‘Tis the season for festive TV programming.
Holiday staples like “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “Frosty the Snowman”, and “A Christmas Story” will soon return, along with a new batch of family friendly films.
There’s music to enjoy too, The Associated Press reports, with Hannah Waddingham leading an Apple TV+ special on Nov. 22 and the annual Tabernacle Choir concert airing on PBS Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. “Plus, familiar faces including Lori Loughlin, Teri Hatcher and Lacey Chabert have holiday rom-coms airing,” The AP’s Alicia Rancilio writes.
Here’s where — and when, in Eastern Standard Time — to watch all your holiday programming:
Rancilio reports that Hulu is offering some of its own original feel-good holiday movies: “A Christmas Frequency” starring Denise Richards and “Reporting for Christmas,” which are among the offerings available now.
Teri Hatcher stars in a “cute twist on Kate Hudson’s ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ with ‘How to Fall in Love by the Holidays,’ now up on the Roku Channel,” Rancilio reports. And Lori Loughlin returns in her “first original holiday movie since getting ensnared in a massive college admissions bribery scandal, called ‘A Christmas Blessing,’ now available on Great American Family.”
Also on Roku Channel, Rancilio says Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith judge “The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday,” where celeb contestants including comedians Joel McHale, Phoebe Robinson and Heather McMahan will compete in a bake-off.
Leighton Meester and Robbie Amell “infuse some fresh air into the genre with ‘EXmas,’ out on Amazon Freevee Friday,” The AP reports. “They play former fiancees, Graham and Ali, who find themselves in a nightmare scenario when Graham surprises his family by returning home for the holidays — and finds Ali already there as a special guest.”
Read more here about new original holiday programming planned for each major network.
Looking for something new for the kids this year? On Nov. 22, Peacock debuted its new comedy “Genie”, starring Melissa McCarthy as a genie who brings holiday cheer to Paapa Essied.
“The weekend after Thanksgiving is a big one for Candace Cameron Bure’s household,” Rancilio writes. “Candace’s movie ‘My Christmas Hero’ airs Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. and her daughter, Natasha, makes her acting debut in ‘A Christmas for the Ages’ alongside Cheryl Ladd, at 8 p.m. on Nov. 26.”
Rancilio adds, “‘The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday,’ based on the animated feature ‘The Bad Guys,’ drops on Netflix Nov. 30.”
And of course, it would not be the holiday season without some of your festive classics.
The 1974 movie “The Year Without a Santa Claus,” began playing on Saturday, Nov. 18, on TBS and Sunday, Nov. 19, on TNT.
CBS will air the Christmas favorite “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” at 8 p.m. on Nov. 27, The AP confirms. “It will repeat at 8 p.m. on Dec. 16, followed by long-time favorites ‘Frosty the Snowman’ and ‘Frosty Returns’,” Rancilio adds.
On Dec. 16-17, Apple TV+ will once again make " A Charlie Brown Christmas " available for free, “so viewers can test out the streaming service, and enjoy the Christmas classic,” Rancilio writes.
The traditional 24-hour marathon of “A Christmas Story” begins Dec. 24 on both TNT and TBS.
This year’s Hanukkah specials include a Hallmark Channel movie called “Round and Round”, starring Vic Michaelis and Bryan Greenberg, airing at 8 p.m. on Dec. 10.
“Nick Jr. will air Hanukkah-themed programming beginning at 8 p.m. on Dec. 8 with a special ‘Paddington’ episode followed by an episode of ‘Bossy Bear,’” Rancilio reports. Read more here.
The AP’s Alicia Rancilio contributed to this story
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