Holiday highlights: movies to music

ANIMATION Rankin-Bass animation runs all day Saturday on ABC Family, starting with "Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey" (Saturday at 7 a.m.) and continuing straight through with "The Year Without a Santa Claus" (noon) and "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" (2 p.m., all on ABC Family). Other premiere pairings include "Prep & Landing" and "Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice" (Wednesday 7-8 p.m., ABC Family; Thursday 8-9 p.m., ABC/7) and "Jingle All the Way" and "Hoops & Yoyo Ruin Christmas" (Sunday 10-11 a.m. and 11 a.m.-noon, Wednesday 7-8 p.m., Hallmark).

MOVIES The entire family can enjoy "The Muppet Christmas Carol" (Saturday night at 9, Sunday at 3 p.m., Hub), with Michael Caine. New this week: Billy Ray Cyrus in "Christmas Comes Home to Canaan" (Saturday night at 8 p.m., Hallmark), "Christmas Magic" (Sunday at 8 p.m., Hallmark), and the mystery movie "Deck the Halls" (Tuesday at 9 p.m., TNT) with Kathy Najimy. More merry mystery movies for 24 hours Sunday, starting with "Three Wise Guys" (at 6 a.m., Cloo). See all three Debbie Macomber holiday films: "Mrs. Miracle," "Call Me Mrs. Miracle" and "Trading Christmas" (Monday 6 p.m.-midnight, Hallmark).

EPISODES Among the week's myriad joys: Ricky Gervais in "The Office Christmas Special" (Thursday night midnight-2 a.m., Cartoon). Vintage holidays stackups include "Friends" (Saturday night 11 p.m.-1 a.m., Nickelodeon), "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" (Sunday 4-6 p.m., GMC), "Everybody Loves Raymond" (Monday 2-4 p.m., TBS), "Larry the Cable Guy" (Tuesday 9 p.m.-12:15 a.m., CMT), "South Park" (Wednesday 8-11 p.m., Comedy Central), "Robot Chicken" (Wednesday 12:15-1 a.m., Cartoon), "JAG" (Thursday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Cloo), "Little House on the Prairie" (Thursday 3-5 p.m., Hallmark), "The Wonder Years" (Thursday 7-9:30 p.m., Hub), "Happy Days" (Thursday 9:30 p.m.-midnight, Hub). Other faves: "Family Matters" (Monday-Friday at 6 a.m., Nickelodeon), "The Waltons" (weekdays except Wednesday at 3 p.m., Hallmark), "Monk" (Wednesday-Friday at 7 a.m., Cloo), "Home Improvement" (Thursday-Friday 7-8 a.m., TBS), "Everybody Hates Chris" (Thursday-Friday at 8 a.m., WWOR/9).

MUSIC This year's adoption concert special "A Home for the Holidays" (Wednesday at 8 p.m., CBS/2) features Martina McBride, Mary J. Blige and the ubiquitous Justin Bieber. There's also a rare airing of 2008's tongue-in-cheek (but not completely) "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All" (Wednesday night at 2 a.m., Comedy Central) with Elvis Costello, John Legend, Feist, Toby Keith and Willie Nelson.

HANUKKAH The Jewish holiday figures into everything from "Surviving the Holidays With Lewis Black" (Sunday 9-11 p.m., H2) to "The Nanny" (Tuesday morning at 3:30 a.m., Friday at 5 a.m., Nickelodeon). Aimed at younger viewers: "Shalom Sesame -- Chanukah: The Missing Menorah" (Tuesday at 6:30 a.m., WNET/13), "Elmo's World: Happy Holidays" (Tuesday at 6 p.m., Sprout), "Special Agent Oso" (Thursday at 6:30 a.m., Disney).