THIS SEASON, ABC OFFERS THE GIFT OF HOLIDAY-THEMED EPISODES AND MOVIES, NEW AND CLASSIC SPECIALS, A UNIQUE HOLIDAY EDITION OF �EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION,� AND AN ORIGINAL MOVIE ABOUT THE LIFE OF POPE JOHN PAUL II

AN ABC PREMIERE EVENT: HAVE NO FEAR: THE LIFE OF POPE JOHN PAUL II � THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET) �Thomas Kretschmann (�The Pianist,� �King Kong�) stars as Pope John Paul II, portraying this extraordinary man over the course of 60 years. Bruno Ganz (�Wings of Desire�) stars as Cardinal Wyszynski, the Primate of Poland, and Joaquim de Almeida (�24�) portrays Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was brutally murdered during the Pope�s reign. Lorenzo Minoli and Judd Parkin, Emmy-nominated executive producers of the acclaimed telefilms �Jesus� and �Nicholas� Gift,� have teamed again to produce this original movie for television. The project was shot on location in Rome and Lithuania and is broadcast with Spanish audio via SAP.

�SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN� TO TOWN� � FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) � 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.

AMERICA�S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS � �EPISODE 1609� -- FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) � Hilarious holiday moments include clips of kids with unusual reactions when they open their gifts on Christmas morning, chaos when things go wrong at Christmas pageants, a holy poodle running amok during a Nativity play, and a little boy who wheels and deals with Santa for this year�s gifts. This show airs again Saturday, December 24 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET)

�A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS� � TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) -- 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. Broadcast with Spanish audio via SAP. (Rebroadcast. OAD: 12/6/01 on ABC)

�I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN!� � FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) -- 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).

HOPE & FAITH � �CHRISTMAS TIME� � FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 (9:00-9:30 p.m., ET) � Faith surprises the entire family with personal, extravagant Christmas gifts, including an expensive gold watch for Charley. When Charley realizes he forgot to buy a gift for his beloved employee, Hassan, Hope, inspired by Faith�s generosity, encourages him to give Hassan his treasured championship watch. Later, Charley is furious when he discovers that the �gold� watch Faith bought for him is a fake. Feeling extremely guilty, Hope insists that Faith attempt to retrieve Charley�s watch from Hassan, but in the end, Faith really surprises them with an uncharacteristically magnanimous gesture.

HOT PROPERTIES � �IT�S A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS CAROL ON 34th STREET� � FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 (9:30-10:00 p.m., ET) � Country superstar Clint Black guest-stars as a cab driver-turned-Christmas guide. Chloe, who lacks the holiday spirit, ends up in a cab accident while rushing to buy a last-minute gift for Ava�s toy giveaway. While in a state of limbo, Marley the cab driver (Clint Black) becomes her Christmas guide and introduces her to the three Ghosts of Christmas: Emerson, Lola and Ava -- from her past, present and future.

ABC SATURDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK � �DR. SEUSS� HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS� � SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10 (8:30-11:00 p.m., ET) -- 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. Broadcast with Spanish audio via SAP.

EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION HOLIDAY WISHES � SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) � Each designer goes back to visit one family who has received a makeover in the past to join them on a mission to pay their good fortune forward, in a special two-hour holiday episode. This show airs again Thursday, December 22 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET)

GREY�S ANATOMY � �GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER� � SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) -- A young boy needs a heart transplant but doesn�t seem to want it, and his treatment causes Burke and Yang to have philosophical differences. Meanwhile, when the interns rally to help Alex prepare to re-take his exam, Meredith has to remind Izzie of the true spirit of the Christmas holiday; and despite a reconciliation with his wife, Derek isn�t in a festive mood.

ACCORDING TO JIM � �THE GIFT OF MAGGIE� � TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) -- When Cheryl and Dana�s mother, Maggie (Kathleen Noone), visits for the holidays, Jim and Cheryl compete with Ryan and Dana for her affection.

RODNEY � �O CHRISTMAS TREES� � TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET) � Rodney and Trina have a bitter feud over which angel to put on a Christmas tree that her father, Carl, overcharged them for. So when Rodney goes to Carl�s office to demand a new, free family tree, he finds that Carl has been living down and out in his office. In the true spirit of Christmas, Rodney decides to make peace with Carl and invites him to live with them until he gets back on his feet.

