What To Watch: 2021 Christmas TV

By Brent Furdyk. 17 Dec 2021 3:06 PM

The holidays are fast approaching — for proof, just turn on the nearest television to see a wealth of Christmas specials and holiday-themed movies, both fresh and vintage. For a look at some new television offerings to make the 2021 holiday season merry and bright, here are some of the notable specials coming up.

NBC

NBCUniversal

'Trolls Holiday in Harmony - Season 2021'

DreamWorks

'The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration'

ABC/Kent Philips

ABC/Sami Drasin

NBC

'Kelly Clarkson Presents: When Christmas Comes Around'

NBCUniversal

'The 23rd Annual Home For The Holidays At The Grove'

Photo Credit (L-R): Rory Kramer, Matthew Berinato, Shervin Lainez, and F. Scott Shafer/CBS

ABC/Christopher Willard

Photo By: Will Heath/NBC

Netflix

'Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas'

Tommy Garcia/USA Network

'Days of our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas'

Evans Vestal Ward/Peacock

Netflix

Hallmark Channel

'The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls'

Netflix

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'Nantucket Noel'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster
W Network kicks off its weekend-long "Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas" with this holiday romance. During the Seaside Noel celebrations, Christina (Sarah Power) learns of a developer who is planning to tear down the wharf that is home to her toy store. Tensions rise as she winds up falling for the developer’s son, Andy (Trevor Donovan) in this Yuletide romance.

Friday, Nov. 19 on W Network
'One December Night'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC
Two music managers (Eloise Mumford and Brett Dalton) must put their complicated history aside to oversee the televised reunion performance of their rock star fathers with a fractured past. As an added bonus, those rockers are played by Peter Gallagher of "The O.C." and "Evil Dead" icon Bruce Campbell.

Saturday, Nov. 20 on W Network
'A Christmas Together With You'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC
During the Christmas season, Megan (Laura Vandervoort) and her father-figure Frank (Harry Lennix) head out on a road trip to find his long-lost love. Along the way, Megan finds the love of her own life (Niall Matter).

Saturday, Nov. 20 on W Network
'A Kiss Before Christmas'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ian McCausland
This Hallmark Channel holiday movie reunites an iconic "Desperate Housewives" couple when nice-guy Ethan (James Denton) casually wishes his life had taken a different course, he wakes up the next day to find nothing is the same — he's not married to his wife Joyce (Teri Hatcher), he doesn't have two teenaged kids and he's CEO of his company. If he wants to reclaim his original life and the family he loves, he must convince Joyce he's telling the truth and win her over... and he only has until Christmas Day.

Sunday, Nov. 21 on W Network
'Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving'
NBC
Help our neighbours to the south celebrate their Turkey Day by tuning in for this one-hour special featuring the funniest Thanksgiving-themed sketches from 47 seasons of "Saturday Night Live".

Wednesday, Nov. 24
'5 More Sleeps 'Til Christmas'
NBCUniversal
Inspired by "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon’s book of the same name, Fallon narrates this animated special about a boy who has his meticulous, detailed plan leading up to Christmas upended upon the arrival of some unexpected guests at the home he shares with his mother and dog, Gary. From finding the best tree, to perfecting his snow sled, everything goes topsy-turvy as Christmas morning draws near. Yet despite all the changes, the true spirit of Christmas manages to shine through.

Friday, Nov. 26
'Trolls Holiday in Harmony - Season 2021'
DreamWorks
In this new animated special inspired by the "Trolls" film franchise, Queen Poppy plans the first annual Trolls Kingdom Secret Holiday Gift Swap, only to see things take an unexpected turn when she and Branch draw each other’s name.

Friday, Nov. 26
'The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration'
ABC/Kent Philips
It's beginning to look a lot like the holidays throughout Disney Parks, with Derek Hough, Julianne Hough and Ariana DeBose hosting this star-studded special featuring musical performances from AFTR PRTY, Jimmie Allen, Kristin Chenoweth, Brett Eldredge, NEEDTOBREATHE and Switchfoot, Norah Jones, Gwen Stefani and Sebastián Yatra.

Sunday, Nov. 28
'CMA Country Christmas'
ABC/Sami Drasin
Just in time for the holidays, the Country Music Association presents this year's edition of its annual special, with first-time hosts Gabby Barrett and Carly Pearce joined by Jimmie Allen with Louis York & The Shindellas, BRELAND, Brett Eldredge, Lady A, Pistol Annies, Carrie Underwood and Lainey Wilson for an intimate evening of holiday classics.

Monday, Nov. 29
'Christmas in Rockefeller Center'
NBC
NBC once again heralds the arrival of the holidays with a dazzling display of musical talents, star-studded surprises and the lighting of the world’s most famous Christmas tree. "Today" co-anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and Craig Melvin host, while musical guests include Alessia Cara, Harry Connick Jr., Mickey Guyton, Norah Jones, Brad Paisley, Rob Thomas, Carrie Underwood and, as always, the high-kicking Radio City Rockettes.

