OK, we’re down to the final week before Christmas Eve. Here’s a shortened version of the Christmas TV mega-list, sticking strictly to Dec. 17-25:
CARTOONS: THE CLASSICS
– Dec. 18: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 7 and 9:30 p.m.,, TNT; also, 8 p.m. Dec. 25, NBC.
– Dec. 19: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (shown here), 6:45 p.m., Freeform; also, 5:15 p.m., Dec. 20; 9 p.m., Dec. 24; 5:40 p.m., Dec. 25.
– Dec. 19: “Frosty the Snowman,” 6:10 p.m., Freeform; also, 4:40 p.m., Dec. 20; 8:30 p.m., De. 24; 5:05 p.m., Dec. 25.
— Dec. 19: “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” 7:30 p.m., PBS and PBS Kids. It’s Charles Schulz’s wondrous mix of warmth, humor and music; also, any time, Apple TV+.
NEW ANIMATION:
– Any time: “Shaun The Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas,” Netflix.
– Dec. 21: “Beebo Saves Christmas,” 8 p.m., CW. An efficiency elf tries to have a Christmas without Santa; the result is quite clever, especially in the opening and closing narration.
MORE ANIMATION
– Dec. 18: “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer,” 8 p.m., CW; also, 8 p.m. Dec. 22.
– Dec. 21: “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,”1 p.m., Freeform. Also, 8 p.m. Dec. 23, ABC, and 10 p.m., Dec. 24, Freeform.
– Dec. 21: “The Little Drummer Boy,” 12:30 p.m., Dec. 21; also, 7 a.m., Dec. 22.
– Dec. 23: Two Mickey Mouse compilations – “Once Upon a Christmas” and “Twice Upon a hristmas,” 9 and 10:30 a.m., Freeform.
– Dec. 25: “Super Colossal Cartoon Christmas,” 7 a.m., MeTV digital channel, assembles holiday cartoons with Bugs Bunny, Tweety, Popeye, Tom & Jerry, more; 6 p.m., MeTV.
– Dec. 24: “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure,” 8 p.m., ABC; “Shrek the Halls” at 8:30; “Disney Prep & Landing” and its sequel, 9 and 9:30.
– Dec. 25: “Super Colossal Cartoon Christmas,” 7 a.m., MeTV digital channel, assembles holiday cartoons with Bugs Bunny, Tweety, Popeye, Tom & Jerry, more; 6 p.m., MeTV.
PARADES
– Dec.17: “Hollywood Christmas Parade,” 8 p.m., CW. The Nov. 28 parade is shown on tape. It has bands, balloons, celebrities (even the “Leave It to Beaver” guys) and a giant Idaho potato truck.
– Dec. 25: “Magical Christmas Day Parade,” 10 a.m. to noon, ABC (but 9-11 a.m., PT). Last year’s event skipped the parade and simply billed itself as a “Celebration,” with some portions rerun from previous years. Now the parade is back, with new music.
MUSIC AND MORE
– Any time: “Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues,” Apple TV+, which also has last year’s special, “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special.” The new one includes Kirk Franklin and Khalid.
– Dec.20: Christmas at Belmont, 9 p.m., PBS. Josh Turner, a country star, returns to his alma mater in Nashville, performing with the Belmont University orchestra and choral groups.
– Dec. 22: “Michael Buble’s Christmas in the City,” 10 p.m., NBC.
– Dec. 23: “CMA Country Christmas,” 10 p.m., ABC. Gabby Barrett and Carly Pearce host, introducing Carrie Underwood, Brett Eldredge, Jimmy Allen, Lady A and more, including Miranda Lambert’s trio, the Pistol Annies. It’s prece at 9 by “A Very Boy Band Holiday,” with all four 98 Degrees guys, plus people from *Nsync, New Edition, New Kids, O-Town and Boyz II Men.
– Dec. 24: Two key reruns, featuring Dolly Parson and the music of the late Kenny Rogers. “Holly Dolly Christmas” is 8 p.m.; “All in For the Gambler” is 9.
— Dec. 24: “20 Years of Christmas With the Tabernacle Choir,” 9-11 p.m., PBS; Brian Stokes Mitchell performs on a bare state and shows past highligts, with a mega-chorus backing great voices – Audra McDonald, Kristen Chenoweth, Gladys Knight, Nathan Gunn, Kelli O’Hara, David Archuleta, many more.
– Dec. 25: “iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2021,” 8-9:30 p.m., CW. This is from a Dec. 3 concert that has BTS, Ed Seeran, Dua Lipa, Lil Nas X, Doja Cat, Black Eyed Peas, The Kid Laroi, Saweetie, Tate McRae, Bazzi and Dixie D’Amelio.
NON-FICTION
– Already here: “Baking It,” on Peacock; “Candified: Home For the Holidays,” Hulu; “Play-Doh Squished,” IMDB TV; and “Blown Away” and “The Great British Baking Show: Holidays,” both on Netflix.
– Dec. 19: “Small Town Christmas,” 9 p.m. ET, UPtv
– Dec. 24: “Christmas Around the World,” 8 p.m., CW.
THE MOVIE CLASSICS
(Some of these aren’t directly linked to Christmas, but have become essential parts of the holiday.)
