Here is a list of great holiday entertainment you can enjoy during the Christmas season. From TV Specials to Non-traditional offerings – there is something for everyone! Here are the breakdowns…
Each suggestion has the streaming service you can find that particular piece this holiday season! And don’t forget to download the calendar for easy reference each day.
Mondays – TV SPECIALS
The Christmas TV Special is a staple of every network. From old versions of variety shows to holiday themed episodes of shows, these are some of the most beloved moments from TV history.
December 4th – X-Files: How the Ghosts Stole Christmas (Season 6, Episode 6) on Hulu & The Office (US) Christmas Party (Season 2, Episode 10) on Peacock – two great options that are full of the holiday spirit…literally. The X-Files shares a hauntingly hilarious ghost story and The Office provides a warning about following the rules when engaging in a Secret Santa promotion at work!
December 11th – Seinfeld: The Strike (Season 9, Episode 10) on Netflix & Community: Regional Holiday Music (Season 3, Episode 10) on Netflix – The beginning of word “Festivus” and some of the bet holiday traditions ever plus a pop-culture extravaganza that, lovingly, rips off an episode of Glee.
December 18th – Christmas Eve on Sesame Street on Youtube
The residents of the most famous street in the world share holiday songs, preparations and Big Bird freezes his beak trying to stay up to see Santa. A holiday classic that gets better with age…except those sweaters…
Tuesdays – CHRISTMAS CLASSICS
These are the movies that have stood the test of time and helped shape our modern vision of what Christmas is. Generation after generation have passed down these timeless classics to the next group of young watchers.
December 5th – White Christmas on Netflix. Doesn’t get more iconic than this. Its like a time machine to travel back and experience one of the most watched Christmas flicks of all time.
December 12th – It’s a Wonderful Life on Amazon Prime. The gold standard when it comes to realizing “what is most important in life.” The clip at the end of the movie, “When a bell rings, an angel gets its wings” is one of the most used movie clips in history. Make sure you have actually seen It’s a Wonderful Life – because many people have seen a lot of clips, but not the full flick!
December 19th – A Charlie Brown Christmas (AppleTV). Linus and the meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown’s tree, the lu-lu-lu song…this one hits hard! Timeless and sweet. We could use a little more Charlie Brown these days, eh?!?!
Wednesdays – Christmas Adjacent
There are plenty of great movies set DURING Christmastime, but doesn’t feature a plot that surrounds the holidays. This is where scary movies, action movies, dramas and more. These don’t give you all the Christmas feels…but watching them with the Christmas tree shining in the living room will be a great palette cleanser for Christmas media season.
December 6th – Batman Returns on Max. Let Batman, Catwoman, the Penguin and Christopher Walken (in a winter wonderland…get it?!?!) show you the gritty side of Christmas in Gotham City.
December 13th – Edward Scissorhands on Max. Tim Burton loves Christmas. He has featured the holiday in a lot of his movies and this might be the best. The story of a man who has scissors for hands against the lights and snow of Christmas can really make for a h0-ho-nooooooooooo!
December 20th – Gremlins on Max. Little green monsters! This is a perfect dark comedy about the craziness of the Christmas holiday. Director Joe Dante not only nails the small town vibe, but the Christmas creeps are at their highest when a Mogwai eats after midnight. Santa being attacked by the Gremlins on Christmas Eve was a scene that freaked me out as a kiddo and now, as an adult, it still freaks me out!
Thursdays – CHRISTMAS NEWBIES
These are newer movies that are worthy of your precious holiday movie watching time this December. There are a LOT of holiday movies released each year, but this collection shine like a star on top of the tree!
December 7th – Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas on AppleTV. This holiday special is AWESOME. The music, the humor and the fun make this a great special to have on while decorating, baking, licking envelopes or whatever fills your early December days.
December 14th – 8-Bit Christmas on Max. This movie is about kids from the 80s doing anything and everything they can to get a Nintendo. The must have gift of the year, this movie is all about nostalgia for those babies of the 1980s.
