What’s on TV Saturday: ‘Call the Midwife’ holiday special; ‘The Repair Shop’ on Discovery
The prime-time TV grid is on hiatus in print. You can find more TV coverage at: latimes.com/whats-on-tv.
SERIES
The Repair Shop The imported unscripted antique-repair series airs a marathon of new episodes, with a special Christmas episode at 8 p.m. ;9, 10, 11 a.m., Noon; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Discovery
Crikey! It’s the Irwins While pregnant, Bindi continues to work at the Wildlife Hospital in this new episode of the unscripted series. 8 p.m. Animal Planet
The exuberant, khaki-clad animal expert and conservationist Steve Irwin was Animal Planet’s first superstar.
Holmes Family Rescue In the new episode, Mike Holmes and his children rush to help a pregnant woman struggling with a desperate situation: As she was approaching her due date, she and her partner were scammed by a contractor who left them with an absolute mess of a kitchen. 8 p.m. HGTV
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted The chef shares extended versions of his favorite episodes: “Extra Helping: The Great Smoky Mountains” 8 p.m.; “Extra Helping: Holy Mole Mexico” 9 p.m.; “Extra Helping: Michigan’s Yooper Cuisine” 10 p.m. and “Extra Helping: Finland’s Midnight Sun” 11 p.m. National Geographic
Call the Midwife The historical drama’s holiday episode opens in 1966, as Lucille and Cyril (Leonie Elliott, Zephryn Taitte) prepare for their winter wedding. Meanwhile, the Nonnatus House team faces its busiest Christmas Day ever, as expectant mothers — each with her own issues — fill the maternity home. Fortunately, Mother Mildred (Miriam Margolyes) is present to lend her support. Stephen McGann, Helen George and Jenny Agutter also star. 9:06 p.m. KOCE
Based in a London convent and revolving around childbirth, “Call the Midwife” is the perfect show for the season — especially its first Christmas special.
SPECIALS
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Since its first airing in 1966, this adaptation of the Dr. Seuss children’s book has evolved into an annual holiday viewing tradition. Legendary animator Chuck Jones directed the story about a green-skinned grouch who sets out to spoil Christmas for the citizens of Whoville. Boris Karloff provides narration, with additional voices by Thurl Ravenscroft and June Foray. 8 p.m. NBC
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade The Walt Disney Parks’ Christmas tradition is showcased from Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland, in a music-filled two-hour special. Derek and Julianne Hough anchor the Florida coverage, while Freeform stars Trevor Jackson (“grown-ish”) and Sherry Cola (“Good Trouble”) host from the West Coast. Musical performers include Kristin Chenoweth (“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”), Meg Donnelly (“Jingle Bell Rock”), Pentatonix (“I Saw Three Ships”), Gwen Stefani (“Cheer for the Elves”) and Darren Criss (“Christmas Dance”). 9 a.m. ABC
SPORTS
NBA Basketball The Atlanta Hawks visit the New York Knicks, 9 a.m. ESPN; the Boston Celtics visit the Milwaukee Bucks, 11:30 a.m. ABC; the Golden State Warriors visit the Phoenix Suns, 2 p.m. ABC; the Brooklyn Nets visit the Lakers, 5 p.m. ABC and ESPN; the Dallas Mavericks visit the Utah Jazz, 7:30 p.m. ESPN
U.S. Olympic Trials Ski Jumping from Lake Placid, N.Y., 9:30 a.m. NBC
College Football Camellia Bowl: Georgia State versus Ball State, 11:30 a.m. ESPN
NFL Football The Cleveland Browns visit the Green Bay Packers, 1:30 p.m. Fox and NFL; the Indianapolis Colts visit the Arizona Cardinals, 5:15 p.m. NFL
College Basketball Diamond Head Classic, 3rd-place game: Teams TBA, 3:30 p.m. ESPN2; Diamond Head Classic, final: Teams TBA, 6 p.m. ESPN2
Premier League Soccer Wolverhampton Wanderers versus Watford, Sunday, 4:25 a.m. NBCSP; Liverpool versus Leeds United, Sunday, 4:30 a.m. USA
SATURDAY TALK SHOWS
Good Morning America (N) 7 a.m. KABC
CBS Saturday Morning (N) 10 a.m. KCAL
Meet the Press Film Festival A look at the best short documentary films of the year. noon MSNBC
Sunday Talk Show Guests: January 2 : Nicole Malliotakis “Sunday Morning Futures” on Fox News; “Face the Nation”; “Meet the Press”; “This Week”
MOVIES
Writing Around the Christmas Tree A romance novelist (Krystal Joy Brown) has a successful career but little luck when it comes to her love life. Worse, she’s struggling with writer’s block. She decides to revive her late mother’s holiday writers retreat at a snowy chalet, where she meets a nonfiction writer (Curtis Hamilton). 8 p.m. Lifetime
Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas (2009) 8 a.m. KLCS; 8 a.m. KPBS
The LEGO Movie (2014) 8 a.m. Comedy Central
Forrest Gump (1994) 8 and 11:30 a.m., 3 and 6:30 p.m. Paramount
A Christmas Story (1983) 8 and 10 a.m., noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m. TBS; 9 and 11 a.m., 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m. TNT
The Wizard of Oz (1939) 8, 9:07, 10:15 a.m., 12:30 and 1:37 p.m. Cartoon Network; 8 p.m. TBS
Scott Pilgrim Versus the World (2010) 8:05 a.m. TMC
When Harry Met Sally... (1989) 8:30 a.m. Showtime
Fatal Attraction (1987) 8:47 a.m. Cinemax
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) 9 a.m., noon, 3, 6 and 9 p.m. E!
