This Christmas season, television is going to look a lot less "Wonderful."
Not that that's a bad thing.The 1946 classic movie "It's a Wonderful Life" will be broadcast once - and only once - this year.
That's in comparison to past years when Jimmy Stewart and Co. were seemingly all over the dial from Thanksgiving until New Year's Day.
Although director Frank Capra didn't originally intend "It's a Wonderful Life" as a holiday picture, it has become an American Christmas classic. And, due to a big mistake by Republic Pictures, for the past two decades the movie has been all over the place.
Republic's copyright on the 1946 movie expired in 1974, and because of either oversight or stupidity, the studio failed to renew it. Thus, "It's a Wonderful Life" passed into the public domain, meaning anyone who wanted to could either broadcast the movie or sell video copies of it.
Which led to umpteen showings of the film on umpteen broadcast and cable channels. And, worse yet, many of those broadcasts were of poor-quality, badly edited versions of the movie.
And then there was the ultimate heresy - colorization.
That's also why so many different companies have been selling copies of "It's a Wonderful Life" videos at bargain-basement prices. And, along with those low prices came low quality.
But in 1993, Republic took steps to reassert its rights to the film. Through a series of deals with four music publishing companies, the studio acquired the rights to the copyrighted music in "Life."
The studio is also backed by a 1991 Supreme Court ruling re-establishing its copyright because it owns the original negative and the copyright to the short story the movie is based on.
Last year, Republic authorized only three airings of "It's a Wonderful Life," all on cable's TNT and TBS. But the studio's attempt to reassert control was widely ignored.
This year, Republic has been threatening legal action - and "It's a Wonderful Life" has all but disappeared from the airwaves. The studio sold exclusive television rights to NBC, which is planning a prime-time broadcast of the movie.
The folks at NBC were all but giddy when they announced the deal.
"We're thrilled that we will have the opportunity to broadcast this picture," said NBC Entertainment President Warren Littlefield. "We will broadcast the original director's cut in black and white, full-length, the way Frank Capra intended this picture to be seen.")
(It is, however, hard to imagine that Capra intended the movie to be seen with commercial interruptions.)
Local viewers will be deprived, however, of seeing the original director's cut of the movie. Utah's NBC affiliate, KUTV-Ch. 2, is pre-empting the network's airing of "It's a Wonderful Life" on Saturday, Dec. 10, for a University of Utah basketball game.
Instead, Ch. 2 will air a chopped-up version of the film on Christmas Day at 11 a.m.
And Utah viewers lose out.
However, plenty of longtime Christmas classics will be seen in fine form again this season. Viewers can look forward to the umpteenth showings of everything from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" to "Frosty the Snowman," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" to the original version of "It's a Wonderful Life."
And there are several brand-new shows coming your way.
For a listing of this year's Christmas specials, please turn the page.
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Additional Information
Ho ho ho! Time for yule TV shows The following list includes complete Christmas special listings for local broadcast stations, as well as selected listings for cable channels.
If a program has multiple airings on a cable channel only the first is listed. An asterisk indicates a cable program that has multiple airings.
Christmas episodes of regular series are not included in this list. (Please check the daily TV page.)
