Holiday TV lovers, rejoice! The 2025 Christmas programming season is about to kick off with a sleighful of festive specials, movies, and music events across networks and streaming platforms starting December 1.
From beloved classics to brand-new originals, this year’s holiday lineup offers something for everyone — whether you’re looking for heartwarming romance, animated nostalgia, or celebrity-hosted spectaculars. Networks are going all-in on seasonal cheer with more than 25 special programs scheduled throughout December.
Network Specials Light Up the Season
Freeform’s popular “25 Days of Christmas” programming begins Monday, December 1, featuring timeless holiday classics and network premieres including “The Legend of Frosty the Snowman,” the 1947 version of “Miracle on 34th Street,” and Disney’s new holiday special “Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol,” according to the network’s announcement.
That same day, ABC will air “The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular” hosted by Derek Hough, featuring performances by Nicole Scherzinger, Gwen Stefani, Trisha Yearwood, and Mariah the Scientist offering their renditions of Christmas classics. Can’t catch it live? The special will be available for streaming on Hulu and Disney+ the following day.
The holiday festivities continue on December 3 when country music legend Reba McEntire hosts NBC’s annual “Christmas in Rockefeller Center,” culminating in the lighting of a Norway spruce from Greenbush, New York. The massive tree will sparkle with over 50,000 colored lights and be topped with a 900-pound Swarovski star, with the event streamed live on Peacock.
Also on December 3, Netflix premieres “With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration,” featuring Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, alongside guests Naomi Osaka and Tom Colicchio engaging in holiday baking and craft-making. “Being a hostess or a host, it’s about making people feel comfortable,” the Duchess shares in the special.
Streaming Platforms Join the Holiday Party
Streaming services are delivering their own holiday gifts this season. Apple TV premieres “The First Snow of Fraggle Rock” on December 5, a new special in which the Fraggles await snow for their festive season, with Gobo venturing into the human world to find inspiration for an annual holiday song.
The same day, Roku Channel releases “Jingle Bell Wedding,” a sequel to the holiday romance “Jingle Bell Love” starring Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block and Michelle Morgan. The film follows characters Jack and Jessica as they plan a New Year’s Eve wedding while organizing an annual Christmas concert.
Prime Video enters the holiday rom-com race with “Merv” on December 10, starring Zooey Deschanel and Charlie Cox as ex-partners with joint custody of their dog Merv, who take him on a trip to address his depression caused by their separation.
Hallmark Continues Christmas Domination
Is it really Christmas without Hallmark Channel movies? The network premieres “She’s Making a List” on December 6, starring holiday movie queen Lacey Chabert as Isabel, who tracks children’s behavior for Santa Claus, and Andrew Walker as widowed father Jason. The film reunites the actors who previously co-starred in a Valentine’s Day movie for Hallmark in 2018 and will be available for streaming on Hallmark+.
Hallmark continues its holiday lineup with “A Suite Holiday Romance” on December 13, starring Jessy Schram as a ghostwriter checking into a fancy New York hotel who meets a handsome British man (Dominic Sherwood) with whom she experiences a series of misunderstandings before realizing they’re meant to be.
Breaking new ground, the network premieres “Oy to the World!” on December 14, during the first night of Hanukkah. The film stars Brooke D’Orsay and Jake Epstein as rival high school choir directors who must work together after a synagogue’s pipes burst and a church offers its space for an interfaith service.
Faith-Based and Cultural Programming
Those seeking more faith-focused content can tune in to ABC on December 9 for “Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas,” a two-hour production with the Oscar winner serving as host and narrator, telling the story of Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus.
The CW Network will air “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors” for the first time on television on December 11, set in the 1950s Smoky Mountains. The film stars Alyvia Alyn Lind as young Dolly, with Jennifer Nettles and Rick Schroeder as her parents. Though the original film debuted in 2015, this marks its first broadcast TV appearance.
PBS contributes to the cultural offerings with “Great Performances: Nutcracker from English National Ballet” on December 16, a reimagined version of the Christmas classic set in Edwardian London with choreography featuring dancing chimney sweeps and suffragettes, set to Tchaikovsky’s score and available for streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app.
Comedy and Celebrity Specials
Need a laugh this holiday season? NBC airs Jimmy Fallon’s “Holiday Seasoning Spectacular” on December 11, a musical comedy special featuring the “Tonight Show” host searching a New York apartment building for holiday spirit while encountering Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake, LL Cool J, the Roots, and “Weird Al” Yankovic.
For those who can’t get enough of Will Ferrell in yellow tights, AMC begins an eight-hour back-to-back marathon of “Elf” on December 12, starting at 6 p.m. as part of their annual holiday programming.
“Whether you prefer something naughty, like the animated movie ‘Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer’ or nice, like classics ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘Home Alone,’ streamers, cable and broadcast networks offer up festive choices in December,” one holiday programming guide notes.
Speaking of those classics, ABC will air “The Sound of Music” featuring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer on December 21, followed by “Home Alone” — the film that made Macaulay Culkin a child star — on Christmas Eve.
Sports and Specialty Programming
Football fans haven’t been forgotten in the holiday lineup. Netflix features Christmas NFL games on December 25: Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders at 1 p.m. Eastern and Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
Mystery lovers can tune in to UPtv for the new cozy mystery film “A Christmas Murder Mystery” on December 7, starring Vera Vexley, a puzzle editor and amateur detective who investigates a murder while spending holidays with family friends.
For those
