Animations offer Christmastime tales
‘Twas two weeks before Christmas, and on every conceivable channel, holiday toons are repeating, from the classic to the merely banal.
Here’s a two-dimensional roundup:
Narrated by Boris Karloff, animator Chuck Jones’ 1966 “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (8 p.m., WB) remains a favorite, in spite of the recent blockbuster desecration at the hands of Ron Howard and Jim Carrey.
Not even the combined voices of Steven Weber, Dom DeLuise, Sheena Easton, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Nelson Reilly and Bebe Neuwirth will ever make me consider the 1998 cartoon “An All Dogs Christmas Carol” (4:20 p.m. Toon Disney) anything but forgettable. But wouldn’t you love to see that gang on “Hollywood Squares”?
Nobody can open his or her presents until the gang solve the mystery of Winter Hollow on “A Scooby-Doo Christmas” (8:30 p.m., WB).
Creator Mike Judge channels the spirits of CB-radio songs past in the Christmas-themed episode of “King of the Hill” (8:30 p.m., Fox) in which Hank and Bobby commandeer an 18-wheeler.
Classic-rock dinosaurs Kiss make a guest appearance on the Christmas episode of “Family Guy” (9 p.m., Fox), followed by another holiday episode (9:30 p.m.) featuring the voice of Ben Stein.
And finally, “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening collaborated with Drew Barrymore to create the 1998 fantasy “Olive, the Other Reindeer” (8 p.m., Cartoon Network), about a dog with an imaginative sense of hearing who volunteers to help Santa when Blitzen shows up on the disabled list.
How much does sports matter? Two very different films examine the real and metaphorical impact of athletics on our everyday lives.
HBO presents a quick and timely update of the Emmy-winning film “The Curse of the Bambino,” “Reverse the Curse of the Bambino” (8 p.m., HBO). “Reverse” recalls the recent American League playoffs and World Series in which the Red Sox came back from three games down to best their longtime rivals the Yankees and then vanquish the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 in a decisive fall classic that ended a World Championship drought stretching back to 1918.
The 90-minute documentary “Hardwood Dreams: Ten Years Later” (9 p.m., Spike) looks back at a 1993 championship high school basketball team from a gang-ridden Los Angeles neighborhood. Ten years after their championship season, the five starting players’ lives take divergent paths, from drug busts to musical careers to college stardom. Wesley Snipes narrates.
John Favreau chats with director Martin Scorsese on “Dinner for Five” (10 p.m., Independent Film Channel) about his new film “The Aviator,” as well as Scorsese’s body of work, his influences and his style.
Other highlights
Diving into the deep end on “Joan of Arcadia” (8 p.m., CBS).
Elijah Wood stars in the 2001 fantasy “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings” (8 p.m., TNT), the first film in the trilogy directed by Peter Jackson.
Valerie Bickford hosts “Makeover Mamas” (9 p.m., A&E).
A sports agent (Wendie Malick) approaches her game with a very different perspective on “Reba” (9 p.m., WB).
Encephalitis strikes down four teens on “Medical Investigation” (10 p.m., NBC).
Lynyrd Skynyrd and Montgomery Gentry join forces on “Crossroads” (10 p.m., CMT).
Series notes
Halloween horrors on “The Simpsons” (8 p.m., Fox) … A missed match inspires fancy footwork on “8 Simple Rules” (8 p.m., ABC) … Archer enlists a disgraced scientist to combat a mutant race on “Star Trek: Enterprise” (8 p.m., UPN).
Kyle fears that having a girlfriend will make him less manly on “Complete Savages” (8:30 p.m., ABC).
A weapons whiz vanishes on “JAG” (9 p.m., CBS) … A paramedic takes a co-worker hostage on “Third Watch” (9 p.m., NBC) … Holiday pageant drama on “Hope & Faith” (9 p.m., ABC) … Catwalk drama on “America’s Next Top Model” (9 p.m., UPN) … Claude plays Mr. Claus on “Less Than Perfect” (9:30 p.m., ABC) … Christmas joy on “Blue Collar TV” (9:30 p.m., WB) … The 1985 case of a car-jacked broker is reopened on “Cold Case” (10 p.m., CBS).