments and 7,000 twinkling lights. Four large toy soldiers are on sentry duty at the tree's base. Nearby, 11 faux penguins frolic in the snow and skate around a frozen pond. There's a colorful gazebo where, from 4 to 5 p.m. Dec. 17-25, carolers will help put guests in a festive mood.

"A Fairly Odd Christmas," which premieres Thursday on Nickelodeon, is the second (mostly) live-action TV movie to be sprung from the network's long-running cartoon series "The Fairly OddParents" (ninth season coming! 2013!). Though its appeal will be primarily to fans of the show, and its details confusing to everybody else, it should be diverting enough to anyone wanting to consume a few holiday tropes prepared with a pinch of attitude. Written by "OddParents" creator Butch Hartman, and directed, as was last year's "A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!

It's here. The holiday season. And with it, an ever-creeping onslaught of music stuffed with enough synthetic cheer to weave a polyester overcoat for Dodger Stadium. Hearing such tidings of great joy seems innocent enough, but repeated exposure could very well cause outbreaks of seasonal affective disorder on sunny days. But for all the bland and often cynically motivated holiday music produced each year (John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, anyone?) there's one constant beacon within the genre that can soften the hardest heart.

It's word association time. Say the first word that springs to mind: "holiday ----. " Did you think "season"? "Sale"? "Hangover"? How about "music?" This year, there are plenty of new holiday albums to pick from. Cee Lo Green, English pop-rocker Tracey Thorn and the left-field collective Redtenbacher Funkestra are just a few of the dozens of entertainers with albums out there made for celebrating the season. But which ones will offer yuletide cheer and which will feel like the same old thing, re-gifted?

There are plenty of thanks to go around in Washington: Democrats particularly have gratitude reserved for President Obama's ground game, Election Day turnout and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's late embrace of the president . And of course, there are the necessary thanks to be sent out to supporters. Despite the “disappointing” results of the presidential election, Republican Study Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) remains “thankful that I live in a country where we have the right to choose our leaders and to speak our minds.” “This is still the country founded on the belief that every man and woman has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

WASHINGTON - In an election year that had threatened to produce a deeper deficit for the House Democratic minority, the party instead narrowed the GOP's majority by at least seven seats. With just one seat not yet decided for either party, Democrats will hold at least 200 seats in the 113th Congress, while the GOP will maintain its majority with at least 234 seats. Noting that House Republicans had predicted a gain of as many as 16 seats, Democrats touted the results as evidence of a superior campaign organization.