Perhaps the words “foreclosure” and “Christmas” should not appear in the same sentence, or the same movie, but in the Hallmark holiday offering “Moonlight and Mistletoe” (8 p.m. Saturday, Hallmark), they do. On the other hand “It’s a Wonderful Life” revolved around several potential bank failures, so perhaps the holiday and holiday movies can survive the most trying times. Tom Arnold stars as Nick, the professional Santa and proprietor of Santaville, a year-round Christmas village in Vermont. For decades, it has provided cheer, attracted tourists and created jobs for the locals, but changing times and altered vacation and shopping patterns have put Santaville on the skids. The movie becomes a race against time and against bankruptcy and bulldozers. It’s also a chance for the small-town Nick to bond again with his estranged daughter, who had previously left for the bright lights and bigger paychecks of the big city.

• Ellen DeGeneres hosts the second big prime-time variety show of the week, “Ellen’s Even Bigger Really Big Show” (8 p.m. Saturday, TBS), featuring celebrity impressionists, dancers, musical performances, comedy skits and magic acts performed by talent from around the globe — many never before seen on American television. The title “Really Big Show” is a tip of the top hat to Ed Sullivan, the pre-eminent host of American variety television.

• “Sputnik Mania” (9 p.m. Saturday, History) recalls the shock and fear that followed the launch of the Soviet Union’s first satellite on Oct. 4, 1957. Before then, Americans had been rather confident of our technological superiority and secure in the notion that Russian bombers were no match for our defenses. All of a sudden, the Soviets appeared to have rockets capable of delivering a nuclear payload in a matter of minutes. By April 1958, a Gallup poll revealed that 50 percent of Americans believed that nuclear war was imminent. “Mania” offers a wealth of period footage to recapture a nervous era that would result in an edgy chapter in the Cold War as well as the Space Race and greater investment in and respect for American science and education.

Saturday’s other highlights

• The Sci Fi Channel unspools a day of Stephen King miniseries and TV movies beginning with “The Langoliers” (8 a.m.) and concluding with “Desperation” (8 p.m.).

• Jamie and Adam put legends to the test and blow things up in the process in a “Mythbusters” (noon through 11 p.m., Discovery) marathon.

• Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston star in the 2004 romantic comedy “Along Came Polly” (7 p.m., NBC).

• Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford star in the 1980 fantasy “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” (7 p.m., Spike).

• Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (8 p.m., CBS): The cops who put away a teen for murder now want him released.

Sunday’s highlights

• Minnesota hosts Chicago on “Sunday Night Football” (7 p.m., NBC).

• Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford star in the 1983 fantasy sequel “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi” (7 p.m., Spike).

• A British Muslim family is torn by issues of faith and identity in the two-part drama “Britz” (7 p.m., BBC America, concludes Monday).

• A crusading politician’s murder is re-examined on “Cold Case” (8 p.m., CBS).

• Red tape gums up a vital mission on “The Unit” (9 p.m., CBS).

• A charity becomes a money pit on “Brothers & Sisters” (9 p.m., ABC).

• “Mindhunter” (9 p.m., MSNBC) looks at efforts to capture two of America’s most notorious serial killers.