What's on TV Friday: 'A Christmas Story' on TBS and TNT

A boy wearing glasses and a suit talks to Santa Claus.

Dec. 24, 2021 6 AM PT

The prime-time TV grid is on hiatus in print. You can find more TV coverage at: latimes.com/whats-on-tv.

SPECIALS

Rudolph’s Shiny New Year 9:30 a.m. AMC

Duck the Halls: A Very Mickey Christmas 11:30 a.m. Disney

Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration The 62nd celebration returns live from the Music Center, honoring the dynamic, rich cultures of L.A. County. 3 and 10 p.m. KOCE

The KTLA Yule Log With holiday music from radio station KOST 103.5. The CW

Christmas in New York: Inside the Plaza The staff at New York’s Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue prepare for the holiday season, including a Christmas feast for up to 500 guests. 7 and 10 p.m. KCET

A Holly Dolly Christmas Dolly Parton hosts this holiday special. 8 p.m. CBS

20 Years of Christmas With the Tabernacle Choir Brian Stokes Mitchell hosts this 20th-anniversary retrospective that features performances from Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Gladys Knight, Angela Lansbury, Hugh Bonneville, Renée Fleming and more. 8 p.m. KOCE

Shrek the Halls 8:30 p.m. ABC

Frosty the Snowman 8:30 p.m. Freeform

Disney Prep & Landing 9 p.m. ABC

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 9 p.m. Freeform

Kelly Clarkson Presents: When Christmas Comes Around Clarkson celebrates the holidays with musical performances and special guests, including Brett Eldredge, Ariana Grande, Jay Leno, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Odom Jr. and Amy Poehler. 10 p.m. E!

Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town 10 p.m. Freeform

Michael Bublé’s Christmas in the City The singer hosts a new holiday special from New York City featuring music, comedy and special guests. 11 p.m. E!

Christmas Eve Mass Pope Francis delivers his Christmas Eve mass to the faithful gathered in the Vatican’s St. Paul Basilica. 11:34 p.m. NBC

TALK SHOWS

CBS Mornings (N) 7 a.m. KCBS

Today Dan & Shay perform. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC

KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA

Good Morning America Lori Bergamotto; New York Holiday Choristers perform; 12 Days of Cookies. (N) 7 a.m. KABC

Good Day L.A. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV

Live With Kelly and Ryan Mariah Carey (“Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special”); Alanis Morissette performs. 9 a.m. KABC

The View Anita Ward; Freda Payne. 10 a.m. KABC

Rachael Ray Gretta Monahan; the Cringe performs. (N) 10 a.m. KTTV

The Dr. Oz Show Whether social media is causing teen girls to have Tourette-like tics. (N) 1 p.m. KTTV

Washington Week COVID-19; the Build Back Better Act; President Biden’s popularity: Yasmeen Abutaleb, Washington Post; Jacqueline Alemany, Washington Post; Jeremy W. Peters, New York Times; Ayesha Rascoe, NPR. (N) 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. KOCE

Firing Line With Margaret Hoover John Lithgow. (N) 7:30 p.m. KOCE

The Issue Is ... With Elex Michaelson (N) 10:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. KTTV

Amanpour & Company (N) 11 p.m. KCET; 1 a.m. KLCS

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Anderson Cooper; Andy Cohen. 11:35 p.m. KCBS

Jimmy Kimmel Live! Ken Jeong; Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle. 11:35 p.m. KABC

The Late Late Show With James Corden Jeff Goldblum; Caitriona Balfe; Sophie Buddle. 12:37 a.m. KCBS

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

MOVIES

White Christmas Former Army buddies (Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye) put on a show with a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) to save their former general’s (Dean Jagger) hotel in Vermont in this 1954 classic musical filled with memorable Irving Berlin songs. 11:15 a.m. AMC; 3, 5:45, 8:30 and 11:15 p.m. Sundance

It’s a Wonderful Life Small-town guy George Bailey (James Stewart) defers one big dream after another to stay home, marry a local girl (Donna Reed) and run the family business. Facing financial ruin, he’s pulled from suicidal despair by his guardian angel Clarence (Henry Travers), who shows him what the world would have been like had he never lived. Lionel Barrymore also stars in director Frank Capra’s 1946 classic, which marks its 75th anniversary this year. 8 p.m. NBC

Hot Chocolate Holiday A woman (Aubrey Reynolds) has customers lining up at her coffee shop every holiday season for her celebrated hot chocolate, made from a secret recipe her grandmother passed down to her, but now a competitor (Jonny Swenson) starts stealing her customers with his own hot chocolate, which tastes suspiciously like hers, in this new Christmas romance. 8 p.m. Lifetime

A Christmas Story This holiday favorite from 1983 launches its annual marathon tonight on TBS and TNT. Peter Billingsley stars as Ralphie, the little boy who yearns to find a Red Ryder BB gun under the Christmas tree. Jean Shepherd narrates. Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon also star. 8 and 10, p.m. TBS; 9 and 11 p.m. TNT

The Legend of Frosty the Snowman (2005) 7 a.m. AMC

Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas (2009) 9 a.m. KOCE

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas! (2012) Noon KOCE

The Polar Express (2004) 4 p.m. AMC

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) 5 p.m. FX; 11:30 p.m. FX

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) 6 p.m. Freeform

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) 6:05 p.m. KLCS

Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas! (2011) 6:30 p.m. Disney

A Christmas Carol (1938) 7 p.m. TCM; 8 p.m. Epix

Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (2018) 7:30 p.m. FX; 9:30 p.m. FX

Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (2017) 8 p.m. ABC

Baking Christmas (2019) 8 p.m. OWN