Holiday Television Highlights

The holidays are back, bearing a welcome load of cheer for TV viewers still numb from the recent campaign season.

Even the Grinch and Scrooge don't rate attack ads.

Charlie Brown returns to share the real meaning of Christmas, and Santa spreads jolliness all over. There will be classics such as It's A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol, and new shows that may become classics.

The list of holiday specials and movies is longer than a kid's Christmas list, so we can't cover them all, and, like a Christmas list, it's subject to change. Many of the shows are repeated several times. Here are some of the highlights:

9 a.m., 6ABC

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The 6ABC Ikea Thanksgiving Day Parade

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9 a.m., NBC10. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

9 a.m., CBS3. Thanksgiving Day Parade.

2 p.m., NBC10. Miracle on 34th Street. A Macy's Santa convinces a little girl that he's the real Santa.

8 p.m., 6ABC. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Peppermint Patty decides Charlie Brown will host Thanksgiving.

8 p.m., Hallmark. The Town Christmas Forgot. An unhappy city family gets stuck in a small, struggling town two days before Christmas.

9 p.m., USA. Elf. A man raised as an elf at the North Pole searches for his true identity in New York. Will Ferrell stars.

8 p.m., Hallmark.

The Night Before Christmas.

Santa Claus crash-lands in the home of two workaholic parents and their unhappy kids.

8 p.m., Hallmark.

Debbie Macomber's 'Call Me Mrs. Miracle'

Finley's Department Store's favorite employee saves Christmas.

8 p.m., ABC Family.

The Dog Who Saved Christmas.

A family prepares for Christmas by buying a watchdog.

9 p.m., CBS3. November Christmas. Neighbors try to create holiday magic for a seriously ill girl.

8 p.m., Hallmark.

Christmas in Canaan

. An unforgettable Christmas helps two boys - one black, one white - overcome racial tension.

9:30 p.m., 6ABC. CMA Country Christmas. Jennifer Nettles, of Sugarland, hosts a holiday songfest.

8 p.m., NBC10.

Christmas in Rockefeller Center.

Performers for the annual event include Susan Boyle, Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, Jessica Simpson, Kylie Minogue, and Charice.

8 p.m., CBS3. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The deer with the shiny schnoz is back for more reindeer games in the grandaddy of holiday specials.

8 p.m., 6ABC. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Every Who in Whoville better watch out. Animated version, with the voice of Boris Karloff.

8:30 p.m., 6ABC. Shrek the Halls. Donkey disrupts the ogre's holiday plans.

8 p.m. ABC Family.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Live-action version, starring Jim Carrey.

7 p.m., ABC Family

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The Santa Clause.

An ordinary guy (Tim Allen) steps into the late Santa's boots.

8 p.m., 6ABC. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town. Fred Astaire narrates the classic cartoon about Kris Kringle (given voice by Mickey Rooney).

8 p.m., Hallmark. The Santa Suit. A greedy toy company executive learns a lesson from Santa.

8:30 p.m., ABC Family.

The Polar Express.

A boy who wants to see Santa gets on an unusual train. Tom Hanks gives voice to five characters in the computer-animated 2004 film.

8 p.m., NBC10.

Merry Madagascar.

Santa crash-lands on the island, and the penguins must deliver his presents. Can they do it?

8:30 p.m., NBC10. Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special. Po is caught between his obligations as the Dragon Warrior and his family traditions.

10 p.m., Hallmark.

The Three Gifts

. A childless couple take in three orphans for the holidays.

6 p.m., ABC Family

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Jack Frost.

A groundhog tells how Jack Frost once took human form.

7 p.m., ABC Family. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys. The Evil Toy Taker takes Santa's toys.

8 p.m., 6ABC.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

. The round-headed kid goes searching for a Christmas tree.

8 p.m., ABC Family. Frosty's Winter Wonderland. Kids try to make a wife for Frosty. The voices of Andy Griffith and Shelley Winters are featured.

6 p.m., ABC Family.

Rudolph's Shiny New Year.

The red-nosed reindeer looks for the baby New Year.

7 p.m., ABC Family. The Gruffalo. A mouse encounters a beast he thought was only imaginary. Narrated by Helena Bonham Carter, with the voices of Robbie Coltrane, Rob Brydon, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, and James Corden.

