Here is a list of what I consider the best television of the holiday season. I'll link it to the right side of the home page, or you can always bookmark this page and check back periodically.
Obviously, this schedule is subject to change (and I'll keep updating it as we go), but as of the time of posting, the information below is officially listed, as per TV Guide and the individual network websites.
All times listed are Eastern.
As I do every other year, I also highlighted in RED what I consider the "can't miss" items, such as the once-a-year airings of The Wizard of Oz or It's a Wonderful Life.
Other RED items aren't once-a-year, but it's something I consider a "must-watch" for the holiday season.
Some are repeated so often in the schedule that the whole list would be red, so I highlighted them only on their first few showings, but of course, watch them whenever you can! If you feel that something I didn't consider should be highlighted, please comment below.
I'd love to hear about your traditional "required" viewing, and would be happy to add it to the list!
Items Of Note for 2025:
"A Charlie Brown Christmas" will not air on network TV again this year. It is only available on Apple TV+ and will only be free for non-subscribers on December 13th and 14th. Don't miss it!
FreeForm's "25 Days of Christmas" begins on December 1st! Between Halloween and Christmas, Freeform has some of the best special programming!
"The Wizard of Oz" airs on Friday, November 21st, at 8:00 PM and 10:15 PM on TNT. Thanksgiving (Nov. 28) at 8 PM on TBS. It will also air on AMC on December 15th (7:30 PM) and Christmas Eve (Dec 24th) at 3:30 PM and Christmas Day (25th) at 9:30 AM.
"It's a Wonderful Life" airs on NBC on Christmas Eve (Dec 24) at 8:00PM.
"A Christmas Story" marathon is again on TBS and TNT this year! It begins at 8 PM on TBS and 9 PM on TNT on Christmas Eve. The final showings air at 6 PM on Christmas Day on TBS and 7 PM on TNT.
Tuesday, December 23
Tue 12/23 4:15 AM Miracle on Main Street (1939, Margo, Walter Abel) TCM
Tue 12/23 7:00 AM Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999) Freeform
Tue 12/23 8:30 AM Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas (2004) Freeform
Tue 12/23 3:00 PM Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009, Jim Carrey) Freeform
Tue 12/23 5:05 PM Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) Freeform
Tue 12/23 5:45 PM National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) AMC
Tue 12/23 7:45 PM Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (2018) Freeform
Tue 12/23 8:00 PM Elf (2003, Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel) AMC
Tue 12/23 8:00 PM Meet Me in St. Louis (1944, Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien) TCM
Tue 12/23 9:45 PM Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000, Jim Carrey) Freeform
Tue 12/23 10:00 PM Scrooged (1989) AMC
Tue 12/23 10:00 PM In the Good Old Summertime (1949, Judy Garland, Van Johnson) TCM
Wednesday, December 24
Merry Christmas Eve!
Wed 12/24 12:25 AM Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) Freeform
Wed 12/24 7:00 AM Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish (1998) Freeform
Wed 12/24 9:00 AM Fred Claus (2007) AMC
Wed 12/24 10:30 AM Disney’s Prep & Landing (2009) Freeform
Wed 12/24 11:00 AM The Santa Clause (1994) Freeform
Wed 12/24 11:30 AM Four Christmases (2008) AMC
Wed 12/24 1:05 PM The Santa Clause 2 (2002) Freeform
Wed 12/24 1:30 PM The Polar Express (2004, voices of Tom Hanks, Peter Scolari) AMC
Wed 12/24 2:00 PM It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947, Don Defore, Ann Harding) TCM
Wed 12/24 3:30 PM The Wizard of Oz (1939, Judy Garland) AMC
Wed 12/24 3:30 PM The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2002) Freeform
Wed 12/24 4:15 PM Holiday Affair (1949, Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh) TCM
Wed 12/24 5:35 PM Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000, Jim Carrey) Freeform
Wed 12/24 6:00 PM Elf (2003, Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel) AMC
Wed 12/24 6:00 PM Christmas in Connecticut (1945, Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan) TCM
Wed 12/24 8:00 PM Home Alone (1990, Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) ABC
Wed 12/24 8:00 PM It's a Wonderful Life (1946, James Stewart, Donna Reed) NBC
Wed 12/24 8:00 PM National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) AMC
Wed 12/24 8:00 PM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TBS
Wed 12/24 8:15 PM Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964, Rankin/Bass) Freeform
Wed 12/24 9:00 PM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TNT
Wed 12/24 9:20 PM Frosty the Snowman (1969, Rankin/Bass) Freeform
Wed 12/24 9:55 PM Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970, Rankin/Bass) Freeform
Wed 12/24 10:00 PM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TBS
Wed 12/24 10:00 PM An Affair to Remember (1957, Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr) TCM
Wed 12/24 10:15 PM National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) AMC
Wed 12/24 11:00 PM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TNT
Wed 12/24 11:30 PM Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter's Basilica NBC
Thursday, December 25
Merry Christmas!
