Frosty, Rudolph and Nestor (Nestor?): Your guide to holiday TV
It breaks my heart to think there’s an entire generation that isn’t comforted by the knowledge that, no matter how bleak things may seem, everything will turn out OK, just so long as there ain’t no hole in the washtub.
Few things help ring in the Yuletide season quite like “Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas,” Jim Henson’s 1977 ode to the holidays in the holler. Yet, once again, it’s nowhere to be found on TV.
Rudolph, Frosty and Charlie Brown, sure. The “A Christmas Story” marathon is a no-brainer. There’s even room for multiple airings of “Fred Claus” and “Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey.”
“Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey”!
But if you’re hoping to trim your tree while watching the Otter clan, the Riverbottom Nightmare Band and the rest of Frogtown Hollow, you’ll have to seek out the DVD. (Seriously, do it. It’s corny, but totally worth it.)
Anyway, here’s a look at some of the Christmas specials and movies you can see on TV this year. As always, times and dates are subject to change.
NOV. 27
9 a.m.: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — Cirque du Soleil, Kiss, the Muppets (KSNV-TV, Channel 3)
10 a.m.: Thanksgiving with “Friends” — all 10 Thanksgiving episodes, back-to-back (TBS)
7:30 p.m.: “Seinfeld” — Festivus, the feats of strength, the airing of grievances (TBS)
NOV. 28
1 p.m.: “Home Alone” — Macaulay Culkin, booby traps, The Wet Bandits (TBS)
5 p.m.: “How I Met Your Mother” Slapsgiving — seven slap-bet episodes, back-to-back (WGN America)
5:30 p.m.: “Fred Claus” — Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Santa’s estranged brother (TBS)
7 p.m.: “Santa Hunters” — Henderson’s Mace Coronel co-stars in this new movie about a group of kids who face the consequences of videotaping Santa (Nickelodeon)
8 p.m.: “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” — 60 minutes of animation based on that awful Elmo & Patsy song (KVCW-TV, Channel 33)
9 p.m.: “Frosty the Snowman” — Jimmy Durante, Professor Hinkle, “Happy Birthday!” (KLAS-TV, Channel 8)
9 p.m.: “Kung Fu Panda Holiday” — Po, Tigress, The Winter Festival (Channel 33)
9:30 p.m.: “Four Christmases” — Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, fractured families (TBS)
9:30 p.m.: “Yes, Virginia” — Neil Patrick Harris, Jennifer Love Hewitt, the 1897 newspaper editorial (Channel 8)
9:30 p.m.: “Merry Madagascar” — Santa crash lands near Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melvin and the penguins (Channel 33)
NOV. 29
8 p.m.: “The Flight Before Christmas” — Emma Roberts, Norm Macdonald, a flying squirrel (Channel 8)
9 p.m.: “Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever” — the viral sensation (voiced by Aubrey Plaza) learns to love the holidays (Lifetime)
9 p.m.: “The Story of Santa Claus” — Betty White, a wizard, elves (Channel 8)
NOV. 30
1:45 p.m.: “Home Alone” (TBS)
3:45 p.m.: “Surviving Christmas” — Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, one fake family (TBS)
5:45 p.m.: “Fred Claus” (TBS)
7 p.m.: “Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas” — Scrat, Manny, the Christmas Rock (KVVU-TV, Channel 5)
8 p.m.: “Four Christmases” (TBS)
10 p.m.: “Four Christmases” (TBS)
Midnight: “Nothing Like the Holidays” — John Leguizamo, Debra Messing, a Rodriguez family Christmas (TBS)
DEC. 1
2 a.m.: “Surviving Christmas” (TBS)
5 p.m.: “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” — Fred Astaire, Kris Kringle, the Burgermeister (ABC Family)
6 p.m.: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” — the Griswolds, Cousin Eddie, Aunt Bethany’s cat (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” (Channel 33)
8 p.m.: “Elf”: Will Ferrell, James Caan, cotton-headed ninny muggins (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “CMA Country Christmas” — Carrie Underwood, Idina Menzel, LeAnn Rimes (KTNV-TV, Channel 13)
10 p.m.: “The Santa Clause” — Tim Allen, divorce, an Oscar Mayer Weenie Whistle (ABC Family)
Midnight: “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (ABC Family)
DEC. 2
6 p.m.: “Elf” (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “The Santa Clause” (ABC Family)
