TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEES

"Little Spirit: Christmas in New York," 7 p.m., NBC. Who knew you could travel all over New York City, simply by diving in and out of Christmas trees? (Kids, PLEASE don't try that at home.) That's what a lad does in this animated special. He's new to New York and his dog has just disappeared. Now a glittery entity called Little Spirit helps him search, by leaping into trees. There are songs here from Duncan Sheik, an indie-rock singer-songwriter who became a Tony-winner with "Spring Awakening." There's voice work from Danny DeVito (as the taxi driver who tells the story), Lucy Liu, Freddy Rodriguez and Brenda Song. It's easy to gripe that the songs are mild, the story is stretched-out and there are lots of plugs for Macy's. Still, it's good to see any new holiday special — especially one that has an arty look, serious subject matter (displacement, family disputes) and a deep fondness for a New York holiday.

"Home Alone" (1990), 7 p.m., MyNetwork (K5). The fine art of the sight gag is worked to perfection in this fun film. An 8-year-old (Macaulay Culkin, in his cute days) is accidentally stranded at home at Christmas time. There, he deals with life and the world's two most inept burglars. Chris Columbus, who later directed the first two Harry Potter films, handled this beautifully. He even included a tad of holiday warmth, alongside some huge laughs.

OF NOTE

"The New Adventures of Old Christine," 7 p.m., CBS. Megan Mullally ("Will & Grace") plays the representative of the fitness-salon chain; she may be taking the franchise away from Barb and Christine.

"Pushing Daisies," 7 p.m., ABC. Ned and Chuck are disturbed by a visitor from their past. Meanwhile, a lighthouse-keeper's death may shed light on local secrets.

"Private Practice," 8 p.m., ABC. Charlotte (KaDee Strickland) opens her own clinic, directly competing with the one run by Sam and Pete.

"Life," 8 p.m., NBC. A bizarre murder may be linked to a 1970s cult.

"The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice," 7 p.m., TNT. If you missed this movie Sunday, here's a quick rerun. Fairly light and reasonably enjoyable, it puts the former bookworm (Noah Wyle) in New Orleans, in a story swirling with talk of magic and vampires and such.

"Law & Order," 9 p.m., NBC. A best-selling author, who described his days as a child prostitute, has been killed. But was he telling the truth about his past?