As always, all scheduling is subject to last-mintue changes. THURSDAY, NOV. 24
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (7 a.m., Ch. 2) Annual event
The Muppet Christmas Carol* (8:30 p.m., Disney) 1993 movie
FRIDAY, NOV. 25
The Gift of Love (7 p.m., Ch. 5) 1983 TV movie
One Magic Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 14) 1985 movie
How the Grinch Stole Christmas* (6 p.m., TBS) Animation
A Christmas Story* (6:30 p.m., TBS) 1984 movie
Timmy's Gift* (7 p.m., Family) Animation
Timmy's Special Delivery* (7:30 p.m., Family) Animation
Kenny & Dolly* (8 p.m., Family) Music/variety
Roots: The Gift* (9 p.m., Family) 1988 TV movie
Miracle in the Wilderness* (10 p.m., TNT) 1991 TV movie
SATURDAY, NOV. 26
The Gathering, Part 1 (1 p.m., Ch. 14) 1979 TV miniseries
The Gathering, Part 2 (3 p.m., Ch. 14) 1979 TV miniseries
The Kid Who Loved Christmas* (5 p.m., Lifetime) 1990 TV movie
The Good King* (9 p.m., Family) New TV movie
SUNDAY, NOV. 27
How the Grinch Stole Christmas* (10 a.m., TNT) Animation
A Flintstone Christmas* (11 a.m., TNT) Animation
Yogi's First Christmas* (Noon, TNT) Animation
The Little Troll Prince* (2 p.m., TNT) Animation
'Tis the Season to be Smurfy* (3 p.m., TNT) Animation
Smurfs' Christmas Special* (3:30 p.m., TNT) Animation
To Grandmother's House We Go (5 p.m., Family) 1992 TV movie
Babes in Toyland* (8 p.m., Disney) 1961 movie
A Branson Country Christmas* (9 p.m., Family) Country music
MONDAY, NOV. 28
Miracle on 34th Street (8 p.m., Ch. 30) 1949 movie
TUESDAY, NOV. 29
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (7 p.m., Ch. 5) TV classic
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30
Frosty the Snowman (7 p.m., Ch. 5) Animation
Aaron Neville's Christmas* (9 p.m., Family) From New Orleans
THURSDAY, DEC. 1
A Chipmunk Christmas* (5 p.m., USA) Animation
A Christmas Story* (6 p.m., TNT) 1983 movie
Peter and the Wolf* (7 p.m., A&E) Puppets
The Night They Saved Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 30) 1984 TV movie
FRIDAY, DEC. 2
Casper's First Christmas* (5 p.m., Disney) Animation
A Smokey Mountain Christmas* (7 p.m., USA) 1986 TV movie
SATURDAY, DEC. 3
The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (10 a.m., USA) 1979 TV movie
Miracle on 34th Street (Noon, USA) 1973 TV movie remake
The Nutcracker (1 p.m., Ch. 14) Animation
Home for Christmas (2 p.m., USA) TV movie
Peter, Paul and Mary (8 p.m., Ch. 11) Holiday music
Mr. Magoo's Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 30) Animation
SUNDAY, DEC. 4
Pocketful of Miracles* (9 a.m., TNT) 1961 movie
Holiday Festival on Ice (Noon, Ch. 4) Figure skating
King of Kings* (2:30 p.m., TNT) 1962 movie
Goof Troop Christmas Special (5 p.m., Ch. 14) Animation
Flintstones Christmas Carol (6 p.m., Ch. 14) Animation
The Nutcracker (6:20 p.m., Ch. 7) Mikhail Baryshnikov
LDS Christmas Fireside (8 p.m., Ch. 11) First Presidency
The Tailor of Gloucester* (8 p.m., Family) Children's special
Hi Tech Toys for the Holidays (Noon, Ch. 2) Gift ideas
MONDAY, DEC. 5
Bless All the Dear Children (6:35 p.m., TBS) 1980 "Little House" movie
A Very Brady Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 14) 1988 TV movie
Miracle in the Wilderness (8:35 p.m., TBS) 1991 TV movie
