Holiday: Once only, Alistair Sim's Scrooge
MOVIES It's finally on TV! But just once, so be sure to watch Alastair Sim's 1951 version of "A Christmas Carol" (Monday at 8 p.m., Turner Classic Movies). Easier to catch: Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney in the musical "White Christmas" (Monday-Wednesday at 8 and 10:45 p.m., Thursday at 5:15 p.m., AMC); it's a semi-remake of Crosby's "Holiday Inn" (Thursday night at 12:30 a.m., AMC). Another gem: Barbara Stanwyck's "Christmas in Connecticut" (Sunday at 10 a.m., Friday at 10 p.m., TCM).
NEW TV MOVIES Vivica A. Fox stars in "Annie Claus Is Coming to Town" (Saturday night at 8, Hallmark), while Melissa Gilbert headlines "The Christmas Pageant" (Sunday at 8 p.m., Hallmark). Mark-Paul Gosselaar joins Amy Smart in "12 Dates of Christmas" (Sunday at 8 p.m., ABC Family).
ANIMATION Second/final chance: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (Saturday night at 8, CBS/2) and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (Thursday at 8 p.m., ABC/7). Newer family fun: "Olive the Other Reindeer" (Saturday at noon, ABC Family) and "Merry Madagascar" (Tuesday at 6 p.m., Wednesday at 5 p.m., ABC Family).
SPECIALS Decor is big in "Extreme Christmas Trees" (Saturday night at 9, TLC) and "White House Christmas" (Sunday at 8 p.m., HGTV). Music's the thing with Mariah Carey in "A Very BET Christmas" (Sunday at 8 p.m., BET), and Justin Bieber and Cee Lo Green in "Christmas in Washington" (next Friday at 8 p.m., TNT).
FRESH EPISODES New outings from "Cops" (Saturday night at 8, Fox/5), "The Simpsons" (Sunday at 8 p.m., Ch. 5), "The Cleveland Show" (Sunday at 8:30 p.m., Ch. 5), "Shake It Up" (Sunday at 8:30 p.m., Disney), "The Closer" (Monday at 9 p.m., TNT), "Mike & Molly" (Monday at 9:30 p.m., CBS/2), "Glee" (Tuesday at 8 p.m., Ch. 5), "New Girl" (Tuesday at 9 p.m., Ch. 5) and "Raising Hope" (Tuesday at 9:30 p.m., Ch. 5).
VINTAGE HOLIDAYS Catch multiple Christmas outings of "The Waltons" (Sunday 1-5 p.m., GMC). Also Merrython's Sunday night with "M*A*S*H" (Sunday 6:30-8:30 p.m.), "Everybody Loves Raymond" (8:30-11 p.m.), "King of Queens" (11 p.m.-1:15 a.m.), and "Roseanne" (1:15-3:30 a.m., TV Land). Plus rockin' holidays on "Pop Up Video" (Tuesday at 8 a.m., VH1 Classic).
