A stocking full of holiday shows

Included are seasonal shows airing through Thursday. For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day viewing, be sure to check Newsday's TV page next Friday.

ANIMATION

Saturday is packed for Rankin-Bass fans, as ABC Family lines up goodies including "The Little Drummer Boy," "Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey," "The Year Without a Santa Claus" and "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" (marathon runs Saturday 7 a.m.-6 p.m., ABC Family). Other weekend treats include "Olive the Other Reindeer" (Saturday at 5:30 p.m., Cartoon), "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!" (Saturday night at 8, ABC/7), and the Dr. Seuss gem "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (Saturday night at 7:30, Monday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., Cartoon; Thursday at 8 p.m., ABC).

MUSIC

Acts from the '70s and '80s fill "Soul Train Christmas Starfest" (Saturday at 11 a.m., Centric). Vintage "Champagne music" is celebrated in an '80s reunion of "The Lawrence Welk Show" (Saturday night at 6, WLIW/21). Ne-Yo and Jazmine Sullivan join others in "A BET Christmas" (Sunday at 10 p.m., Tuesday at 10 p.m., BET). Willie Nelson guests on "Jessica Simpson: Happy Christmas" (Monday night at midnight, WLIW/21). Brad Paisley, Sugarland, Darius Rucker and others encore in "CMA Country Christmas" (Wednesday 9:30-11 p.m., ABC/7).

NEW TV MOVIE

SEE PHOTOSTV shows that made an impact

Daniel Stern competes with neighbor Matt Frewer in "Battle of the Bulbs" (Saturday night at 8, 10 and midnight, and Sunday at 8 p.m., Hallmark). 

MORE MOVIES

Edmund Gwenn is proven the "real" Santa in 1947's original "Miracle on 34th Street" (Saturday night at 8 and 10:15 on AMC and 9 on WGN; Sunday at 8 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., AMC; Monday at 8 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., AMC). John Leguizamo's homeless family seeks their own place for Christmas in 2007's "Where God Left His Shoes" (Sunday at 9:45 a.m., IFC). Barbara Stanwyck celebrates with soldier Dennis Morgan in 1945's "Christmas in Connecticut" (Sunday at 10:15 a.m. and late at 12:30 a.m., plus Monday at 3:15 p.m., AMC). Chevy Chase stars in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (Monday at 11 a.m. and 9 p.m., TV Land).

NEWER SHOW EPISODES

Catch current yules like this year's new hour of "The Office" (Saturday at 8, NBC/4), "Glee" (Tuesday at 8 p.m., Fox/5) and "The Middle" (Wednesday at 8 p.m., ABC/7), plus a new holiday "Human Target" (Wednesday at 8 p.m., Fox/5). Seasonal series marathons unreel today on FX and today- on TV One (check listings). Several holidays encore on "The Office" (Saturday night at 7:30, weeknights at 7:30, WNYW/5), and a family photo fight rages on "Everybody Loves Raymond" (Sunday at 10:30 p.m., TV Land). Animation for adults includes "South Park" (Monday 8-11 p.m., Comedy Central) and "King of the Hill" (late Wednesday-Thursday nights at 1 and 1:30 a.m., WNYW/5).

VINTAGE SHOWS

Old-time holidays can be found on "The Beverly Hillbillies" (Wednesday-Friday at 8 and 8:30 a.m., WGN), "Bewitched" (Wednesday-Friday at 4:30 p.m., WGN) and "Little House on the Prairie" (Thursday at 3 p.m., Hallmark).