Published: Thursday, November 26, 2009
Holiday TV from old classics to new specials
Here’s a rundown of some of television’s prime-time holiday highlights. Many of the cable programs will receive multiple airings. (For dates and times, consult your listings).
Holiday hall of fame
“Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas”: Quick, put Whoville on lockdown. The greedy grouch is lurking once again. (8 p.m. Monday and Dec. 23, ABC).
“A Charlie Brown Christmas”: A pathetic little tree gets some love and the Peanuts gang learns the true meaning of Christmas. (8 p.m. Tuesday, and Dec. 8 and 24, ABC).
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”: It’s a celebration of nonconformity as North Pole outcasts rise and shine. (8 p.m. Wednesday and Dec. 12, CBS)
“The Year Without a Santa Claus”: Say it isn’t so: The big guy goes on strike. (8 p.m. Dec. 8, ABC Family).
“Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town”: Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle melts the heart of the Burgermeister Meisterburger. (8 p.m., Dec. 7, ABC)
“Frosty the Snowman”: It’s time to chill out with the jolly, happy soul. (8 p.m. Dec. 18, CBS).
New for the kiddies
“Merry Madagascar”: An animated special starring the zoo animals from the movies. (8 p.m., Saturday, NBC).
“Disney’s Prep & Landing”: An elite unit of Santa’s elves readies homes for the big night. (8 p.m. Tuesday and Dec. 16, ABC).
“Yes, Virginia”: Neil Patrick Harris and Jennifer Love Hewitt lend voices to familiar tale of girl who questions the existence of Santa. (8 p.m. Dec. 11, CBS).
Big-screen hits
“The Santa Clause”: Tim Allen lives large as he dons the red suit. (9 p.m. Friday, TBS).
“A Christmas Carol”: The 1938 version with Reginald Owen as Scrooge. (8 p.m. Dec. 3, TCM).
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”: Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) becomes a walking disaster zone around the holiday. (8 p.m., Monday, AMC).
“The Polar Express”: Tom Hanks is the conductor on a magical train en route to the North Pole. (8:30 p.m. Dec. 3, ABC Family).
“White Christmas”: Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye work hard to make your days merry and bright. (8 p.m., Dec. 5, AMC).
“It’s a Wonderful Life”: Capra classic still has the power to turn us into blubbering wrecks. (8 p.m., Dec. 12 and 24, NBC).
“A Christmas Story”: We triple-dog dare you not to watch this nostalgic charmer over and over and over. (Marathon starts at 8 p.m., Dec. 24, TBS).
Gifts that keep giving
“Shrek the Halls”: The cranky ogre struggles to get into the Christmas spirit. (8:30 p.m. Monday, ABC).
“Mickey’s Christmas Carol”: Disney does Dickens in this 1983 ‘toon. (7 p.m. Dec. 8, ABC Family).
“A Miser Brothers’ Christmas”: A 2008 sequel to 1974’s “The Year Without a Santa Claus.” (9 p.m. Dec. 8, ABC Family).
“A Muppets Christmas: Letters To Santa”: Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang celebrate the holidays. (8 p.m. Dec. 11, NBC).
“The Flight Before Christmas”: Animated tale of a young reindeer who aspires to be an expert flyer like his father. (9 p.m. Dec. 12, CBS).
“Frosty Returns”: Apparently, there’s still some magic in that old silk hat. (8:30 p.m. Dec. 18, CBS).
Movies with cheer
“The National Tree”: Father (Andrew McCarthy) and son (Evan Williams) bond on cross-country trip as they deliver a majestic spruce to Washington, D.C. (8 p.m., Saturday, Hallmark).
“The Dog Who Saved Christmas”: Ex-police dog confronts Grinch-like burglars. Dean Cain stars. (8 p.m. Sunday, ABC Family).
“A Dog Named Christmas”: Farm family adopts a lonely pup for the holidays. Bruce Greenwood stars. (9 p.m., Sunday, CBS).
“Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle”: Doris Roberts plays a heaven-sent housekeeper who gives a fractured family an unforgettable holiday. (8 p.m., Dec. 5, Hallmark).
“12 Men of Christmas”: Emmy winner Kristin Chenoweth plays a PR exec who raises temperatures in a Montana town with a hunk-filled calendar. (9 p.m. Dec. 5, Lifetime.)
“Christmas in Canaan”: Billy Ray Cyrus stars in tale about two boys who form an unlikely friendship in the 1960s. (8 p.m. Dec. 12, Hallmark).
“The Christmas Hope”: A social worker (Madeleine Stowe) bends the rules and takes in an orphaned child. (8 p.m. Dec. 12, Hallmark).
Making spirits bright
“Christmas in Rockefeller Center”: Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Barry Manilow and others help light up the big tree in the Big Apple. (8 p.m. Dec. 2, NBC).
“Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special”: The country crooner performs holiday classics with her pals, including Dolly Parton and Brad Paisley. (8 p.m. Dec. 7, Fox).
“Jennifer Hudson: I’ll Be Home for Christmas”: The Oscar-winning ‘Dreamgirl’ gets into the holiday mood. (8 p.m. Dec. 14, ABC).
“Christmas in Washington”: Mary J. Blige, Neil Diamond, Sugarland and others celebrate in musical style. (8 p.m. Dec. 20, TNT).
