All Times Eastern

SUNDAY, Dec. 23, 3:30 p.m.

The Bells of St. Mary’s

FAMILYLAND TV To see how friendly Hollywood movies used to be toward the Church, view this heartwarming 1946 hit from director Leo McCarey. The plot: Will Bing Crosby as Father Chuck O’Malley and Ingrid Bergman as Sister Mary Benedict end up saving St. Mary’s School?

MONDAY, Dec. 24, 6 p.m., live

Solemn Mass at Midnight With Pope Benedict XVI

EWTN Pray along with the Vicar of Christ on earth during Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Re-airs Christmas Day at 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, Dec. 25, 7 p.m.

Emeril Live: Hilda’s Holiday Classics

FOOD NETWORK TV cooking celebrity Emeril Lagasse remembers his mama on Christmas Day as he makes her favorite lobster cakes, baked cod and popcorn cake.

THURSDAY, Dec. 27, 11 p.m.

Aristotle: Creating Foundations

HISTORY INTERNATIONAL This biography of the philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) follows his studies under Plato in Athens, his theories in ethics, logic and the natural sciences, and his continuing influence.

MONDAY, Dec. 31, 8 p.m.

New York Philharmonic New Year’s Eve: Joshua Bell’s Romantic Violin

PBS In this Live From Lincoln Center two-hour concert, violinist Bell performs pieces by Kreisler, Ponce, Ravel, Saint-Saens and Tchaikovsky, and the Philharmonic, under Lorin Maazel, plays works by Bizet, Dukas, Ravel and Tchaikovsky.

TUESDAY, Jan. 1, 12 a.m., 8 a.m., 12 noon, 6:30 p.m., midnight

Solemn Mass of Reparation

EWTN What better way to ring in the New Year than to pray in reparation for our own sins and those of the whole world? The Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word celebrate this Mass of Reparation in Irondale, Ala.

TUESDAY, Jan. 1, all day

A Classical New Year’s Day

PBS At 9 a.m., last night’s New York Philharmonic New Year’s Eve concert re-airs. At 12:30 p.m. and again at 4 p.m., Great Performances at the Met presents Mozart’s opera, “The Magic Flute.” At 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., in From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2008, Georges Pretre conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in Strauss family waltzes and polkas, and the Vienna State Opera and Volksoper Ballets perform.

SATURDAY, Jan. 5, 1 p.m., live

U.S. Army All American Bowl

NBC From the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, this annual match-up between high-school football standouts from around the United States offers us an early look at many of the college and pro football stars of the future.

Dan Engler writes from
Santa Barbara, California.