THIS SEASON ABC OFFERS THE GIFT OF HOLIDAY-THEMED EPISODES AND MOVIES ALONG WITH NEW AND CLASSIC SPECIALS

The ABC Television Network announces highlights of its upcoming movies, specials and regular series programming scheduled to air during the holiday season.

Editors please note: What follows is a chronological listing of holiday programming highlights (all times Eastern). As airdates are subject to change, please monitor ABC�s daily press bundle or ABC MediaNet at www.abcmedianet.com.

�JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE� � MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY (12:05 a.m.�1:05 a.m.) � With plenty of surprises to come, Jimmy will host an all-star lineup of guests for the holidays, including OK GO!, performing the classic holiday song by the Kinks, �Father Christmas,� on 12/20; Ryan Seacrest on 12/21 will discuss co-hosting �Dick Clark�s New Year�s Rockin� Eve�; Gnarls Barkley will perform a track from their self titled CD, with the band dressed as characters from �Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer� on 12/21; and Hall & Oates will perform a song off their latest Holiday CD, entitled �Home for Christmas,� on 12/22.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES � �THE MIRACLE SONG� � SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26 (9:00-10:01 p.m.) �The residents of Wisteria Lane have a holiday block party, Gabrielle has a new love interest and Susan�s relationship with Ian goes to the next level. Guest starring Dougray Scott as Ian Hainsworth, Dixie Carter as Gloria Hodge and Matt Roth as Arthur Washburn.

�A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS� � TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 (8:00-9:00 p.m.) -- In the digitally-remastered 1965 special, Charlie Brown complains about the overwhelming materialism that he sees everywhere during the Christmas season. Lucy suggests that he become director of the school Christmas pageant, and Charlie Brown accepts, but it proves to be a frustrating struggle. When an attempt to restore the proper spirit with a forlorn little fir Christmas tree fails, Charlie Brown needs Linus� help to learn what the real meaning of Christmas is. The hour will also include a series of Christmas-themed animated stories entitled �Charlie Brown Christmas Tales,� based on Schulz�s work, in which each of the beloved PEANUTS characters � Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and Sally � will star in his or her own charming animated vignette. (OAD: 12/6/01 on ABC)

UGLY BETTY � �FAKE PLASTIC SNOW� � THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m.) � It�s Christmastime at Mode, as Betty questions her relationship with Walter and her feelings for Henry, the accountant. Daniel, on the other hand, is sure of his love for Sofia (Salma Hayek), despite her doubt, and Marc frantically tries to win over Wilhelmina in fear of losing his life. Meanwhile Amanda vies for Betty�s position as Daniel�s new assistant by planning and executing a perfect Mode holiday party that fills the office with Styrofoam snow and holiday wishes.

ABC FRIDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK �THE POLAR EXPRESS� � FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1 (8:00-10:00 p.m.) � Can children still believe in Santa Clause? In the Academy and Golden Globe Award-nominated �The Polar Express,� one doubting child gets the surprise of his life when, while lying in bed wishing he could hear reindeer bells from Santa's sleigh in the final hours of Christmas Eve, an incredible event occurs: A roaring locomotive grinds and hisses to a halt outside his bedroom window. The mysterious conductor (voice of Tom Hanks) invites him to join the other children already aboard on a fantastical journey to the North Pole. It is an adventure filled with wonder and learning, at the end of which lies a gift that only those who believe can still experience. The voice cast for �The Polar Express� features Tom Hanks (�The Davinci Code�) as Hero Boy/Father/Conductor/Hobo/Scrooge/Santa Claus, Leslie Harter Zemeckis (�Blowback�) as Sister Sarah/Mother, Eddie Deezen (�Kim Possible�) as Know-It-All, Nona Gaye (�Crash�) as Hero Girl, and Peter Scolari (�Sabrina, the Teenage Witch�) as Lonely Boy. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis (�Monster House,� �Gothika�) and written by Zemeckis and William Broyles, Jr. (�Jarhead�), from the book by Chris Van Allsburg.

�EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION� -- SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3 (8:00-9:00 p.m.) -- The Lewis family will get a special Christmas-themed update in the episode. Originally aired on November 27, 2005, �Extreme Makeover: Home Edition� and the entire community of El Segundo, California came together to rebuild the home of police officer Bruce Lewis, his cancer stricken wife, Paulita, and their children. Now, the Lewis� home will get a Christmas makeover featuring decorations outside and inside, a Christmas tree and presents to open.

�SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN� TO TOWN� � TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 (8:00-9:00 p.m.) � In the perennial favorite created in 1970 by Rankin-Bass Productions (�Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,� �Frosty the Snowman,�) Fred Astaire narrates this timeless tale of Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney), a young boy with an immense desire to do good things for others. In his home village of Sombertown, Kris has started a gift factory where he builds toys and gives them to all the local children. But when the evil ruler, Burgermeister Meisterburger (Paul Frees), bans toys from the land, Kris is forced to go directly to Mother Nature and ask her for assistance. With the help of magical elves and several special reindeer, Kris overcomes the Burgermeister and delivers toys to children all over the world, earning him the name Santa Claus. (OAD: 12/2/05)

BOSTON LEGAL � �THE NUTCRACKERS� � TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 (10:00-11:00 p.m.) -- Alan Shore takes the case of a mother desperate to retain custody of her pre-teen daughters -- who turn out to be white supremacist singing sensations. Meanwhile, Brad Chase, Jeffrey Coho and Denise Bauer represent a woman who wants to sue God after her husband is struck by lightning, Denny Crane helps a woman whose anorexic daughter is seeking emancipation, and Shirley Schmidt makes a bet with Shore that is revealed at the office Christmas party.

�HOLIDAZE: THE CHRISTMAS THAT ALMOST WASN�T� � SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9 (8:00-9:00 p.m.) � This holiday season Rusty Reindeer leaves his cold home for the big city to find his role in Christmas in �Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn�t Happen.� The North Pole has never seen a Christmas like this! As Rusty Reindeer leaves his cold home for the big city to find his role in Christmas, Santa�s �Nice �N Naughty O�Matic� is on the blink, and he cannot tell the good kids from the naughty ones! All alone in the big city, Rusty discovers a support group for holiday icons: Albert, the Thanksgiving Day Turkey; Candie, the charming southern Easter Bunny; Mr. C, the grouchy Cupid; and Trick & Treat, the typically moody teenage Halloween Ghosts, team up with Rusty to save a kid from the fate of the Christmas naughty list. �Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn�t Happen� features the voices of Fred Savage as Rusty Reindeer, Harland Williams as Albert, Glayds Knight as Candie, Fred Willard as Santa Claus, John O�Hurley as Kringle, Edie McClurg as Mrs. Claus, Paul Rodriguez as Mr. C, Dylan and Cole Sprouse as Kid, with Brenda Song and Emily Osmet as Trick & Treat. The animated film is a Madison Road Entertainment production and was directed by David H. Brooks and written by Peter Murrieta and Jonathan Prince.

ABC SATURDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK � �DR. SEUSS� HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS� � SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9 (9:00-11:00 p.m.) -- Jim Carrey stars as the Grinch in this 2000 live-action film based on the classic Dr. Seuss book. Also starring are Christine Baranski, Jeffrey Tambor, Molly Shannon and Taylor Momsen. (OAD: 11/25/04)

AMERICA�S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS -- SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10 (7:00-8:00 p.m.) -- AFHV celebrates the holidays and the fiascos that can only happen while spreading Christmas cheer. Clips include a Santa performer falling down the stairs and off the stage, Christmas lights falling off the house just as they are turned on and a Christmas tree toppling a dinner table.

BROTHERS & SISTERS -- �LIGHT THE LIGHTS� � SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10 (10:00-11:00 p.m.) --� Sarah, Tommy and Saul make a crucial misstep in their approach to retrieve funds to save the family�s business, and Nora overcompensates for the family�s loss for the holidays.

�DR. SEUSS HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS� � TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12 (8:00-9:00 p.m.) � Celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, the 1966 animated holiday story loved by all tall and small, based on the classic children�s book by the legendary Dr. Seuss, �Dr. Seuss� How the Grinch Stole Christmas� takes viewers inside a snowflake to Whoville, the magical land of the Whos. But high above this holiday-loving town resides the Grinch, a hateful creature with a heart three sizes too small, who despises Christmas and plots to steal it from the Whos. Will a greedy Mayor Augustus Maywho or the seductive Martha May Whovier ruin his plans? Or will the loving little Cindy Lou Who be able to teach The Grinch the true meaning of Christmas? The voice cast includes Boris Karloff as The Grinch/Narrator and June Foray as Cindy Lou Who.

