TVSquad

That's right, the holidays are rife with tradition, and TBS is continuing with a tradition of its own by airing a 24-hour marathon of the modern holiday classic A Christmas Story starting at 8:00 pm on Christmas Eve. Who would have thought a movie directed by the guy who made Porky's and featuring Marvin the Hershey's Syrup Kid would become such a staple of the holiday season? Actually, it makes perfect sense. Bob Clark's film is incredibly heartwarming, but it also doesn't shy away from dark humor, and Peter Billingsly's Ralphie is the perfect blend of wide-eyed whimsy and basic human selfishness (note how he constantly abandons his little brother and leaves his friend Flick stuck frozen to a flagpole). Top off the whole thing with radio commentator Jean Shepard's narration from his book "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" and you've got a holiday movie only an evil robot wouldn't love.