Disney Channel Will Be Home For Christmas

files/pictures/picture-35.jpgNew holiday and Christmas themed episodes of Disney Channel's hit series for pre-schoolers, kids and tweens, are unwrapped throughout December while Toon Disney features a special Christmas movie every Friday and Saturday evening as part of its "Month of Merriment."

New Year's Eve is celebrated with Disney Channel's 8th annual viewer's choice programming event where viewers' votes determine the programming lineup for the last day of the year and the first day of 2006.

On Friday, Dec. 2 at 3:00 and 5:00 pm, Toon Disney will air back-to-back Christmas movies — THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS and MICKEY'S TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS. THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS, based upon the book by L. Frank Baum, follows the life of Claus who lives among the Immortals in the Forest of Burzee and decrees that his mission in life is to make mortal children happy. MICKEY'S TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS, the CG-animated sequel to MICKEY'S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS, features five imaginative vignettes.

Also on Dec. 2, the Disney Channel will premiere RETURN TO NEVERLAND, the sequel to Disney's 1953 classic PETER PAN, at 8:00 pm.

On Sunday, Dec. 4 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, Toon Disney presents a marathon of THE PROUD FAMILY with 10 consecutive episodes of the animated series.

On Monday, Dec. 5, the Disney Channel will debut a new episode of the animated LITTLE EINSTEINS, a learning-focused series for preschoolers, at 8:00 am. Leo, Annie, Quincy and June hear that a good knight has been trapped inside a castle by a bad knight, so they make it their mission to rescue him from a medieval castle. The classical music piece, "Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Morning Mood" by Edvard Grieg and the painting "The Lady with the Unicorn: Hearing" are featured.

A hearing impaired character is introduced on JOJO'S CIRCUS in an episode premiering at 8:30 am. In the episode entitled "Quiet Magic," Skeebo and his cousin Adam perform a "mind reading" magic act for their friends who do not know Adam is hearing-impaired. Skeebo asks each friend to draw something without disclosing what it is, while Adam discreetly signs the image to Skeebo who then "magically" guesses what his friend drew. JoJo, delighted to learn that sign language is the "magic" behind the trick, asks Adam and Skeebo to teach her (and viewers too) a few words in sign language. In a second "JoJo's Circus" story, despite having outgrown her old toys, JoJo doesn't want to part with them but with the gentle guidance of her mom Peaches, she and her friends realize there are people and places to donate the toys.

Starting Monday, Dec. 5 through Friday, Dec. 9 from 7:00-10:00 pm, Toon Disney's JETIX Block will host a marathon of W.I.T.CH. and POWER RANGERS: GENERATIONS.

On Friday, Dec. 9, Toon Disney will broadcast three back-to-back holiday themed productions. RECESS CHRISTMAS: MIRACLE ON THIRD STREET follows the RECESS kids and their teachers as they experience a special Third Street School Christmas and learn to believe in the true spirit of the holiday (3:00 pm). THE SANTA CLAUS BROTHERS unveils Santa's plans to retire and turn over the family business to one of his three sons, who really don't want the job (4:30 pm). Three wonder-filled stories of Christmas past are featured in MICKEY'S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS (5:30 pm).

On Monday, Dec. 12 at 8:00 am, Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney Block will present a new Christmas episode of LITTLE EINSTEINS. Leo, Annie, Quincy and June find themselves on a 'round the world mission to retrieve Annie's missing Christmas present from a snowy peak high on Mt. Everest. Two beloved 19th century masterpieces, Van Gogh's "Starry Night" and Beethoven's "Fur Elise," are featured in the episode.

At 9:30 am, a new episode of CHARLIE & LOLA has Lola excited about the first snow but after just one day, she's disappointed that it has melted. Big brother Charlie finds a way to cheer her by taking her on a storytelling "tour" of Antarctica to see what it would be like to live in a place where the snow is year-round.

On Wednesday, Dec. 14 from 3:00–8:00 pm on Toon Disney's Jetix programming block, six all-new episodes of KONG: THE ANIMATED SERIES will be featured during the Kong-a-Thon. Also included will be the premiere of KONG: KING OF ATLANTIS at 5:00 and 6:15 pm.

On Thursday, Dec. 15 at 5:30 pm on Disney Channel, a new episode of AMERICAN DRAGON: JACK LONG follows Trixie and Spud as they don a dragon costume and comically stumble their way through American Dragon duties and face off against an unruly gang of Biker Trolls in Magus Bazaar when Grandpa and Jake take a trip outside of New York City.

On Saturday, Dec. 17 at 5:30 pm on Disney Channel, Maggie convinces Aldrin and Pupert to go on strike in the name of a bigger allowance. However, their quest backfires when Mr. and Mrs. Pesky hire some local gnats to fulfill their chores and then welcome them into the family where they reap the benefits of the Pesky's love – and even an early Norman Rockwell Christmas, in a new holiday episode of THE BUZZ ON MAGGIE.

On Monday, Dec. 19 at 11:00 am and 8:00 pm, Disney Channel will again air MICKEY'S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS.

On Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 11:00 am, Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney Block presents a Christmas special for preschoolers, THE KOALA BROTHERS OUTBACK CHRISTMAS, which takes the Koala Brothers on a journey to the snowy landscapes of Antarctica. Frank and Buster invite all of their friends to spend Christmas Day in the Australian Outback. When Penny the Little Penguin hurts herself, the Koala Brothers embark on a brave voyage to the Antarctic to bring her back to the Outback so she can celebrate Christmas with the whole gang.

On Saturday, Dec. 24 and Sunday, Dec. 25 from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm, Toon Disney celebrates Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with back-to-back holiday episodes and specials including ANNABELLE’S WISH, TIMON & PUMBAA, RECESS, DISNEY’S HOUSE OF MOUSE, KIM POSSIBLE and BUZZ LIGHTYEAR.

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from 6:00 am to 12:00 midnight, Disney Channel delivers a lineup of goodies with back-to-back holiday programming on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, including KIM POSSIBLE and THE PROUD FAMILY.

On New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, Toon Disney will host a multi-episode marathon of the animated series HOUSE OF MOUSE from 12:30 to 4:00 pm. This will be followed by "Jetix All-Stars New Year's Eve." Action/adventure fans can ring in the New Year with episodes of SPIDER-MAN, THE X-MEN, SPIDER-MAN & HIS AMAZING FRIENDS, POWER RANGERS: S.P.D., GET ED, SUPER ROBOT MONKEY TEAM HYPERFORCE GO!, KONG: THE ANIMATED SERIES and POWER RANGERS DINOTHUNDER. During the marathon, viewers can go online to play Jetix games, and the names of top scoring players will be featured on the Jetix on air ticker. Master of each game will have the opportunity to include an on-air message to their friends.