Complete Christmas television listings

As promised in Night & Day, here is the complete list of holiday special airtimes for Christmas 2008

The Waltons: Thanksgiving Story Part 1	Hallmark	Nov. 27, 8am
The Waltons: Thanksgiving Story Part 2	Hallmark	Nov. 27, 9am
CBS Thanksgiving Parade	CBS	Nov. 27, 9am
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade	NBC	Nov. 27, 9am
A Holiday to Remember	ABC Family	Nov. 27, 1pm
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)	NBC	Nov 27, 2pm
Unlikely Angel	ABC Family	Nov. 27, 3pm
Christmas With the Kranks	FX	Nov. 27, 4pm
Santa Jr	ABC Family	Nov. 27, 5pm
Home Alone	FX	Nov. 27, 6pm
Home Alone 3	ABC Family	Nov. 27, 7pm
Home Alone 4	ABC Family	Nov. 27, 9pm
An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving	Hallmark	Nov. 27, 9pm
Papa’s Angels	Hallmark	Nov. 27, 11pm
Silent Night	Hallmark	Nov. 27, 1am
Thanksgiving Weekend
Mrs. Santa Claus	ABC Family	Nov. 28, 7am
The Waltons (Thanksgiving)	Hallmark	Nov. 28, 8am
The Waltons: The Children’s Carol Part 1	Hallmark	Nov. 28, 9am
The Waltons: The Children’s Carol Part 2	Hallmark	Nov. 28, 10am
Snowglobe	ABC Family	Nov. 28, 11am
Little House on the Prairie	Hallmark	Nov. 28, 11am
Silent Night	Hallmark	Nov. 28, 1pm
The Christmas List	ABC Family	Nov. 28, 3pm
Papa’s Angels	Hallmark	Nov. 28, 3pm
The Family Man	ABC Family	Nov. 28, 5pm
Fallen Angel	Hallmark	Nov. 28, 5pm
Silver Bells	Hallmark	Nov. 28, 7pm
The Family Man	ABC Family	Nov. 28, 8pm
A Boyfriend for Christmas	Hallmark	Nov. 28, 9pm
The Santa Clause	TBS	Nov. 28, 9pm
Fallen Angel	Hallmark	Nov. 28, 11pm
Silver Bells	Hallmark	Nov. 28, 1am
Santa Who?	ABC Family	Nov. 29, 8am
Ms. Scrooge	Hallmark	Nov. 29, 9am
Sons of Mistletoe	ABC Family	Nov. 29, 10am
One Magic Christmas	Hallmark	Nov. 29, 11am
Deck the Halls	HBO Family	Nov. 29, 11:30am
A Boyfriend for Christmas	Hallmark	Nov. 29, 3pm
Eloise at Christmastime	ABC Family	Nov. 29, 5pm
Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus	Hallmark	Nov. 29, 5pm
Meet the Santa’s	Hallmark	Nov. 29, 7pm
Deck the Halls	HBO Family	Nov. 29, 7pm
Moonlight & Mistletoe	Hallmark	Nov. 29, 9pm
All I Want for Christmas	Hallmark	Nov. 29, 1am
Once Upon a Christmas	ABC Family	Nov.30, 8am
Twice Upon a Christmas	ABC Family	Nov.30, 10am
All I Want for Christmas	Hallmark	Nov.30, 11am
Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus	Hallmark	Nov.30, 1pm
Meet the Santa’s	Hallmark	Nov.30, 3pm
Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish	ABC Family	Nov.30, 4pm
A Town Without a Christmas	Hallmark	Nov.30, 5pm
Home Alone 3	ABC Family	Nov.30, 6pm
The Bishop’s Wife	TCM	Nov.30, 6pm
Elf	USA	Nov.30, 6pm
When Angels Come to Town	Hallmark	Nov.30, 7pm
A Dennis the Menace Christmas	ABC Family	Nov.30, 8pm
Finding John Christmas	Hallmark	Nov.30, 9pm
A Dennis the Menace Christmas	ABC Family	Nov.30, 10pm
A Town Without Christmas	Hallmark	Nov.30, 11pm
When Angels Come to Town	Hallmark	Nov.30, 1am
Shrek the Halls	ABC Family	Dec. 1, 8pm
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas	ABC	Dec. 1, 8pm
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 1, 8:30pm
Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus	Hallmark	Dec. 1, 9pm
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 1, 10pm
Felicity: An American Girl Adventure	Hallmark	Dec. 1, 11pm
The Polar Express	ABC Family	Dec. 2, 6pm
The Polar Express	ABC Family	Dec. 2, 8:30pm
Meet the Santa’s	Hallmark	Dec. 2, 9pm
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday	Hallmark	Dec. 2, 11pm
12 Days of Christmas Eve	USA	Dec. 2, 2am
Christmas in Rockefeller Center	NBC	Dec. 3, 8pm
An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving	Hallmark	Dec. 3, 9pm
Silent Night	Hallmark	Dec. 3, 11pm
Naughty or Nice	Hallmark	Dec. 4, 9pm
Anne Tyler’s Saint Maybe	Hallmark	Dec. 4, 11pm
Home Improvement	TBS	Dec. 5, 2:30pm
Frosty’s Winter Wonderland	ABC Family	Dec. 5, 7pm
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas	ABC	Dec. 5, 8pm
Moonlight & Mistletoe	Hallmark	Dec. 5, 9pm
A Grandpa for Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 5, 11pm
Scrooge	TCM	Dec. 5, 12am
The Note	Hallmark	Dec. 5, 1am
Christmas Every Day	ABC Family	Dec. 6., 7:30am
Off Season	Hallmark	Dec. 6., 9am
Home Alone 3	ABC Family	Dec. 6., 9:30am
A Christmas Memory	Hallmark	Dec. 6., 11am
Home Alone 4	ABC Family	Dec. 6., 11:30am
Holiday Affair	TMC	Dec. 6., 12:30pm
A Town Without a Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 6., 1pm
Finding John Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 6., 3pm
When Angels Come to Town	Hallmark	Dec. 6., 5pm
The Note	Hallmark	Dec. 6., 7pm
The Christmas Choir	Hallmark	Dec. 6., 9pm
Silver Bells	Hallmark	Dec. 6., 11pm
Home Alone 3	ABC Family	Dec. 6., 12am
Eloise at Christmastime	ABC Family	Dec. 7, 8:30am
TV Land Merry-thon	TV Land	Dec. 7, 9am
Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish	ABC Family	Dec. 7, 10:30am
Anne Tyler’s Saint Maybe	Hallmark	Dec. 7, 11am
Papa’s Angels	Hallmark	Dec. 7, 1pm
Silver Bells	Hallmark	Dec. 7, 3pm
A Season for Miracles	Hallmark	Dec. 7, 5pm
A Christmas Visitor	Hallmark	Dec. 7, 7pm
The Christmas Card	Hallmark	Dec. 7, 9pm
A Season for Miracles	Hallmark	Dec. 7, 11pm
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 8, 7pm
Cranberry Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 8, 7:30pm
