Thursday’s TV Highlights: ‘Call the Midwife Holiday Special’ and more

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TV listings for the week of Dec. 21 - 27, 2014 in PDF format

This week’s TV Movies

SPECIALS

Yule Log Holiday music accompanies images of a blazing hearth. 4 a.m. KTLA; 6 a.m. KCAL

Disney Parks Frozen Christmas Celebration The hit animated musical “Frozen” serves as the theme for this special that features performances by Ariana Grande, Trey Songz, Trisha Yearwood and “Pretty Little Liars’” Lucy Hale. 9 a.m. ABC

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas The green meanie is up to his old tricks in this classic animated tale. Boris Karloff narrates, and Thurl Ravenscroft performs the theme song. 8 p.m. ABC

Call the Midwife Holiday Special Vanessa Redgrave, who serves as the narrator for the 1950s-set British drama, makes an on-screen appearance in this special Christmas episode. 8 p.m. KOCE

Doctor Who The Time Lord (Peter Capaldi) teams up with Santa (“Shaun of the Dead’s” Nick Frost) in the venerable sci-fi drama’s annual Christmas episode. 9 p.m. BBC America

Vicious Holiday Special Freddie and Stuart (Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi) celebrate the season in this special episode of the Brit-com. 9:20 p.m. KOCE

MOVIES

A Christmas Story The dueling marathons of this beloved 1983 comedy continue; with Peter Billingsley. 6, 8, 10 a.m. and noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m., TBS; 7, 9, 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m., TNT

The Princess Bride Sundance TV offers multiple showings of this 1987 charmer directed by Rob Reiner and starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Pantinkin, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn and Andre the Giant. 1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45 and 10 p.m. Sundance TV

High Anxiety A salute to Mel Brooks kicks off with the funny filmmaker’s 1977 sendup of all things Hitchcock. 5 p.m. TCM

SPORTS

Basketball The Knicks play the Wizards; the Spurs face the Thunder; the Cavs meet the Heat; the Lakers battle the Bulls; the Clippers take on the Warriors. 9 a.m. ESPN; 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. ABC; 5 and 7:30 p.m. TNT

TALK SHOWS

CBS This Morning Former ballet dancer Patricia McBride. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS

Today Joel Osteen; Fifth Harmony performs. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC

Good Morning America (N) 7 a.m. KABC

Good Day LA (N) 7 a.m. KTTV

The Wendy Williams Show Donald Trump. 9 a.m. KCOP

The Dr. Oz Show People who died and came back share their stories. 10 a.m. KCOP, 2 p.m. KTTV

The Doctors Holiday special. 11 a.m. KCAL

The Wendy Williams Show Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi; Johnny Gill performs. 11 a.m. KTTV

The Talk Wanda Sykes; Erin Kennedy. 1 p.m. KCBS

The Queen Latifah Show Denzel Washington. 2 p.m. KCBS

The Meredith Vieira Show Josh Groban. 2 p.m. KNBC

Dr. Phil Abusive boyfriend. 3 p.m. KCBS

Steve Harvey 3 p.m. KNBC

The Ellen DeGeneres Show The cast of “Scandal.” 4 p.m. KNBC

To the Contrary With Bonnie Erbé Fighting sexual assault; Kathleen Bogle’s “Kids Gone Wild.” (N) 5:30 p.m. KOCE

Tavis Smiley Peter Yarrow and Noel “Paul” Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary. ?11 p.m. KOCE

Charlie Rose (N) 11 p.m. KVCR, 11:30 p.m. KOCE, 1 a.m. KLCS

Conan Dana Carvey; Cristin Miloti. 11 p.m. TBS

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Whoopi Goldberg; Rashida Jones; chef Tom Colicchio. 11:34 p.m. KNBC

Late Show With David Letterman Jay Thomas; Josh Brolin; Darlene Love performs. 11:35 p.m. KCBS

Jimmy Kimmel Live Mindy Kaling; MMA fighter Ronda Rousey; Rick Ross performs. 11:35 p.m. KABC

Late Night With Seth Meyers John Goodman; Aasif Mandvi; Interpol performs. 12:36 a.m. KNBC

The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson Quentin Tarantino; Toni Trucks. 12:37 a.m. KCBS

Nightline (N) 12:37 a.m. KABC

Last Call With Carson Daly Gugu Mbatha-Raw; the Front Bottoms performs. 1:37 a.m. KNBC