Wednesday, Dec. 1
'Kelly Clarkson Presents: When Christmas Comes Around'
NBCUniversal
Coinciding with her new Christmas album, Kelly Clarkson hosts this new holiday special, welcoming special guests Brett Eldredge, Ariana Grande, Jay Leno, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Odom Jr. and Amy Poehler, in addition to a visit from Santa himself.

Wednesday, Dec. 1
'Eight Gifts of Hanukkah '
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer
Inbar Lavi and Jake Epstein star in this Hanukkah tale about a woman’s attempt to identify her secret admirer during the eight days of the Festival of Lights.

Friday, Dec. 3
'Five More Minutes'
Copyright 2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster
Inspired by the Scotty McCreery hit “Five More Minutes”, Nikki DeLoach and David Haydn-Jones star in this story in which a woman’s Christmas wish is answered in unexpected ways when her late grandfather’s journal turns up and reveals an untold romance.

Saturday, Dec. 4 on W Network
'A Very Merry Bridesmaid Christmas'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Astorga
Leah (Emily Osment) prepares to celebrate 30th birthday on Christmas Eve, which happens to be the same day as her brother’s wedding. Meanwhile, her childhood crush returns to town for the wedding, and is determined to make sure her birthday does not go by the wayside in the midst of the wedding celebrations.

Saturday, Dec. 4 on W Network
'The Nine Kittens of Christmas'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster
Kimberley Sustad, Brandon Routh and Gregory Harrison star in this sweet holiday tale about two cat-lovers who are unexpectedly thrown back together at Christmas when they’re tasked with finding homes for a litter of adorable kittens.

Sunday, Dec. 5 on W Network
'Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Fred Hayes
Two sisters (real-life siblings Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Ashley Williams) band together to raise the money to repair their uncle’s (“SNL” alum Kevin Nealon) run-down movie theatre so they can spend one more Christmas at the theatre where they spent so many happy times together.

Sunday, Dec. 5 on W Network
'The 23rd Annual Home For The Holidays At The Grove'
Photo Credit (L-R): Rory Kramer, Matthew Berinato, Shervin Lainez, and F. Scott Shafer/CBS
This annual CBS special returns for a 23rd year, featuring uplifting stories of adoption from foster care and raising awareness of this important social issue. This year's special features a star-studded array of musical performers, including Justin Bieber, Kane Brown, Alessia Cara and Darren Criss.

Sunday, Dec. 5
'A Very Boy Band Holiday'
ABC/Christopher Willard
This holiday variety special features appearances by some of the most beloved members of iconic boy bands, including *NSYNC members Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Lance Bass, along with Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men, Bobby Brown and Michael Bivins of New Edition), Joey McIntyre (NKOTB), Erik-Michael Estrada (O-Town), and 98 Degrees members Nick Lachey, Drew Lachey, Jeff Timmons and Justin Jeffre, who will rock the holidays with classic tunes and their groups' greatest holiday hits — and some special surprise guests to help celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

Monday, Dec. 6
'Michael Bublé's Christmas in the City'
Photo By: Will Heath/NBC
Multi-Grammy -winning Michael Bublé returns to NBC to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his chart-topping album, Christmas, with a new holiday special that features a blend of comedy, music and, of course, the spirit of Christmas, all from Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center.

Monday, Dec. 6
'David And The Elves'
Netflix
In this Netflix holiday feature, a jaded, overworked elf runs off to the real world where he tries to experience the magic of Christmas with the help of a newly befriended young boy

Monday, Dec. 6
'A Dickens of a Holiday!'
Credit: ©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster
To make the 100th anniversary of her hometown’s Victorian festival a success, Cassie (Brooke D'Orsay) invites Jake (Kristoffer Polaha), an action movie star and former high school classmate, to play Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol”.

Friday, Dec. 10 on W Network
'Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Luba Popovic
During the holidays, a woman with amnesia (Jessy Schram) catches a ride with her handsome nurse (Brendan Penny) to investigate the only clue to her identity: a newspaper clipping for a Christmas Festival with a cryptic invitation.

Saturday, Dec. 11 on W Network
'A Royal Queens Christmas'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Brooke Palmer
A prince (Julian Morris) finds his way to Queens during Christmas when a local woman (Megan Park) enlists his help with a children's Christmas show.

Saturday, Dec. 11 on W Network
'Our Christmas Journey'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Luba Popovic
As a single mom (Holly Robinson Peete) and her teenaged son with autism come to a crossroad during Christmas, she must learn to let go so he can flourish as she finds her own heart healing in unexpected ways.

Sunday, Dec. 12 on W Network
'Sister Swap: Christmas in the City'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/
When Meg Swift and her sister Jennifer (real-life sisters Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Ashley Williams) trade towns just before Christmas, the change in scenery brings a new perspective to each of them on what they want in life and in love.

Sunday, Dec. 12 on W Network
'A Christmas Proposal'
Dean Buscher 2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
A down-on-her-luck chef Maria Winters (Jessica Camacho) who dreams of starting her own line of food trucks agrees to pose as the girlfriend of a hotshot Seattle attorney Julian Diaz (Adam Rodriguez) visiting his family for Christmas to help him prove he's the ideal candidate to take over the family firm. However, what begins as a business arrangement is complicated by the magic of the season as real sparks begin to fly.

