Christmas TV highlights: best shows to watch this holiday season

The Paul family and Taniya Nayak on The Great Christmas Light Fight.

The Christmas season is officially upon us, which means there is going to be plenty of Christmas TV offerings to get you in the holiday spirit. We're here to help you know what festive-theme programming is available to watch on TV this year all the way up to Christmas Day.

While many of the best Christmas movies are going to be airing on TV throughout the next few weeks or available on various streaming platforms, we're highlighting new and special Christmas TV shows, movies and events that you should be tuning in for, from the full slate of Hallmark Christmas movies to holiday-themed episodes of TV favorites.

Check out the full schedule below, which we'll update throughout the season as more TV shows and specials are announced.

November 24

• Letter to Santa, 6 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel
• The Greatest @HomeVideos, 8 pm ET/PT, CBS
• Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, 8 pm ET/PT, The CW
• Holiday Road, 8 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel

November 25

• Christmas at the Chalet, 8 pm ET/PT, Lifetime
• Christmas in Notting Hill, 6 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel
• Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up, 8 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel

November 26

Jonathan Frakes and Bethany Joy Lenz in A Biltmore Christmas (Image credit: Hallmark Media/Photographer: David Scott Holloway)

• Our Christmas Mural, 6 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel
• America's Funniest Home Videos holiday episode, 7 pm ET/PT, ABC
• A Biltmore Christmas, 8 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel
• The Elf on the Shelf: Sweet Showdown, 8 pm ET/PT, Food Network
• Laughing All the Way, 8 pm ET/PT, Lifetime
• The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration, 8 pm ET/PT, ABC
• Holiday Wars, 9 pm ET/PT, Food Network
• The Great Christmas Light Fight: All-Stars 2, 10 pm ET/PT, ABC

November 27

• Holiday Baking Championship, 8 pm ET/PT, Food Network
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, 8 pm ET/PT, CBS
• Kid Baking Championship, 9 pm ET/PT, Food Network
• That's My Jam holiday episode, 9 pm ET/PT, NBC

November 29

• 91st Annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center, 8 pm ET/PT, NBC
• Christmas at Graceland, 10 pm ET/PT, NBC

November 30

• The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday, Netflix
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 8 pm ET/PT, NBC
• Selena + Chef: Home for the Holidays, 8 pm ET/PT, Food Network
• Shrek the Halls, 8:30 pm ET/PT, NBC
• Christmas Cookie Challenge, 9 pm ET/PT, Food Network
• A Royal Christmas Surprise, BET Plus
• The Christmas Ringer, BET Plus

December 1

• My Norwegian Holiday, 8 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel
• The Shepherd, Disney Plus

December 2

• A Not So Royal Christmas, 8 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel
• Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas, 8 pm ET/PT, Lifetime
• Reindeer in Here, 8 pm ET/PT, CBS
• Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire, 9 pm ET/PT, CBS
• Robbie the Reindeer: Legend of the Lost Tribe, 9:30 pm ET/PT, CBS

December 3

Tim Allen in The Santa Clause (Image credit: Disney/Maximum Film/Alamy Stock Photo)

• Christmas with a Kiss, 8 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel
• Mistletoe Match, 8 pm ET/PT, Lifetime
• The Santa Clause, 8 pm ET/PT, ABC
• The Great Christmas Light Fight, 10 pm ET/PT, ABC

December 4

• The Price is Right at Night: Christmas Week, 8 pm ET/PT, CBS
• Blake Shelton's Holiday Bartacular Featuring Ice T, 10 pm ET/PT, NBC

December 5

• Isabel Preysler, My Christmas, Disney Plus
• TMZ's Merry Elfin' Christmas, 9 pm ET/PT, Fox
• Press Your Luck's Holiday Extravaganza II, 10 pm ET/PT, ABC

December 6

• Christmas as Usual, Netflix 

December 7

• Never Alone for Christmas, BET Plus
• Christmas at the Oprey, 8 pm ET/PT, NBC
• The Price Is Right at Night: Christmas Week, 8 pm ET/PT, CBS
• Silent Night, Fatal night, 8 pm ET/PT, Lifetime Movie Network

