Chestnuts roasting on our TV screens warm our hearts
Deck the halls and rev up the DVR. Once again, television programmers are about to unleash an incredible blizzard of holidaythemed fare.
The lineup, as usual, includes a vast array of variety specials, festive movies and animated treats that celebrate the so-called most wonderful time of the year.
To help you get with the program, we’ve made a list (and checked it twice) of the highlights arriving from now until New Year’s Eve. Please note that many programs re-air multiple times. With just a few exceptions, we have listed only the initial telecasts that occur in prime time.
The rundown starts with this year’s fresh fare and is followed by a list of air dates for the perennials.
Nov. 27
“Crown for Christmas” — Danica McKellar (“Wonder Years”) plays a governess to a European princess in this TV film. (8 p.m., Hallmark)
Nov. 28
“A Gift Wrapped Christmas” — A personal shopper works to bring a workaholic father closer to his son. (8 p.m., Lifetime)
“A Christmas Detour”— Two New York City-bound travelers (Candace CameronBure, Paul Greene) find themselves inextricably linked during a snowstorm. (8 p.m., Hallmark)
Nov. 30
“It’s Your 50th Christmas, Charlie
Brown” — Kristen Bell hosts a retrospective salute to the Peanuts gang with musical performances by Kristin Chenoweth, Sarah McLachlan, Boyz II Men, David Benoit and others. (8 p.m., ABC)
“The Great Holiday Baking Show”— Amateur bakers compete in a holiday-themed throwdown. (10 p.m., ABC)
Dec. 2
“Christmas in Rockefeller Center”— A host of musical guests helps to light up the big tree in the Big Apple. (8 p.m., NBC)
Dec. 3
“The Wiz Live!” — Queen Latifah, Ne-Yo, Mary J. Blige, Amber Riley and others star in this new stage production. (8 p.m., NBC)
“CMA Country Christmas”— Jennifer Nettles and her pals perform holiday numbers. (9 p.m., ABC)
Dec. 4
“A Very Murray
Christmas”— Bill Murray pays homage to holiday variety shows with George Clooney, Chris Rock, Amy Poehler and more. (Netflix)
“Disney Channel Fa
La-La-Lidays”— Sabrina Carpenter hosts performances by popular Radio Disney artists. (9 p.m., Disney Channel)
Dec. 5
“Ho Ho Holiday Special”— Stars of Nickelodeon are featured in musical numbers and comedy sketches. (8 p.m., Nickelodeon)
“The Flight Before Christmas”— A woman (Mayim Bialik) reeling from a brutal breakup catches a red-eye back home for the holidays and meets a guy along the way. (8 p.m., Lifetime)
“Just in Time for Christmas”— A woman who must make an important life decision is transported three years into the future. William Shatner and Christopher Lloyd are among the cast. (8 p.m., Hallmark)
Dec. 6
“Last Chance Christmas”— When Prancer injures his hoof, Santa’s stable hand scrambles to make sure Christmas deliveries go off without a hitch. (9 p.m., Lifetime)
Dec. 7
“The Great Christmas Light Fight”— Competing families turn home decorating into an extreme sport. (8 p.m., ABC)
Dec. 10
“Michael Bublé’s Christmas in Hollywood” — The classy crooner gets festive with Celine Dion, Tori Kelly and others. (8 p.m., NBC)
Dec. 11
“The Hollywood Christmas Parade” — Tinseltown celebrates in its own distinctive style. (8 p.m., The CW)
Dec. 12
“On the Twelfth Day of Christmas”— A woman vows to put the holiday spirit back into the life of her longtime crush. (8 p.m., Hallmark)
“Becoming Santa” — It’s a “Family Ties” reunion in this TV film, with Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter playing Mr. and Mrs. Claus. (8 p.m., Lifetime).
Dec. 13
“Wish Upon a Christmas”— A business executive with Scrooge-like tendencies returns home to help run a family-owned ornament company. (9 p.m., Lifetime).
Dec. 18
“A Home for the Holidays”— A special celebrating foster care adoption. (9 p.m., CBS).
Dec. 19
“A Christmas Melody”
— Lacey Chabert and wMariah Carey play smalltown rivals in this holiday film. (8 p.m., Hallmark).
Dec. 20
“Christmas Land” — A woman inherits a Christmas tree farm from her grandmother. Complications ensue. (8 p.m., Hallmark).
Dec. 23
“I Love Lucy Christ
mas Special”— Two classic episodes get the colorized treatment. (8 p.m., CBS).
Here are the dates for traditional holiday evergreens:
Nov. 27
“Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (8 p.m., ABC)
“Grandma Got Run
Over by a Reindeer” (8 p.m., The CW)
“Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special” (9 p.m., The CW)
“Merry Madagascar” (9:30 p.m., The CW)
Nov. 28
“Frosty the Snowman” (8 p.m., CBS) “Frosty Returns” (8:30 p.m., CBS) “The Story of Santa
Claus” (9 p.m., CBS)
Nov. 29
“Ice Age: AMammoth Christmas” (8:30 p.m.,
Fox)
Nov. 30
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” (9 p.m., ABC)
Dec. 1
“The YearWithout a Santa Claus” (6 p.m., ABC Family) “The Polar Express” (7 p.m., ABC Family) “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” live action (9 p.m., ABC Family)
“Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer” (8 p.m.,
CBS)
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” animated (9
p.m., NBC)
Dec. 2
“Jingle All the Way” (8 and 10 p.m., AMC)
“The Santa Claus” (8:45 p.m., ABC Family)
Dec. 3
“Toy Story That Time Forgot” (8 p.m., ABC)
“Shrek the Halls” (8:30 p.m., ABC)
Dec. 4
“Scrooged” (7 and 9 p.m., AMC)
“Elf” (9:30 p.m., ABC Family)
Dec. 5
“It’s a Wonderful Life”
(8 p.m., NBC)
Dec. 6
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (10
p.m., ABC Family)
Dec. 8
“Frosty’sWinter Wonderland” (6 p.m., ABC
Family)
Dec. 9
“Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (6 p.m., ABC Family)
Dec. Street,”9:15 “Miraclep.m., 10 1947 AMC)on (7 34thp.m. and
Dec. “Scrooge,”11 1970 adaptation Dec. (10 12 p.m., TCM)
Christmas”“The Flight(9 p.m., Before CBS)
Dec. “The 15 Little Drummer Boy” Family) (10:30 p.m., ABC
Dec. 16
Eared “Nestor, Christmasthe Long Donkey”
(10:30 p.m., ABC Family)
Dec. 17
“Disney Prep & Land
ing” (8 p.m., ABC)
“Prep & Landing 2:
Naughty vs. Nice” (8:30 p.m., ABC)
“Disney’s A Christmas Carol” (8:45 p.m., ABC Family)
Dec. 18
“Yes, Virginia” (8:30
p.m., ABC)
Dec. 20
“Elf” (9:15 p.m., ABC
Family)
Dec. 23
“How Murray Saved Christmas” (9 p.m., NBC)
Dec. 24
“It’s a Wonderful Life” (8 p.m., NBC)
“Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” (8 p.m., The CW)
“A Christmas Story” marathon (8 p.m., TBS)
Dec. 28
“Happy New Year,
Charlie Brown” (8 p.m.,
ABC)
“Rudolph’s Shiny New Year” (9 p.m., ABC)
Dec. 31
“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2016” (8
p.m., ABC)
“Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution” (8 p.m., Fox)
“New Year’s EveWith Carson Daly” (10 p.m.,
NBC)