TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE

"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), 7 p.m., NBC. James Stewart plays a small-town banker who is driven to despair, then shown the power that one life can have. The result combines intelligence and emotion in this Frank Capra classic.

OF NOTE

"A Christmas Story" (1983). 6, 8, 10 p.m., midnight, etc., TBS. For 24 straight hours, the cable channel will keep airing this holiday movie. Fuelled by the dark wit of writer Jean Shepherd, it stars a young Peter Billingsley (now a movie producer) as a boy who wants a BB gun during a 1940s Christmas.

"Jack Frost," 6 p.m., ABC Family. Here's one way to keep the kids from obsessing about Santa's arrival. There are Christmas cartoon reruns for the next five hours, including "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," at 8 p.m., "The Year Without A Santa Claus," at 9 p.m., and "Rudolph's Shiny New Year," at 10 p.m.

"Dr. Dolittle 2" (2001), 7 p.m., Fox. Eddie Murphy returns as the guy who can hear animals talk. Their voices are provided by Lisa Kudrow, Andy Dick, Norm McDonald, Isaac Hayes and more. Raven Symone and Kyla Pratt also star.

"America's Funniest Home Videos," 7 p.m., ABC. Here's a collection of videos with Christmas themes.

"I'll Be Home For Christmas" (1998), 8 p.m., ABC. Jonathan Taylor Thomas stars as a teen who rushes across the country to get home for the holidays — but only because he was promised a Porsche.

"Numb3rs," 8 p.m., CBS. Terrorists threaten to explode a dirty bomb in Los Angeles.

"Christmas Eve at St. Peter's Basilica," 10:30 p.m., NBC. Pope Benedict XVI presiding over a midnight mass at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.