December 8

Noah FIelding, Paul Hollywood and Lydia West on The Great British Baking Show: Holidays (Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever, Disney Plus
• The Great British Baking Show: Holidays, Netflix
• Magic in Mistletoe, 8 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel
• The Price is Right at Night: Christmas Week, 8 pm ET/PT, CBS
• Shark Tank season 15 holiday episode, 8 pm ET/PT, ABC
• Raid the Cage: Holiday Extravaganza, 9 pm ET/PT, CBS

December 9

• Byron Allen Presents a Merry Soulful Christmas, 8 pm ET/PT, CBS
• Christmas on Cherry Lane, 8 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel
• A Cowboy Christmas Romance, 8 pm ET/PT, Lifetime
• Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, Hulu

December 10

• Mickey Saves Christmas, 7 pm ET/PT, ABC
• Olaf's Frozen Adventure, 7:30 pm ET/PT, ABC
• Frozen, 8 pm ET/PT, ABC
• MasterChef Junior: Home for the Holidays, 8 pm ET/PT, Fox
• Round and Round, 8 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel
• Yes, Chef! Christmas, 8 pm ET/PT, Lifetime

December 11

• MasterChef Junior: Home for the Holidays, 8 pm ET/PT, Fox
• Barry Manilow's A Very Barry Christmas, 10 pm ET/PT, NBC

December 12

• The Masked Singer Holiday Sing-Along, 8 pm ET/PT, Fox
• Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, 8 pm ET/PT, ABC
• The Great Christmas Light Fight, 9 pm ET/PT, ABC

December 13

• Celebrity Family Feud holiday episode, 8 pm ET/PT, ABC
• Celebrity Wheel of Fortune holiday episode, 9 pm ET/PT, ABC
• The $100,000 Pyramid holiday episode, 10 pm ET/PT, ABC

December 14

• Christmas Rescue, BET Plus
• Favorite Son Christmas, BET Plus
• CMA Country Christmas, 8 pm ET/PT, ABC
• A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special, 8 pm ET/PT, NBC

December 15

(Image credit: CBS)

• Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors, 8 pm ET/PT, NBC
• National Christmas Tree Lighting, 8 pm ET/PT, CBS
• The Secret Gift of Christmas, 8 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel
• YOH' Christmas, Netflix

December 16

• Sealed with a List, 8 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel
• The Holiday Proposal Plan, 8 pm ET/PT, Lifetime
• Frosty the Snowman, 9 pm ET/PT, CBS
• Frosty Returns, 9:30 pm ET/PT, CBS
• A Christmas Intern, 10 pm ET/PT, Lifetime

December 17

• The Sound of Music, 7 pm ET/PT, ABC
• Friends & Family Christmas, 8 pm ET/PT, Hallmark Channel
• Merry Magic Christmas, 8 pm ET/PT, Lifetime
• Bob's Burgers holiday episode, 9 pm ET/PT, Fox
• Family Guy holiday episode, 9:30 pm ET/PT, Fox

December 18

• LEGO Masters: Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular, 8 pm ET/PT, Fox
• Password Holiday Special, 10 pm ET/PT, NBC

December 19

• Disney Prep & Landing, 8 pm ET/PT, ABC
• LEGO Masters: Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular, 8 pm ET/PT, Fox
• Disney Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs Nice, 8:30 pm ET/PT, ABC
• The Great Christmas Light Fight, 9 pm ET/PT, ABC

December 21

Dolly Parton in Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas (Image credit: NBC)

• Whatever It Takes, BET Plus
• iHeart Radio Jingle Ball 2023, 8 pm ET/PT, ABC
• Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas, 9 pm ET/PT, NBC

December 22

• 25th Annual A Home for the Holidays, 8 pm ET/PT, CBS
• Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love, 8 pm ET/PT, NBC
• Fit for Christmas, 9 pm ET/PT, CBS

December 23

• Mom's Christmas Boyfriend, 8 pm ET/PT, Lifetime
• When Christmas Was Young, 8 pm ET/PT, CBS

December 24

Donna Reed, Jimmy Stewart and Karolyn Grimes in It's a Wonderful Life (Image credit: World History Archive/Alamy Stock Photo)

• Home Alone, 8 pm ET/PT, ABC
• It's a Wonderful Life, 8 pm ET/PT, NBC
• Christmas Eve Mass, 11:30 pm ET, NBC

December 25

• Doctor Who Holiday Special: The Church on Ruby Road, Disney Plus
• Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade, 10 am ET/9 am PT, ABC
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 8:30 pm ET/PT, NBC
• Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!, 9 pm ET/PT, CBS