9 p.m., ABC Family. The Year Without a Santa Claus. Santa takes a Christmas off. That can't be good.

8 p.m., TCM.

A Christmas Carol

. A miser learns his lesson. The 1938 version stars Reginald Owen and Gene Lockhart.

9:30 p.m., TCM. Scrooge. A miser learns his lesson, set to music, in a 1970 version with Albert Finney, Alec Guinness, and Edith Evans.

10 p.m., ABC Family. Santa Clause 2. Tim Allen is back as Santa.

8 p.m., CBS3

. Frosty the Snowman

. Jackie Vernon gives voice to the living snow sculpture. Jimmy Durante narrates.

8 p.m., NBC10. It's A Wonderful Life. George Bailey finds out what the world would have been like without him. James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore star in the 1946 classic.

8:30 p.m., CBS3. Frosty Returns. There's still enough magic in that old silk hat to bring Frosty back for more winter fun.

9 p.m., CBS3. The Flight Before Christmas. A young reindeer yearns to fly like his father in this animated special featuring the voices of Emma Roberts and Norm MacDonald.

9 p.m., ABC Family. Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. Santa (Tim Allen again) squares off against Jack Frost.

8 p.m., ABC Family.

Christmas Cupid

. Here's a new twist on an old tale: A Hollywood publicist is visited by the ghosts of boyfriends past, present, and future.

9 p.m., 6ABC.

Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You.

Mariah sings selections from her new holiday album,

Merry Christmas II You

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9 p.m., ABC Family. A Holiday in Handcuffs. A lonely waitress kidnaps a handsome guy to take home to her parents.

9 p.m., WHYY TV12. The National Christmas Tree Lighting.

10 p.m., WHYY TV12. A Renaissance Christmas. Chicago's Music of the Baroque Chorus and Brass celebrates the sounds of the holidays.

8 p.m., 6ABC.

I Want A Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown.

Rerun's desire for a dog causes all sorts of problems.

8 p.m., Hallmark. Gift of the Magi. An updated version of the classic O. Henry story.

10 p.m., WHYY TV12. Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, featuring Natalie Cole. The Grammy-winning singer joins voices with the famous choir.

8 p.m., TNT

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Christmas in Washington

. Ellen DeGeneres hosts the annual event, which President and Mrs. Obama regularly attend. Scheduled performers include Mariah Carey, Miranda Cosgrove, Annie Lennox, Maxwell, and Matthew Morrison.

8 p.m., CBS3. Yes, Virginia. An animated special recounts the story of little Virginia O'Hanlon, who asked a newspaper editor: "Is there a Santa Claus?" With the voices of Neil Patrick Harris and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

8 p.m., ABC Family. Santa Buddies. The talking puppies travel to the North Pole when Puppy Paws, son of Santa Paws, forgets the meaning of Christmas.

9 p.m., WHYY TV12. Live from Lincoln Center: Baroque Holiday with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Bach's Double Concerto is featured, along with Corelli's Christmas Concerto.

8 p.m., CBS3.

12th Annual 'A Home for the Holidays.

' Songs and stories celebrate adoption.

CBS3

8 p.m. (24-hour marathon), TBS.

A Christmas Story

. A boy in the 1940s Midwest badly wants a Red Ryder BB rifle for Christmas in this tale from 1983. Darren McGavin stars.

8 p.m., NBC10. It's Wonderful Life. And it's back for a Christmas Eve encore.

10 p.m., WHYY TV12. Prima Princessa Presents 'The Nutcracker.' Cartoon fairy ballerina Prima Princessa takes a group of pre-school children on a magical Christmas journey to see a live performance of The Nutcracker.

Noon, 6ABC.

Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade

. The 27th annual special features performers at Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

2 p.m., WHYY TV12, Christmas at Concordia: Journey to Bethlehem. Performers from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., take viewers of all faiths and traditions on a musical journey.

3 p.m., WHYY TV12. Christmas at Belmont. Belmont University grad Trisha Yearwood hosts.

4 p.m., WHYY TV12.

The Spirit of Christmas

. The Mabel Beaton marionettes perform "The Night Before Christmas" and "The Christmas Story" in a vintage production from the 1950s.