The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle (12:35 a.m., TBS) 1978 TV movie
TUESDAY, DEC. 6
A Christmas Angel* (7:30 p.m., Disney) For Better or for Worse
Young Pioneers Christmas (7 p.m., Lifetime) TV movie
Care Bears Nutcracker Suite* (8 p.m., Disney) Animation
The Bestest Present* (9:05 p.m., Disney) For Better of for Worse
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7
The Christmas Gift* (2 p.m., Disney) 1987 TV movie
The Christmas Toy (5 p.m. Nick) The Muppets
Christmas Every Day* (5 p.m., USA) Animated
A Charlie Brown Christmas (7 p.m., Ch. 5) Animation
Barbara Mandrell* (7 p.m., TNN) Country music/variety
An Evening with David Lanz (8 p.m., Ch. 5) Holiday music
A Musical Christmas* (8 p.m., Disney) From Disney World
The Gathering* (8 p.m., TNT) 1977 TV movie
The Christmas Visitor* (9 p.m., Disney) Movie
Honeymooners First Christmas* (11 p.m., Disney) Classic TV
THURSDAY, DEC. 8
A Christmas Carol* (7 p.m., A&E) Northern Ballet Theater
FRIDAY, DEC. 9
Comic Book Christmas Caper* (2 p.m., Disney) Movie
Christmas Snow* (7 p.m., Lifetime) TV movie
SATURDAY, DEC. 10
One Magic Christmas (1 p.m., Ch. 14) 1985 movie
A Very Brady Christmas (3 p.m., Ch. 14) 1985 TV movie
Goof Troop Christmas Special (5 p.m., Ch. 14) Animation
Scrooged* (6 p.m., USA) 1988 movie
Red Skelton's Christmas Dinner (8 p.m., Ch. 11) Comedy/variety
A Carnegie Hall Christmas (9 p.m., Ch. 11) Holiday music
Blackadder's Christmas Carol (10 p.m., Ch. 7) British comedy
It Happened One Christmas* (10:05 p.m., Disney) 1977 movie
Heart of Christmas (10:30 p.m., Ch. 11) Holiday special
Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1:10 a.m., Ch. 7) British comedy
SUNDAY, DEC. 11
The Great Santa Claus Caper* (12:30 p.m., Disney) Raggedy Ann and Andy
Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus* (3 p.m., USA) Animation
Bugs Bunny Christmas Special* (4 p.m., TBS) Animation
A Flintstone Christmas (5 p.m., TBS) Animation
Neil Diamond (6:55 p.m., Ch. 7) Holiday music
Christmas Vacation (8 p.m., Ch. 2) 1989 National Lampoon movie
A Disney Channel Christmas* (8 p.m., Disney) Animation
Mickey's Nutcracker* (9 p.m., Disney) Animation
The Bishop's Wife* (1:30 a.m., TNT) 1947 movie
MONDAY, DEC. 12
Mr. Magoo's Christmas (4:30 p.m., Ch. 30) Animation
A Wrangler Country Christmas* (7 p.m., TNN) Charlie Daniels, Chris LeDoux
White Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 14) 1954 movie
Blue Toes the Christmas Elf (8 p.m., Ch. 30) Animation
TUESDAY, DEC. 13
Yogi Bear's Comedy Christmas* (7:30 p.m., Disney) Animation
A Family Circus Christmas* (9:30 p.m., Disney) Animation
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 14
The Muppet Family Christmas (5 p.m., Nick) TV special
The Elf Who Saved Christmas* (5 p.m., USA) Animation
Christmas with Vince Gill* (6:30 p.m., TNN) Country music
A Garfield Christmas (7 p.m., Ch. 5) Animation
Bob Hope Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 2) Comedy/variety
Christmas in Washington (9 p.m., Ch. 2) Holiday music
THURSDAY, DEC. 15
Christmas Cartoon Classics (4:30 p.m., Ch. 30) Animation
Blue Toes the Christmas Elf (5:30 p.m., Ch. 30) Animation
A Christmas Memory* (7 p.m., A&E) Truman Capote story
Claymation Christmas Celebration* (9:30 p.m., Disney) Will Vinton
FRIDAY, DEC. 16
