All times Eastern

SUNDAY, DEC. 14

Live from Lincoln Center

PBS, 5 p.m.

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performs all six of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. Beverly Sills hosts this two-hour program.

SUNDAY, DEC. 14

Christmas Specials

Various networks, 8-10 p.m.

On TBS at 8 p.m., Christmas in Washington airs the 22nd annual Christmas concert from the National Building Museum in our nation's capital. On Home & Garden TV at 9 p.m., The White House Christmas 2003 gives us a special tour. On the Food Network at 10 p.m., Christmas in America celebrates Christmas food traditions around the nation.

MONDAY, DEC. 15

Everyday Italian

Food Network, 8 p.m.

In this episode, chef Giada De Laurentiis uses basic ingredients and simple, stress-free steps to create an elegant Christmas dinner for her friends.

TUESDAY, DEC. 16

Mother Angelica Live (Classics)

EWTN, 8 p.m.

To give us a good lesson about our need to forgive, Mother Angelica says Jesus “called Judas ‘friend’; you and I would have said, ‘You rat! What are you doing here?’”

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17

The Technology of Kitty Hawk

History Channel, 10 p.m.

Experts use full-scale replicas of Orville and Wilbur Wright's aircraft to explain how the brothers solved the mystery of heavierthan- air flight. Historians add commentary.

THURSDAY, DEC. 18

Ultimate Small-Town Christmas

A&E, 9 p.m.

Twenty small towns compete for a first prize in Christmas decorations and spirit.

FRIDAY, DEC. 19

The Berlin Wall

History Channel, 10 p.m.

The Soviet puppet East German regime began it in August 1961 and built it in tentative stages to see if the West would object. The Berlin Wall and its adjacent noman's- land became a 103-mile barrier that kept people from fleeing divided Berlin's communist zone. Many brave souls sought to cross anyway; 261 died, but some succeeded. The West was silent for nearly three decades, until President Ronald Reagan's bold challenge, “Mr.Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” ignited a storm of liberty that overwhelmed the communists and brought down the hated wall in late 1989.

SATURDAY, DEC. 20

The Littlest Reindeer

Animal Planet, 9 p.m.

In this story, Aurora, the smallest reindeer in his herd, wishes he were bigger. So his mom encourages him by revealing that his great-grandfather Halfdan was such a fine reindeer that Santa picked him to join his Christmas team. Aurora gains confidence — and, when danger looms, he believes in himself enough to lead his herd to safety.

Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.