‘Lost Holiday’ based on true story

Tonight

Might-see

“Lost Holiday,” 9 p.m., Lifetime. This is based on the true story of a couple stranded in the Idaho snow at Christmas time.

Suzanne Shemwell (Jami Gertz) is an overly precise list-maker. Her estranged husband, Jim, is a less-than-precise sort. In a TV-movie rarity, each is given faults and strengths.

Then they’re lost in a white nightmare, as the family and community scrambles to find them. Writer-director Gregory Goodell has told the story with a mix of passion and restraint.

“The Note,” 9 p.m., Hallmark Channel. All Christmas movies aren’t created equal. Unlike “Lost Holiday,” this one has one-dimensional characters, sermonettes and a hugely manipulated ending. Genie Francis plays a columnist who finds a dying person’s farewell note.

Sunday

Must-see

“1968,” 9 p.m., History Channel. The year 1968 was epic and operatic. There were the wrenching tragedies of Vietnam, drugs and the slaying of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. There was the glow of civil rights, women’s rights and youthful freedom.

This superb documentary visits prominent people (Bruce Springsteen, Andrew Young, Pat Buchanan) and regular folks who were caught in a great sweep of history.

Might-see

“For One More Day,” 9 p.m., ABC. There are plenty of flaws in this story of a weary alcoholic (Michael Imperioli) and his passionate mother (Ellen Burstyn). Still, writer Mitch Albom put a strong, human story at the core, with enough surprises to keep us watching and caring.

“Holiday in Handcuffs,” 8 and 10 p.m., Family. This may be one of the silliest notions ever concocted for a Christmas movie: A young woman (Melissa Joan Hart) is so desperate to impress her family during the holiday that she brings a handsome hunk (Mario Lopez) by gunpoint. It’s an absurd notion, but Hart sometimes makes it appealing.