A Charlie Brown Christmas	ABC	Dec. 8, 8pm
Jingle All the Way	ABC Family	Dec. 8, 8pm
Ms. Scrooge	Hallmark	Dec. 8, 11pm
A Garfield Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 9, 7pm
A Dennis the Menace Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 9, 8pm
A Season for Miracles	Hallmark	Dec. 9, 9pm
A Garfield Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 9, 10:30pm
Angel in the Family	Hallmark	Dec. 9, 11pm
Three Wise Guys	USA	Dec. 10, 11am
Mickey’s Christmas Carol	ABC Family	Dec. 10, 7pm
Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too	ABC Family	Dec. 10, 7:30pm
Macy’s Presents Little Spirit: Christmas in NY	NBC	Dec. 10, 8pm
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town	ABC Family	Dec. 10, 8pm
Rudolph’s Shiny New Year	ABC Family	Dec. 10, 9pm
Silver Bells	Hallmark	Dec. 10, 9pm
Jack Frost	ABC Family	Dec. 10, 10pm
Elf	USA	Dec. 10, 10pm
Fallen Angel	Hallmark	Dec. 10, 11pm
The Bishop’s Wife	TCM	Dec. 10, 11:30pm
Elf	USA	Dec. 10, 2am
Rudolph’s Shiny New Year	ABC Family	Dec. 11, 7pm
The Year Without a Santa Claus	ABC Family	Dec. 11, 8pm
The Bells of St. Mary’s	TCM	Dec. 11, 8pm
Rudolph & the Island of Misfit Toys	ABC Family	Dec. 11, 9pm
Moonlight & Mistletoe	Hallmark	Dec. 11, 9pm
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 11, 10:30pm
Finding John Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 11, 11pm
The Holly & the Ivy	TCM	Dec. 11, 8pm
The Christmas Choir	Hallmark	Dec. 11, 9pm
A Christmas Visitor	Hallmark	Dec. 11, 11pm
Frosty’s Winter Wonderland	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 7am
The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 7:30am
The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 8am
The Little Drummer Boy	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 9am
One Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 13, 9am
The Little Drummer Boy Book II	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 9:30am
Pinocchio’s Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 10am
The Story of the First Christmas Snow	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 11am
All I Want for Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 13, 11am
Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 11:30am
A Garfield Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 12pm
A Cranberry Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 12:30pm
Jack Frost	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 1pm
One Magic Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 13, 1pm
Rudolph & Frosty’s Christmas in July	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 2pm
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 4pm
Christmas in Connecticut	TCM	Dec. 13, 4pm
Frosty’s Winter Wonderland	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 4:30pm
Rudolph’s Shiny New Year	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 5pm
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday	Hallmark	Dec. 13, 5pm
Elf	USA	Dec. 13, 5pm
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 6.00pm
It’s A Wonderful Life	NBC	Dec. 13, 7pm
The Year Without a Santa Claus	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 7pm
All I Want for Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 13, 7pm
A Miser Brothers’ Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 13, 8pm
‘Twas the Night	HBO Family	Dec. 13, 8:30pm
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year	Hallmark	Dec. 13, 9pm
The Perfect Holiday	Starz	Dec. 13, 9pm
Eve’s Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 13, 10
A Boyfriend for Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 13, 11
Festival of Christmas Shorts	TCM	Dec. 14, 5:30am
Jack Frost	ABC Family	Dec. 14, 7am
Sons of Mistletoe	ABC Family	Dec. 14, 8am
A Carol Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 14, 10am
Snowglobe	ABC Family	Dec. 14, 12pm
Fallen Angel	Hallmark	Dec. 14, 1pm
Santa Baby	ABC Family	Dec. 14, 2pm
What I Did for Love	Hallmark	Dec. 14, 3pm
Elf	USA	Dec. 14, 3pm
Holiday in Handcuffs	ABC Family	Dec. 14, 4pm
A Boyfriend for Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 14, 5pm
The Perfect Holiday	Starz	Dec. 14, 5:35pm
Snow	ABC Family	Dec. 14, 6pm
Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus	Hallmark	Dec. 14, 7pm
The Santa Clause 3	Starz	Dec. 14, 7:20pm
Snow 2: Brain Freeze	ABC Family	Dec. 14, 8pm
Meet the Santas	Hallmark	Dec. 14, 9pm
Snow 2: Brain Freeze	ABC Family	Dec. 14, 10pm
The Road to Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 14, 10pm
Naughty or Nice	Hallmark	Dec. 14, 11pm
One Magic Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 14, 1am
Mr. St. Nick	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 15, 8am
A Hollywood Christmas	Starz Kids	Dec. 15, 8:30am
A Hollywood Christmas	Starz Kids	Dec. 15, 3:15pm
A Song for the Season	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 15, 4pm
The Man Who Saved Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 15, 6pm
Rudolph & the Island of Misfit Toys	ABC Family	Dec. 15, 7pm
Elf	USA	Dec. 15, 7pm
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown	ABC	Dec. 15, 8pm
A Town without a Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 15, 9pm
Timepiece	Hallmark	Dec. 15, 11pm
A Very Cool Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 15, 2am
