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Whether you prefer something naughty, like the animated movie “Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer” or nice, like classics “The Sound of Music” and “Home Alone,” streamers, cable and broadcast networks offer up festive choices in December.
Highlights this year include music specials with Derek Hough and Jimmy Fallon, the Rockefeller Tree lighting hosted by Reba McEntire, Lacey Chabert’s latest Hallmark Channel movie, NFL games and even cozy mysteries with a Christmas theme.
Here are some highlights.
Dec. 1
— “Dancing with the Stars” judge Derek Hough hosts the annual “The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular” on ABC. Popular recording artists including Nicole Scherzinger, Gwen Stefani, Trisha Yearwood and Mariah the Scientist put their own spin on Christmas classics. Streams next day on Hulu and Disney+.
Dec. 3
— Reba McEntire hosts NBC’s annual “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” which culminates in the lighting of the giant Christmas tree in New York’s Rockefeller Center. This year’s tree is a Norway spruce from Greenbush, New York. It has more than 50,000 colored lights and is topped with a Swarovski star that weighs 900 pounds. The special will also stream live on Peacock.
— Some people find holiday prep daunting. It comes naturally to Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, whose life seems to be a Pinterest page. She’s got ideas to share in a special episode of Netflix’s “With Love, Meghan” lifestyle series. In “With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration,” Meghan taps guests including Naomi Osaka and Tom Colicchio to bake, make treats with holiday flair and craft. “Being a hostess or a host, it’s about making people feel comfortable,” the royal says.
Dec. 5
— In the new Apple TV special, “The First Snow of Fraggle Rock,” the Fraggles are anxiously waiting for snow to kick off their festive season. Instead, a single snowflake falls, leaving Gobo, feeling uninspired to write an annual holiday song. For the first time, he ventures into the human world to seek out ideas. The special is a reminder that unplanned moments can also come with their own magic.
— Roku Channel has a follow-up to the holiday romance “Jingle Bell Love” starring Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block and Michelle Morgan. In “Jingle Bell Wedding,” Jack and Jessica are engaged and looking forward to a New Year’s Eve wedding. They’re also in charge of organizing an annual Christmas concert. Will all the planning derail their relationship?
Dec. 6
— Lacey Chabert works for Santa Claus in the new Hallmark Channel movie “She’s Making a List.” Chabert plays Isabel, whose job is to track kids’ behavior throughout the year. Isabel’s strict rules lighten up a bit when she’s assigned to report on an 11-year-old whose father Jason (Andrew Walker) is a widower. Chabert and Walker previously co-starred in a Valentine’s Day movie for Hallmark in 2018. “She’s Making a List” also streams on Hallmark+.
— The OWN original, “The Christmas Showdown,” reunites Amber Stevens West and Corbin Reid from the acclaimed Starz comedy “Run the World.” They play former besties competing for the same job who learn it’s better to work as a team. Loretta Devine also stars.
Dec. 7
— How about a cozy mystery this Christmas? UPtv offers the new film “A Christmas Murder Mystery.” Vera Vexley is a puzzle editor for her local newspaper who also has a side-gig as a detective. When Vera’s invited to spend the holidays with family friends, a murder launches her into investigative-mode and everyone is a suspect.
Dec. 9
— A new two-hour, faith-based special tells the story of Mary, Joseph and the birth of Jesus in “Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas” for ABC. The Oscar winner serves as host and narrator.
Dec. 10
— Zooey Deschanel and Charlie Cox co-star in a new holiday rom-com called “Merv” for Prime Video. The pair play exes who share joint custody of their dog Merv. When Merv is visibly depressed because his human parents are no longer together, they take him on a trip to cheer him up.
— The animated movie “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” is an adaptation on the farcical song of the same name. In the special, airing on The CW Network, a boy sets out to find his missing grandmother on Christmas Eve.
Dec. 11
— The Dolly Parton song, “Coat of Many Colors” comes to life in a TV movie airing for the first time on the CW. Set against the Smoky Mountains in the 1950s, it’s about the Parton family and how their love, faith — and a patchwork coat — help them to move past tragedy. Alyvia Alyn Lind plays young Dolly and Jennifer Nettles and Rick Schroeder portray her mom and dad. “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors” originally debuted in 2015.
— Jimmy Fallon’s musical comedy special from last year gets a repeat. In “Jimmy Fallon’s Holiday Seasoning Spectacular,” the “Tonight Show” host searches a New York apartment building for the holiday spirit and encounters different celebrity guests behind each door. Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake, LL Cool J, the Roots and “Weird Al” Yankovic all appear.
Dec. 12
— AMC’s annual holiday programming includes a marathon of Will Ferrell’s “Elf” beginning at 6 p.m. It broadcasts back-to-back for eight-hours.
Dec. 13
— Apple TV streams the beloved favorite “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for free on Dec. 13 and Dec. 14.
— In “A Suite Holiday Romance” for Hallmark Channel, Jessy Schram stars a ghostwriter who checks-in to a fancy New York hotel for a job writing a memoir. She meets a handsome Brit (Dominic Sherwood) and the two experience a series of misunderstandings until they realize they’re meant to be.
Dec. 14
— HGTV returns to the White House at Christmas for a one-hour special that goes behind-the-scenes of its decorating transformation at the holidays. It also streams next day on HBO Max and Discovery+.
— On the first night of Hanukkah, Hallmark Channel premieres the new movie “Oy to the World!” When the pipes burst at a local synagogue, a church opens its doors for an interfaith service. Brooke D’Orsay and Jake Epstein play choir directors who were also rivals in high school that must work together to put on a successful event for all.
Dec. 15
— Acorn TV has a two-part Christmas special of “The Madame Blanc Mysteries” airing Dec. 15 and Dec. 22. British actor Sally Lindsay plays antique dealer Jean White, who visits the France museum Maison Sainte-Victoire on Christmas Eve to authenticate an Ormolu box once owned by Marie Antoinette. It’s discovered that the box contains a ticking time bomb and Jean and her team have just 90 minutes to diffuse it.
Dec. 16
— “The Nutcracker” ballet is a Christmas classic, and PBS is offering a reimagined version taped at the London Coliseum. Still set to Tchaikovsky’s score, this version centralizes Clara’s story and is set in Edwardian London where a street scene has dancing chimney sweeps and suffragettes. “Great Performances: Nutcracker from English National Ballet” will also be available for streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app.
Dec. 20
— Lifetime is jumping on the pickleball popularity bandwagon with the new movie “A Pickleball Christmas.” It stars James Lafferty as a tennis pro whose family’s racquet club is on the brink of closing its doors. He and a tennis instructor take part in a holiday tournament to save the day.
Dec. 21
— Tate Donovan and Jillian Murphy star in a new Christmas movie for Great American Family called “Mario Lopez Presents: Chasing Christmas.” In the film, Donovan plays a morning show host and Murphy a designer who team up to make a child’s Christmas wish come true. Lopez’s son Dominic also has a role.
— The Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer classic “The Sound of Music” airs on ABC.
Dec. 24
— “Home Alone” airs on ABC. The film made Macaulay Culkin a child star for playing a boy whose parents accidentally leave him home when their large family hurries off on a Christmas vacation. He’s left to defend his house against two clumsy burglars.
Dec. 25
— Netflix is gifting us with football on Christmas again this year. The Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders game is at 1 p.m. Eastern followed by the Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
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