SUNDAY, NOV. 27

Food Network Challenge:

Holiday Cake-Off

Food Network, 10 p.m.

In this hour-long episode, six teams of cake artists compete in Sea Island, Ga., where they each have six hours to make a fantastic cake.

MON.-FRI., NOV. 28-DEC. 2

Advent Retreat

EWTN, 3 a.m., 6 p.m. daily

Father Pablo Straub conducts five daily hour-long sessions to help us along our spiritual way to the stable in Bethlehem.

DAILY, NOV. 29-DEC. 7

Novena to the

Immaculate Conception

Familyland TV, 12:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m. daily

What a wonderful use of TV is this daily novena leading up to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30

Great Performances:

Renee Fleming — Sacred Songs and Carols

PBS, 8 p.m.

Mainz Cathedral (the Cathedral of St. Martin) is the majestic Romanesque setting for this 60-minute concert by U.S. soprano Renee Fleming with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under Trevor Pinnock. Fleming sings “Adeste Fideles,” “O Holy Night,” Gounod's “Ave Maria,” Christmas classics by Bach, Berlioz, Handel and Mozart, and more.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30

Rudolph, the

Red-Nosed Reindeer

CBS, 8 p.m.

This beloved 1964 stop-animation special is based on Gene Autry's 1949 Christmas hit song, which in turn was based on Robert May's 1939 storybook for the Montgomery Ward stores. Actor-folksinger Burl Ives narrates the story of underdog (so to speak) reindeer Rudolph, whose shiny red nose made him the target of mockery until one glorious Christmas Eve when he used it to light the way for Santa's sleigh.

THURSDAY, Dec. 1

Have No Fear: The Life

Of Pope John Paul II

ABC, 8 p.m.

This two-hour premiere interpretation of the late Holy Father's life was filmed in Rome

and Lithuania and stars Thomas Kretschmann in the title role. Advisory: TV-PG.

THURSDAY, DEC. 1

Life on the Rock

EWTN, 8 p.m.

Guesting is the Register's film and video critic, Steven Greydanus, creator of the DecentFilms Guide website. Tonight he discusses the new movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

FRIDAY, DEC. 2

Santa Claus Is

Comin’ to Town

ABC, 8 p.m.

In this 1970 TV animated special, Kris Kringle/Santa overcomes a winter wizard and a grumpy mayor to bring toys to the kids of Somberville. Fred Astaire is the narrator and Mickey Rooney (real name Joe Yule Jr. — honest!) is Santa's voice. We learn all sorts of made-up “facts” about Santa, such as that he was left on a doorstep as a baby.

Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.