Sunday, Dec. 12
'A Very Chrisley Christmas'
Tommy Garcia/USA Network
In the "Chrisley Knows Best" family's first Christmas special, Nanny Faye is feeling nostalgic this year and offers to have Christmas morning at her house. After Todd reluctantly agrees to the new holiday plans, he goes head-to-head with Nanny on decorations in a battle of “couture vs. kitsch.” When Chloe finds out about the change of plans, she is concerned that Santa won’t be able to find her at Nanny’s house. Savannah helps her craft a letter to the North Pole but Todd forgets to send it off. After a series of blunders and holiday hijinks, the Chrisley family needs a Christmas miracle to save the big day.

Wednesday, Dec. 15
'Days of our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas'
Evans Vestal Ward/Peacock
This holiday special from the beloved daytime soap follows Will Horton (Chandler Massey) as he writes a screenplay before his Christmas Eve deadline. Using everyone’s favorite feel-good holiday movie tropes, he creates a festive story based on his family and friends in Salem — but with several twists and turns that fans will never see coming.

Thursday, Dec. 16 on STACKTV
'A Californai Christmas: City Lights'
Netflix
In this sequel to the 2020 Christmas movie set one year later, Callie and Joseph (real-life spouses Lauren and Josh Swickard) prepare to leave the ranch for a family business in San Francisco, with wedding bells on the horizon.

Thursday, Dec. 16
'Sugar Plum Twist'
Copyright 2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Robert Clark
After failing to get the coveted role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in this year's production of "The Nutcracker", Vivíana Serrano (Laura Rosguer), an aspiring ballerina, joins forces with Natalia, a retiree from the New York Ballet, to create a surprise reprise of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy... with a Latin twist.

Friday, Dec. 17 on W Network
'Christmas Takes Flight'
Justine Yeung 2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
A holiday battle of wills between pilot Jenny Beckett (Katie Lowes), and Matt Connor (Evan Williams), a number-crunching CEO who purchases Jenny's family-owned, regional airline. Matt's cost-cutting initiatives threaten Christmas when he cancels the airline's annual holiday charitable benefit for underserved children. Determined to show Matt that the sweetest things in life are worth any price, Jenny rallies the community to help save the event and unexpectedly finds herself falling for the magnate in the process, on the CBS Original movie "Christmas Takes Flight".

Sunday, Dec. 19
'A Godwink Christmas: Miracle of Love'
Hallmark Channel
Now that Joy (Kat Barrell) has completed her education, she’s ready to fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse and follow in her late mother’s footsteps. Back at home before the holiday and with no job on the horizon, Joy’s interest is piqued by a volunteer opportunity out of town.There, she meets Eric (Alberto Frezza), who is also at a crossroads. As they become immersed in the effort to build a new home for a family at Christmas, Joy and Eric both find anew sense of purpose. Through a series of coincidences —or Godwinks — and a medical miracle, they begin to believe in destiny.

Saturday, Dec. 18 on W Network
'The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Hugh Tull
In this holiday sequel, the Mitchell brothers compete to see who can create the best Christmas House. Starring Brad Harder, Jonathan Bennett, Sharon Lawrence and Treat Williams.

Saturday, Dec. 18 on W Network
'Christmas for Keeps'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Bettina Strauss
At Christmastime, a close-knit group of childhood friends return home after 10 years to take part in the celebration of life of their beloved high school teacher. Starring Marielle Scott, Ryan Rottman, Christa B. Allen, Everick Golding, Cardi Wong and Ashley Newbrough.

Sunday, Dec. 19 on W Network
'Tis The Season To Be Merry'
©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Holly Dunphy
Looking to rewrite her book on relationships, Merry (Rachael Leigh Cook) heads out of town. She finds a new perspective in snow covered Vermont, where charismatic aid worker Adam (Travis Van Winkle) grew up.

Sunday, Dec. 19 on W Network
'A Grumpy Christmas'
Netflix
A family trip to the beach turns crazy when Servando and Alicia, Alma's willful aunt, start an over-the-top competition to control Christmas.

Tuesday, Dec. 21, Netflix
'1000 Miles From Christmas'
ANDRES PADUANO/NETFLIX © 2021
An auditor who completely despises Christmas is sent to a small town on a job, where he meets a woman who makes it her mission determined to change his Scrooge-like views about the holiday.

Friday, Dec. 24
'Small Town Christmas'
©2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer
Nell (Ashley Newbrough) isn't thrilled about reading "Small Town Christmas" at Emmett's (Kristoffer Polaha) bookstore after he stood her up on their first date with no explanation. After seeing Nell in town with Brad, a developer, Emmett assumes they're together, and later refers to her as merely a former acquaintance. Hurt, Nell walks around town and meets Marnie, Emmett's niece. He'd written about his sister's death, but Nell never received the letter. Seeing Emmett in a new light, Nell thinks she could fall for him. But when he caves into Brad's offer for his bookstore, Nell wonders if Emmett was just romanticized fiction all along.

Saturday, Dec. 25 on W Network

What To Watch: 2021 Christmas TV

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