8:30 p.m.: “A Charlie Brown Christmas” — The Gospel of Luke, the Snoopy dance, that sad little tree (Channel 13)
10 p.m.: “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” — Tim Allen, Martin Short, Jack Frost (ABC Family)
Midnight: “Prancer” — Sam Elliott, Cloris Leachman, a wounded reindeer (ABC Family)
DEC. 3
5 p.m.: “Prancer” (ABC Family)
7 p.m.: “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” — Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, Seth MacFarlane (Channel 3)
9 p.m.: “The Polar Express” — Tom Hanks, Robert Zemeckis, a magical train (ABC Family)
9 p.m.: “SNL Christmas”— highlights from 40 years (Channel 3)
Midnight: “A Very Brady Christmas” — a different Cindy, Mike’s building collapses, cheese-tastic (ABC Family)
DEC. 4
5 p.m.: “Rudolph’s Shiny New Year” — Father Time, Big Ben the whale, Happy’s ears (ABC Family)
6 p.m.: “The Year Without a Santa Claus” — Heat Miser, Snow Miser, Jingle and Jangle (ABC Family)
7 p.m.: “The Polar Express” (ABC Family)
9 p.m.: “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” — Jim Carrey is Scrooge (ABC Family)
DEC. 5
5 p.m.: “The Year Without a Santa Claus” (ABC Family)
6 p.m.: “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “How Murray Saved Christmas” — A deli owner (voiced by Jerry Stiller) fills in for Santa (Channel 3)
8 p.m.: “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas” — live action (ABC Family)
10:30 p.m.: “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (ABC Family)
11:30 p.m.: “Fred Claus” (ABC Family)
DEC. 6
11 a.m.: “Fred Claus” (ABC Family)
1:30 p.m.: “Frosty’s Winter Wonderland” — Andy Griffith, Jack Frost, Frosty gets hitched (ABC Family)
2 p.m.: “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” (ABC Family)
4 p.m.: “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas” — live action (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “It’s a Wonderful Life” — George Bailey, Clarence, Zuzu’s petals (Channel 3)
8 p.m.: “Wally Lamb’s Wishin’ and Hopin’ ” — Chevy Chase narrates, Molly Ringwald and Meat Loaf star (Lifetime)
9 p.m.: “Arthur Christmas” — James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Santa’s clumsy son (ABC Family)
11 p.m.: “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” (ABC Family)
DEC. 7
11:30 a.m.: “Arthur Christmas” (ABC Family)
6 p.m.: “Four Christmases” (TBS)
8 p.m.: “I Love Lucy Christmas Special” — tree trimming, the chocolate factory, colorized (Channel 8)
8:30 p.m.: “Elf” (ABC Family)
11 p.m.: “The Year Without a Santa Claus” (ABC Family)
DEC. 8
5 p.m.: “The Year Without a Santa Claus” (ABC Family)
6 p.m.: “Elf” (ABC Family)
10 p.m.: “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (ABC Family)
DEC. 9
5 p.m.: “Frosty’s Winter Wonderland” (ABC Family)
5 p.m.: “Bad Santa” — Billy Bob Thornton, John Ritter, weird little Thurman (WGN America)
5:30 p.m.: “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” — Scrooge McDuck is Scrooge (ABC Family)
8 p.m. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (Channel 13)
8 p.m.: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” — Hermey, Yukon Cornelius, “She said I’m cuuuute!” (Channel 8)
10 p.m.: “Rudolph’s Shiny New Year” (ABC Family)
DEC. 10
6 p.m.: “The Year Without a Santa Claus” (ABC Family)
9 p.m.: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (ABC Family)
DEC. 11
5 p.m.: “The Shop Around the Corner” — Jimmy Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, “You’ve Got Mail” precursor (TCM)
6:45 p.m.: “Holiday Affair” — Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, romance (TCM)
7 p.m.: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (ABC Family)
8:30 p.m.: “It Happened on 5th Avenue” — Victor Moore, Don DeFore, holiday squatters (TCM)
9 p.m.: “Scrooged” — Dickens, Bill Murray, “The Night the Reindeer Died” (ABC Family)
10 p.m.: “The National Christmas Tree Lighting” (Channel 10)
DEC. 12
5:30 p.m.: “Scrooged” (ABC Family)
7 p.m.: “White Christmas” — Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Irving Berlin (AMC)
7:30 p.m.: “The Santa Clause” (ABC Family)
9:30 p.m.: “Four Christmases” (TBS)
9:30 p.m.: “Miracle on 34th Street” — Richard Attenborough, 1994 (ABC Family)
9:45 p.m.: “White Christmas” (AMC)
DEC. 13