– Dec. 17: “A Christmas Story,” 8 p.m., TNT; also, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19, TNT. And on Dec.24-25, every two hours, for 24 hours; that starts at 8 p.m. Dec. 24 on TBS, then 9 p.m. on TNT.
– Dec. 19: “The Sound of Music,” 7-11 p.m., ABC.
– Dec. 20: “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), 7 and 9:15 p.m., TNT; also, 8 p.m., Dec. 25, TBS.
– Dec. 24: “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946), 8-11 p.m., NBC; and any time, Netflix.
“A CHRISTMAS CAROL”
– Any time: “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (1983) and “A Muppet Christmas Carol” (1992) ar Disney+.
– Dec. 21: The Reginald Owen version (1938), 10:30 a.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies; also, 10 p.m. Dec. 24
.– Dec. 21: The Jim Carrey version (2004), 4 p.m., Freeform.
– Dec. 18: The Patrick Stewart version (1999), 10 p.m., TNT.
MORE MOVIES WITH MUSIC
– Dec. 20: “Miracles Across 125th Street,” 9 p.m., VH1. Nick Cannon wrote, directed and stars as a Harlem rapper who returns to his family’s church. It has gospel music from Fred Hammond, Karen Clark Sheard and many more.
– Dec. 21: “Song & Story: Amazing Grace,” 9 p.m., Oprah Winfrey Network. It’s a story based on the themes of “Amazing Grace.” Gospel star Karen Clark Sheard co-stars.
– Dec. 23: “A White Christmas (1954), 9 a.m., AMC; also, 11:15 a.m., Dec. 24. Bing Cosby stars.
MORE MAJOR MOVIES
– Often” “Scrooged” (1988) is on AMC. On “Freeform, there’s “Polar Express,” the three “Santa Clause” movvi3es and the first two “Home Alone” movies (1990 and 1992). From Dec. 19-25, the “Home Alone” ones run daily.
– Dec. 17: “Love Actually” (2003), 9 a.m.; Freeform; also, 7:35 a.m., Dec. 18. It’s a witty British film.
– Dec. 19: “The Family Man” (2000), 10:30 a.m.,AMC.
– Dec. 22: “The Grinch,” 8 p.m., NBC. It’s animated, with Benedict Cumberbatch voicing The Grinch.
NEW MOVIES (some key ones)
– Dec. 17: “Mistletoe in Montana,” 8 p.m., Lifetime. Melissa Joan Hart is a veteran of Christmas movies. This time, she plays a dude-ranc owner; a single dad (Duane Henry) is lost around horses.
– Dec. 18: “When Hope Calls Christmas,” IMDB TV. This combines the season’s first two episodes of “When Hope Calls,” a spin-off of Hallmark’s “When Calls the Heart.” It’s also notable because of a guest spot by Lori Loughlin, who was dumped by Hallmark after the college-admissions scandal.
– Dec. 19: “Christmas Takes Flight,” 8 p.m., CBS. And here’s the second CBS movie in nine years; Katie Lowes stars as a pilot whose Christmas trip for kids may be shut down.
– Dec. 20: “Kissing Christmas Goodbye,” any time, www.acorn.tv. As the holiday nears, Agatha Raisin has a detective job with a rich family that makes the “Succession” folks seem pleasant. Murders ensue.
– Dec. 25: “Call the Midwife: Holiday Special,” 9-10:30 p.m., PBS; movie-length story from the Christmas of 1966.
MORE NEW MOVIES, STREAMING
Some of the new ones, available any time, include:
– Netflix: “A Castle For Christmas”; “Single All the Way.”
— Roku: “Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas.” The canceled “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” reassembles its characters.
– Peacock: “The Housewives of North Pole.” That’s North Pole, Vermont, where friends (Betsy Brandt, Kyle Richards) have always won the home-decorating contest. After a falling-out, they compete.
– BET+: “The Business of Christmas 2”; Tim Reid directs his wife, Daphne Maxwell Reid; “Merry Switchmas,” Dec. 9; also, “A Christmas Wish” arrives Dec. 16.
— IMDB TV: “Angel Falls Christmas” and “A Lot Like Christmas.”
– AMC+: “Christmas With Felicity” (no, not based on the books or the old TV show), “Cape Cod Christmas” and “Silent Night.”
— Fox Nation: “Christmas in the Wilds,” “Christmas in the Pines” and “Romance in the Wilds.”
AND MORE NEW MOVIES:
– Dec. 18: “Toying With Christmas,” 8 p.m., Lifetime.
– Dec. 18: “Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls,” 8 p.m., Hallmark.
– Dec. 18: “Christmas For Keeps,” 10:01 p.m., Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
– Dec. 19: “Under the Christmas Tree,” 8 p.m., Lifetime.
– Dec. 19: “’Tis the Season to Be Merry,” 8 p.m., Hallmark.
– Dec. 20: “Candy Cane Candidate,” 8 p.m., Lifetime.
– Dec. 21: “The Christmas Ball,” 8 p.m., Lifetime.
– Dec. 22: “It Takes a Christmas Village,” 8 p.m., Lifetime.
– Dec. 23: “Rebuilding a Dream Christmas,” 8 p.m., Lifetime.
– Dec. 24: “Hot Chocolate Holiday,” 8 p.m., Lifetime.
– Dec. 25: “Writing Around the Christmas Tree,” 8 p.m., Lifetime.