GEORGE LOPEZ � �GEORGE IS BEING ELFISH AND CHRIST-MISSES HIS FAMILY� � WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) -- George tells a white lie to avoid visiting Angie�s family for the holidays, but regrets it when he spends Christmas alone. Broadcast with Spanish audio via SAP.

FREDDIE � �I�LL BE HOMELESS FOR CHRISTMAS� � WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET) � �Tis the season for a Christmas party, so Freddie invites his neighbors in the complex to celebrate with his family and friends. But when a jealous neighbor reports to the board that Freddie is breaking the rules by having too many people living in his condo, Freddie has to get a petition signed by the majority of the tenants allowing them to stay. However, when Freddie goes door to door, he realizes his neighbors share no good will towards his family who have not been the most conscientious, but can they win them over? Broadcast with Spanish audio via SAP.

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY -- �THE SANTA CLAUSE� � THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) -- Tim Allen provides answers -- warm and funny answers -- to some of the world�s most vexing questions: How can Santa come down your chimney if you don�t have a fireplace? How does he get to every house in the world in just one night? And how do you get a job like that, anyway? Broadcast with Spanish audio via SAP.

GEORGE LOPEZ � �A CLEAR AND PRESENTLESS DANGER� � WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) -- George may have to eat some humble holiday pie when he accuses his mother of being a Scrooge. (Rebroadcast. OAD: 12/24/04). Broadcast with Spanish audio via SAP.

ABC SATURDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK � �I�LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS� � SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) � Jonathan Taylor Thomas portrays a California university student named Jake whose father sends him an airline ticket so he can fly home to New York. Jake has alternate plans: he wants to cash the ticket and persuade his girlfriend, Allie (Jessica Biel), to join him at a beach resort. The stakes get higher when Jake�s dad promises to give Jake a restored �57 Porsche if he gets home for Christmas. The fly in the ointment is Eddie, Jake�s rival for Allie�s affections, who strands Jake in the desert dressed in a Santa suit and takes off with Allie, who believes Jake has stood her up. Jake sets out on a hilarious cross-country odyssey in the Santa suit to earn his car and get his girl back. (Rebroadcast. OAD: 12/22/2002). Broadcast with Spanish audio via SAP.

�WALT DISNEY WORLD CHRISTMAS DAY PARADE� � SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25 (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., ET; 2:30-4:30 p.m., PT; check local listings) -- Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, (�Live with Regis and Kelly�) host Walt Disney World�s 22nd 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 2006�) will lead the parade and concert performances from Disneyland Resort. The special will highlight a variety of celebrity appearances and musical performances, including: �Star War�s� Hayden Christensen; country superstar band Lonestar; acclaimed model, actress and singer Vanessa Williams; �The View�s� Star Jones; �Mary Poppins�� Julie Andrews; golf champion Tiger Woods; award-winning actor John O�Hurley, �Dancing with the Stars�; sister songstresses Aly and AJ; American Idol Fantasia; tween pop group The Cheetah Girls; and young stars of Disney�s newest movie, �The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe� -- Anna Popplewell, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes and William Moseley.

�DICK CLARK�S PRIMETIME NEW YEAR�S ROCKIN� EVE 2006� � SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31 (10:00 p.m.�11:00 p.m., ET); �DICK CLARK�S NEW YEAR�S ROCKIN� EVE 2006 PART 1� � SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31 (11:35 p.m.�1:05 a.m., ET); �DICK CLARK�S NEW YEAR�S ROCKIN� EVE 2006 PART 2� (1:05-2:05 a.m. ET) -- A classic holiday tradition adds a new face, but keeps its heart and soul, as Ryan Seacrest joins Dick Clark co-hosting the 34th edition of �Dick Clark�s New Year�s Rockin� Eve,� live from Times Square. No stranger to New Year�s, Seacrest will move over to ABC in a multi-year deal to occupy the co-host post and eventually take over as sole host. Clark returns to the festivities after missing last year�s show. They headline an evening of celebration and performances by some of music�s top artists and biggest hitmakers.