Regular guests dominate this year's holiday television lists

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - No surprise here: It's going to be a lean Christmas all around.

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That includes TV.

Little new in the way of seasonal specials is coming this year. You'll have to mostly make do with the classics, the tried-and-trues that have been on for a generation or more.

A spring writers' strike, tightening network budgets and the risky nature of holiday specials (they don't rerun well in July, you see) seem to have constricted the annual pipeline of new Santa-centric shows.

That may not be a bad thing. People like holiday traditions.

They're drawn to the programs they enjoyed as kids _ especially as they have kids themselves _ and the memories they stir. They're like favorite ornaments that go on the tree year after year that hold some special meaning, a spark of magic that stirs vague memories.

Some people like the Rankin-Bass classics like "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer," which is making its 44th appearance Wednesday. Another favorite is "A Charlie Brown Christmas," which returns Dec. 8. I'm not a fan of either one _ we've had this discussion in years past and I don't care to rekindle the debate because I'll lose. Yukon Cornelius and Snoopy have passionate admirers, trust me.

My No. 1 favorite is "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas." That would be the cartoon version, of course. Cindy Lou and her fellow Whos have been expanding the Grinch's heart annually since 1966 in this simple, elegant tale masterfully narrated by the late horror specialist Boris Karloff. Look for it Monday on ABC, following a rerun of another curmudgeon Christmas tale, "Shreck the Halls," which debuted last year.

Most promising among the few newcomers this year is the 3-D animated "Little Spirit: Christmas in New York" on NBC Dec. 10. Danny DeVito voices a New York cabbie, an appropriate throwback to his "Taxi" days, who leads two young girls on an adventure about a lost dog and a magical sprite.

Here are some of the upcoming holiday highlights:

_Tuesday

"The Polar Express" (6 and 8:30 p.m., ABC Family) _ Animated version of Chris Von Allsburg's book.

"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" (8 p.m., ABC) _ Fred Astaire narrates the 1970 Rankin-Bass tale of Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney), who stands up to the evil burgermeister.

_Wednesday

"Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" (8 p.m., CBS) _ The 44th anniversary of the classic with Rudolph, Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius and the Misfit Toys.

"A Christmas Story" (8 and 10 p.m., TNT) _ Jean Shepherd's nostalgic Christmas story based on a burning desire for a Red Ryder BB gun. Stars Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin .

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_Friday

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (8 p.m., ABC) _ Jim Carrey in the live-action version .

_Saturday

"My Friends Tigger & Pooh Super Sleuth Christmas Movie" (8:30 a.m., Disney Channel) _ Roo and Lumpy find Santa's toy sack and a reindeer lost in the Hundred Acre Wood.

"Miracle on 34th Street" (8 p.m., My Network TV) _ A 1973 remake of the original features Jane Alexander and Roddy McDowell.

_Sunday

"Eloise at Christmastime" (8:30 a.m., ABC Family) _ From Kay Thompson's book, Sofia Vassilieva plays Eloise at the Plaza Hotel.

"Top 10 Christmas Towns" (8 p.m., HGTV) _ Unique holiday celebrations.

_Dec. 8

"'Twas the Night Before Christmas" (7 p.m., ABC Family) _ Joel Grey narrates the animated special adapted from Clement Moore's poem.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" (8 p.m., ABC) _ Charlie Brown tries to lead a Christmas pageant.

"Jingle All the Way" (8 p.m., ABC Family) _ Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a frantic dad trying to get his son the hot holiday gift.

_Dec. 9

"A Garfield Christmas" (7 p.m., ABC Family) _ Garfield noses around trying to figure out what secret gift Odie is making.

"Olive the Other Reindeer" (8 p.m., My Network TV) _ Drew Barrymore, Dan Castellaneta and Ed Asner voice the animated story in which Olive volunteers to replace an injured reindeer to pull the sleigh.

"A Dennis the Menace Christmas" (8 p.m., ABC Family) _ New this year, Dennis (Maxwell Perry Cotton) tries to get Mr. Wilson (Robert Wagner) in the Yule mood.

_Dec. 10

"Mickey's Christmas Carol" (7 p.m., ABC Family) _ Disney version of the Dickens' tale with Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit and Scrooge McDuck as Ebenezer Scrooge.

"Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too" (7:30 p.m., ABC Family) _ Winnie the Pooh and Piglet rush to get Christopher Robin's letter to Santa.

"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" (8 p.m., ABC Family) _ Fred Astaire narrates the tale of the young Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney ).

"Little Spirit: Christmas in New York" (8 p.m., NBC) _ New animated story _ featuring the voices of Danny DeVito, Lucy Liu, Freddy Rodriguez, Brian Williams and Brenda Song _ about a boy who goes searching for his lost dog before the holiday.

"Home Alone" (8 p.m., My Network TV) _ Macaulay Culkin plays an 8-year-old accidentally left at home at Christmas.

"Rudolph's Shiny New Year" (9 p.m., ABC Family) _ Baby New Year runs away and Rudolph must find him.

