Julia Child Marathon noon WGBH (Channel 2) A block of classic episodes from “The French Chef.”
Only a Game 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. WBUR-FM (90.9) Will elite academics meet elite athletics at Cooper Union College?
The Nutcracker! 10 a.m. Classical New England (99.5) A “guided tour” through Tchaikovsky’s ballet score.
Mountain Stage 2 p.m. WUMB-FM (91.9) Billy Joe Shaver, Matraca Berg, Noam Pikelny.
Boston Children’s Chorus: All Choir Holiday Concert 6 p.m. Classical New England (99.5) Holiday favorites and unique arrangements from the Holy Cross Cathedral.
Holiday Pops! 7 p.m. Classical New England (99.5) Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus perform carols.
Blade Runner 8 p.m. (OVAT) Sci-fi noir about a bounty hunter (Harrison Ford) assigned to “terminate” runaway androids. R (1982)
A Boyfriend for Christmas
8 p.m. (LIFE) Santa Claus (Charles Durning) plays matchmaker for a harried social worker. NR (2004)
The Butterfly Effect 8 p.m. (ENCR) A time-traveler (Ashton Kutcher) meddles with the past. Intriguing. NR (2004)
The Christmas Card 8 p.m. (HALMRK) The life of a soldier (John Newton) is changed after he tracks down the sender of a holiday card. NR (2006)
The Christmas Story Lady
8 p.m. (38) A kids’ show goes from public-access cable to network TV. Jessica Tandy. NR (1991)
Cloverfield 8 p.m., 10 p.m. (FXM) Partygoer Rob (Michael Stahl-David) tries to rescue his ex-girlfriend. PG-13 (2008)
Joyful Noise 8 p.m., 11:45 p.m. (HBO) The dedicated directors of a small-town choir lead their singers to a national competition. PG-13 (2012)
Miracle on 34th Street 8 p.m., 10:30 p.m. (AMC) A skeptical child meets a man claiming he’s Santa. Remake of a 1947 classic. Mara Wilson. PG (1994)
The Quiet American 8 p.m. (SUND) A British journalist befriends an American spy in 1952 Vietnam. Superbly acted. Michael Caine. R (2002)
Rebel Without a Cause 8 p.m. (TCM) James Dean’s archetypal role in the seminal teen-angst movie. PG-13 (1955)
The Santa Clause 2 8 p.m., midnight (FAM) Santa searches for a wife. Predictable holiday fare for the kids. Tim Allen. G (2002)
The Search for Santa Paws
8 p.m. (DISN) Santa’s (Richard Riehle) pooch Paws and his new orphan friends race to save Christmas. G (2010)
Legend 8:45 p.m. (WAM) Tom Cruise is the hero in this tale of good vs. evil. PG (1985)
No Time for Sergeants
8:50 p.m. (44) A farm boy joins the Air Force. Andy Griffith. NR (1958)
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
9 p.m. (STARZ) Pirate Captain (voice of Hugh Grant) competes to win the title of Pirate of the Year. PG (2012)
Star Trek: First Contact 9 p.m. (SYFY) Captain Picard swears vengeance against the evil Borg. Patrick Stewart. PG-13 (1996)
The Reef 9 p.m., midnight (TMC) Zoe Naylor stars in this thriller following a group of friends at the mercy of a hungry shark. R (2010)
The Enforcer 9:30 p.m. (G4) Jet Li plays a Chinese agent sent to infiltrate a Hong Kong gang. Anita Mui. R (1995)
Broadcast News 10 p.m. (SUND) A romantic triangle at a TV-news bureau. William Hurt. R (1987)
Christmas With Holly 10 p.m. (HALMRK) A coffee-shop owner is determined to connect with his orphaned niece. NR (2012)
Harvard Beats Yale 29-29
10 p.m. (ESPNC) A chronicle of the 1968 Ivy League football matchup. NR (2008)
Men in Black 10 p.m. (ENCR) =Secret agents track aliens living on Earth. Dazzling effects meet sharp wit. Will Smith. PG-13 (1997)
The Revenant 10 p.m. (MAX) Undead soldier Bart and his best friend Joey become vigilante crimefighters. R (2009)
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause 10 p.m. (FAM) Ho-ho-hokum about a vindictive Jack Frost (Martin Short) wreaking havoc at the North Pole. G (2006)
Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus 10 p.m. (LIFE) Santa’s son (Steve Guttenberg) searches for a bride. NR (2004)