It's a holly, jolly holiday on TV

Couch potatoes can have a holly, jolly time with some new Christmas movies and specials joining the hundreds that already exist.

The treasured classics are like favorite tree ornaments that are stored away and pulled out each year to deck the television schedule. Familiar faces like Grinch, Charlie Brown, George Bailey, Ebenezer Scrooge, Ralphie Parker, Rudolph, Frosty and Clark Griswold will be back.

Christmas programming started trickling out two weeks ago and will be in high gear by the week's end. There are two new holiday-themed stories Sunday night about dogs.

In the animated "Dog Who Saved Christmas" (8 p.m. Sunday, ABC Family) a guard dog named Zeus (Mario Lopez's voice) protects a home from bumbling burglars.

CBS gets in the spirit with "A Dog Named Christmas" at 9 p.m. Sunday. It's a sweet, sentimental Hallmark Hall of Fame tale about a young man with a developmental disability who wants every family in his Kansas town to adopt a dog for the holidays.

Also among the new offerings this season:

"The National Tree " (8 Sunday, Hallmark) is about an Oregon teen (Evan Williams) who wins a national Christmas tree contest and convinces his overprotective father (Andrew McCarthy) to help him take the 15-year-old tree to Washington, D.C.

Kristin Chenoweth stars as a Manhattan publicist who finds love in Montana while working on a charity hunk-of-the-month calendar in "The 12 Men of Christmas" (9 p.m. Dec. 5, Lifetime).

"The Christmas Hope," starring Madeleine Stowe and Ian Ziering, is the third film in "The Christmas Shoes" trilogy (8 p.m. Dec. 13, Lifetime). A couple with a troubled marriage takes in a foster child at Christmas.

Hallmark Channel original movies include "The Three Gifts," with Dean Cain at 8 p.m. Dec. 19 (about three orphans); and a civil rights tearjerker "Christmas in Canaan," starring Billy Ray Cyrus (8 p.m. Dec. 12).

Carrie Underwood performs Christmas classics on "Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special" (8 p.m. Dec. 7, Fox) with Chenoweth, Dolly Parton and Christina Applegate. And Jennifer Hudson performs holiday favorites on "Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas" (8 p.m. Dec. 14, ABC).

Oprah Winfrey visits the Obamas for "Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special" (10 p.m. Dec. 13, ABC) and "Saturday Night Live Christmas 2009" (8 p.m. Dec. 17, NBC) brings laughs from Christmas past.

"Yes, Virginia" (8 p.m. Dec. 11, CBS) is a new animated special based on the famous newspaper editorial.

Among the returning favorites:

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" at 8 p.m. Dec. 1 and 8 p.m. Dec. 8 (ABC)

"A Christmas Carol" (the 1984 version with George C. Scott) at 2 p.m. Sunday (Hallmark)

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (animated) at 8 p.m. Monday (TBS).

"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" at 8 and 10:15 p.m. Monday (AMC)

"The 12 Annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center" with Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski and Chuck star Zachary Levi at 8 p.m. Dec. 2 (NBC).

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" airs at 8 p.m. Dec. 2 (CBS).

"Seinfeld's" Festivus episode at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 7 (TBS)

"Mickey's Christmas Carol" at 7 p.m. Dec. 8, 7 p.m. Dec. 16, 11 a.m. Dec. 24 (ABC Family)

"Frosty the Snowman" at 8 p.m. Dec. 18 (CBS)

"Christmas in Washington" at 8 p.m. Dec. 20 (TNT)

"A Christmas Story" runs in a 24-hour marathon beginning at 8 p.m. Dec. 24 (TBS)

"It's a Wonderful Life" returns at 8 p.m. Dec. 12, 8 p.m. Dec. 24 (NBC)

To find more holiday-themed programming, old and new, go to TBO.com and search keyword Holiday TV.