Groundhog Day: The Jamie Foxx Show

Trailer for 1993 movie Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray.

Last year on February 2nd, I blogged about three made-for-TV Christmas movies that adapted the plot from the 1993 movie Groundhog Day. Click here to see that 2010 posting.

This year I'd like to share a TV episode that also adapts its plot from that much-beloved Bill Murray classic: the 1998 holiday episode "Christmas Day-Ja Vu" from The Jamie Foxx Show.

cast left to right: Garrett Morris, Christopher B. Duncan, Garcelle Beauvais, Ellia English with Jamie Foxx in the center.

Actor/comedian Foxx plays Jamie King, an employee living and working in his family's hotel while he pursues a career in music. This third season holiday episode of the popular sitcom sees Jamie King planning to go skiing over the holiday with friends rather than spending time with his family. However, he finds himself re-living Christmas Eve over and over until he learns his much-needed lesson to stop being so selfish. Here, Fate is personified in the guise of Santa Claus, insisting that King become more generous and giving this Christmas. Though crammed into a half-hour format, this episode’s concept seems to work.

This episode is directed by Amanda Bearse, a very successful TV director. She may be more familiar to TV viewers for her acting work, playing the character of the next door neighbor Marcy on the long-running TV series Married...With Children. It's a small world.

Though this episode is not yet released on DVD, The Jamie Foxx Show is currently airing in syndication on BET and Centric.