The Flintstones Christmas Carol (6:35 p.m., TBS) Animation
Jolly Old St. Nicholas (8 p.m., Ch. 30) Animation
The Christmas Gift (8:05 p.m., TBS) 1986 TV movie
Up on the Housetop (8:30 p.m., Ch. 30) Animation
Aliens' First Christmas (9 p.m., Ch. 30) Animation
Deck the Halls (9:30 p.m., Ch. 30) Animation
SATURDAY, DEC. 17
Flintstones Christmas Carol (1 p.m., Ch. 14) Animation
White Christmas (3 p.m., Ch. 14) 1954 movie
A Present for Donald (4:30 p.m., Disney) Animation
Christmas at Home with the Stars (7 p.m., Ch. 4) Celebrities
Tony Bennett: A Family Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 5) Music/variety
A Kurt Bestor Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 7) Holiday music
Perry Como's Irish Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 11) Music/variety
The Night They Saved Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 30) 1984 TV movie
A Broadway Christmas (9:20 p.m., Ch. 11) Holiday music
SUNDAY, DEC. 18
The Snowman (12:30 p.m., Disney) Animation
Visions of Christmas Past (1:30 p.m., Family) TV movie
The Christmas Wife (3:30 p.m., Family) 1988 TV movie
Holiday at Pops* (6 p.m., A&E) Boston Pops concert
Life with Louis: A Christmas Surprise (7:30 p.m., Ch. 13) New animation
A Mom for Christmas* (8 p.m., Disney) TV movie
Harry Connick Jr.* (10 p.m., Disney) Music/variety
A Bing Crosby Christmas* (11 p.m., Disney) Music/variety
MONDAY, DEC. 19
Boy Who Dreamed Christmas* (1:30 p.m., Disney) Movie
A Riders in the Sky Christmas (7 p.m., TNN) Country music
One Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 2) New TV movie
Oliver Twist (8 p.m., Ch. 30) Animation
The Nutcracker (8:50 p.m., Ch. 11) Mikhail Baryshnikov
A Christmas Carol (10:25 p.m., TNT) 1938 version
Dame Edna (11:30 p.m., Ch. 7) Holiday special
Christmas in Connecticut (12:05 p.m., TBS) 1992 TV-movie remake
TUESDAY, DEC. 20
A Christmas Romance (8 p.m., Ch. 5) New TV movie
The Mystery of Santa Claus (11 p.m., Discovery) Documentary
American Playhouse (11:30 p.m., Ch. 7) Hallelujah
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 21
'Twas the Night Before Christmas (7 p.m., Ch. 5) Animation
Kathie Lee Gifford's Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 5) Music/variety
A Gospel Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 7) Holiday music
Christmas at the Movies (8 p.m., Ch. 11) Anthology
The Tin Soldier* (8 p.m., Disney) Movie
A Holiday Affair (8:45 p.m., Ch. 11) 1949 movie
Christmas Candlelight Ceremony* (1 a.m., Disney) Music/religion
THURSDAY, DEC. 22
Mickey's Christmas Carol (7 p.m., Ch. 5) Animation
Opryland Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 5) Country music
Merry Sports Bloopers (9 p.m., Ch. 30) Sports comedy
Holiday Splendor* (1 a.m., Disney) Holiday music
FRIDAY, DEC. 23
Madeline's Christmas* (8 a.m., Family) Animation
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (Noon, Ch. 11) Children's special
Santa and the Three Bears* (2 p.m., Family) Animation
Today's Special Christmas (2:30 p.m., Ch. 11) Children's special
The First Christmas Snow* (3 p.m., Family) Animation
Benji's Very Own Christmas (3:30 p.m., Family) Children's show
All I Want for Christmas (7 p.m., Ch. 2) New TV movie
Disney's Christmas Fantasy on Ice (7 p.m., Ch. 5) Figure skating