ABC SUNDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK � �THE SANTA CLAUSE 2� � SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 (8:00-10:00 p.m.) - Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), a.k.a. Santa Claus, has two issues on his mind -- first, his mischievous son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd), finds himself on the naughty list due to bad behavior, and second, it appears -- according to the regulations -- that Santa Claus has to be married. Now Scott has to travel back home not only to help out his son but to find himself a wife. Also starring Elizabeth Mitchell, Spencer Breslin and David Krumholtz.

�I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN!� � TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19 (8:00-9:00 p.m.) -- This holiday season, ABC will again air this �PEANUTS� Christmas special, produced and animated by the same team that gave us the other, now classic cartoon specials based on Charles M. Schulz�s famed comic strip. �I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!� centers on ReRun, the lovable but ever-skeptical younger brother of Linus and Lucy. It�s Christmas vacation and, as usual, ReRun�s big sister is stressing him out, so he decides to turn to his best friend, Snoopy, for amusement and holiday cheer. However his faithful but unpredictable beagle companion has plans of his own, giving ReRun reason to ask Snoopy to invite his canine brother Spike for a visit. When Spike shows up, it looks like ReRun will have a dog for Christmas after all� but then the real trouble begins. (Rebroadcast. OAD: 12/9/03).

ABC SATURDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK � �THE SOUND OF MUSIC� � SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23 (7:00-11:00 p.m.) -- In �The Sound of Music,� Maria (Julie Andrews), while waiting to take her vows, is sent to the home of the widowed and retired navy Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) to care for his seven rambunctious children. Maria discovers the children, who have previously run off several governesses, are most in need of a little love. When she teaches them to sing, she wins the love of the children and the captain. Also starring Peggy Wood, Richard Haydn, Charmian Carr, Daniel Truhitte, Heather Menzies, Angela Cartwright, Anna Lee, Kym Karath, Ben Wright, and Debbie Turner. The original classic brings its special magic to the holiday season when it airs in HDTV with 5.1-channel surround sound and video description. (OAD on ABC: 12/29/02)

�WALT DISNEY WORLD CHRISTMAS DAY PARADE� � MONDAY, DECEMBER 25 (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., ET; 9:00-11:00 a.m. CT, MT, PT; check local listings) -- Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, (�Live with Regis and Kelly�) host Walt Disney World�s 23rd Annual Christmas Day Parade telecast from the heart of the Magic Kingdom, with special performances from the Disneyland Resort in California. Ryan Seacrest (�Dick Clark�s New Year�s Rockin� Eve 2007�) will lead the parade and concert performances from Disneyland Resort. Performing are Beyonce, Daniel Powter, Andrea Bocelli, pop sensation RBD, cast members of �High School Musical� including Monique Coleman (�Dancing with the Stars�), Michael Bolton, Miley Cyrus (�Hannah Montana�), Disney Channel�s The Doodlebops, American Idol finalists Elliott Yamin, Paris Bennett, Mandisa Hundley, Ace Young, plus teen sister duo Aly and AJ, and Bianca Ryan, winner of �America�s Got Talent.�

ABC MONDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK � �PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL� � MONDAY, DECEMBER 25 (8:00-11:00 p.m.) -- Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) is kidnapped and taken to Isla de Muerta by the treacherous crew of the �Black Pearl,� who believe that she can deliver them from the looming curse haunting them. Determined to save the love of his life, Will is forced to team up with the disreputable rogue pirate Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), who has an ulterior motive for helping -- to regain control of his beloved ship, the �Black Pearl.� Will the peerless pair�s persistence prevail over the perfidious pirates, or will they all end up walking the plank�? Also starring Geoffrey Rush and Orlando Bloom, the film will air in HDTV with 5.1-channel surround sound and Spanish audio via SAP. (OAD: 11/3/05)

�DICK CLARK�S PRIMETIME NEW YEAR�S ROCKIN� EVE 2007� � SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31 (10:00 p.m.�11:00 p.m.); �DICK CLARK�S NEW YEAR�S ROCKIN� EVE 2007 PART 1� (11:35 p.m.�1:05 a.m.); �DICK CLARK�S NEW YEAR�S ROCKIN� EVE 2007 PART 2� (1:05-2:05 a.m.) -- Ryan Seacrest and Dick Clark co-host the 35th edition of �Dick Clark�s New Year�s Rockin� Eve,� live from Times Square. They headline an evening of celebration and performances by some of music�s top artists and biggest hitmakers. In addition, �Good Morning America Weekend� correspondent Marysol Castro will report on the festivities around New York City.

�THE TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE� � MONDAY, JANUARY 1 (11:00 a.m.--1:00 p.m., ET/8:00-10:00 a.m., PT) � Parade details TBD.