White House in holiday colors

Americans like nothing better than (1) celebrating the holiday season and (2) looky-looing around famous people’s houses, and if you can manage to combine the two -- as HGTV has in “White House Christmas 2002” -- it’s ratings gold.

The premiere of the program last Sunday drew the biggest audience ever for Home and Garden Television, with 1.5 million households tuning in. The previous record-holder? Why, it was “White House Christmas 2001.” Knowing a cash-cow franchise when it sees one, HGTV has scheduled the first of several encore airings of this year’s hourlong special tonight at 7 and 10.

The program takes viewers behind the scenes at the Bush White House as preparations are made to turn the historic residence into a winter wonderland, replete with 21 elaborately festooned Christmas trees, massive holiday pastry creations and scores of papier-mache figurines marking this year’s decorating theme as chosen by the Bushes, “All Creatures Great and Small.”

It takes a small army of artisans to make the transformation a reality, and we get to meet a number of them as the room-by-room tour progresses. First Lady Laura Bush, looking cozily casual in pants and sweater for much of the visit, is on hand with family dogs Spotty and Barney trotting along at her heels.

The 18 1/2-foot noble fir from Washington state that graces the Blue Room and a giant replica of the White House fashioned out of 120 pounds of gingerbread, 40 pounds of chocolate and 30 pounds of marzipan are two of the most impressive set pieces, but the climactic moment is handled by the chief exec himself, as George W. makes a brief appearance to flip the switch on the lights strung over the towering national Christmas tree on the White House grounds.

Even viewed from sunny California, it’s inspiring enough to give you chills.