The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tops a long list of TV picks for Thursday

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Meredith Vieira, Matt Lauer and Al Roker co-host this annual tradition that for many is the official beginning of the holiday season. Expect floats, marching bands and larger-than-life balloons. 9 a.m. on NBC (highlights of the parade will be broadcast on CBS) (seattletimes.com/tvlistings).

Doug Knoop, Seattle Times staff

Also on today

"The National Dog Show," Noon (NBC): More than 2,000 dogs in 150 breeds — including Uli, the top-ranked bulldog in the country — congregate for this annual show hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia. John O'Hurley ("Dancing With the Stars," "Seinfeld") and the dog expert David Frei are the hosts.

"NFL Football," 1 p.m. (CBS): Oakland Raiders at Dallas Cowboys (Live).

"Home for the Holidays: The History of Thanksgiving," 1 and 7 p.m. (History): The Pilgrims; Lincoln's declaration; turkey and celebrations.

"To Catch a Thief" (1955), 5 p.m. (TCM): In her third and final Hitchcock film, Grace Kelly plays the wealthy American ingénue to Cary Grant's retired jewel thief on the Riviera.

"An Affair to Remember" (1957), 7 p.m. (KCTS): Engaged to others, two cruise-ship passengers plan to reunite six months later atop the Empire State Building.

"Beyoncé: I Am ... Yours," 9 p.m. (ABC): Beyoncé performs at the Wynn Encore in Las Vegas in this concert special taped on Aug. 2. The show also features film footage of personal moments and rehearsals from her I Am tour as well as home movies from her childhood.

"NBC's People of the Year," 9 p.m. (NBC): Matt Lauer interviews some of the biggest headline-makers in 2009, including the singers Taylor Swift and Susan Boyle; Nadya Suleman, aka Octomom; the basketball player Kobe Bryant; Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger III, the pilot who successfully ditched US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River; and Capt. Richard Phillips, who was held hostage for five days by Somali pirates.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (2005), 9:05 p.m. (Disney): Children join forces with the lion mystic Aslan to free the land of Narnia from the White Witch's wintry spell. Based on the novel by C.S. Lewis.

"Paul McCartney: Good Evening New York City," 10 p.m. (ABC): Following in the footsteps of the Beatles in 1965, who were among the first musicians to play at Shea Stadium, McCartney christened Citi Field with two concerts in July, which have been winnowed into this hourlong special. The song list spans 50 years and includes Beatles, Wings and solo hits. McCartney also takes a trip down Beatlemania lane.

"A Christmas Tale" (2008), 11:30 p.m. (Sundance): This drama from the French director Arnaud Desplechin follows the volatile Vuillard family as it convenes for the holidays — where the clan's matriarch (Catherine Deneuve) considers candidates for a bone-marrow transplant necessary to treat the same form of leukemia that killed her firstborn son decades earlier.

The New York Times