Holiday TV Fare: Choirs and ‘Carol’

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day television fare will be marked by some variations from tradition along with the perennial choices in movies and holiday-themed programs.

The 33rd Annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration (9 a.m.-9 p.m. today, KCET Channel 28) from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is placing emphasis on healing and multicultural harmony, with performances representing many ethnic and racial groups. At 6:15 p.m., KCET will cover the procession of multicultural choirs through downtown Los Angeles. They will also perform in a 90-minute finale from 7:30-9 p.m.

KCET will also have two other music specials today. Diana Ross joins opera stars Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo for a concert of holiday music at Vienna City Hall on “Great Performances” at 9 p.m., followed at 10 by “Christmas at King’s” from King’s College in Cambridge, England. (KOCE Channel 50 will air “Great Performances” at 8 p.m. Friday.)

Viewers seeking the comfort of stability will find reassurance in 14 showings of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, and seven versions of “A Christmas Carol,” along with various theme programs and religious services.

Religion: The three major networks will present Christmas Eve services. NBC (midnight, Channels 4, 36, 39) airs “Christmas Eve at St. Peter’s” with Pope John Paul II celebrating midnight Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. (KMEX Channel 34 will carry a series of Christmas messages from the Pope at 6:30 a.m. Friday.)

A special Christmas Choral Worship Service from the West Market Street United Methodist Church in Greensboro, N.C., featuring excerpts from Handel’s Messiah, will be carried at 11:35 p.m. on KCBS Channel 2 and 11:30 p.m. on KFMB Channel 8.

“A Service of Light” from the First Christian Church in Tulsa, Okla., with music and liturgical dancers, can be seen at midnight Thursday on Channels 7, 3 and 42 and 12:35 a.m. on Channel 10.

On cable, TBS has “Trumpet of Conscience” at 5:05 a.m. Christmas Day, incorporating words from a 1967 sermon by Dr. Martin Luther King, augmented by film images of life around the world and a blend of gospel music and spirituals.

Sports: Football on Christmas Day is limited to a pair of games--the Kelly Tire Blue/Gray All-Star Game (9 a.m., Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42), and the Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl between Brigham Young and Kansas (12:30 p.m., Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42).

NBC (Channels 4, 36 and 39) will present a Christmas Day day-night pro basketball doubleheader.

Jim Lampley will have two roles on the network’s NBA coverage. He’ll substitute for Bob Costas, who has the day off, as the host of “NBA Showtime” at noon, then serve as play-by-play announcer for the Clippers-San Antonio Spurs game at 12:30 p.m. The Chicago Bulls play host to the New York Knicks at 6 p.m. to round out the doubleheader.

This will be Lampley’s debut as an NBA play-by-play announcer. Magic Johnson and Steve Jones will serve as the analysts.

Following the Bulls-Knicks game is “An Olympic Christmas: Barcelona Memories,” which reports on gymnasts Kim Zmeskal and Shannon Miller and Tatiana Gutsu and Svetlana Boginskaya of the former Soviet Union.

Movies: Next to “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “A Christmas Carol” in its assorted versions is the holiday’s most-played movie.

Three adaptations will run almost simultaneously tonight. At 8 p.m. WGN presents “Scrooge,” the 1951 edition with Alastair Sim starring as Ebenezer Scrooge. (KEYT Channel 3 will air this version at 4 p.m. Friday.)

Also at 8 p.m., KADY Channel 63 and KTTY Channel 69 have the 1970 musical version, “Scrooge,” starring Albert Finney.

George C. Scott has the title role at 9 p.m. on CBS (Channels 2 and 8) in the 1984 made-for-TV “A Christmas Carol.” A colorized version of 1938’s “A Christmas Carol,” starring Reginald Owen, airs at 11:35 p.m. on TBS.

Cable’s Learning Channel presents “Scrooge” from 1935 at 9 a.m. Friday. 1979’s “An American Christmas Carol” (4 p.m. Friday, Channel 2) shifts the scene to a Depression-era New England town and stars Henry Winkler. Scrooge comes to 1988 in “Scrooged,” (4:30 p.m. Friday, Cinemax) with Bill Murray starring as a venal TV executive.

At 1 p.m. Friday, CBS (Channels 2 and 8) airs “The Homecoming,” the 1971 made-for-TV movie that led to “The Waltons.” Patricia Neal, who did not join the series cast, stars as Olivia Walton.

“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians,” which has been tabbed as one of the 10 worst movies ever made, gets the “Mystery Science Theater 3000” treatment Friday at 3 p.m. on Comedy Central. It airs again at 10:35 p.m. on TBS. The cast includes a young Pia Zadora as a Martian child.

Themed Programming: “Christmas Eve on Sesame Street,” featuring the Muppets, “Sesame Street” cast members and “Holiday on Ice” skaters, airs at 8 a.m. today on KCET Channel 28.

The animated version of Dr. Seuss’ classic “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” will air on TBS at 5:05 p.m. today.

CBS (Channels 2 and 8) reruns a pair of animated specials tonight: “ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” at 8 p.m. and “A Wish for Wings That Work,” featuring Opus the Penguin and Bill the Cat from the “Bloom County” and “Outland” comic strips, at 8:30 p.m.

Parades: Actors and characters from Disney TV series and movies appear Friday in the “Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade,” 7 a.m., Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42.

Also on Friday, last month’s “Hollywood Christmas Parade” will be repeated at 9 a.m. on KTLA Channel 5 and 1 p.m. on KADY Channel 63.

Marathons: Nickelodeon starts a 10-hour marathon of holiday-themed episodes of “The Mary Tyler Moore” show, “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Dragnet,” at 8 p.m. Friday.

Prime Ticket has six installments of its “Baseball’s Greatest Games” beginning at 4 p.m. Friday, including Game 1 of the 1988 World Series between the Dodgers and Oakland Athletics (8 p.m.).