‘Glee’ kids benched, but there’s plenty of other holiday fun

It's almost enough to make you stop believin'.

By all accounts, the "Glee" cast was set to celebrate the end of a breakthrough year by performing their signature Journey cover song during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (9 a.m. Thursday, KVBC-TV, Channel 3).

Then the Grinches at NBC banned the young actors because they're on the competing Fox network. This despite the fact that Fox's Bart Simpson balloon has been a mainstay of the parade, the unofficial kickoff to TV's holiday season, since 1990.

It's not like Fox was pushing for dancing pharmaceuticals on a "House"-themed "12 Pills of Christmas" float. Or a "The Holidays Can Be Torture" float with "24's" Jack Bauer waterboarding Santa through Columbus Circle. They're a bunch of singing kids!

Maybe next year "Glee's" producers will just pony up for a giant, inflatable likeness of Sue Sylvester, the cheerleading coach played by Jane Lynch.

Until then, here's a look at this season's holiday specials. And, as always, times and dates are subject to change:

NEW THIS YEAR

Man's best friend takes center stage with "A Dog Named Christmas" (9 p.m. Nov. 29, KLAS-TV, Channel 8), a "Hallmark Hall of Fame" movie about a developmentally challenged young man's involvement with an animal shelter, and "The Dog Who Saved Christmas" (8 p.m. Nov. 29, ABC Family), which sounds an awful lot like "Home Alone" with a pooch (voiced by Mario Lopez) in the lead role.

Hallmark Channel original movies depict Christmas set against the backdrop of the civil rights movement -- "Christmas in Canaan," starring Billy Ray Cyrus (8 p.m. Dec. 12) -- and the plight of orphans -- "The Three Gifts," with Dean Cain (8 p.m. Dec. 19).

And Kristin Chenoweth stars as a Manhattan publicist who finds love in Montana while working on a charity hunk-of-the-month calendar in "The 12 Men of Christmas" (9 p.m. Dec. 5, Lifetime).

New animated specials include the Curious George adventure "A Very Monkey Christmas" (8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Wednesday, KLVX-TV, Channel 10); the movie spinoff "Merry Madagascar" (8 p.m. Saturday, Channel 3); "Disney Prep & Landing" (8:30 p.m. Dec. 1, KTNV-TV, Channel 13), a look at the elves who prepare homes for Santa's arrival; and "Yes, Virginia" (8 p.m. Dec. 11, Channel 8), based on the famous newspaper editorial.

Carrie Underwood performs her own hits as well as Christmas classics on "Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special" (8 p.m. Dec. 7, KVVU-TV, Channel 5). And Jennifer Hudson performs holiday favorites on "Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas" (8 p.m. Dec. 14, Channel 13).

Oprah Winfrey visits the Obamas for "Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special" (10 p.m. Dec. 13, Channel 13), while "Saturday Night Live Christmas 2009" (8 p.m. Dec. 17, Channel 3) mines the show's 35-year history for holiday laughs.

RETURNING FAVORITES

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" -- 8 p.m. Dec. 1, 8 p.m. Dec. 8 (Channel 13)

"A Christmas Carol" (1984) -- 2 p.m. Nov. 29 (Hallmark)

"Christmas in Rockefeller Center" -- 8 p.m. Dec. 2 (Channel 3)

"Christmas in Washington" -- 8 p.m. Dec. 20 (TNT)

"A Christmas Story" -- 24-hour marathon begins at 8 p.m. Dec. 24 (TBS)

"Elf" -- 9 p.m. Saturday (USA); 8 p.m. Dec. 19 (Channel 8)

"Eloise at Christmastime" -- 5 p.m. Dec. 14 (ABC Family)

"A Flintstone Christmas" -- 10 p.m. Dec. 10, 7 a.m. Dec. 19 (ABC Family)

"Frosty Returns" -- 8:30 p.m. Dec. 18 (Channel 8)

"Frosty the Snowman" -- 8 p.m. Dec. 18 (Channel 8)

"Frosty's Winter Wonderland" -- 7 p.m. Dec. 4, 11 a.m. Dec. 12, 10:30 p.m. Dec. 16, 6 p.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

"The Hollywood Christmas Parade" -- 8 p.m. Dec. 10, 8 p.m. Dec. 24 (KVMY-TV, Channel 21)

"Home Alone" -- 12-hour marathon starts at noon Thursday (FX)

"A Home for the Holidays" -- 8 p.m. Dec. 23 (Channel 8)

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (animated) -- 8 p.m. today (TBS); 8 p.m. Nov. 30 (Channel 13)

"I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown" -- 8 p.m. Dec. 21 (Channel 13)

"It's a Wonderful Life" -- 8 p.m. Dec. 12, 8 p.m. Dec. 24 (Channel 3)

"Jack Frost" -- 10 p.m. Dec. 7, 10 a.m. Dec. 12, 7 p.m. Dec. 17, 5 p.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

"Jingle All the Way" -- 10 p.m. Dec. 17, 8:30 a.m. Dec. 19, 7 a.m. Dec. 20, 11 a.m. Dec. 25 (ABC Family)

"The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus" -- 7 a.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

"The Little Drummer Boy" -- 7 a.m. Dec. 12, 8 a.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

"Mickey's Christmas Carol" -- 7 p.m. Dec. 8, 7 p.m. Dec. 16, 11 a.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

"Miracle on 34th Street" (1994) -- 8 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17, 3:30 p.m. Dec. 25 (ABC Family)

"A Miser Brothers' Christmas" -- 9 p.m. Dec. 8, 4 p.m. Dec. 12, 10 p.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

"A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa" -- 8 p.m. Dec. 11, 8 p.m. Dec. 19 (Channel 3)

"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" -- 8 and 10:15 p.m. Nov. 30 (AMC)

"The Polar Express" -- 6 and 8:30 p.m. Dec. 3, 10 p.m. Dec. 23 (ABC Family)

"Rudolph & Frosty's Christmas in July" -- Noon Dec. 12, 1:30 p.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" -- 8 p.m. Dec. 2 (Channel 8)

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys" -- 9 p.m. Dec. 9, 7 p.m. Dec. 15, 3:30 p.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

"Rudolph's Shiny New Year" -- 10 p.m. Dec. 8, 7 p.m. Dec. 9, 2 p.m. Dec. 12, 7 p.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" -- 8 p.m. Dec. 7, (Channel 13); 8 p.m. Dec. 9, 7 p.m. Dec. 10, 5 p.m. Dec. 12, 8 p.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

"The Santa Clause" -- 9 p.m. today, noon Monday (Disney); 9 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday (TBS)

"Seinfeld's" Festivus episode -- 8:30 p.m. Dec. 7 (TBS)

"Shrek the Halls" -- 8:30 p.m. Nov. 30 (Channel 13)

"'Twas the Night Before Christmas" -- 7 p.m. Dec. 7, 10:30 p.m. Dec. 9, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

"A Very Brady Christmas" -- 1 p.m. Dec. 22 (ABC Family)

"Winnie the Pooh and Christmas, Too" -- 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16, 11:30 a.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

"WWE Tribute to the Troops" -- 9 p.m. Dec. 19 (Channel 3)

"The Year Without a Santa Claus" -- 7 p.m. Dec. 1, 8 p.m. Dec. 8, 7 p.m. Dec. 11, 3 p.m. Dec. 12, 9 p.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

Christopher Lawrence's Life on the Couch column appears on Sundays. E-mail him at clawrence@ reviewjournal.com.