1) “A Christmas Story” marathon, 8 p.m., TBS or 9 p.m., TNT. This movie (shown here) arrived back in 1983, with a modest budget and low expectations. But it brought a fresh look at a holiday in the 1940s, when Santa seemed scary and little kids wanted BB guns. It became a favorite; now both channels air it every two hours, for 24 hours.
2) More movies. Families can savor “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) at 6:45 p.,m. on TNT or the great sight gags in “Home Alone” (1990), from 8-10 p.m. on ABC. Grown-ups like “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946), from 8-11 on NBC. And aside from the holiday, the delightful “Back to the Future” is 7:30 p.m. on Syfy, with its sequels at 10 and 12:30.
3) “Christmas With Andrea Bocelli and Friends,” 8 p.m., CBS. This is a late addition to the line-up. Bocelli performs with Jennifer Hudson, Josh Groban, Dua Lipa and Sofia Carson, plus his wife and daughter. That’s followed at 9 by a new “Price is Right,” focusing on first-responders and military. At 10 is a rerun of Nate Bergatze’s amiable comedy/music special.
4) Cartoons. While kids fret about Santa, they can catch some classics. “Frosty the Snowman” is at 7:30 p.m. on Freeform, with “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” at 8. They follow the “Santa Clause” films, at 1, 3 and 5:25.
5) And a grown-up Christmas: Many PBS stations will rerun two superb concerts – “The Gospel Messiah” at 8 p.m. and “Christmas With the Tabernacle Choir” at 9:30. And at 11:34 p.m., NBC goes to the Vatican for the Christmas Mass.