The Perfect Holiday	Starz	Dec. 16, 9:15am
Borrowed Hearts	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 16, 6pm
Mickey’s Christmas Carol	ABC Family	Dec. 16, 7pm
Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too	ABC Family	Dec. 16, 7:30pm
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)	HBO Family	Dec. 16, 8:30pm
Finding John Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 16, 9pm
The Perfect Holiday	Starz	Dec. 16, 9pm
Home Alone 2	Encore WAM	Dec. 16, 12:35am
On the 2nd Day of Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 16, 2am
A Fare to Remember	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 16, 3:50am
The Perfect Holiday	Starz	Dec. 17, 6:35am
The Christmas Secret	ABC Family	Dec. 17, 7am
Home Alone 2	Encore WAM	Dec. 17, 8:50am
Stealing Christmas	ABC Famil	Dec. 17, 9am
Deck the Halls	Cinemax	Dec. 17, 9am
The Family Holiday	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 17, 6pm
A Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus	ABC Family	Dec. 17, 7pm
Home Alone 2	Encore WAM	Dec. 17, 7:45pm
Letters to Santa: A Muppets Christmas	NBC	Dec. 17, 8pm
Snow 2: Brain Freeze	ABC Family	Dec. 17, 9pm
When Angels Come to Town	Hallmark	Dec. 17, 9pm
The Christmas Gift	Hallmark	Dec. 17, 11pm
All She Wants for Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 17, 2am
A Carol Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 18, 7am
A Hollywood Christmas	Starz Kids	Dec. 18, 7:25am
Christmas Caper	ABC Family	Dec. 18, 9am
The True Gift	Starz Kids	Dec. 18, 12:20pm
A Hollywood Christmas	Starz Kids	Dec. 18, 2:55pm
A Very Married Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 18, 6pm
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Movie)	ABC Family	Dec. 18, 8pm
The Christmas Choir	Hallmark	Dec. 18, 9pm
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Movie)	ABC Family	Dec. 18, 10:30pm
Papa’s Angels	Hallmark	Dec. 18, 11pm
His & Her Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 18, 2am
Once Upon a Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 19, 7am
Twice Upon a Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 19, 9am
2 Dogs of Christmas	Starz Kids	Dec. 19, 9am
North Station	Starz Kids	Dec. 19, 10:50am
The Perfect Holiday	Starz	Dec. 19, 5:20pm
Noel	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 19, 6pm
A Miser Brothers’ Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 19, 7pm
The Santa Clause 2	ABC Family	Dec. 19, 8pm
The Bishop’s Wife	TCM	Dec. 19, 8pm
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year	Hallmark	Dec. 19, 9pm
The Santa Clause 2	ABC Family	Dec. 19, 10pm
Christmas in Connecticut	TCM	Dec. 19, 10pm
Holiday Affair	TCM	Dec. 19, 11:45pm
Tenth Avenue Angel	TCM	Dec. 19, 1:15am
This Christmas	Starz Kids	Dec. 19, 1:20am
Secret of Giving	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 19, 2am
The Perfect Holiday	Starz	Dec. 20, 5:50am
All I Want for Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 20, 7am
Home Alone 2	Starz	Dec. 20, 7:35am
A Very Brady Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 20, 9am
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus	ABC Family	Dec. 20, 11am
The Waltons (The Children’s Carol)	Hallmark	Dec. 20, 11am
Snow 2: Brain Freeze	ABC Family	Dec. 20, 1pm
Papa’s Angels	Hallmark	Dec. 20, 1pm
The Perfect Holiday	Starz	Dec. 20, 2:05pm
The Bells of St. Mary’s	TCM	Dec. 20, 2:30pm
Jingle All the Way	ABC Family	Dec. 20, 3pm
Naughty or Nice	Hallmark	Dec. 20, 3pm
A Christmas Carol	TCM	Dec. 20, 4:45pm
The Family Man	ABC Family	Dec. 20, 5pm
Moonlight & Mistletoe	Hallmark	Dec. 20, 5pm
Christmas Child	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 20, 6pm
Scrooge	TCM	Dec. 20, 6pm
Silver Bells	Hallmark	Dec. 20, 7pm
Christmas in Wonderland	ABC Family	Dec. 20, 8pm
Our First Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 20, 9pm
Christmas in Wonderland	ABC Family	Dec. 20, 10pm
A Grandpa for Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 20, 11pm
This Christmas	Starz Kids	Dec. 20, 11:30pm
Jingle All the Way	ABC Family	Dec. 20, 12am
Silver Bells	Hallmark	Dec. 20, 1am
Home by Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 20, 2am
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 21, 7am
Rudolph’s Shiny New Year	ABC Family	Dec. 21, 7:30am
TV Land Merry-thon Begins	TV Land	Dec. 21, 8am
Rudolph & the Island of Misfit Toys	ABC Family	Dec. 21, 8:30am
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town	Starz Kids	Dec. 21, 10am
The Year Without a Santa Claus	ABC Family	Dec. 21, 11am
Off Season	ABC Family	Dec. 21, 11am
A Miser Brothers’ Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 21, 12pm
The Note	ABC Family	Dec. 21, 1pm
A Grandpa for Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 21, 3pm
Our First Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 21, 5pm
Home Alone 2	Hallmark	Dec. 21, 6pm
‘Twas the Night	HBO Family	Dec. 21, 6:30pm
Felicity: An American Girl Adventure	Hallmark	Dec. 21, 7pm
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday	Hallmark	Dec. 21, 9pm
The Year Without a Santa Claus	ABC Family	Dec. 21, 11pm
A Boyfriend for Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 21, 11pm
The Note	Hallmark	Dec. 21, 1am
Holiday Wishes	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 21, 2am
Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish	ABC Family	Dec. 22, 7am
Deck the Halls	Action Max	Dec. 22, 8am
A Dennis the Menace Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 22, 9am
A Very Fairy Christmas	Starz Kids	Dec. 22, 10:45am
The Polar Express	ABC Family	Dec. 22, 6pm
Shrek the Halls	ABC	Dec. 22, 8pm
The Polar Express	ABC Family	Dec. 22, 8:30pm
Moonlight & Mistletoe	Hallmark	Dec. 22, 9pm
Papa’s Angels	Hallmark	Dec. 22, 11pm
The Christmas Wish	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 22, 3am
MGM Parade Show	TCM	Dec. 23, 5:15am
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)	HBO2	Dec. 23, 6am
The Christmas List	ABC Family	Dec. 23, 7am
Mrs. Santa Claus	ABC Family	Dec. 23, 9am
Tenth Avenue Angel	TCM	Dec. 23, 9:15am
Scrooge (1970 Albert Finney)	TCM	Dec. 23, 12:30pm
Bush Christmas	TCM	Dec. 23, 2:30pm
White Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 23, 6pm
Recipe for a Perfect Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 23, 6pm
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas	ABC	Dec. 23, 8pm
White Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 23, 9pm
The Christmas Choir	Hallmark	Dec. 23, 9pm
A Town Without a Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 23, 11pm
Miracle at Sage Creek	Starz Kids	Dec. 23, 1am
If You Believe	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 23, 2am
The Boy Who Saved Christmas	Starz Kids	Dec. 23, 2:40am
A Christmas Carol (1938)	TCM	Dec. 24, 6:15am
A Hollywood Christmas	Starz Kids	Dec. 24, 6:25am
Eloise at Christmastime	ABC Family	Dec. 24, 7am
Christmas in Connecticut	TCM	Dec. 24, 7:30am
The Waltons (The Spirit)	Hallmark	Dec. 24, 8am
Christmas in Paradise	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 24, 8am
The Waltons (The Children’s Carol)	Hallmark	Dec. 24, 9am
Home Alone 2	Starz	Dec. 24, 10:30am
Christmas in Wonderland	ABC Family	Dec. 24, 11am
A Town without Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 24, 11am
North Station	Starz Kids	Dec. 24, 11:25am
Holiday Affair	TCM	Dec. 24, 12:45pm
Rudolph & Frosty’s Christmas in July	ABC Family	Dec. 24, 1pm
When Angels Come to Town	Hallmark	Dec. 24, 1pm
The Christmas Dinosaur	Starz Kids	Dec. 24, 1:20pm
Deck the Halls	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 24, 2pm
Miracle at Sage Creek	Starz Kids	Dec. 24, 2:50pm
Frosty’s Winder Wonderland	ABC Family	Dec. 24, 3pm
Finding John Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 24, 3pm
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 24, 3:30pm
Rudolph’s Shiny New Year	ABC Family	Dec. 24, 4pm
Crazy for Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 24, 4pm
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town	ABC Family	Dec. 24, 5pm
The Christmas Choir	Hallmark	Dec. 24, 5pm
The Year without a Santa Claus	ABC Family	Dec. 24, 6pm
An Accidental Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 24, 6pm
The Santa Clause 3	Starz Kids	Dec. 24, 6pm
The Bishop’s Wife	TCM	Dec. 24, 6pm
A Miser Brothers’ Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 24, 7pm
A Season for Miracles	Hallmark	Dec. 24, 7pm
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)	HBO Family	Dec. 24, 7pm
It’s A Wonderful Life	NBC	Dec. 24, 8pm
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Movie)	ABC Family	Dec. 24, 8pm
A Christmas Wedding	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 24, 8pm
A Christmas Story marathon begins	TBS	Dec. 24, 8pm
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year	Hallmark	Dec. 24, 9pm
‘Twas the Night	HBO Family	Dec. 24, 9pm
A Christmas Story	TBS	Dec. 24, 10pm
Fallen Angel	Hallmark	Dec. 24, 11pm
Undercover Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 24, 12am
A Christmas Story	TBS	Dec. 24, 12am
TV Land Merry-thon begins	TV Land	Dec. 24, 12am
A Season for Miracles	Hallmark	Dec. 24, 1am
The Perfect Holiday	Starz	Dec. 24, 3:55am
A Christmas Story marathon continues	TBS	Dec. 24, 4am
Christmas Day
Home Alone 2	Starz	Dec. 25, 5:35am
Call Me Claus	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 25, 6am
A Very Brady Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 25, 7am
Deck the Halls	Cinemax	Dec. 25, 7:15am
A Different Kind of Christmas	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 25, 8am
A Christmas Story	TBS	Dec. 25, 8am
The Nativity	WMax	Dec. 25, 8:30am
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday	Hallmark	Dec. 25, 10am
A Diva’s Christmas Carol	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 25, 10am
A Christmas Story	TBS	Dec. 25, 10am
White Christmas	ABC Family	Dec. 25, 12pm
A Grandpa for Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 25, 12pm
A Christmas Story marathon continues	TBS	Dec. 25, 12pm
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year	Hallmark	Dec. 25, 2pm
Comfort & Joy	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 25, 2pm
A Christmas Story	TBS	Dec. 25, 2pm
The Family Man	ABC Family	Dec. 25, 3pm
The Note	Hallmark	Dec. 25, 4pm
Holiday Affair	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 25, 4pm
A Christmas Story	TBS	Dec. 25, 4pm
The Christmas Card	Hallmark	Dec. 25, 6pm
‘Twas the Night	HBO Family	Dec. 25, 6pm
A Christmas Story	TBS	Dec. 25, 6pm
Lost Holiday	Lifetime Movie	Dec. 25, 8pm
Our First Christmas	Hallmark	Dec. 25, 9pm

