Chicago holiday TV schedule: When to see Rudolph, Ralphie and Charlie Brown

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Perhaps the most exciting new special on this year’s holiday TV schedule isn’t scheduled it all. It will be streaming on Netflix, so you can see it when everyone’s sleeping, or you can watch when they’re awake.

Bill Murray and Chris Rock duet on “A Very Murray Christmas,” debuting Dec. 4 on Netflix. | Netflix

Bill Murray and Chris Rock duet on “A Very Murray Christmas,” debuting Dec. 4 on Netflix. | Netflix

It’s “A Very Murray Christmas,” premiering Dec. 4. Wilmette’s Bill Murray hosts an old-school variety special featuring George Clooney, Miley Cyrus and a host of other stars.

To catch this year’s other yuletide favorites, both old and new, check out our annual calendar:

THURSDAY, NOV. 26

“Bozo, Gar & Ray” (11 a.m., WGN-Channel 9): With the stop-motion classics “Hardrock, Coco and Joe,” “Suzy Snowflake” and “Frosty the Snowman.”

FRIDAY, NOV. 27

“Home Alone” (5 p.m., ABC Family): Macaulay Culkin. A boy takes on bumbling burglars. Repeats at 7:30.

SATURDAY, NOV. 28

“Frosty the Snowman” (7 p.m., WBBM-Channel 2): A magician’s hat brings the button-nosed fella to life. Followed by the sequel “Frosty Returns.”

SUNDAY, NOV. 29

“Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas” (6:30 p.m., WFLD-Channel 32)  Sid the sloth accidentally destroys Manny the mammoth’s decorations.

MONDAY, NOV. 30

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” (8 p.m., WLS-Channel 7): Overwhelmed by the season’s greed, the blockhead takes charge of the pageant. Preceded at 7 p.m. by a new retrospective special, “It’s Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown.”

TUESDAY, DEC. 1

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (7 p.m., WBBM-Channel 2): Rudy wants to fit in, and Hermey wants to be a dentist.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (8 p.m., WMAQ-Channel 5): Animated classic about a mean one trying to ruin Whoville’s holiday.

THURSDAY, DEC. 3

“CMA Country Christmas” (8 p.m., WLS-Channel 7) Among the stars performing at the Grand Ole Opry are Kelsea Ballerini, LeAnn Rimes, Darius Rucker and Brian Setzer.

Jewel performs on “CMA Country Christmas,” airing Dec. 3. | ABC

Jewel performs on “CMA Country Christmas,” airing Dec. 3. | ABC

FRIDAY, DEC. 4

“Elf” (8:30 p.m., ABC Family)  Will Ferrell. A man brought up at Santa’s workshop searches for his identity in New York.

SATURDAY, DEC. 5

“It’s a Wonderful Life” (7 p.m., WMAQ-Channel 5)  James Stewart. Angel-to-be shows a small-town dad how much he has mattered.

SUNDAY, DEC. 6

“Stellar Tribute to the Holidays“ (3 p.m., WGN-Channel 9)  Gospel stars including Erica Campbell and Smokie Norful share joyous songs.

MONDAY, DEC. 7

“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (5:30 p.m., ABC Family) Chevy Chase. Relatives gather at the Griswold home.

TUESDAY, DEC. 8

“Scrooged” (9 p.m., AMC)  Bill Murray. A cynical TV executive visits his past, present and future.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 9

“The Polar Express” (5:30 p.m., ABC Family)  Tom Hanks. A boy is invited along on a rail journey to the North Pole.

THURSDAY, DEC. 10

“Miracle on 34th Street” (6 p.m., AMC)  Edmund Gwenn. A lawyer defends a man claiming to be the real Santa. Repeats at 8:15.

“Michael Buble’s Christmas in Hollywood” (7 p.m., WMAQ-Channel 5)  In his fifth holiday special, the singer performs with Celine Dion, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and Tori Kelly.

FRIDAY, DEC. 11

“Scrooge” (9 p.m., TCM) Albert Finney. A 1970 musical telling of the Charles Dickens tale. Followed at 11 by “A Christmas Carol” (1938), starring Reginald Owen.

SATURDAY, DEC. 12

“The Flight Before Christmas”(8 p.m., WBBM-Channel 2): An ambitious reindeer tries to find his missing father.

SUNDAY, DEC. 13

“Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” (10:05 a.m., ABC Family)  Kermit narrates the story of mother and son otters each hoping to win a talent contest.

MONDAY, DEC. 14

“Jingle All the Way” (7 p.m., AMC)  Arnold Schwarzenegger. A neglectful father searches for a sold-out toy. Repeats at 9.

TUESDAY, DEC. 15

“Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”(4 p.m., ABC Family)  The Meisterburger Burgermeister’s ban on toys converts a young do-gooder into Santa.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16

“The Year Without a Santa Claus” (4 p.m., ABC Family)  The Miser brothers and Saint Nick’s exhaustion imperil the holiday.

THURSDAY, DEC. 17

“Disney Prep & Landing”(7 p.m., WLS-Channel 7): Elves make sure homes are ready for Santa. Followed by “Prep & Landing 2” at 7:30.

“A Christmas Melody” with Mariah Carey airs Dec. 19 on Hallmark. | Crown Media

“A Christmas Melody” with Mariah Carey airs Dec. 19 on Hallmark. | Crown Media

FRIDAY, DEC. 18

“White Christmas” (10:45 p.m., AMC)  Bing Crosby. A song-and-dance team help the owner of a Vermont inn.

SATURDAY, DEC. 19

“A Christmas Melody” (7 p.m., Hallmark) Lacey Chabert. A Manhattan designer faces an old rival (Mariah Carey, who also directs) in her Ohio hometown.

SUNDAY, DEC. 20

“Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” (2 p.m., ABC Family) The Hallo­ween king tries to take over another holiday.

MONDAY, DEC. 21

“Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle Choir” (9 p.m., WTTW-Channel 11)  The famed vocal ensemble performs with Santino Fontana and the Muppets.

TUESDAY, DEC. 22

“The Santa Clause” (5:30 p.m., ABC Family)  Tim Allen. A divorced dad puts on the suit and inherits Santa’s job.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 23

“The I Love Lucy Christmas Special” (7 p.m., WBBM-Channel 2): In colorized episodes, Lucy reminisces and sells Vitameatavegamin.

CHRISTMAS EVE

“A Christmas Story”(6 p.m., TNT and 7 p.m. TBS): Peter Billingsley. Will the Red Ryder BB gun really shoot Ralphie’s eye out? (Repeats for 25 hours, with airings beginning every hour on either TBS or TNT.)

“Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol”(7 p.m., WGN-Channel 9): A Dickens update stars the nearsighted geezer.

CHRISTMAS DAY

“Christmas Midnight Mass” (midnight, WGN-Channel 9) Live from Holy Name Cathedral. Also streaming at wgntv.com.

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