Weekend TV : Themes of Christmas Around the Dial

Not surprisingly, the weekend is filled with holiday fare. Chances are there’s holiday-related programming on just about every hour.

Some of the holiday and other programming:

Public Affairs: TODAY: “Today” features Christmas in Hollywood; assembling Christmas toys; last-minute gifts; singer Walter Charles; Bon Jovi, 6 a.m. (4)(39)(36). . . .

Holiday humor with Art Buchwald, syndicated columnist on “Evans and Novak,” 9:30 a.m., 9:30 p.m. CNN. . . .

Religion in public life is the topic on “Newsmaker Saturday,” with the Rev. Jerry Falwell, chancellor of Liberty University, and Barry Lynn, Americans for Separation of Church and State, 10:30 a.m. CNN. . . .

“To the Contrary” features Clinton’s presidency; Republican Congress; combat roles for women, 1 p.m. (28). . . .

“Future Watch” on troubled teens, 1:30 p.m. CNN. . . .

“The Black Entrepreneur: On Location” reports on medical distribution company; contracting with government agencies, 1:30 p.m. (58). . . .

How does one find faith? Malcolm Muggeridge’s search for faith on “Firing Line,” 2 p.m. (28). . . .

Dr. Frank Tipler, author of “The Physics of Immortality,” talks about whether the existence of God can be proven with physics on “John McLaughlin’s One on One,” 2:30 p.m. (28); 5:30 p.m. (15). . . .

Award-winning people who care on “Both Sides With Jesse Jackson,” with Bill Milliken, Cities in Schools; Mitzi Perdue, Youth Engaged in Service; Carol and Hurt Porter, Kid Care and Lois Lee, Children of the Night, 2:30 p.m. CNN. . . .

Newt Gingrich’s book deal; Christmas gifts to politicians and the Gang’s 1994 awards on “Capital Gang,” 4 p.m., 8:30 p.m. CNN. . . .

“Think Tank” on massaging the media. Lynn Sherr moderates a panel on advertising agencies, public relations firms and the media, 4:30 p.m. (28). . . .

Hillary Rodham Clinton tours the White House; Mel Torme with holiday tunes on “Larry King Weekend,” 6 p.m., CNN. . . .

The 13th Annual Year End Awards and “Is Clinton the ‘Comeback Kid’?” on “McLaughlin Group,” 6:30 p.m. (4); 5 p.m.(15). . . .

Juvenile offenders; Alaska fishing industry; handicap access; inner-city school on “The Crusaders,” 7 p.m. (4)(10). . . .

SUNDAY: College scholarships on “Signs of the Time,” 5:30 a.m. (11). . . .

“Sunday Today” looks at Jon Secada; Rosanne Cash; skater Paul Wylie; the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, 6 a.m. (4)(39)(36). . . .

“1994: Did the Mainstream Media Go Tabloid?” is examined on “Reliable Sources,” 7:30 a.m. CNN. . . .

“Meet the Press” features Congress and the presidency, politicians and the public, with House Speaker Tom Foley (D-Wash.), Sen. George Mitchell (D-Maine), 7 a.m. (4)(39)(36). . . .

“Sunday Morning” features nature scenes; window designer Gene Moore; New York’s St. Thomas Choir School; review of “Ready to Wear”; painter-illustrator Dean Morrisey; Christmas storytellers in Maine, 7:30 a.m. (2); 8 a.m. (8). . . .

CBS news correspondents take a look back at 1994 and a look ahead to 1995 on “Face the Nation,” 9 a.m. (2); 9:30 a.m. (8). . . .

“Inside Congress” features Sen. George Mitchell (D-Maine); Senate Chaplain Richard Halverson, 9 a.m. C-SPAN. . . .

“Late Edition” looks at the world’s refugee explosion with Julia Taft, Interaction; Roy Williams, International Refugee Committee, and Richard Jolly, deputy director of UNICEF. A year in review round-table is also featured, 2 p.m. CNN. . . .

Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.); Senator-elect Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.); woman honored by the Commission on Working Women for securing a job after spending several years on welfare; founder and commissioner of Chicago’s Midnight Basketball League on “This Week With David Brinkley,” 4 p.m. (7)(3)(10); 5 p.m. (42). . . .

“60 Minutes” offers a retrospective of 23 years worth of celebrity profiles: George Burns, Judy Garland, Jackie Gleason, Lena Horne, Katharine Hepburn, Laurence Olivier, Robin Williams. (Part 1 of 2) , 7 p.m. (2)(8).

Specials and Movies: “Father Christmas” looks at what Santa does the other 364 days of the year, today, 6:30 p.m. (28).

The 35th annual “Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration” welcomes 22 professional community choruses, today, 7 p.m. (28).

Three networks offer Christmas Eve coverage tonight: “Christmas Eve Service” from St. Petersburg, Fla., 11:30 p.m. (2) and 11:35 p.m. (8) . . . Pope John Paul II celebrates “Christmas Eve at St. Peter’s,” 11:30 p.m. (4)(36)(39) . . . and “A New Noel,” from Pioneer Memorial Church in Berrien Springs, Mich., 11:30 p.m. (7)(3).

He’s popular with members of Generation X, their parents and their grandparents: “Tony Bennett: A Family Christmas,” Sunday, 8 p.m. (28)(15).

Sports: Football--Cowboys at Giants, today, 10 a.m. (11)(6); Chiefs at Raiders, today, 1 p.m. (4)(39); Steelers at Chargers, today, 1 p.m. (36); Kelly Tires Blue/Gray All-Star Classic, Sunday, 9 a.m. (7)(3)(10)(42); Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl: Boston College vs. Kansas State, Sunday, 12:30 p.m. (7)(3)(10)(42). . . . Figure Skating--1994 World Pairs Championships, Sunday 10:30 a.m. ESPN. . . . Basketball--Knicks at Bulls, Sunday, 3:30 p.m. (4)(36)(39).

For a complete list of sports events on TV, see the Sports section.