Casino Royale (2006) 9 and 2:30 p.m. Pop
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) 9 a.m. USA
The Santa Clause (1994) 9:10 a.m. Freeform
Clueless (1995) 9:10 a.m. HBO
Shrek 2 (2004) 10 a.m. Comedy Central
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) 10 a.m. IFC
The Natural (1984) 10 a.m. TMC
Coming to America (1988) 10 a.m., 12:30, 3, 5:30, 8 and 10:30 p.m. VH1
White Christmas (1954) 10:15 a.m. Sundance
Scrooged (1988) 10:30 a.m. AMC
O. Henry’s Full House (1952) 10:30 a.m. TCM
Twelve Monkeys (1995) 10:48 a.m. Cinemax
Super 8 (2011) 10:48 a.m. HBO
The American President (1995) 11 a.m. Ovation
The Good Dinosaur (2015) 11:18 a.m. Encore
Sing (2016) 11:30 a.m. FX
My Cousin Vinny (1992) Noon and 5:30 p.m. Bravo; 10:05 p.m. Paramount
Shrek (2001) Noon Comedy Central
Casino (1995) Noon Showtime
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) 12:14 and 8 p.m. Starz
The Polar Express (2004) 12:30 p.m. AMC
Spider-Man (2002) 12:30 p.m. Syfy
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) 12:30 p.m. USA
Ron’s Gone Wrong (2021) 12:40 p.m. HBO
Iron Man 3 (2013) 12:55 and 9 p.m. Encore
The Preacher’s Wife (1996) 1 p.m. OWN
El Dorado (1967) 1 p.m. Sundance
The Big Lebowski (1998) 1 p.m. TMC
Gremlins (1984) 1:02 p.m. BBC America
Top Gun (1986) 2:17 p.m. Starz
Goodfellas (1990) 2:30 p.m. Bravo
Misery (1990) 2:30 p.m. Cinemax
Miracle on 34th Street (1994) 2:30 p.m. HBO
John Wick (2014) 3 and 11:04 p.m. A&E
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) 3 p.m. Epix
In the Good Old Summertime (1949) 3 p.m. TCM
Spider-Man 2 (2004) 3:05 p.m. Syfy
The Man From Snowy River (1982) 3:09 p.m. Encore
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) 3:30 and 11 p.m. BBC America
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) 3:30 p.m. IFC
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) 3:30 p.m. USA
The Fugitive (1993) 4 p.m. Ovation
Big (1988) 4:57 p.m. Encore
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) 5 p.m. A&E
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 5 p.m. TCM
Revolver (2005) 5 p.m. TMC
Smallfoot (2018) 5 p.m. Cartoon Network
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) 6 and 8:30 p.m. BBC America
Tombstone (1993) 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Sundance
Home Alone (1990) 6:45 p.m. Freeform
Downton Abbey (2019) 7 p.m. KOCE
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) 7 and 9:15 p.m. AMC
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) 7 p.m. USA
John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum (2019) 8 p.m. A&E
Knives Out (2019) 8 and 11 p.m. Bravo
The Black Stallion (1979) 8 p.m. Epix
Writing Around the Christmas Tree (2021) 8 p.m. Lifetime
Witness for the Prosecution (1957) 8 p.m. TCM
Dirty Dancing (1987) 9 p.m. CMT
Zola (2020) 9 p.m. Showtime
Doctor Strange (2016) 9 p.m. Syfy
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) 9 p.m. TMC
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) 9:23 p.m. USA
The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954) 10 p.m. KVCR
Midnight Lace (1960) 10:15 p.m. TCM
Boogie Nights (1997) 10:30 p.m. Showtime
Backdraft (1991) 11:14 p.m. Encore
Wonder (2017) 11:15 p.m. TBS
TV highlights for Dec. 19-25 include ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas,’ the Lakers versus the Nets, and a new entry in ‘The Matrix’ sci-fi/action franchise.
Movies on TV this week: December 19: ‘A Christmas Story’ on TNT and TBS; ‘White Christmas’ on AMC and Sundance; ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ on NBC and E
Movies on TV for the entire week, Dec. 19 - 25 in interactive PDF format for easy downloading and printing
TV Grids for the entire week of Dec. 19 - 25 as PDF files you can download and print
Looking for what to watch on TV? Here are television highlights from the Los Angeles Times.
TV NEXT WEEK
TV highlights for Dec. 26-Jan. 1 include New Year’s Eve specials, the Rose Parade, college football, a new “Star Wars” series and more
Movies on TV this week: December 26: ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ on Showtime; ‘L.A. Confidential’ on TMC; ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ on KCET
Movies on TV for the entire week, Dec. 26 in interactive PDF format for easy downloading and printing
TV Grids for the entire week of Dec. 26 in PDF format for easy downloading and printing
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