TV Catches Holiday Spirit

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ 'Tis the season to gather around the TV set and receive our holiday cheer electronically. <br><br>It's that or another trip to the mall, where getting into the spirit of the

Monday, December 4th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ 'Tis the season to gather around the TV set and receive our holiday cheer electronically.

It's that or another trip to the mall, where getting into the spirit of the season is much more expensive.

So pour the eggnog, pick up the remote and say ``hello'' to old favorites like CBS' ``A Charlie Brown Christmas'' and such inventive newcomers as Fox Family Channel's ``Santa Mouse and the Ratdeer.'' Here are the highlights (all times EST):

MOVIES:

_ ``Special Delivery,'' 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, Fox Family Channel, stars Andy Dick as a bumbling adoption agency courier trying to deliver a baby boy to his new family in time for the holidays.

_ ``Holiday Heart,'' 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, Showtime, features Ving Rhames as a melancholy drag queen who helps a mother (Alfre Woodard) and her daughter discover the meaning of family.

_ ``Once Upon a Christmas,'' 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, PAX, stars Kathy Ireland in the tale of a peeved Santa, fed up with a growing list of naughty children, who declares an end to Christmas.

_ ``It's a Wonderful Life,'' 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, NBC, is an exclusive airing of the bittersweet Frank Capra fantasy with James Stewart, Donna Reed and Henry Travers as Clarence the angel.

_ ``The Christmas Secret,'' 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, CBS, stars Richard Thomas and Beau Bridges in the story of a scientist who, trying to prove reindeer can fly, learns about faith and family.

_ ``How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale,'' 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, Fox, casts John Stamos, Joshua Malina and Shemar Moore as buddies who conspire to seduce and marry wealthy women before Christmas Eve.

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ANIMATION:

_ ``The Year Without a Santa Claus,'' 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, Fox Family Channel, boasts the voices of Shirley Booth, Mickey Rooney and Dick Shawn in a tale about an unhappy Santa going AWOL.

_ ``Mickey's Christmas Carol,'' 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, ABC, features Mickey Mouse, Goofy and the rest of the gang in a Disneyized version of the Dickens classic.

_ ``A Charlie Brown Christmas,'' 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, CBS, lets holiday activists Charlie Brown and pal Linus once again remind the world that Christmas means more than tinsel and toys.

_ ``Olive, the Other Reindeer,'' 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, Fox, features Drew Barrymore as the voice of Olive, a dog who pitches in to save Christmas when Blitzen the reindeer is put on the disabled list.

_ ``Veggie Tales Christmas Spectacular,'' 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, PAX, joins Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber and the rest of the veggies as they share the meaning of the season.

_ ``Santa Mouse and the Ratdeer,'' 12:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, Fox Family Channel, finds Santa Mouse with a broken sleigh on Christmas Eve and ready to give up until Rosie Mouse gives him and his faithful ratdeer a boost.

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FA LA LA LA LA:

_ ``Holiday at Pops 2000,'' 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, A&E Network, features conductor Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and guests Martina McBride, Take 6 and Jimmy Tingle.

_ ``Christmas in Washington,'' 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, TNT, has Sarah Michelle Gellar as host of the concert that includes President Clinton among its guests. The Corrs, Billy Gilman, Brian McKnight and Jessica Simpson are to perform.

_ ``A Very Special Christmas From Washington, D.C.,'' 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, TNT, features Tracy Chapman, Macy Gray, Jon Bon Jovi, B.B. King and others in a celebration of the Special Olympics.

_ ``All-Star Winter Celebration: The Nobel Concert,'' 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, Fox Family Channel, honors Nobel Peace Prize winner Kim Dae-jung and is scheduled to include performances by Elton John, Natalie Cole and Lee Ann Womack.

_ ``Holiday Music Spectacular From Miami Beach,'' 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, Fox, is presented by the American Red Cross and features singers including Marc Anthony, Tony Bennett and Jessica Simpson.

_ ``Walt Disney World 'Twas the Night Before Christmas,'' 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 24, ABC's ``Wonderful World of Disney,'' is a Christmas Eve celebration featuring Jessica Simpson, 'N Sync and Frankie Muniz (``Malcolm in the Middle'').

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STOCKING STUFFERS:

_ ``Martha Stewart's Christmas Dream,'' 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, CBS, showcases the star homemaker and guests including Tony Bennett, Lorraine Bracco and Cyndi Lauper.

_ ``Emeril's All-Star Holiday Bash,'' 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, Food Network, features holiday party recipes from the ebullient chef and fellow cooking pros.

_ ``Santa's Funniest Moments,'' 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, PAX, with host Kirk Cameron, offers holiday home videos and children's assessments of Santa.

_ ``B. Smith Holiday Style,'' 10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, Food Network, follows entertaining expert Smith into her Sag Harbor, N.Y., home to glean decorating and cooking tips.

_ ``The Magic of Christmas,'' 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, PAX, features magician Franz Harary and friends making Christmas trees disappear and, maybe, reindeer fly.

_ ``The Miracle of the First Christmas,'' 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, PAX, with host Roger Moore, explores evidence of the birth of Jesus with dramatic re-enactments and comments from biblical scholars.

_ ``The Greatest Holiday Moments of All Time,'' 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, Fox, looks at holiday moments from movies and TV shows.

_ ``Christmas Castles,'' 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, Dec. 18-22, HGTV, is a series of specials highlighting holiday flair at American mansions including Thistle Hill in Fort Worth, Texas, and Fair Lane in Dearborn, Mich.

_ ``Christmas Miracles,'' 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, Fox Family Channel, lets host Jennifer Love Hewitt and helpers including Halle Berry and Melissa Joan Hart fulfill the wishes in ``Dear Santa'' letters.

_ ``A Home for the Holidays,'' 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, CBS, offers inspirational stories about adoption with Jamie Lee Curtis, Amy Brenneman and Ellen DeGeneres. Performers include Faith Hill and Vanessa Williams.

_ ``The White House Christmas 2000,'' 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, HGTV, with host Joy Philbin, offers a peek at how designers, cooks and social secretaries prepare the president and first lady's house for the holidays.

_ ``HGTV's Christmas Across America 2000,'' 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 24, HGTV, offers a three-hour, cross-country tour of holiday celebrations in more than three dozen cities including New York, Los Angeles, Detroit and Tulsa, Okla. Willard Scott is the host.

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Elsewhere in television ...

A FEW GOOD VETERANS: USA Network is seeking former members of the Green Berets, Navy SEALS, Army Rangers and other elite government tactical teams to compete in ``Combat Missions,'' a new series from ``Survivor'' producer Mark Burnett. Contestants will take part in staged military missions next spring, with their team's honor and a $400,000 grand prize at stake. Log on to http://www.usanetwork.com or http://www.combatmissions.com for application information.