Supply-chain woes are this year鈥檚 Grinch, threatening to steal gifts and good cheer. But TV is overstocked with holiday specials and rom-coms 鈥� including the Food Network鈥檚 first movie and the rebranded GAC Family channel鈥檚 Christmas debut.
Old favorites such as 1965鈥檚 鈥淎 Charlie Brown Christmas鈥� may require a measure of strategy to watch. The classic Peanuts special will air on PBS and, for a three-day window, be available free on Apple TV+.
The twist for the Food Network鈥檚 film is its debut on corporate sibling discovery+ which, as with other streaming services, offers a free-trial option. Like Santa Claus scoring courtesy cookies, enjoy the gift while it lasts.
Here鈥檚 a sampling of what to watch while sipping nog and nibbling on roasted chestnuts 鈥� if available on store shelves. All air times are Eastern.
MOVIETIME
鈥淎 Rich Christmas,鈥� streaming now on BET+. A self-absorbed socialite gets a new perspective on life when she鈥檚 forced to work at a family homeless shelter. Bill Bellamy and Tyler Abron star.
鈥淐andy Coated Christmas,鈥� discovery+, Friday, Nov. 19. Molly McCook plays an executive whose life takes a detour when she visits the town of Peppermint Hollow. Ree Drummond (Food Network鈥檚 鈥淭he Pioneer Woman鈥�) plays the local baker.
鈥淎 Kindhearted Christmas,鈥� GAC Family (formerly Great American Country), Saturday, Nov. 20. A woman wants to emulate her late husband鈥檚 generosity, bringing joy to others and maybe to herself. Jennie Garth stars.
鈥淎 Kiss Before Christmas,鈥� Hallmark Channel, Sunday, Nov. 21. James Denton, Teri Hatcher and Marilu Henner star in the tale of a man who gets the alternate life he wished for, and tries to give it back.
鈥淲ho Is Christmas Eve?鈥� Bounce, 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21. A young woman (Paige Hurd) abandoned as an infant delves into her past with help from her boyfriend (Romeo Miller) and an investigative genealogist.
鈥淩omance in the Wilds,鈥� Fox Nation, Thursday, Nov. 25. A forest ranger and geologist (Kaitlyn Leeb, Victor Zinck Jr.) join ranks to flee a wildfire. Does love ignite? The actors also star in Fox Nation鈥檚 鈥淐hristmas in the Wilds,鈥� out the same day.
鈥淩eba McEntire鈥檚 Christmas in Tune,鈥� Lifetime, 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 26. Georgia (McEntire) and Joe (John Schneider) broke up as a couple and a singing duo years ago, but their daughter wants a reunion for charity.
鈥淐hristmas Again,鈥� Disney Channel, Friday, Dec. 3. Teenager Rowena is caught living the holiday over and over again after wishing that she could reclaim her life before her parents鈥� divorce. Scarlett Estevez stars.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a Wonderful Life,鈥� NBC, 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, and Friday, Dec. 24. Jimmy Stewart stars as a despairing man who finds value in his life with the help of an aspiring angel, Clarence.
鈥淥ur Christmas Journey,鈥� Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 10:01 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4. Holly Robinson Peete stars as a single mom who faces an independent new chapter for her teenage son with autism and herself. Peete and her husband, former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, are parents of a son with autism. The actor said on Twitter that 鈥淚 have wanted to make a movie about an #autism family making transitions at #Christmas for a while.鈥�
鈥淭he Christmas Thief,鈥� ION Television, 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5. A novice private eye, home for the holidays and trying to solve burglaries blamed on Santa Claus, clashes with a local detective. Michelle Borth and Vivica A. Fox co-star.
FA LA LA LA LA
鈥渋HeartRadio Holiday Special,鈥� the iHeartRadio app, YouTube and Facebook pages. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24. Mario Lopez hosts a virtual concert including Train, Kelly Clarkson, Michael Bubl茅, and Pentatonix.
鈥淐MA Country Christmas,鈥� ABC, 9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30. Performers and songs include Kelsea Ballerini (鈥淪anta Baby鈥�), Gabby Barrett (鈥淭he First Noel鈥�), Lady A (鈥淲onderful Christmastime鈥�) and Little Big Town (鈥淐hristmas Time Is Here鈥�).
鈥淜elly Clarkson Presents When Christmas Comes Around,鈥� NBC, 10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1. Clarkson hosts a special that offers music, celebrates tradition, and gives to those in need.
鈥淐hristmas Under the Stars,鈥� BYUtv, 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, and on the BYUtv app. The a cappella group Pentatonix mixes favorite tunes and carols with songs from its new holiday album, 鈥滶vergreen.鈥�
鈥淢ichael Bubl茅鈥檚 Christmas in the City,鈥� NBC, 10 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6, and Wednesday, Dec. 22. The pop singer marks the 10th anniversary of his album 鈥淐hristmas鈥� with music and comedy.
鈥�20 Years of Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir,鈥� PBS, Monday, Dec. 13, and Friday, Dec. 24 (check local listing for times). Brian Stokes Mitchell narrates a retrospective of performances by Kristin Chenoweth, Audra McDonald and dozens more artists.
STOCKING STUFFERS
鈥淎 Charlie Brown Christmas,鈥� now on Apple TV+ (free from Dec. 11-13) and on PBS, Sunday, Dec. 19 (check local listings for time). Is Christmas all about the goods or good-heartedness? The question unsettles Charlie Brown.
鈥淩udolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,鈥� CBS, 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 22. A reindeer finds that being different is worthwhile in this 1964 special that鈥檚 based on the Johnny Marks song and narrated by Burl Ives.
鈥淢ary McCartney Serves It Up,鈥� discovery+, Tuesday, Nov. 23. In four new holiday episodes, the British cookbook author enjoys meatless meals with guests including her famous dad, Paul McCartney, and Oprah Winfrey.
鈥淗ow the Grinch Stole Christmas,鈥� NBC, 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 26 and Saturday, Dec. 25. Horror movie king Boris Karloff provided the voice for Dr. Seuss鈥� infamous Grinch for the enduring 1966 cartoon.
鈥溾�楾was the Fight Before Christmas,鈥� Apple TV+, Friday, Nov. 26. A documentary about an Idaho neighborhood that became a battleground for a man with a large-scale holiday obsession and his foes, aka other homeowners.
鈥淎 Home for the Holidays,鈥� CBS, 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5. In the special鈥檚 23rd annual broadcast, inspiring stories of youngsters adopted from foster care are joined with performances by pop artists.
鈥擫ynn Elber, The Associated Press