How football’s Thanksgiving Classic came to be

The query recently came up: Why do the same teams host the Thanksgiving football games every year?
Good question.
In the case of the Detroit Lions, their original owner, G.A. Richards, wanted a game on Thanksgiving every year as a ticket-selling gimmick. The Lions have hosted Thanksgiving games every year since 1934 except during World War II. The Lions’ record on Thanksgiving is 35-32-1, with their last win coming in 2003.
As for the Dallas Cowboys, they were asked to play a Thanksgiving game in 1966. As a condition of this, Cowboys management wanted a guarantee that they’d regularly play a holiday game, which they’ve done ever year since except 1975 and 1977. The Cowboys are 26-14-1 on the holiday all-time, and they beat the New York Jets last year.
Thanksgiving games were played every year of the AFL’s existence (1960-69), with the Buffalo Bills having played in five of those contests. Thanksgiving games were also played prior to the Lions’ entry into the NFL, with the All-Tonawanda Lumberjacks recording a 14-3 win over the Rochester Jeffersonians in 1920, the first year with holiday games on record.
The NFL network has hosted a third Thanksgiving game since 2006, with no set teams in place for that contest.

’24’ fails to deliver all 24

My wife and I enjoyed the “24: Redemption” mvoie on Fox Monday night – at least, the first 75 minutes or so.

Without warning, the broadcast became choppy and pixelated during commercials. It worsened to the point that you couldn’t watch the final half-hour due to a scrambled picture and sound.

Did anyone else have this problem? Could this be, as my wife suggested,a  ploy by Fox to get everyone to buy the DVD on Tuesday? Share your thought (but don’t spoil the ending).

Oh, and what we saw was great, as Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) solidified his place as the most fun TV character now on the air.

Tonawanda Kardex an NFL enigma

My brother-in-law and I recently went to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and on the giant board that lists every NFL team, there’s a 1921 entry “Tonawanda Kardex” that went 0-1.

Utterly fascinated by the concept of my hometown having had an NFL team (a fact that I previously knew, but without much detail), I decided to write a story about it for our Sunday Lifestyle section.

Below is that story (which appears in the Nov. 23 Tonawanda News and Lockport Union-Sun & Journal), as well as (promised for print readers who are visiting the site) the team roster from back then.

If anyone out there has additional information on the Kardex (perhaps you’re the descendant of a team member of historian with more information), please leave a post on this message informing me of such and giving me a way to contact you; you can also e-mail me at lanep@gnnewspaper.com. I would love to gather as much information as is humanly possibly about this team.

•••

Note that due to incomplete record-keeping during this time, some players from the 1921 team are only known by their last name.

