On TV Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26

* Macy’s Day Parade: 9 a.m. to noon on NBC (Ch. 6). After the parade, NBC will show the National Dog Show.

* All-day James Bond marathon on SyFy (Ch. 75)! “Dr. No,” “Live and Let Die,” “License to Kill,” “For Your Eyes Only” and “Casino Royale,” to name a few.

* TNT (Ch. 38) is hosting an eight-hour marathon of “The Closer” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

* AMC (Ch. 50) will play “The Godfather” parts I, II and III on a loop all day. Try to time your dinner for when Part III is on.

* To keep the wee ones occupied, Disney Channel (Ch. 31) is showing easy-to-stomach family movies all day starting at 11 a.m., including the 1998 “The Parent Trap,” “Chicken Little,” “Cars,” “Meet the Robinsons” and more.

* FX (Ch. 61) will show “Home Alone” four times in a row, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

* NFL: Packers at Lions at 11:30 a.m. on Fox (Ch. 4); Raiders at Cowboys at 3:15 p.m. on CBS (Ch. 3 and 11); Giants at Broncos at 7:20 p.m. on the NFL Network and NFL.com.

* College Football: Texas at Texas A&M at 7 p.m. on ESPN (Ch. 34).

* “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”: 3:30 p.m. on Comedy Central (Ch. 67).

* NBA: Magic at Hawks at 7 p.m. on TNT (Ch. 38); Bulls at Jazz at 9:30 p.m. on TNT.

Thanksgiving at the movies

Three new movies open in Lincoln theaters on Wednesday: “Old Dogs,” a PG-option for families starring Robin Williams and John Travolta; “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” a stop-motion animated feature; and “Ninja Assassin,” an R-rated option best for video-game fans.

A few others now at theaters may be good choices for holiday family time:

* “The Blind Side” (PG-13): Sandra Bullock plays a good ol’ gal who takes in a poor, uneducated boy and helps him realize his potential as a football player. It’s based on a true story.

* “Planet 51” (PG): Animated flick about an astronaut who lands on a planet inhabited by friendly green people. Here, he’s the alien. Good for families with younger children.

* “New Moon” (PG-13): The second installment of the popular “Twilight” series finds teen vamp Edward breaking up with Bella and leaving her to rebound with the wolf boy next door.

Stock up on some games

Ah, board games. They’re really the only thing keeping large family get-togethers from imploding. They can help make your family seem more interesting.

But at such gatherings, not all games are created equal. Some can enhance fam time. Some can murder it.

Good games for family get-togethers:

* Apples to Apples: The ultimate ice-breaker. The simple game requires no board or game pieces. Players get seven cards, each containing proper nouns, like “Michael Jackson” or “Madonna.” Each turn, players try to best match their nouns with a particular adjective.

* Scrabble: Classic. Easy to play. Also offers a tangible measure of intelligence for your extended family. When your aunt confidently spells out “DEFINUTLY” on the board, you can talk bad about her until NEXT Thanksgiving.

* Cards: Pitch, poker, hearts. Good games for friendly and fierce competition.

* Others: Yahtzee, Uno, Connect Four (especially if some young ones are involved).

Bad games for family get-togethers

* Monopoly: The funny money game always seems like a good idea. It’s one of the most complex and brilliantly designed of all board games, after all. But when you actually sit down to play it, you realize how loooong it takes. Even worse, your extended fam members are revealed to be the Machiavellian snakes you always took them for.

* Settlers of Catan: Great game, sort of like a medieval Monopoly. It’s simple on the surface, but the learning curve is steep. You’ll spend half an hour explaining the gameplay to your relatives, and they still won’t get it. Settlers of Catan is more suited for dorm rooms and coffee shops, where Catan fanatics can really get into the thick of it.

* Risk: Why would you want to exacerbate the combative dynamics already at play at a Thanksgiving dinner?