TONIGHT'S BEST
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Celebration 8 a.m. on (84); 10 a.m. on &
This year’s version of this long-running annual event will look quite a bit different owing to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions on large crowd events, but when it comes to magic, the Walt Disney team rarely, if ever, comes up short.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas 6:30 p.m. on (83); 9:30 p.m. on 0
Wearing extremely heavy makeup, Jim Carrey plays the title character in director Ron Howard’s 2000 live-action, big-screen adaptation of the enduring children’s book. You know the plot: The big green grouch tries to stop Christmas from coming to Whoville but fails, because the holiday “doesn’t come from a store.” Christine Baranski, Taylor Momsen (later seen all grown up on “Gossip Girl”) and Jeffrey Tambor also star.
FX’s A Christmas Carol 7 p.m. on (156)
Charles Dickens’ beloved Christmas ghost story gets a spine-tingling three-part makeover in this 2019 British adaptation from writer Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”), airing here in its entirety. Guy Pearce (“Memento”) stars as miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, who is about to embark on a dark night of the soul as the tale opens. Others in this remake include Andy Serkis as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Joe Alwyn (“The Favourite”) as Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s put-upon clerk; and Stephen Graham (“Line of Duty”) as Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s deceased partner.
Call the Midwife 9 p.m. on .
The 2020 yuletide episode of this beloved historical drama opens in December 1965, as everyone at Nonnatus House is looking forward to joyous and traditional holiday celebrations. As usual, however, many things don’t go as planned, including a trip to the hospital for elderly Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt). Elsewhere, Trixie (Helen George) is huffy about getting a subscription to a Marriage Bureau as a Christmas present, while a surprise reunion for Shelagh (Laura Main) draws her into a deeply moving birth experience.