Backnor, C; Fred Brumm, LT; Cassidy, QB; Joe Dussosoit, RE; Andy Fletcher, LHB; Art Georke, LE; Clarence Hosmer, LG; Rudy Kraft, LG-C; George Kuhrt, LT; Buck MacDonald, RG; Tom McLaughlin, RHB-FB; Bill Meisner, RHB; Frank Morrisey, RT; Frank Primeau, RE-QB; Tam Rose, LHB; Spin Roy, LE; Bill Sanborn, RE; Charles Tallman, RT; Red Werder, C; Wex, FB;Wise, QB

•••

The Twin Cities will forever have a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame thanks to the brief stay in the NFL by the Tonawanda Kardex in 1921.
The All-Tonawanda Lumberjacks (or Lumbermen) began playing games in 1916 as the All-Tonawanda All-Stars, according to records from Geocities and the Pro Football Archives. The Jacks played their home games on the Tonawanda High School field, sometimes drawing up to 3,500 fans for a contest.
The team went 7-1 in 1920 against a combination of independent teams and franchises from the American Professional Football Association, the NFL’s predecessor, according to the Western New York Committee of the Professional Football Researchers Association. The 1920 squad was the first team to be recognized as associated with major professional football.
The team joined the APFA in 1921 (the first year the league kept official standings) as the Tonawanda Kardex. Records from the national Professional Football Researchers Association show that the Kardex were admitted along with the Minneapolis Marines, Evansville Crimson Giants and Green Bay Packers, while membership bids from Davenport, Iowa, and Gary, Ind., were denied.
According to the Aug. 31, 1921, edition of the Tonawanda News, the Kardex were meant to play every game on the road.
“There will be eight or 10 such teams to do the touring to the big cities, where the large ‘dough’ lies, thereby covering the (costs of the) season,” the paper said.
Local talent on the Tonawanda team consisted of five players — four from a local semi-pro team and Walter “Tam” Rose, a former captain of the 1915 Syracuse football team, according to Joe Horrigan, a public relations official with the hall of fame. Rose, a left halfback, also served as coach.
After one non-league game and one cancellation in 1921, the Kardex — also known as the Tonawanda Lumbermen — traveled east to battle the Rochester Jeffersons, losing a 45-0 decision on Nov. 6, 1921. There is no record of the Kardex — named after an office product company still in existence in Ohio — playing after that. Records from the national PFRA indicate that Tonawanda didn’t technically drop out, but rather could find no one against whom to schedule games. In all, 13 of the 21 teams that started the 1921 season finished it.
With the franchise fee for 1922 increased from $50 to $1,000, Tonawanda and several other franchises backed out. Tonawanda, however, likely fell into the category of teams that “wouldn’t have operated had the guarantee been 10 cents,” according to the national PFRA.
Tonawanda holds a presumably unbreakable record as the shortest-lived NFL team in history.

Fox snubs would-be ’24’ writer

In working on my preview of the “24: Redemption” movie to air at 8 p.m. Nov. 23, I contacted Fox network PR officials several times to obtain an advance review copy of the film, and/or land an interview with someone involved with the show.
Much to my dismay, I heard nothing.
Granted, I don’t work at the New York Times. But one would think any ink is good ink, and that it’d be in their best interests to honor my request. Thumbs down to them.
I got the same treatment when we did a story about “The Simpsons” starting its 20th season, as literally dozens of phone calls and e-mails went unanswered. If the answer’s no, that stinks but I can accept that. Just tell me.
I am a fan of “24,” and its return after an 18-month hiatus, so I still wrote about it (much tougher to do without having seen the show or talked to a star such as Kiefer Sutherland). Is its return as anticipated as I suspect it might be? Share your thoughts.
•••
Here is the story I wrote for the Nov. 20 Night & Day on “24.”
After an 18-month break, Jack Bauer will finally resume busting heads this weekend with a movie that will act as a lead-in to the return of the “24” series.
Fox will air “24: Redemption” on Sunday night, a two-hour real-time film that bridges the gap — the very wide gap — between seasons six and seven of the crime thriller drama.
Starring and produced by Kiefer Sutherland, “24” did not air in 2008 due to the writers strike, which would have forced the series out of its preferred non-stop winter-to-spring format on the air.
While the series will resume in January, “Redemption” will give fans a brief taste of what they’ve missed since May 2007. Set three years after the end of season six, the film sees Bauer living under the radar at an orphanage in the fictional African country of Sangala, while in America the nation is preparing for its first female commander-in-chief, Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones), to take office.
While Bauer deals with the political unrest in his temporary home, he is summoned by the U.S. government to answer to charges of torturing prisoners while working as an agent in the fictional Counter-Terrorism Unit. Action shifts between Africa and the United States, as Bauer once again can’t avoid trouble finding him.
“We’re excited about the prequel because it explores Jack’s complex emotional state of mind and still has all the signature excitement and suspense that fans have come to expect from ‘24,’ ” executive producer Howard Gordon said in a release.
The movie sets the stage for season seven, which begins a few months after the events of “Redemption.” Season seven starts with Bauer on trial for torture, with a quick twist introduced with the return of former CTU agent Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), who was presumed dead in season five. President Taylor, meanwhile, encounters her first national security crisis, with plenty of internal strife and chicanery once again in order.
Most of the cast is new this year, with Jon Voight, Janeane Garofalo and Gil Bellows among the additions; two holdovers are Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O’Brian and James Morrison as Bill Buchanan. The setting is also new in 2009, as the action will mainly take place in Washington, D.C., instead of Los Angeles.
No matter the changes, though, fans are anxious to see “24” return. An AOL poll conducted Oct. 29-Nov. 13 found that 28 percent of more than 600,000 voters tabbed “24” as the most-anticipated series returning midseason, which put it No. 1 ahead of “American Idol” (23 percent) and “Lost” (19 percent).
And 2007 was the first year in which “24” saw its viewership decline, albeit slightly. Nielsen reported an average 13 million weekly “24” viewers in 2007, down from 13.78 million in 2006 but up from 8.6 million when the series debuted in 2002; formerly a year-long show, “24” has aired in its non-stop format since 2005 and will do so again this year.
Extended layoffs didn’t do much to diminish interest in “The Sopranos” earlier this decade, and network officials hope that holds true for “24.”
“This is a legacy show, a cornerstone show for the network,” Fox chairman Peter Liguori told USA Today. “Getting ‘24’ back as relevant as possible is critical to the launch of the show.”