“A Home for the Holidays With Faith Hill”: Celebrities present inspirational stories about adoption. (8 p.m. Dec. 23, CBS).
Holiday hall of fame
“Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas”: Quick, put Whoville on lockdown. The greedy grouch is lurking once again. (8 p.m. Monday and Dec. 23, ABC).
“A Charlie Brown Christmas”: A pathetic little tree gets some love and the Peanuts gang learns the true meaning of Christmas. (8 p.m. Tuesday, and Dec. 8 and 24, ABC).
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”: It’s a celebration of nonconformity as North Pole outcasts rise and shine. (8 p.m. Wednesday and Dec. 12, CBS)
“The Year Without a Santa Claus”: Say it isn’t so: The big guy goes on strike. (8 p.m. Dec. 8, ABC Family).
“Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town”: Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle melts the heart of the Burgermeister Meisterburger. (8 p.m., Dec. 7, ABC)
“Frosty the Snowman”: It’s time to chill out with the jolly, happy soul. (8 p.m. Dec. 18, CBS).
New for the kiddies
“Merry Madagascar”: An animated special starring the zoo animals from the movies. (8 p.m., Saturday, NBC).
“Disney’s Prep & Landing”: An elite unit of Santa’s elves readies homes for the big night. (8 p.m. Tuesday and Dec. 16, ABC).
“Yes, Virginia”: Neil Patrick Harris and Jennifer Love Hewitt lend voices to familiar tale of girl who questions the existence of Santa. (8 p.m. Dec. 11, CBS).
Big-screen hits
“The Santa Clause”: Tim Allen lives large as he dons the red suit. (9 p.m. Friday, TBS).
“A Christmas Carol”: The 1938 version with Reginald Owen as Scrooge. (8 p.m. Dec. 3, TCM).
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”: Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) becomes a walking disaster zone around the holiday. (8 p.m., Monday, AMC).
“The Polar Express”: Tom Hanks is the conductor on a magical train en route to the North Pole. (8:30 p.m. Dec. 3, ABC Family).
“White Christmas”: Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye work hard to make your days merry and bright. (8 p.m., Dec. 5, AMC).
“It’s a Wonderful Life”: Capra classic still has the power to turn us into blubbering wrecks. (8 p.m., Dec. 12 and 24, NBC).
“A Christmas Story”: We triple-dog dare you not to watch this nostalgic charmer over and over and over. (Marathon starts at 8 p.m., Dec. 24, TBS).
Gifts that keep giving
“Shrek the Halls”: The cranky ogre struggles to get into the Christmas spirit. (8:30 p.m. Monday, ABC).
“Mickey’s Christmas Carol”: Disney does Dickens in this 1983 ‘toon. (7 p.m. Dec. 8, ABC Family).
“A Miser Brothers’ Christmas”: A 2008 sequel to 1974’s “The Year Without a Santa Claus.” (9 p.m. Dec. 8, ABC Family).
“A Muppets Christmas: Letters To Santa”: Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang celebrate the holidays. (8 p.m. Dec. 11, NBC).
“The Flight Before Christmas”: Animated tale of a young reindeer who aspires to be an expert flyer like his father. (9 p.m. Dec. 12, CBS).
“Frosty Returns”: Apparently, there’s still some magic in that old silk hat. (8:30 p.m. Dec. 18, CBS).
Movies with cheer
“The National Tree”: Father (Andrew McCarthy) and son (Evan Williams) bond on cross-country trip as they deliver a majestic spruce to Washington, D.C. (8 p.m., Saturday, Hallmark).
“The Dog Who Saved Christmas”: Ex-police dog confronts Grinch-like burglars. Dean Cain stars. (8 p.m. Sunday, ABC Family).
“A Dog Named Christmas”: Farm family adopts a lonely pup for the holidays. Bruce Greenwood stars. (9 p.m., Sunday, CBS).
“Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle”: Doris Roberts plays a heaven-sent housekeeper who gives a fractured family an unforgettable holiday. (8 p.m., Dec. 5, Hallmark).
“12 Men of Christmas”: Emmy winner Kristin Chenoweth plays a PR exec who raises temperatures in a Montana town with a hunk-filled calendar. (9 p.m. Dec. 5, Lifetime.)
“Christmas in Canaan”: Billy Ray Cyrus stars in tale about two boys who form an unlikely friendship in the 1960s. (8 p.m. Dec. 12, Hallmark).
“The Christmas Hope”: A social worker (Madeleine Stowe) bends the rules and takes in an orphaned child. (8 p.m. Dec. 12, Hallmark).
Making spirits bright
“Christmas in Rockefeller Center”: Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Barry Manilow and others help light up the big tree in the Big Apple. (8 p.m. Dec. 2, NBC).
“Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special”: The country crooner performs holiday classics with her pals, including Dolly Parton and Brad Paisley. (8 p.m. Dec. 7, Fox).
“Jennifer Hudson: I’ll Be Home for Christmas”: The Oscar-winning ‘Dreamgirl’ gets into the holiday mood. (8 p.m. Dec. 14, ABC).
“Christmas in Washington”: Mary J. Blige, Neil Diamond, Sugarland and others celebrate in musical style. (8 p.m. Dec. 20, TNT).
“A Home for the Holidays With Faith Hill”: Celebrities present inspirational stories about adoption. (8 p.m. Dec. 23, CBS).
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