Holiday TV Schedule Is Not for the Birds

Parades, sports and specials--the stuffing of which Thanksgiving schedules is made--abound on television today.

CBS opens the festivities at 8 a.m. on Channels 2 and 8 with a three-hour presentation of highlights from parades both near and far.

Mary Frann and Jack Scalia report on the annual Macy’s bash in New York, with KristianAlfonso and Joe Penny in Honolulu for the Aloha Floral Parade, Faith Ford and Terence Knox in Toronto for the Santa Claus Parade and--closer to home--Tim and Daphne Maxwell Reid in Anaheim for the Disneyland Star Parade.

For its part, NBC serves up start-to-finish coverage of the Macy’s parade, hosted by Willard Scott and Deborah Norville of the “Today” show. The three-hour telecast begins at 1 p.m. on Channels 4 and 36, while Channel 39 in San Diego carries it at 2 p.m.

Pro football fans can feast on a National Football League double-header courtesy of NBC and CBS. NBC televises the Cleveland Browns-Detroit Lions game at 9:30 a.m. (4)(36)(39), and CBS follows up with the Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys contest at 1 p.m. (2)(8).

KTLA delivers its 10th annual “Twilight Zone Marathon.” This year’s 13-hour broadcast of Rod Serling’s sly stories gets under way at 9 a.m. and concludes at 10 p.m. on Channel 5.

KDOC Channel 56, the home of vintage ‘50s and ‘60s series, chips in with a “Dick Van Dyke Show”

marathon featuring the classic comedy about New Rochelle residents Rob and Laura Petrie, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, young viewers are treated to “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus,” a half-hour of animation airing at 7:30 p.m. (2), and the CBS repeat of “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” at 8 p.m. (2)(8). KNBC Channel 4 also has a children’s special at 4 p.m., “There Really Is a Santa Claus,” hosted by Jack Perkins.

In prime time, the film fare ranges from John Belushi’s rowdy college antics in “Animal House” (8 p.m., Channel 13) to the high-flying fantasy of “Superman II” (8:30 p.m., Channels 2 and 8).