11 a.m.: “Home Alone 3” — No Macaulay Culkin, no Wet Bandits, no reason to watch (ABC Family)
1 p.m.: “Prancer” (ABC Family)
3 p.m.: “Miracle on 34th Street” — 1994 (ABC Family)
3:30 p.m.: “Nothing Like the Holidays” (TBS)
5:30 p.m.: “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (ABC Family)
6 p.m.: “The Santa Clause” (ABC Family)
7 p.m.: “Miracle on 34th Street” — Maureen O’Hara, Natalie Wood, 1947 (AMC)
8 p.m.: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (ABC Family)
9:30 p.m.: “Frosty Returns” — Jonathan Winters, John Goodman, Summer Wheeze (Channel 8)
9:45 p.m.: “Miracle on 34th Street” — 1947 (AMC)
10 p.m.: “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (ABC Family)
11 p.m.: “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (ABC Family)
11:30 p.m.: “Fred Claus” (ABC Family)
DEC. 14
12:30 a.m.: “Nothing Like the Holidays” (TBS)
7 a.m.: “Miracle on 34th Street” — 1994 (ABC Family)
9:30 a.m.: “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” (ABC Family)
1:30 p.m.: “Fred Claus” (ABC Family)
4 p.m.: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (ABC Family)
6 p.m.: “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas” — live action (ABC Family)
7:30 p.m.: “Bad Santa” (WGN America)
9 p.m.: “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas” — live action (ABC Family)
DEC. 15
8 p.m.: “The Year Without a Santa Claus” (ABC Family)
9 p.m.: “The Polar Express” (ABC Family)
DEC. 16
6:30 p.m.: “The Polar Express” (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (Channel 13)
8 p.m.: “Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas” — Jim Parsons voices Buddy in this stop-motion spinoff (Channel 3)
8:30 p.m.: “Home Alone” (ABC Family)
DEC. 17
1 p.m.: “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” (ABC Family)
4:30 p.m.: “The Year Without a Santa Claus” (ABC Family)
5:30 p.m.: “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (ABC Family)
6:30 p.m.: “Home Alone” (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “Michael Buble’s Christmas in New York” — Barbra Streisand, Ariana Grande, The Rockettes (Channel 3)
8 p.m.: “A Christmas Carol” — Patrick Stewart is Scrooge, 1999 (TNT)
8 p.m.: “White Christmas” (AMC)
9 p.m.: “The Santa Clause” (ABC Family)
10 p.m.: “A Christmas Carol” — 1999 (TNT)
10:45 p.m.: “White Christmas” (AMC)
DEC. 18
3 p.m.: “Prancer” (ABC Family)
5 p.m.: “A Christmas Carol” — Reginald Owen is Scrooge, 1938 (TCM)
5 p.m.: “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas” — Kelsey Grammer narrates (ABC Family)
6:15 p.m.: “Scrooge” — Albert Finney is Scrooge, 1970 (TCM)
6:30 p.m.: “The Santa Clause” (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2014” — Taylor Swift, Iggy Azalea, Maroon 5 (Channel 33)
8 p.m.: “Miracle on 34th Street” — 1947 (AMC)
8:15 p.m.: “Scrooge” — Seymour Hicks is Scrooge, 1935 (TCM)
8:30 p.m.: “Fred Claus” (ABC Family)
9:45 p.m.: “A Carol for Another Christmas” — Rod Serling, Peter Sellers, Dickens twist (TCM)
10:15 p.m.: “Miracle on 34th Street” — 1947 (AMC)
DEC. 19
11 a.m.: “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (ABC Family)
11:30 a.m.: “Prancer” (ABC Family)
3:30 p.m.: “Fred Claus” (ABC Family)
6 p.m.: “Home Alone” (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” — Magoo is Scrooge (Channel 33)
8 p.m.: “Elf” (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “Christmas in Washington” — holiday concert (TNT)
9 p.m.: “A Home for the Holidays” — Jennifer Hudson, Train, Earth Wind & Fire (Channel 8)
9 p.m.: “Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Featuring Deborah Voigt and John Rhys-Davies” (Channel 10)
9:30 p.m.: “Kung Fu Panda Holiday” (Channel 33)
10 p.m.: “Christmas in Washington” (TNT)
10 p.m.: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (ABC Family)
10 p.m.: “Christmas in Norway with the St. Olaf Choir” (Channel 10)
Midnight: “Scrooged” (ABC Family)
Midnight: “A Christmas Carol” — 1999 (TNT)
DEC. 20
11 a.m.: “The Year Without a Santa Claus” (ABC Family)
Noon: “Arthur Christmas” (ABC Family)
2 p.m.: “Home Alone” (ABC Family)
4 p.m.: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “I Want A Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!” — ReRun, Spike, the lesser Peanuts (Channel 13)
