Here’s When You Can Watch The Holiday TV Specials

Here’s When You Can Watch The Holiday TV Specials

Corbis via Getty Images

I usually flip on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while I'm prepping my casseroles for our afternoon meal because who doesn't love a parade?

And yes, I still get excited when I know 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving/Christmas' will be on TV, so I've come up with a list of my favorite holiday TV shows for you to watch or DVR too.

  • A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. on ABC.  My favorite. I've been watching this cartoon my whole life. It never gets old for me.
  • Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, Nov. 22, NBC. It's the 92nd year for the parade, which has 12 bands, 26 floats, 59 balloons and 1,200 dancers and cheerleaders.
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23, NBC. Also, 8 p.m. Dec. 6 on TBS
    • Frosty the Snowman, 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23, CBS, with its sequel,
    Frosty Returns, at 7:30. They're also at 7 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8.
    NBC via Getty Images
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  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, CBS; also, 7 p.m. Dec. 8.
  • A Charlie Brown Christmas, 7 p.m. Dec. 6; also, 7 p.m. Dec. 20. Like “Grinch,” this is one of the all-time best. Rounding out the hour are short bits adapted from the “Peanuts” comic strip.

  • Mickey's Christmas Carol, 9 a.m. Dec. 5, Freeform; also, 7 a.m. Dec. 6 and Dec. 15; 7:30 a.m. Dec. 18; 11 a.m. Dec. 21. It's a gorgeous half-hour.

  • Elf, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m Nov. 26 on AMC and again on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

  • A Christmas Carol (1938), 8:30 a.m. Dec. 2, Turner Classic Movies; also, 8 p.m. Dec. 16 and 6 p.m. Dec. 24. Reginald Owen stars.

  • Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23, ABC. Young Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney) finds his goal in life.

    • Those are my 'go to' shows, but I'm looking forward to these too:

    •  Greatest Holiday Commercials, 8 p.m. Dec. 18, CW. At 9 is   Greatest Holiday Video Countdown.
    • Call the Midwife Holiday Special, 9-10 p.m. Dec. 25, PBS (check local listings). On Christmas Day, British TV has special versions of top shows. In this one, a new nun brings four Chinese orphans.
    • A Legendary Christmas, 9 pm. Wednesday, Nov. 28, NBC. John Legend performs songs from his new album, in an hour that includes his wife Chrissy Teigen and others.
    • National Christmas Tree lighting, with music, 10 p.m. Dec. 2, Ovation and Reelz. It's a living tree, a Colorado blue spruce, surrounded by 56 smaller trees representing each state and territory.
    • The Story of Santa Claus, 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, CBS. Ed Asner is Santa.
    • The Great Christmas Lights Fight, 7-9 p.m. Mondays, ABC, Nov. 26, Dec. 3 and Dec. 17, plus an “all-stars” special at 9 p.m. Dec. 10 and 8 p.m. Dec. 21. In each hour, four homes compete with mega-displays

    • It's a Wonderful Life (1946), 7-10 p.m. Dec. 24, NBC.

      And of course we can't forget these classics that are just fun to watch during the holidays:

    • The Wizard of Oz (1939), 6:30 and 8:45 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 22, TBS; also, 5:45 p.m. Nov. 23.

    • The Sound of Music (1965), 7-11 p.m. Dec. 16, ABC.

    •  Holiday Inn (1942), 8 p.m. Dec. 8, Turner Classic Movies. It's the black-and-white film in which Bing Crosby introduced White Christmas(1954) on Netflix.

    That's a pretty long list. There are more specials out there, but these are the big ones we know and love. Plug these dates into your calendar, starting with two Thanksgiving specials. Enjoy!

     

    Filed Under: holidays, tv
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