Post-holiday programming reflects the punchy, lethargic sentiments of the day. Got a fridge full of leftovers? Why not spend the day with a “Cold Case” (11 a.m. to 11 p.m., TNT) marathon? Nothing says the day after Thanksgiving like solving murder mysteries from past decades.

Nickelodeon crams the day with a “SpongeBob SquarePants” (5 a.m. to 9 p.m., Nickelodeon) marathon, including the new mini-movie “Atlantis SquarePantis” (6 p.m.) and four new episodes (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.).

Bakula to the futura: Sci Fi unspools a day-night marathon of “Star Trek Enterprise” (7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sci Fi).

¢ With Thanksgiving out of the way, Christmas-movie season can begin in earnest. NBC is clearly trying to make a holiday classic out of the 2000 comedy “The Family Man” (7 p.m., NBC). The network knows a thing or two about manufacturing a Christmas tradition. After all, NBC went a long way toward enshrining “It’s a Wonderful Life” in the holiday pantheon. Like “The Family Man” (and for that matter “The Wizard of Oz”), “Wonderful Life” was hardly a box-office smash. But repeat TV exposure made it a holiday must.

This marks the third year that the network has repeated “Family Man,” a Capraesque fantasy staring Nicholas Cage as a heartless tycoon confronted with what might have happened had he married his college sweetheart (Tea Leoni). I’m not sure this will ever become a feel-good classic. The ending is enigmatic, and Nicolas Cage is just no Jimmy Stewart.

Other holiday treats include “Elf” (8 p.m., USA), the surprisingly sweet fantasy from director Jon Favreau, starring Will Ferrell as a foundling human child raised to be one of Santa’s elves.

And Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney and Danny Kaye star in the 1954 bauble “White Christmas” (7 p.m., Family). Not to be confused with the 1942 favorite “Holiday Inn,” which introduced moviegoers the world over to the beloved Irving Berlin tune.

A high-wattage decorator (Chevy Chase) recoils when his low-rent cousin (Randy Quaid) arrives to ruin the holidays in the 1989 comedy “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (8 p.m., TBS).

¢ Renowned trend researcher Jane Buckingham hosts “Modern Girls Guide to the Holidays” (7 p.m., Style), with advice on party throwing and gift giving, and ways to stretch a budget and still bestow luxurious-looking presents.

¢ Do holiday decorations follow trends, or do they remain classic? “Decked for the Holidays” (8 p.m., HGTV) examines some new fashions in seasonal style and party throwing and offers timeless tips on trimming the tree and setting the perfect holiday table.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Melinda meets a little girl who seems to share her spectral gift on “Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m., CBS).

¢ Marin finds a woman’s phone number amongst Jack’s things on “Men in Trees” (7 p.m., ABC).

¢ One of country music’s biggest stars returns from retirement for “Garth: One Man, One City, One Night” (7 p.m., GAC).

¢ A teen (Zac Efron) toils at a country club in the candy-colored fantasy “High School Musical 2” (7 p.m., Disney).

¢ Mick hires an assistant who looks suspiciously like his ex-wife on “Moonlight” (8 p.m., CBS).

¢ Lindsay bonds with her ex-husband’s fiancee on “The Women’s Murder Club” (8 p.m., ABC).

¢ Murder visits a comic-fan convention on “Numb3rs” (9 p.m., CBS).

Cult choice

A hardware-store clerk (John Travolta) challenges the expectations of his family and neighborhood in the disco drama “Saturday Night Fever” (9 p.m., TV Land).