Holiday Show Roundup
In this inspirational James Stewart classic, George Bailey is about to go down for a crime he didn't commit, thanks to slumlord Henry F. Potter. Even worse, Bailey's town will likely go down with him. Before our dejected hero can jump to his death, however, the prayers of those who love him reach heaven and his guardian angel, Clarence, pops down to save the day by showing George that "no man is a failure who has friends."
It's a "Grinch" double feature! The classic 1966 animated tale and Ron Howard's 2000 reboot starring Jim Carrey will air back to back on Christmas. Just about everyone knows about the grouchy green hermit who tries to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville and pint-sized Cindy Lou Who, who helps him find the holiday spirit, but does it ever get old?
Winter Feast is Po's favorite holiday, but this year, the panda finds himself caught between fulfilling his new obligations as the Dragon Warrior and his own family tradition of hanging decorations, cooking and serving soup to the villagers with his father.
Barbara Walters gets personal with the Kardashian clan, "Modern Family" stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet, Simon Cowell, Donald Trump, Katy Perry, Derek Jeter and Pippa Middleton. While some argue that Walters played it safe with her 19th roundup of Most Fascinating People, there's no question these newsmakers have left their marks -- and not just on 2011. Who will be Walter's No. 1 Most Fascinating Person of 2011? Tune in to the 90-minute special to find out.
The Peanuts take on the commercialization of Christmas in this 1965 Emmy-winning special, which finds Charlie Brown in a serious holiday funk. Lucy suggests he get in the holiday spirit by directing the school play, but it turns out his classmates want to modernize the Nativity story with an aluminum Christmas tree and wild jazz music. Even Snoopy has sold out, but by the end of it all, everyone will be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas.
In the new "Ice Age" holiday special, which stars the original arctic herd of characters, Sid accidentally destroys one of Manny's favorite decorations and in a desperate effort to get off the naughty list, leads a crew of new friends to meet Santa. Manny, Ellie and Diego follow, but they aren't fast enough to stop Sid from destroying Santa's Workshop. The herd must come together to save Christmas.
Justin Bieber, Cee Lo Green, Jennifer Hudson, Victoria Justice and The Band Perry take the stage to celebrate the holidays in this concert hosted by Conan O'Brien. The president and the first lady are among the notables who attend the annual event, which benefits Children's National Medical Center.
"SNL" takes on prime time in a two-hour special that features holiday-themed sketches from the show's 35-year history, including Alec Baldwin's "Schweddy Balls," Steve Martin's "A Holiday Wish" and Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg's "D--- in a Box."
Justin Bieber, Mary J. Blige, Gavin DeGraw, OneRepublic and Christina Perri take the stage in an evening that celebrates adoption and raises awareness about the half-million children currently in foster care. Martina McBride hosts the 13th annual Christmas special, and adoptive moms Katherine Heigl and Denise Richards join families in sharing their adoption stories.
In this quirky '80s comedy, young Ralphie is intent on convincing anyone and everyone that he deserves a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. He also takes on bullies, profanity and frozen flagpoles, while his mother and father engage in the "battle of the lamp," an argument over whether to keep the now-famous lamp shaped like a woman's leg wearing a fishnet stocking.
In this 1947 Oscar-winning Christmas movie, Kris Kringle is hired to play Santa Clause at Macy's on 34th Street and quickly finds himself in over his head. When he's institutionalized over his belief that he's really Santa, a young lawyer steps up to defend him by proving his true identity.
Justin Bieber, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Jennifer Hudson, OneRepublic, "American Idol" winner Scotty McCreery and more spread Christmas joy in the 28th annual Disney Christmas parade. Nick Cannon and Mario Lopez serve as bicoastal hosts, with backup from Maria Menounos, as floats carry Santa, Kermit the Frog and fave Disney characters like Mickey, Minnie, the Never Land Pirates and the "Shake It Up" girls through Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida.
Ryan Seacrest, Jenny McCarthy and Fergie again join Dick Clark for the 40th anniversary of his annual New Year's Eve bash. Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Pitbull and Hot Chelle Rae will rock the Times Square crowd, while The Band Perry, blink-182, Christina Perri, Florence + the Machine, Gym Class Heroes, LMFAO, OneRepublic, will.i.am, Nicki Minaj and Taio Cruz will take the stage in Los Angeles.