December 21st – Last Christmas on Amazon Prime. This rom-com stars Emilia Clarke from Game of Thrones about that holiday-hating person who warms their heart as the season heats up. The first watch is going to be the best, but it could easily be the movie you introduce people to every year!
Fridays – CHRISTMAS COMEDY
I get it…I didn’t add your favorite. I am sorry. Really I am. There are only so many days in the month of December! These are some holiday cheer that would even get Santa to ho-ho-ho!
December 1st – Ernest Saves Christmas on Disney+ No one loves Christmas more than Ernest. And he happens to meet Santa Claus himself. The rest, is Christmas movie perfection. The laughs, the heart, the Florida December vibes and more.
December 8th – Mixed Nuts on Peacock. This Steve Martin comedy is not well known…and it should be. Steve Martin, Rita Wilson, Adam Sandler, Juliette Lewis, Madeline Kahn, Leiv Schrieber and more! This movie is about the people who work at an emotional distress hotline during the holidays. And a murder…
December 15th – Scrooged on Amazon Prime. A modern take on the Charles Dicken’s tale “A Christmas Carol” – Bill Murray takes us through the building of a CEO. Even though cable tv and VCRs have dated themselves, this movie still brings the laughs and the feels. That last scene, man-oh-man, so good!
December 22nd – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on Hulu. This movie is great. Enough said.
Saturdays – CHRISTMAS FOR THE FAMILY
Favorites for the entire house. Some amazing movies that will entertain the young and old. Warning, some are so good that you may end up watching them several times!
December 2nd – Miracle on 34th St (1994 version) on Hulu. Santa Claus, the real Santa Claus, works at a department store and brings an important lesson about the joy of believing in something you can’t see. The scene where Kris Kringle speaks to the deaf girl in sign language – all thee emotions!
December 9th – Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas on Amazon Prime. This Jim Henson production from 1997 is sweet, humble and charming. The story of Emmet and Ma Otter who both want to buy a great present for each other must make a big decision that might ruin Christmas if they don’t pull off a small miracle. The music is great and the humor is worthy of the young and the old!
December 16th – Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (any version) on Peacock. There are three major versions of The Grinch to consume. Live action, the old animated, the new animated – there are no wrong ways.
December 23rd – Arthur Christmas on Max. The story of Santa’s adult sons and what happens when a child was missed. Christmas Eve is quickly turning into Christmas morning and it will take Arthur, Steve, Mrs. Claus, Santa and grand-santa to get this toy delivered in time!
Sundays – HOLIDAY DOUBLE FEATURE
A double dose of Christmas movies. Most are movies with sequels – but not all. Included with these suggestions are a food or drink pairing to add an extra flair!
December 3rd – The Santa Clause & The Santa Clause 2 on Disney+. Tim Allen nails the role of Santa in both of these. The series starts to take some odd and stale turns, so stick with the first two. Make sure you have hot coco ready to go for these!
December 10th – A Christmas Story & A Christmas Story Christmas on Max. The story of Ralphie and his Red Rider BB Gun is a Christmas staple (they play it for 24 hours straight every year on tv) and just last year we got a GREAT sequel that uses most of the original cast. In the sequel, it is the first Christmas after Ralphie’s dad (the old man) has passed away and now Christmas at his childhood home rests on his shoulders. Wonderfully sweet and funny – this very worthy double feature is excellent. Pair with Chinese takeout.
December 17th – Home Alone & Home Alone 2: Lost in New York on Disney+. The McCallister is alone for two Christmases in a row as he foil burglars. This movie made me think that my house was going to be robbed constantly…and I would need traps. Luckily, that is not the case! These movies have a great Christmas message about family that hits deeply even after 30 plus years!
December 24th – The Muppet Christmas Carol on Disney+ & Elf on Hulu. These are the best of the best in my household. The Muppets take on A Christmas Carol is the best. The music, the humor and a great Scrooge from Michael Caine. Will Ferrel is the best dang elf the world has ever known! Don’t be a cotton-headed-ninny-muggins and miss out on Elf (celebrating its 20th anniversary this year!)