Bills wuss way out of win; Syracuse bids farewell to Robinson

Well, it’s the day after, I slept on it, but I still can’t get over the Bills’ passive play-calling in their final drive during Monday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns.
With around a minute left, the Bills had a first down on Cleveland’s 35. Rather than trying to get any closer to the end zone of – heaven forbid – score a touchdown, the Bills ran three times up the middle, figuring kicker Rian Lindell would have no problem making a deep kick despite heavily swirling winds.
Oops.
Lindell missed, the Browns knelt on the ball and the Bills’ playoff hopes were largely dashed.
Why, Why, WHY would the Bills not even ATTEMPT to move closer? I understand that quarterback Trent Edwards had a horrid game, but you’d much rather lose in a true attempt to win rather than pussy-footing your way around the situation.
I had to control my volume as I emplored the coaching staff through the television to advance the ball, nearly waking Penny up in the process. They didn’t listen.
If losing is a learning experience, we in Buffalo should all have doctoral degrees by now.
•••
Speaking of losing football, Syracuse University finally rid itself of football coach Greg Robinson after the worst four years in the program’s history.
Robinson replaced the embattled Paul Pasqualoni, who was on the downturn at SU but did direct the Orange to several BCS games and coached in bowl games most years.
Robinson was supposed to take SU back to prominence, but instead during his four years he made SU the third-best college football program in New York state, even behind the University at Buffalo – the same UB that SU once romped over, and that an ESPN columnist called the toughest school at which to recruit in the nation.
UB is probably going to a bowl game this year, while SU is enduring another two-win season marred by blowout loss after blowout loss. The Orange have greatly regressed during Robinson’s time in Syracuse, and while I’m all in favor of giving a college coach proper time to bring about change his time was overdue.
Anyone have Lane Kiffin’s number?

Local native needs help in acting contest

Niagara Falls native and current Kenmore resident Bill Kennedy needs your vote in his effort to win a spot on “The Young and the Restless.”

Kennedy is taking part in a contest at if.net whereby site suers vote for their favorite video. Producers then choose one of the top five finishers for the guest spot. kennedy won a similar contest last year and said the experience was great for making connections.

Click here to see Kennedy’s video and vote for him. Voting ends Nov. 21.

Good riddance, ‘Total Request Live’

MTV’s “Total Request Live” video countdown show signed off for the last time Sunday night, surprising viewers like myself who thought the show had been off the air for years.

The viceo countdown show was a juggernaut in the late-1990s, helping establish the careers of Eminem, Britney Spears, N Sync, 50 Cent and many others. The show had largely become irrelevant in recent years, though, so the network decided to remove it in order to bring you more banal, celeb-obsessed reality programming.

I caught a portion of Sunday night’s send-off, hosted by original host Carson Daly and featuring a cavalcade of A-listers. They all reminisced about “a member of the family” leaving or how “it’s so sad to see the show go.”

Really? Just because a show is ending doesn’t mean that we have to feel bad. Many shows just reach an expiration date and should be cast off to sea, allowing us to remember the good times but without a feeling of regret that they hung around too long.

“TRL” was at that point.

It’s not sad to see the show sign off because it’s obsolete. Musicians have known for years – decades, really – that they won’t get reliable support from MTV and that they have to go to MySpace or elsewhere on the Internet to actually reach fans. Even MTV2, the channel started by MTV to “devote to music” after the original became the 24-hour “Hills” network, has been taken over by the reality wave, with only a few scant slots of airtime devoted to actual music.

In true MTV fashion, the final “TRL” video shown was named the most important video in the show’s history, Spears’ “Baby One More Time” – only they cut away halfway through the video. Lest we forget, even when “TRL” mattered, it was more about screaming idiots in the stands (I was one of those idiots during a NYC visit in 2005, so I am allowed to speak on the matter) and big-time celebrity guests than the music, as nary a complete video ever was shown. The show wasn’t about helping musicians but in attracting pre-teens with the next big thing.

So peace out, “TRL,” and I wish you’d left years ago.

•••

Here, from The Associated Press, is a report on the “TRL” finale.

