Today on the tube ...

Monday, Dec. 17 - They've snipped and stitched for 10 weeks, and now, one of the finalists on the inaugural ``Project Runway Canada'' will be crowned the next up-and-coming Canadian fashion designer. The winner gets $100,000 to start a fashion line as well as a spread in Elle Canada magazine. (Slice)

More major developments on the Blair front on ``Gossip Girl'' as her father, played by John Shea, visits for the holidays with an unexpected guest - his boyfriend. (CTV) - ``Duel'' is a new six-night game show in which 24 contestants answer trivia questions in a poker-style tournament. The top four players from the first five nights - running tonight through Friday - qualify for the finals on Sunday. The winner gets over US$1 million. (CTV, ABC) - Also premiering is ``Clash of the Choirs,'' which sees five musical stars - Michael Bolton, Patti LaBelle, Nick Lachey, Kelly Rowland and Blake Shelton - assembling singers to compete for the title of best choir. (E, NBC) - With ``The Hills'' taking a break after its lacklustre faux finale last week, it's time for another California teen ``reality'' drama to enter the schedule. Season two of ``Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County'' kicks off tonight with the cast members returning home for the holidays. (MTV) - Ever wonder how rapper 50 Cent rolls? See for yourself in tonight's ``Cribs.'' (MTV) - If that isn't enough sensational reality fare for you, there's also the Canadian premiere of ``Pageant Place,'' about American pageant winners living together in an apartment in New York. (MTV)

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Tuesday, Dec. 18 - I- Five ladies who also love fashion - Ginger, Scary, Posh, Baby and Sporty - are featured in ``Spice Girls: Giving You Everything.'' The one-hour documentary chronicles the journey of the female pop group from its ``girl power'' days in the 1990s to its current world tour that recently launched in Vancouver. (CTV) It's the big weigh-in on the ``Biggest Loser'' as finalists step on the scales for the last time to see who lost the most pounds in the season finale. The winner gets US$250,000. (E, NBC) - While contestants on ``The Biggest Loser'' strip down to spandex for the final weigh in, audience members on the figure skating special ``Holiday Festival on Ice'' will bundle up to watch superstar skaters perform at a chilly ice rink in Kelowna, B.C. (CBC) - That's followed by another holiday special, ``John McDermott: Sharing Christmas,'' featuring Irish tenor John McDermott and Canadian improv comedy master Colin Mochrie, among others. (CBC) - The yuletide yuks continue on the clever British sitcom ``Absolutely Fabulous'' as it airs its Christmas special. (BBC Canada) - Another jocular Brit series having its Christmas special is ``The Royle Family.'' This episode has the clan celebrating baby David's first birthday with Emma's annoying parents and a tipsy Nana. (BBC Canada) - Merry fare continues from across the pond with ``Dead Ringers Christmas,'' a satiric sketch comedy show. (BBC Canada) - Also in the comedy vein, albeit with more intensity, is ``Kenny vs. Spenny,'' which sees those wacky Canuck roommates competing to see who can handle the most torture. (Showcase) - For something more thought-provoking, check out tonight's ``Independent Lens'' profile of former U.S. presidential candidate Ralph Nader. (PBS)

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Wednesday, Dec. 19 - Olivia Newton-John, Jon Secada, Wynonna and Yolanda Adams are joined by stars from ``Grey's Anatomy,'' ``Dancing With the Stars'' and ``Big Shots,'' in ``A Holiday Celebration at Ford's Theatre.'' U.S. President George W. Bush and Laura Bush host the Washington event. (ABC) - A slew of Canadian performers celebrate the season in ``My Song is My Gift: A George Canyon Christmas.'' Country star George Canyon hosted the special from Banff, Alta., and was joined by several Canuck celebrities including singer Jully Black. (CBC) - ``The Family Man'' is a 2000 holiday feature boasting an all-star cast of Nicolas Cage, Tea Leoni, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Piven and Saul Rubinek. Cage plays a Wall Street hotshot who wakes up in a parallel universe on Christmas morning and sees what his life would have been like if he'd married his ex-girlfriend. (Citytv) - Other festive fare includes ``Santa Claus is Coming to Town,'' a 1970 classical animated tale about Kris Kringle's life. Fred Astaire narrates the film while Mickey Rooney voices the man in red. (YTV) - For a glimpse at how such animated characters are created, check out the ``Walt Disney: Once Upon a Time'' documentary on ``Wild Docs.'' (CBC Newsworld) - Pot dealer Nancy is still feeling the heat on ``Weeds'' as a private investigator tracks her every move. (Showcase) - Cameras, meanwhile, follow every move of Canadian wrestling star Trish Stratus as she gives viewers a tour of her home on ``Cribs.'' Canadian hip-hop artist Buck 65 is also profiled. (MTV)

