Best TV shows to watch on Christmas Eve and Day

Christmas is so pervasive on TV, it's hard to spot the celebrations you seek. We hope this guide makes your viewing selection easier for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

It's a Grinch doubleheader on ABC/7, where the animated "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (Tuesday night at 8) leads into the Jim Carrey movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (Tuesday night at 8:30). This year's Christmas special on "Doctor Who" (Wednesday night at 9, BBC America) is "The Time of the Doctor," in which star Matt Smith's time is up. There's also an encore of Smith's cosmic "A Christmas Carol" (Tuesday night at 7 and 11, BBC America).

More holiday episodes: Festivus on "Seinfeld" (Tuesday night at 7, TBS), "The Six Million Dollar Man" (Tuesday night at 8, Wednesday noon, Cozi), "South Park" (late Tuesday night 2:30-4:30 a.m., Wednesday 2:22-4:55 p.m., Comedy Central), "The Twilight Zone" (Wednesday at 8 a.m., Syfy).

Nick at Nite (Tuesday night at 8-Wednesday 6 a.m., same times tomorrow night) has current shows "Instant Mom" and "See Dad Run," plus "Full House," "Friends," "George Lopez." TV Land (Tuesday night at 8:30-Wednesday night 2 a.m.) spans from "The Andy Griffith Show" (8:30 p.m.) to "Everybody Loves Raymond" (9-11 p.m.), with "The King of Queens," "That '70s Show," "The Brady Bunch," "The Golden Girls," "The Cosby Show."

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Cartoon Network (Tuesday 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Wednesday 6 a.m.- noon) has family cartoons, while Adult Swim (Tuesday night 10 p.m.-4 a.m. on Cartoon) goes for mature animation. TBS (today 6 a.m.-8 p.m.) mixes sitcoms (Tyler Perry) and animation ("American Dad"). FXX (Tuesday 3-6 p.m., Wednesday 7 a.m.-5 p.m.) has "Parks and Recreation," "How I Met Your Mother," "The Hughleys," "Arrested Development." TV One (Wednesday 2 p.m.-1 a.m.) has "The Jeffersons," "Martin" and "Eve."

Festive flicks airing noon Tuesday-noon Wednesday -- "Elf" (Starz), "Bad Santa" (Starz Comedy) and "Arthur Christmas" (Starz Kids).

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