Log In


Reset Password

Holiday TV season filled with favorites

Festive TV programming is starting to stack up like toys in Santa’s sleigh.

Holiday favorites like “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “A Christmas Story” will soon return, along with new family friendly films including “Dashing Through the Snow” on Disney+ and Melissa McCarthy’s “Genie” on Peacock.

Plus, familiar faces including Lori Loughlin, Teri Hatcher and Lacey Chabert have holiday rom-coms airing. Here’s where - and when to watch this year’s holiday TV bonanza.

Getting an early start

Hulu has its own original feel-good holiday movies: “A Christmas Frequency” starring Denise Richards and “Reporting for Christmas,” which are among the offerings available now.

“Desperate Housewives” star 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. Hatcher plays a reporter reluctantly writing a column with tips on finding in love in time for Christmas - and sparks her own romance.

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. Loughlin plays a chef who has just wrapped her long-running TV cooking show and is planning a two-year sojourn to write a book. A quick detour to Milwaukee to handle some family business ends up taking her longer than expected when she finds love with James Tupper.

Chris “Ludacris” Bridges plays Eddie, a dad who has been anti-Christmas because of a traumatic childhood experience in “Dashing through the Snow” for Disney+. When his estranged wife (Teyonah Parris) asks him to take their young daughter out on Christmas Eve, they encounter a man named Nick (played by Lil Rel Howery), who seems to think he’s Santa Claus. Eddie thinks the man needs medical attention but ends up going on a magical adventure.

The likability and comedic talents of Leighton Meester (“Gossip Girl”) and Robbie Amell (“Upload”) infuse some fresh air into the genre with “EXmas,” out on Amazon Freevee Friday. 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.

More holiday love

Another exciting duo to watch is former “Party of Five” co-stars Lacey Chabert and Scott Wolf who again, play siblings in “A Merry Scottish Christmas” for the Hallmark Channel at 10 p.m. on Friday.

Hatcher offers a second holiday movie helping this season with a rekindling romance rom-com. She co-stars in “Christmas at the Chalet” with William DeVry on Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. on Lifetime.

Chabert also has two holiday movies this year. She stars in “Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up” - a sequel to last year’s hit, “Haul out the Holly” - about a neighborhood that takes their holiday decoration competition very seriously. The lights go up Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel.

Kristoffer Polaha and Bethany Joy Lenz filmed a time-traveling romance story at the famed Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. “ A Biltmore Christmas “ debuts on Hallmark at 8 p.m. on Nov. 26.

Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, Donna Mills and Nicollette Sheridan team up in “ Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas “ for Lifetime at 8 p.m. on Dec. 2. The quintet portray former soap opera co-stars who come together for a live holiday special and play matchmakers with their producer and director.

Another Hallmark regular, Jonathan Bennett, returns with a dose of holiday cheer in “Christmas on Cherry Lane” airing at 8 p.m. Dec. 9. He stars alongside Vincent Rodriguez III, Erin Cahill and John Brotherton.

A book editor in New York returns to her family farm and the Amish community she lived in as a child where she helps save a family bakery and meets a handsome local. “ Christmas at the Amish Bakery “ premieres Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. on UPtv.

In “Yes, Chef!”, Tia Mowry stars as a culinary instructor whose life takes a surprising turn when she competes in an annual Kringle Cook-Off where she finds career challenges and a possible love interest. Buddy Valastro, known as The Cake Boss, makes his acting debut. It airs Dec. 10 on Lifetime at 8 p.m.

Something new for the kids

Nickelodeon’s “The Tiny Chef Show” presents a Thanksgiving-themed show called “Fwendsgiving” on Nov. 20.

Melissa McCarthy plays a genie who brings holiday cheer to Paapa Essiedu in the new comedy “ Genie,” debuting Nov. 22 on Peacock.

The weekend after Thanksgiving is a big one for Candace Cameron Bure’s household. Both she and her daughter, Natasha Bure, have movies on Great American Family this season. Candace’s movie “My Christmas Hero” airs Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. and Natasha makes her acting debut in “A Christmas for the Ages” alongside Cheryl Ladd, at 8 p.m. on Nov. 26.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without ...

Some classics still hold up.

CBS will air the Christmas classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” at 8 p.m. on Nov. 27. It will repeat at 8 p.m. on Dec. 16, followed by long-time favorites “Frosty the Snowman” and “Frosty Returns.”

Apple TV+ once again makes “A Charlie Brown Christmas” available for free Dec. 16 and 17 so viewers can test out the streaming service, and enjoy the Christmas classic.

The 24-hour marathon of “A Christmas Story” begins Dec. 24 on both TNT and TBS.

Hanukkah specials

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.”

Hallmark Channel also will have a Hanukkah-themed movie called “Round and Round” starring Vic Michaelis and Bryan Greenberg. It airs at 8 p.m. on Dec. 10.

This image released by Peacock shows Melissa McCarthy in a scene from 'Genie.' (Stephanie Mei-Ling/Universal Pictures/Peacock via AP)
This image released by Apple TV+ shows Hannah Waddingham in a scene from her holiday special 'Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas,' premiering Nov. 22. (Robert Viglasky/Apple TV+ via AP)
This image released by shows Anna Ferguson, from left, Kate Craven, Natasha Bure, and Cheryl Ladd in a scene from 'A Christmas for the Ages.' (Great American Family via AP)
This image released by Peacock shows Marc Maron, left, and Melissa McCarthy in a scene from 'Genie.' (Stephanie Mei-Ling/Universal Pictures/Peacock via AP)
This image released by Amazon shows Robbie Amell, left, and Leighton Meester in a scene from 'EXmas.' ( Paulina Stevens/Amazon via AP)
This image released by Disney+ shows Lil Rel Howery as Nick, left, and Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges as Eddie in a scene from the holiday special 'Dashing Through the Snow.' (Steve Dietl/Disney+ via AP)