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Thursday, Dec. 20 - A flood of seasonal tidings dominate the schedule once again as the Christmas crush kicks in. CBC brings us the classic 1947 film ``Miracle on 34th Street,'' about a man who believed he was Santa Claus and the lawyer who defended his claims in court. (CBC) - Another classic festive program is ``A Charlie Brown Christmas,'' a 1965 animated special that sees poor Charlie Brown depressed through the holiday season. (YTV) - Bad girl Shannen Doherty of ``Beverly Hills, 90210'' fame plays - what else? - a bad girl in the made-for-TV movie ``Christmas Caper.'' Doherty's character is a thief who gets stuck babysitting her niece and nephew over the holidays. (E) - Another feisty raven-haired actor, Canadian Carly Pope stars in the made-for-TV film ``Recipe for a Perfect Christmas.'' Pope plays a rising food critic whose Christmas by a visit from her flamboyant mother. (Global) - In yet another holiday TV film, ``The Christmas Wife,'' an aging widower hires some female company to spend the holidays with him at his cabin. (Bravo) - For Christmas comedy, there's the premiere of the ``12 Nights of Funny'' series, featuring performances from various stand-up comedians. (The Comedy Network) - And tonight's ``Look-A-Like'' features a wannabe Gwen Stefani. (Star)

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Friday, Dec. 21 - Nothing says Christmas cheer like a bloody ``Sopranos'' marathon! The final nine episodes of the revered HBO mob drama start airing uncut and uncensored tonight, providing a refreshing break from the flood of holiday programs. The two-week ``Sopranos Mob-a-Thon'' concludes on New Year's Eve with the epic series finale. (CTV) - ``Being John Malkovich'' is another must-see. The 1999 film stars John Cusack as a puppeteer who discovers a door in his office that leads to the mind of actor John Malkovich. Spike Jonze directed the feature, which earned three Oscar nominations and co-stars Catherine Keener and Cameron Diaz. (APTN) - It didn't earn any Oscar noms, but ``Alien vs. Predator'' did thrill some sci-fi fans and lovers of the ``Alien vs. Predator'' comic books and ``Alien'' and ``Predator'' films. This 2004 film sees archeologists discovering a hidden temple housing a host of Alien creatures under the Antarctic Circle. (Citytv) - The Spanish island of Tenerife and Venice, Italy are the settings for the British ``What Not To Wear Holiday Special,'' starring style mavens Trinny and Susannah. (BBC Canada) - Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent, star of the critically praised film ``Away From Her,'' also gets into the spirit of the season in the ``Bravo!FACT Presents Christmas Special.'' (Bravo) - If you're all Christmassed out, check out ``Dirt'' as the celebrity gossip hounds try to uncover a secret celebrity wedding. (Bravo) - There's also ``The Scotiabank Giller Prize Profiles: Elizabeth Hay,'' about the Canadian author who recently won the lucrative Scotiabank Giller Prize. (CTV)

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Saturday, Dec. 22 - Cape Breton songbird siblings the Barra MacNeils put a Celtic spin on Christmas in their holiday special, ``Christmas Together With the Barra MacNeils.'' The group is joined by Gaelic singer and Celtic harpist Maggie MacInnes, and Acadian vocalists Monique Poirier, Isabelle Theriault and Patricia Richard. (Bravo) - ``Chasing Christmas'' is a 2005 made-for-TV movie that's described as ``a Christmas Carol with a twist.'' Tom Arnold stars as Jack Cameron, who gets trapped in the year 1962 with the Ghost of Christmas Past. (Citytv) - For a romantic Christmas comedy that won't make you gag on your egg nog, check out ``The Holiday,'' about two women who meet love interests during a home exchange over the holidays. Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black and Jude Law all star in this feel-good gem. (Movie Central) - On regular cable is the slick, Oscar-winning 2004 feature ``Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events,'' starring Canadian funnyman Jim Carrey as an evil, scheming relative to three orphans. (ABC) - Another slapstick comedian, Will Ferrell, is on the schedule in ``Elf,'' a 2003 film about a man who is raised as an elf in at the North Pole and wants to find his true identity. (CBS) - With Julia Roberts recently earning a Golden Globe nomination for her turn in ``Charlie Wilson's War,'' it's a good time to reflect on her other heralded performance in ``Erin Brockovich.'' Roberts won a best actress Oscar for playing an unemployed single mother who fought to expose a company's pollution of a city water supply. (A&E)

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Sunday, Dec. 23 - For lovers of cheesy reality shows that hit a nostalgic nerve, it doesn't get much better than this. ``Hogan Knows Best,'' ``Scott Baio is 45 and Single'' and ``The Salt `N' Pepa Show'' are all premiering on the same channel. ``Hogan Knows Best'' sees wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan and his family moving to Miami Beach to support his daughter Brooke's music career. (MuchMoreMusic) - Then on ``Scott Baio is 45 and Single'' (a funny title considering he just got married), the actor and former serial dater hires a life coach to help him with his relationships. (MuchMoreMusic) - And ``The Salt `N' Pepa Show'' is, of course, about Grammy Award-winning rap duo Salt-N-Pepa as they reunite to make music. (MuchMoreMusic) - The first season of ``Project Runway Canada'' may be over, but the American version is around with another instalment. In this Season Four sneak peak, supermodel Heidi Klum returns to host alongside a panel of industry luminaries, including judges Michael Kors and Nina Garcia, and mentor Tim Gunn. (Slice) - Of all the holiday specials out there, ``Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer'' remains one of the best. The 1964 tale of an outcast reindeer who helps Santa through a violent storm is low always a must-see at this time of year. (YTV) - ``Paul McCartney: Live at the Olympia'' has the iconic musician and his band performing a secret concert at the Olympia Theatre in Paris. It's the same location where the Beatles played a series of concerts 43 years earlier. (A&E)