WORTH NOTING ON TV
This guide is designed to alert readers to the scope and variety of programming coming up. Listing is not meant to represent blanket endorsement. Viewers are urged to be selective. SUNDAY Moscow Circus (ABC, 7-8 p.m.): Russian clowns, clever bears, 17 or so tigers, and other acts are all part of this internationally acclaimed troupe, making its first US appearance in about 10 years. Mark Linn-Baker of the series ``Perfect Strangers'' is host. A Very Brady Christmas (CBS, 9-11 p.m.): The long-running sitcom ``The Brady Bunch'' defined a certain family image for its fans, and some of its stars - including Florence Henderson, Robert Reed, and Ann B. Davis - re-create their original roles for this ``Sunday Movie'' holiday special. Spirit of Place (Learning Channel - cable, 8 p.m., ET): In this edition of a series featuring producers who work outside the mainstream, three independent filmmakers deal with the image of the American West.
MONDAY Brian Boitano: Canvas of Ice (ABC, 8-9 p.m.): You can't get any better than being Olympic gold medalist, the prize Boitano won in 1988 for men's figure skating. He proves it in this dazzling special, shot all over the world and including Katerina Witt, the 1988 women's gold medalist, as one of the guests. John Denver's Christmas in Aspen (CBS, 10-11 p.m.): Old songs, new songs, and lots of scenes around Aspen are featured in the singer-actor's first Christmas special in eight years.
WEDNESDAY Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special (CBS, 8-9 p.m.): Yes, some say he's a trifle odd, but before rushing to judgment, consider the guests on this show: Grace Jones, Joan Rivers, Oprah Winfrey, and others. Pee-Wee himself - a favorite of a wide and sophisticated viewership - will be presiding. Christmas in Washington (NBC, 10-11 p.m.): President and Mrs. Reagan expect to appear in this seasonal ceremony of song and cheer. The musical stars range from Kathleen Battle of the Metropolitan Opera to country music's Gary Morris. A Child's Christmas in Wales (PBS, 8-9 p.m.): Here's the re-airing - looked for annually - of the dramatization of Dylan Thomas's poem about the Christmas season in a little Welsh town.
THURSDAY A Christmas Carol (CBS, 8-10 p.m.): With an actor like George C. Scott in the title role, it's always worth seeing this story again. First aired in 1984, it was filmed on location in Shrewsbury, England.
Schedules may vary in some time zones. Please check local listings, especially for PBS, where individual stations often air programs on differing days and times.