American Music Shop Christmas* (7 p.m., TNN) Country music
The Wish That Changed Christmas (7:30 p.m., Ch. 4) Animation
Mel Torme (8 p.m., Ch. 11) Christmas Songs
Television's Christmas Classics (9 p.m., Ch. 5) TV clips and highlights
A Broadway Christmas (10:45 p.m., Ch. 11) Holiday music
SATURDAY, DEC. 24
The Trumpet of Conscience (6:05 a.m., TBS) Martin Luther King
Children's Parade (7 a.m., Ch. 30) Christmas Parade
Father Christmas (11 a.m., Ch. 7) Animation
March of the Wooden Soldiers 11 a.m., Ch. 14) 1961 movie
Prince Cinders (11:30 a.m., Ch. 7) Animation
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (Noon, Ch. 7) Children's program
Holiday Inn* (12:15 p.m., AMC) 1942 movie
Simple Gifts (1 p.m., Ch. 7) Christmas tales
Miracle of the Bells (1 p.m., Ch. 14) 1948 movie
Bells of St. Mary's (3 p.m., Ch. 14) 1945 movie
American Playhouse (3:30 p.m., Ch. 7) Hallelujah
Holiday Time at Disneyland* (4:30 p.m., Disney) Music
Christmas Gift from KUED (5 p.m., Ch. 7) Holiday music
Christmas Songs (5:30 p.m., Ch. 7) Torme, McGovern
Christmas Cartoons (6:10 p.m., Ch. 11) Animation
The Nutcracker (6:20 p.m., Ch. 7) Mikhail Baryshnikov
Father Christmas (6:30 p.m., Ch. 11) Children's show
Santa's Journey (7 p.m., Ch. 2) NBC News tracks Santa
Neil Diamond (7 p.m., Ch. 7) Holiday music
Great Performances (8 p.m., Ch. 7) Natalie Cole special
A Celebration of Christmas (8 p.m., Ch. 11) Holiday music
N. Rockwell's Breaking Home Ties (8 p.m., Ch. 30) 1987 TV movie
Clarence (8:30 p.m., Ch. 14)Made-for-cable movie
A Kurt Bestor Christmas (9 p.m., Ch. 7) Holiday music
Christmas Symphony (10 p.m., Ch. 11) Jessye Norman
Mary & Joseph: A Story of Faith (10:30 p.m., Ch. 14) 1979 TV movie
Christmas Eve at St. Peter's (10:35 p.m., Ch. 2) Midnight Mass
Waiting for God (11:30 p.m., Ch. 7) Christmas special
Blackadder's Christmas Carol (12:30 a.m., Ch. 7) British comedy
A Holiday Affair (12:05 a.m., TBS) Colorized 1949 movie
SUNDAY, DEC. 25
Very Merry Christmas Parade (8 a.m., Ch. 4) Disney World
Christmas Parade (8 a.m., Ch. 30) Holiday parade
A Kurt Bestor Christmas (9 a.m., Ch. 7) Holiday music
A Christmas Carol (10 a.m., Ch. 13) 1951 version
Oliver Twist (10 a.m., Ch. 30) Animation
It's a Wonderful Life (11 a.m., Ch. 2) 1946 movie
Christmas Comes to Willow Creek (11 a.m., Ch. 14) 1987 TV movie
Christmas Gift from KUED (11:30 a.m., Ch. 7) Holiday music
Dame Edna (Noon, Ch. 7) Holiday special
Christmas Cartoon Classics (Noon, Ch. 30) Animation
Tony Bennett: A Family Christmas (1 p.m., Ch. 5) Music/variety
Lawrence Welk (1 p.m., Ch. 11) Holiday special
King of Kings (1 p.m., Ch. 14) 1961 movie
The Magic of Christmas (1 p.m., Ch. 30) Music/variety
Christmas with the Stars (2 p.m., Ch. 30) Celebrity celebrations
A Kurt Bestor Christmas (4 p.m., Ch. 7) Holiday music
Christmas in Connecticut (5:15 p.m., TNT) 1992 TV remake
Mary & Joseph: A Story of Faith (5:30 p.m., Ch. 14) 1979 TV movie
Father Christmas (6 p.m., Ch. 7) Animation
It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas (6 p.m., Ch. 13) Animation
Prince Cinders (6:30 p.m., Ch. 7) Animation
Home for the Holidays (7 p.m., Ch. 2) Country music
Bah! Humbug! (9 p.m., Ch. 7) Charles Dickens
Storybarn Christmas (11:15 p.m., Ch. 2) Songs and stories
The Bells of St. Mary's (12:45 a.m., TNT) 1945 movie