_Dec. 11

"The Year Without a Santa Claus" (8 p.m., ABC Family) _ Animated story about the no-show year for Santa (Mickey Rooney ).

_Dec. 12

"Frosty the Snowman" (8 p.m., CBS) _ Jimmy Durante narrates the classic special.

"Frosty Returns" (8:30 p.m., CBS) _ John Goodman voices the comeback Frosty.

"The 12 Days of Redneck Christmas" (9 p.m., CMT) _ Tom Arnold finds families with over-the-top decorations and wacky holiday traditions.

_Dec. 13

"The Little Drummer Boy" (9 a.m., ABC Family) _ Vienna Boys' Choir does the soundtrack for the story based on the Christmas song.

"Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey" (11:30 a.m., ABC Family) _ Shunned at home, Nestor goes roaming and finds Mary in desperate need of his help.

"Radio City Christmas Spectacular" (8 p.m., WE) _ Radio City's annual Christmas show with the Rockettes. Hosted by Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira.

"A Miser Brothers' Christmas" (8 p.m., ABC Family) _ In this new special based on characters in the Rankin-Bass "Year Without a Santa Claus," Mickey Rooney reprises the voice of Santa as the annual ride is threatened by the North Wind.

"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (9 p.m., Hallmark Channel) _ Three wise men help a woman find the Christmas spirit. With Henry Winkler, Brooke Burns and Warren Christie.

_Dec. 14

"A Carol Christmas" (10 a.m., ABC Family) _ Tori Spelling plays a conceited talk show host haunted by ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. With William Shatner, Gary Coleman .

"Santa Baby" (2 p.m., ABC Family) _ Santa's daughter (Jenny McCarthy) is a New York business executive who has to go back home and take over dad's duties.

"Paula's Party: Butter Than Ever Christmas Party" (7 p.m., Food Channel) _ Paula Deen teams with Patti LaBelle, Mark Wills for holiday recipes.

"Santa Clause 2" (8 p.m., ABC) _ Santa, played by Tim Allen, finds he must get married by Christmas Eve.

"Snow 2: Brain Freeze" (8 p.m., ABC Family) _ In this new original movie, Santa (Tom Cavanagh ) loses his memory.

_Dec. 15

"I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown" (8 p.m., ABC) _ ReRun, Lucy's younger brother, turns to Snoopy as a holiday stress-reliever.

"Secret Santa" (Lifetime, 9 p.m.) _ A reporter (Jennie Garth) expecting a marriage proposal from her boyfriend gets dumped right before Christmas and discovers her "Secret Santa."

_Dec. 17

"Spirit of Christmas" (8 p.m., My Network TV) _ Music. Includes performances by Brian McKnight, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Lionel Richie.

"Christmas in Washington" (8 p.m., TNT) _ Recording artists perform for the first family and Washington VIPs.

"White House Christmas" (8 p.m., HGTV) _ Sabrina Soto from HGTV's "Get It Sold" leads viewers through White House decorations.

"A Christmas Carol" (9 p.m. and midnight, TNT) _ Patrick Stewart stars as Scrooge in the Dickens story.

_Dec. 18

"Lights: Celebrate Hanukkah Live In Concert" (10 p.m., UNC TV) _ Performers include jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, actress Mare Winningham; musician Craig Taubman, gospel singer Joshua "The Prince" Nelson, The Klezmatics.

_Dec. 20

"Elf" (8 p.m., CBS) _ Will Ferrell plays a man raised as Santa's elf who goes to New York in search of his true identity.

"Christmas in Wonderland" (8 p.m., ABC Family) _ A bag of money found at the mall puts a family in trouble with bumbling counterfeiters. Patrick Swayze, Carmen Electra, Tim Curry.

_Dec. 21

"A Christmas Proposal" (9 p.m., Lifetime) _ Old friends find romance and conflict in a struggle over a small ski town. Nicole Eggert, Tom Arnold, David O'Donnell, Sarah Thompson.

_Dec. 23

"Nightmare Before Christmas" (2:30 a.m., TBS) _ Tim Burton's vividly animated comic-horror story about stealing Christmas.

"White Christmas" (6 p.m., ABC Family) _ Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney in the holiday story of former soldiers trying to save their commander's Vermont Inn. Includes the song "White Christmas."

"Babes in Toyland" (8 p.m., My Network TV, Channel 55) _ Drew Barrymore and Keanu Reeves in the story of a little girl who must save Toyland.

"Home for the Holidays with Faith Hill" (8 p.m., CBS) _ Inspirational stories about adoption from Faith Hill, Melissa Etheridge, Tim McGraw, Gavin Rossdale, Jamie Foxx, Kristin Chenoweth, Patricia Heaton, Rene Russo, Martin Short.

_Dec. 24

"A Christmas Story" (Repeated for 24 hours beginning at 8 p.m., TBS) _ Jean Shepherd's nostalgic Christmas story based on a burning desire for a Red Ryder BB gun. Stars Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin.

_Dec. 31

"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" (10 p.m., ABC, Channel 9) _ From Times Square, Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest host with Kellie Pickler as street reporter.

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Mark Washburn: mwashburn@charlotteobserver.com

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