GIST TV Drama Feature Story hhup//www gist com/v/antcl jsp?adPdr120299 IST TV Favorites [Aly MeBeal tS | Bev 90210: | Buty the Stayer_[F] home > tv features > drama ‘Thu, Dec 9, 1999 1:01 PM. Hour: Categories: oy [roar TE) [ae Te] [atta Hl MSA a NewFeatures “TV FEATURES Soap Updates - nae Pine Ho-Ho-Holiday TV Specials ‘TV Gossip & News orssearee By Frank Lovece HotTopies It's the holiday season once again, when we agonize over choosing just the right gifts for our loved ones...and our families! Whether you celebrate ‘Games Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or the odd Druidic ritual, the task remains Horoscopes the same. is vdeo: reins So this year, make it easy on yourself...and give the gift of television! It's there, it's handy, it's free — and you don't even have to wrap! Just try our Ciieuatadie sure-fire recommendations of all these new holiday specials. Hey, that's OK, you don't have to thank us. Just leave us a little something under our tree. BS The one we use for Druidic rituals. FSUMBISE AM times ET renee Shop@cist ee - For your traditionalist parents: rs ee Martha Stewart's Home for the Holidays: The Family Tree > Pecumeniati#e "CBS, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 8 to 9 p.m > Get Ere Stuf » Books A More Martha makes snow globes, bakes gingerbread cookies and decorates her Beers home for the holidays, all better than you can. She does, however, leave the » Magazines singing to guest Aretha Franklin, who performs "Silent Night" and tag-teams > Spocsforless with Martha on baked ham and scalloped potatoes. > 2.99% APR - Analy iow ea For your less-traditionalist parents: Tatonatiesaevee A Home for the Holidays CBS, Thursday, Dec. 23, 8 to 9 p.m. Steven Spielberg, Kate Capshaw, Rene Russo, Candice Bergen, Rhea Perlman, Morgan Freeman, Henry Winkler, Andy Garcia and Ray Liotta host inspirational stories about adoption. For all your little brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews: Lota 12/9/99 1:07 PMGIST TV Drama Feature Story 2ots hup//www.pistcom/v/atcle jsp?adf=dr120299 CinderElmo FOX, Monday, Dec. 6, 8 to 9 p.m, The Muppets’ 1970 special Hey Cinderella! was a hip, witty, cocktail-clever reinterpretation of the fairy tale. CinderElmo is, well, not, though this Sesame Street musical does has its charms (among them, Keri Russell looking more glowingly beautiful than we're used to from Felicity). Kathy Najimy, French Stewart, Oliver Platt, Elmo, Grover, Zoe, Telly Monster and Baby Bear star, with Kermit, Big Bird, Bert and Ernie in cameos. Blue's Big Holiday NICK, Monday to Friday, Dec. 13 to 17, 12:30 to 1 p.m. daily, and Monday, Dec. 20, 8 to 8:30 p.m, In this first Blue's Clues holiday episode, Steve (Steven Burns) and Blue explore the traditions of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza with singers Wynonna Judd and Tyrese Olive, the Other Reindeer FOX, Friday, Dec. 17, 8 to 9 p.m Itused to be just a mondegreen — you know, a misheard lyric ("Ain't no woman like the One-Eyed Gott"). Then two years ago it became a popular children’s book. Now Olive, the Other Reindeer is animated TV special with Drew Barrymore voicing pa (Be helpful dog who, in listening to a certain famous Christmas song, didn't hear the words "All of the other reindeer" quite right. Ed Asner, Peter MacNicol, Joe Pantoliano, Jay Mohr, Tim Meadows, Michael Stipe and Dan Castellaneta (Homer on The ‘Simpsons) were also fetched to speak. For your teenage cousin; MAD TV FOX, Saturday, Dec. 11, 11 p.m. to midnight OK, so the satiric series’ annual holiday show isn't technically a special — but it is a seasonal event and the best thing the show does. This year, right-wing singer Darlene McBride (Nicole Sullivan) favors us with selections from her ultraconservative holiday album, and 8-year-old Evan (Alex Borstein) finds the true meaning of Christmas in Santa's (Will Third World