Carson Daly chatted with Eminem, Beyonce gave a show-stopping performance, girls shrieked at the sight of Justin Timberlake and hundreds of fans lined up outside in Times Square for a glimpse at superstars.
For few hours, it seemed like old times at MTV’s “Total Request Live” — back when the show was not only music’s most powerful force but a dominant part of pop culture. Unfortunately, it took the show’s demise to make it relevant again.
MTV pulled the plug on its most influential franchise Sunday night following years of declining ratings, but not before marking the occasion with celebration and nostalgia, as some of pop’s biggest stars paid respects to the show that helped launch their careers.
“I feel like they’re kinda tearin’ down my home,” Eminem said via phone as he and Daly, “TRL’s” first and most famous host, commiserated during the live, three-hour broadcast from the show’s headquarters.
“It’s a bittersweet moment,” Diddy, the show’s most frequent guest, said as he cried mock tears and gave one of the final waves to the Times Square audience from “TRL’s” glass-encased studios above.
MTV has had other shows that will be remembered for changing the musical landscape, including “Yo! MTV Raps,” but perhaps none greater than “TRL.” It made its debut in 1998, just as the teen pop phenomenon was about to explode, when the rap-rock hybrid was bubbling over, and groups like Destiny’s Child were considered emerging acts.
While its concept of a video countdown show wasn’t new, its model — which included a live show, an audience full of enthusiastic kids and viewer feedback — helped energize the teen fan base and made them music’s tastemakers. Soon, “TRL” would become an integral part of boosting the careers of superstars like Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, ’N Sync, Eminem and Christina Aguilera. It’s no coincidence that their biggest sales, and pop’s huge sales boom in the new millennium, came during the show’s most potent era.
“If it wasn’t for ’TRL,’ I don’t think I would have this launching pad for my career,” said a cigar-smoking Kid Rock, who came to prominence as a raucous rap-rocker on “TRL” with his baudy hit “Bawitdaba” but has since morphed into a country-rock career that is more CMT than MTV.
“It’s a big loss, not having this as a platform to promote our music,” said 50 Cent in the show’s waning moments.
In its prime, “TRL” had “American Idol”-like power to influence sales on the pop charts, and became a required stop, not only for those on the road to pop stardom, but those in TV, movies and even sports superstars. Tom Cruise and Will Smith made stops before a new movie; all-star athletes like Derek Jeter mingled with the teens; even legends like Madonna and Michael Jackson made sure they got “TRL” face-time.
The moments weren’t always cheery, though. The Backstreet Boys broke news of member A.J. McLean’s drug and alcohol rehab on the show; Mariah Carey’s bizarre moment involving a striptease and ice cream defined her time of emotional instability.
Both of those moments were replayed during Sunday’s show, but the event mostly recalled its musical legacy, highlighted by performances from its most important alumni. Beyonce opened the show with her new singles, “If I Were A Boy” and “Single Ladies,” but also gyrated to one of her superstar-making hit “Crazy in Love,” which got endless plays on “TRL.”
“This show obviously launched the careers of so many people,” said Daly, the now late-night talk show host who could include himself in that category. “This is a sad moment.”
Timberlake didn’t perform, but arrived with JC Chasez, his fellow ’N Sync member, and hailed the show for making his launching-pad group one of music’s best-selling acts.
“This is like a high school reunion in a way,” said Timberlake. “I feel like we all grew up together. ’TRL’ was so integral to our careers.”
Like all reunions, the show featured appearances from its past graduating classes, like former VJs Vanessa Minnillo, Hilarie Burton (now an actress on “One Tree Hill”) and trivia game answer Jesse Camp. Snoop Dogg, Nelly and Ludacris rapped some of their biggest hits in a hip-hop melody; Fall Out Boy performed in Times Square without the services of soon-to-be-dad Pete Wentz, who spoke later via phone (Wentz is the host of the video show that is taking the place of TRL — “FNMTV.”)
But TRL’s greatest claim to fame was a no-show. Spears entire career, from its meteoric rise to tragic downturn to recent resurgence, was chronicled on TRL, but she didn’t attend the goodbye gala. Still, her presence loomed large: As the show did its final countdown of all-time videos, her now-iconic first hit, “… Baby One More Time,” emerged as the top video, and played as the credits of the show ran for the final time.

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ to air twice

ABC just announced that it will air the Peanuts special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” twice this holiday season. The show will run at 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8, and 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16.

Thanks to ABC for announcing this one early, as Peanuts fans had to scramble for weeks to find out when the “Great Pumpkin” special would air.

Click here for details on the Thanksgiving Peanuts special.

Family time brings unexpected extra pleasure

In one of the wildest Friday nights I’ve encountered in a while, I spent the evening watching a crew rumble with some other crew for crazy bling, then kicked it on the couch with the two most fly ladies I know.

That’s right, I watched the pirate “Backyardigans” episode with my wife and daughter.

That night was near the end of my vacation, which allowed me to spend a lot more time with Penny than I have in months. I discovered she goes crazy for animals of the CGI (“Backyardigans”) and puppet (“Sesame Street”) variety, and that she does, in fact, empty her toybox on a daily basis (what she seeks remains a mystery).

Aside from the Penny time – which was fantastic – and time with my wife, I found out that not all kids shows are so bad. “Backyardigans” follows five tykes who go on imagined adventures every day, and “they’ll probably sing a song, and they’ll maybe dance along.” I gotta admit, it’s kinda catchy.

Then there’s the PBS show “Word World” on which everything is made up of a word; the barn, for example, has a small B, bigger A, even larger R that acts as the silo and a shorter N at the other side. This is a cool concept and a great way for kids to learn how to read and spell.

I didn’t even know prior to last week that Penny had a “Backyardigans” DVD, but it was a life-saver during a drive to Ohio and will probably become a nightly staple at our house. I have another vacation in a few weeks, and I look forward to more time with Penny, Pablo, Elmo and everyone else.

Before then, though, we should probably shop around for another DVD to maintain our sanity, because while “Backyardigans” is catchy, you can only listen to Tyrone sing “A Pirate Goes Arr” so many times before going insane.