8 p.m.: “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas” — live action (ABC Family)
9 p.m.: “CMA Country Christmas” (Channel 13)
10:30 p.m.: “Home Alone” (ABC Family)
DEC. 21
1 a.m.: “A Miser Brothers’ Christmas” — Heat Miser and Snow Miser return (ABC Family)
9 a.m.: “Arthur Christmas” (ABC Family)
1:30 p.m.: “Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey” — basically “Rudolph,” but with a donkey and baby Jesus (ABC Family)
1:30 p.m.: “Celtic Woman: Home for Christmas” (Channel 10)
2 p.m.: “Rudolph’s Shiny New Year” (ABC Family)
3 p.m.: Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (ABC Family)
4 p.m.: “The Year Without a Santa Claus” (ABC Family)
5 p.m.: “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas” — live action (ABC Family)
6:10 p.m.: “The Muppet Christmas Carol” — Michael Caine is Scrooge (WGN America)
7 p.m.: “Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Featuring Deborah Voigt and John Rhys-Davies” (Channel 10)
7:30 p.m.: “Home Alone” (ABC Family)
9 p.m.: “Four Christmases” (TNT)
10 p.m.: “The Polar Express” (ABC Family)
Midnight: “Four Christmases” (TNT)
DEC. 22
2 a.m.: “Surviving Christmas” (TNT)
9 a.m.: “Miracle on 34th Street” — 1947 (AMC)
1:45 p.m.: “Miracle on 34th Street” — 1947 (AMC)
5 p.m.: “Frosty’s Winter Wonderland” (ABC Family)
5:30 p.m.: Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (ABC Family)
6:30 p.m.: “Miracle on 34th Street” — 1947 (AMC)
6:30 p.m.: Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (ABC Family)
7:30 p.m.: “The Year Without a Santa Claus” (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2014” (Channel 33)
8 p.m.: “The Four Days of Simps-mas” — every “Simpsons” Christmas episode ever (FXX)
9 p.m.: “The Santa Clause” (ABC Family)
DEC. 23
7 a.m.: “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas” (ABC Family)
9:15 a.m.: “White Christmas” (AMC)
4:30 p.m.: “The Santa Clause” (ABC Family)
7 p.m.: “Home Alone” (ABC Family)
7:30 p.m.: “Seinfeld” Festivus (TBS)
8 p.m.: “Shrek the Halls” — Shrek, Donkey, Christmas Eve (Channel 13)
9 p.m.: “The Polar Express” (ABC Family)
Midnight: “Arthur Christmas” (ABC Family)
DEC. 24
3 a.m.: “Scrooge” — 1935 (TCM)
7 a.m.: “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (ABC Family)
7:30 a.m.: “Arthur Christmas” (ABC Family)
9:15 a.m.: “It Happened on Fifth Avenue” (TCM)
11:30 a.m.: “Miracle on 34th Street” — 1947 (AMC)
1 p.m.: “The Shop Around the Corner” (TCM)
1:45 p.m.: “White Christmas” (AMC)
3 p.m.: “The Polar Express” (ABC Family)
5 p.m.: “Home Alone” (ABC Family)
7 p.m.: “Christmas in Connecticut” — Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, food fakery (TCM)
7 p.m.: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (ABC Family)
8 p.m.: “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” (Channel 33)
8 p.m.: 24 Hours of “A Christmas Story” — Ralphie, Mommy’s little piggy, “You’ll shoot your eye out” (TBS, TNT)
8 p.m.: 24 Hours of “A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas” — weed, Ukrainian mobsters, Neil Patrick Harris (FXX)
8 p.m.: “It’s a Wonderful Life” (Channel 3)
9 p.m.: “Elf” (ABC Family)
9:30 p.m.: “Merry Madagascar” — Santa crashes near Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melvin and the penguins (Channel 33)
Midnight: “Scrooged” (ABC Family)
DEC. 25
7 a.m.: “Frosty’s Winter Wonderland” (ABC Family)
8 a.m.: “A Christmas Carol” — 1938 (TCM)
8 a.m.: “Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey” (ABC Family)
8:30 a.m.: “ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” — Joel Grey, mice, Santa’s clock (ABC Family)
9 a.m.: “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (ABC Family)
9:15 a.m.: “Holiday Affair” (TCM)
11 a.m.: “Home Alone” (ABC Family)
1 p.m.: “Rudolph’s Shiny New Year” (ABC Family)
2 p.m.: “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (ABC Family)
3 p.m.: “The Year Without a Santa Claus” (ABC Family)
5 p.m.: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (ABC Family)
7 p.m.: “Elf” (ABC Family)
8:30 p.m.: “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas” — Boris Karloff, animated (Channel 13)
9 p.m.: “Home Alone” (ABC Family)
Midnight: “Home Alone” 3 (ABC Family)
Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567.