Thu 12/25 12:00 AM I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998) Freeform
Thu 12/25 12:00 AM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TBS
Thu 12/25 12:15 AM A Christmas Carol (1938, Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart) TCM
Thu 12/25 12:30 AM The Polar Express (2004) AMC
Thu 12/25 1:00 AM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TNT
Thu 12/25 2:00 AM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TBS
Thu 12/25 2:30 AM Deck the Halls (2006) AMC
Thu 12/25 3:00 AM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TNT
Thu 12/25 4:00 AM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TBS
Thu 12/25 4:45 AM Four Christmases (2008) AMC
Thu 12/25 5:00 AM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TNT
Thu 12/25 6:00 AM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TBS
Thu 12/25 6:45 AM White Christmas (1954, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye) AMC
Thu 12/25 7:00 AM Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009) Freeform
Thu 12/25 7:00 AM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TNT
Thu 12/25 8:00 AM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TBS
Thu 12/25 9:00 AM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TNT
Thu 12/25 9:30 AM The Wizard of Oz (1939, Judy Garland) AMC
Thu 12/25 10:00 AM 40th Anniversary Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade ABC
Thu 12/25 10:00 AM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TBS
Thu 12/25 10:30 AM The Little Drummer Boy (1968, Rankin/Bass) Freeform
Thu 12/25 11:00 AM Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970, Rankin/Bass) Freeform
Thu 12/25 11:00 AM In the Heat of the Night MeTV
Thu 12/25 11:00 AM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TNT
Thu 12/25 11:30 AM Meet Me in St. Louis (1944, Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien) TCM
Thu 12/25 12:00 PM The Polar Express (2004, voices of Tom Hanks, Peter Scolari) AMC
Thu 12/25 12:00 PM Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade 2025 Freeform
Thu 12/25 12:00 PM The Waltons ("The Children's Carol, Part 2") MeTV
Thu 12/25 12:00 PM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TBS
Thu 12/25 1:00 PM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TNT
Thu 12/25 1:30 PM Pocketful of Miracles (1961, Glenn Ford, Bette Davis, Hope Lange) TCM
Thu 12/25 2:00 PM National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989, Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo) AMC
Thu 12/25 2:00 PM Toy Story That Time Forgot (2014, voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen) Freeform
Thu 12/25 2:00 PM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TBS
Thu 12/25 2:30 PM Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (2018, voices of Benedict Cumberbatch, Kenan Thompson Freeform
Thu 12/25 3:00 PM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TNT
Thu 12/25 4:00 PM Wagon Train MeTV
Thu 12/25 4:00 PM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TBS
Thu 12/25 4:00 PM The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942, Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan) TCM
Thu 12/25 4:15 PM Elf (2003, Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel) AMC
Thu 12/25 4:30 PM Frosty the Snowman (1969, Rankin/Bass) Freeform
Thu 12/25 5:00 PM Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964, Rankin/Bass) Freeform
Thu 12/25 5:00 PM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TNT
Thu 12/25 6:00 PM Home Alone (1990, Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) Freeform
Thu 12/25 6:00 PM MASH MeTV
Thu 12/25 6:00 PM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TBS
Thu 12/25 6:00 PM In the Good Old Summertime (1949, Judy Garland, Van Johnson) TCM
Thu 12/25 6:15 PM National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989, Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo) AMC
Thu 12/25 6:30 PM MASH MeTV
Thu 12/25 7:00 PM Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) TNT
Thu 12/25 8:00 PM Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966, animated, voice of Boris Karloff) NBC
Thu 12/25 8:00 PM The Andy Griffith Show MeTV
Thu 12/25 8:00 PM A Matter of Life and Death (1947, David Niven, Kim Hunter) TCM
Thu 12/25 8:25 PM Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992, Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci) Freeform
Thu 12/25 8:30 PM Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000, Jim Carrey) NBC
Thu 12/25 8:30 PM Elf (2003, Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel) AMC
Thu 12/25 9:00 PM Everybody Loves Raymond MeTV
Thu 12/25 9:30 PM Everybody Loves Raymond MeTV
Thu 12/25 10:00 PM Hogan's Heroes MeTV
Thu 12/25 10:00 PM Angels in the Outfield (1951, Paul Douglas, Janet Leigh) TCM
Thu 12/25 10:30 PM Four Christmases (2008, Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon) AMC
Thu 12/25 11:00 PM Carol Burnett and Friends MeTV
Friday, December 26
Fri 12/26 12:00 AM Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (2018, voices of Benedict Cumberbatch, Kenan Thompson) Freeform
Fri 12/26 12:30 AM Scrooged (1989, Bill Murray, Karen Allen) AMC
Fri 12/26 2:30 AM Fred Claus (2007, Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti) AMC
Fri 12/26 12:00 PM Scrooged (1989, Bill Murray, Karen Allen) AMC
Fri 12/26 2:00 PM Four Christmases (2008, Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon) AMC
Fri 12/26 4:00 PM National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989, Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo) AMC
Fri 12/26 6:15 PM Elf (2003, Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel) AMC
Fri 12/26 8:15 PM National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989, Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo) AMC
Fri 12/26 10:30 PM Elf (2003, Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel) AMC
Wednesday, December 31
Wed 12/31 8:00 PM Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2025 ABC
Thursday, January 1
Thu 1/1 11:00 AM 137th Rose Parade NBC
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Comments
This take a lot of work to put this together. Thanks for doing it for us.
ReplyDeleteThank you sir! It's a lot of cutting and pasting from different sites, but it's worth it, even if it's just me checking for my old favorites on any given day.
ReplyDelete