What to watch this week

(Photo: Marc-André Grondin in "C.R.A.Z.Y.," on Sundance.)

More gifting ideas and some holiday-themed programs.

All times Central.

TONIGHT

  When it comes to the reason for the season, also known as Jesus Christ, you can play it safe or you can press your luck. The National Geographic Channel seems to be opting for the latter with a new “Explorer” program airing at 8 tonight. This exploration of the “lost gospels,” written around 300 A.D. but only discovered 60 years ago, digs into the controversial new translations of these ancient scrolls. They offer alternative explanations of the birth of Jesus and his relationship to Judas, who is presented here as fulfilling Jesus' commands, not betraying them. Later this week, CNN takes the play-it-safe route with “After Jesus” (6 p.m. Wednesday, CNN), which explores the unexpected success of the early Christians in spreading the gospel after the death of Jesus.

  TUESDAY

  Here's one more DVD idea, for those of you with big screens and deep pockets: “The Sopranos First Season” is out this week on high-definition HD-DVD and Blu-Ray discs, with a list price of $130 (online sites will knock about $40 off that, though you'll have to pay for express shipping to get it by the 22nd). For more gift ideas, see the other box on this page.

  FRIDAY

  Those wild, devil-may-care folks at “Monk” are doing a film noir episode, in black and white, even though the show's set in San Francisco, not L.A. The episode airs at 8 p.m. on USA, then re-airs in color an hour later.

  SATURDAY

  “C.R.A.Z.Y.,” a quirky Canadian film about a boy born on Christmas Day, airs at 9 p.m. on the Sundance Channel, which you can only get if you have digital cable. It's a sad fact of life that American movies are exported all over the world, where they air in prime time on top-rated networks, while anything that comes into this country is immediately packed off to the foreign films discount bin. It doesn't help that “C.R.A.Z.Y.,” set in 1960s Quebec, was filmed in French and airs with English subtitles. But it is wonderfully filmed, and won just about every award a film can win at the Genies, Canada's version of the Oscars.