sweatshop. For your foodie friends: Emeril Kicks Up the Holidays 1219199 1:07 PMGIST TY Drama Feature Story hitp:/iwww gist comtv/arilejsp?addr120299 FOOD, Sunday, Dec. 5, 8 to 9 p.m. (...we will not make a "BAM! Kick it up a notch" joke...we will not make a "BAM! Kick it up a notch" joke....) Allin Good Taste: A Season to Celebrate HGTY, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 3 to 4 p.m Lisa Valdini isn't a chef, but she plays one on TV (more or less) as the host of All in Good Taste. Her spin-off special is a cook 'n' look at holiday-food history and traditions. For your cineaste friends: Christmas Past TCM, Sunday, Dec. 19, midnight to 2:02 a.m. (early Monday) Talk about a silent night: Here's a new collection of old silent shorts about Christmas. The nine include "A Trap for Santa" (1909) by the legendary D.W. Griffith, a stop-motion-animated "The Night Before Christmas" (1905 oF '06; sources vary), and possibly the first filmed version of "A Christmas Carol” (1910 or'11; sources vary). A one-time-only showing, this might be the one time only that these museum pieces will ever be seen on TV For your friends with classical taste: José Carreras, Natalie Cole and Placido Domingo: A Celebration of Christmas, Live From Vienna BRAVO, Thursday, Dec. 23, beginning 8 p.m. Celebrate the Natale with the Natalie, plus two of The Three Tenors and the ‘Vienna Symphony Orchestra with the Gumpoldskirchner Spatzen Choir all in this live concert of carols, direct from O Little Town of Vienna, For your friends with middlebrow taste: And So This Is Christmas CBS, Monday, Dec. 6, 10 to 11 p.m. Celine Dion, Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, Harry Connick Jr., Babyface and Charlotte Church. What, was Michael Bolton too busy? For your friends with no taste: A Rosie Christmas ABC, Sunday, Dec. 5, 8 to 9 p.m. 12/9/99 1.07 PM.GIST TV Drama Feature Story htp://www gist convv/anticle jsp?adtr120299 Rosie O'Donnell sings Christmas songs with Celine Dion, Donny Osmond, Elmo the Muppet and others No, we are not making this up. And for all those politically active, blues- and bubblegum-loving, junior high-school students on your list: Christmas in Washington TNT, Sunday, Dec, 12, 8 t0 9 p.m. Its fun for the whole family — and then some — when R&B legend BB. King, teen heartthrobs 98 Degrees, pop nymphettes Jewel and Christina Aguilera and the most patient woman in the world, Hillary Clinton, all appear together in this benefit concert for the Children's National Medical Center. It's true then — all celebrities really do know each other Of course, since the real stars of Christmas etc. are kids, trust that you can always count on such perennial stocking-stuffers as: Frosty the Snowman (1969), the animated classic narrated by Jimmy Durante (CBS, Thursday, Dec. 7, 8 to 8:30 p.m.; ignore the subpar sequel that follows) A Garfield Christmas (1987), featuring Lorenzo Music as the voice of the fat cat, Pat Carroll as Grandma and David "Squiggy" Lander as Doc Boy (CBS, Saturday, Dec. 11, 8 to 8:30 p.m.) A Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994), in which a Bedrock stage production of the "Charles Brickens" novel tums a preoccupied Fred into a Scrooge (TOON, Sunday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m. to noon). Rankin-Bass Holiday Special Marathon (FFAM, Friday, Dec. 24, 4 to 11 p.m. ET), featuring great and sometimes not-so-great stop-motion and cel-animation specials from the venerable production company, including 1968's The Little Drummer Boy (5 to 5:30 p.m.) and 1970's Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (9 to 10 p.m.) Have a happy! CinderEimo photo courtesy of FOX; Olive, the Other Reindeer image courtesy of FOX; A Rosie Christmas photo courtesy of ABC. Copyright © 1887-99 GIST Communications, inc. All Rights Reserved TV listings data provided by Tribune Media Services, inc