Christmas Movies on TV Schedule: Ultimate Guide (2020)

From now until Christmas, we have a complete daily schedule of the Christmas movies on TV as well as the Christmasy TV episodes that will be on TV all day.

In the November and December TV schedule below, you’ll find every single Christmas movie and TV special that will be available on broadcast and cable TV, the channel it airs on, and the start time. Bookmark this page for later, as the top will always contain the Christmas movies on TV TONIGHT (and we update this list daily!).

Note: All times in U.S. Eastern Time.

…more coming soon!

Quick Jumps:

Of course, we all know that the best part of the holiday season is a neverending stream of old, classic Christmas movies on TV, as well as Christmas episodes of your favorite nerdy TV shows.

But with so many networks having their own Christmas movies schedule and holiday TV extravaganza, it’s hard to keep track of them all. That’s where we come in. As a site who nerds out at the crossroads of nerdy fandom and Christmas, we’ve decided to compile a massive compendium of Christmas movies, TV shows, and holiday specials so that you can mark them down on your calendar. You know, so you don’t miss your 30th watching of A Christmas Story (I’d put it in our top 12 Christmas movies of all time).

Typically speaking, the holiday slate of movies and shows begins the week of Thanksgiving, starting with a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on ABC, and it ends a few days after Christmas Day. This year, some networks are starting earlier…and earlier…and earlier. In fact, there was a merry butt-ton of Christmas movies already on the airwaves as early as October 1st (yes, really).

Here’s every Christmas movie, TV show and special we know about so far, and we’ll be updating this list as more official schedules release. We’ll also be adding in ways to watch Christmas movies online with streaming services like Disney Plus, Netflix, Sling TV, Amazon Prime Video, etc, so check back periodically. If we happen to forget or miss any, please hit us up on Twitter (you know, because we always love to hear how terrible we are at our jobs).

So, grab one of your ugly Christmas sweaters, hang your Game of Thrones Christmas ornaments and R2D2 lights on the tree, and prepare yourselves for the holiday TV overload with the 2020 Christmas movies and TV show schedule below:

New Hallmark Christmas Movies 2020 TV Schedule

We tend to personally skip the Hallmark Channel mostly for the season (well, altogether, really), but we know many of you will be searching for their holiday TV schedule, which is why we’ve included it. That’s ok — we aren’t judging. While the Hallmark Channel has also not yet released their entire TV schedule of sappy Christmas movies, they did release a 2020 Holiday Movie preview detailing some of the year’s new Christmas movies. They’re starting super even earlier this year, too, with their first new holiday movie debuting on October 25th (seriously). So if you’re looking for some good, ole’ fashioned dramatic Christmas movies, here’s what’s on their schedule so far, and click the link above for a full synopsis of each title.

Note, this is just when they’ll first be debuting, and keep in mind that leading right up through New Years, there will be classic Hallmark Christmas movies playing as well. For that, check out the schedule above.

**All of the Hallmark Christmas movie showtimes are in EST**

November 2020

Friday, Oct. 25: A Merry Christmas Match (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9PM)
Saturday, Oct. 26: Christmas Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses (Hallmark, 8PM)
Thursday, Oct. 1: Nostalgic Christmas (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9PM)
Friday, Nov. 1: Two Turtle Doves (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9PM)
Saturday, Nov. 2: Merry & Bright (Hallmark Channel, 8PM)
Sunday, Nov. 3: A Christmas Scavenger Hunt (Hallmark Channel, 8PM)
Thursday, Nov. 7: A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9PM)
Friday, Nov. 8: Holiday for Heroes (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9PM)
Saturday, Nov. 9: Picture a Perfect Christmas (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Sunday, Nov. 10: The Mistletoe Secret(Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Thursday, Nov. 14: A Christmas Miracle (HallMov, 9PM)
Friday, Nov. 15: A Godwink Christmas: Meant for Love (HallMov, 9PM)
Saturday, Nov. 16: Christmas Under the Stars (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Sunday, Nov. 17: Write Before Christmas (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Thursday, Nov. 21: The Christmas Wish (HallMov, 9PM)
Friday, Nov. 22: Our Christmas Love Song (HallMov, 9PM)
Saturday, Nov. 23: Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Sunday, Nov. 24: Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2 (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Monday, Nov. 25: A Christmas Duet (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Tuesday, Nov. 26: The Christmas Club (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Wednesday, Nov. 27: Double Holiday (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Thursday, Nov. 28: Check Inn to Christmas (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Friday, Nov. 29: Christmas at the Plaza (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Friday Nov. 29: A Homecoming for the Holidays (HallMov, 9PM)
Saturday, Nov. 30: Christmas in Rome (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)

December 2020

Sunday, Dec. 1: Christmas Town (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Thursday, Dec. 5: Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Friday, Dec. 6: Time for You to Come Home for Christmas (HallMov, 9PM)
Saturday, Dec. 7: A Christmas Love Story (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Sunday, Dec. 8: Christmas at Dollywood (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Thursday, Dec. 12: Christmas in Montana (HallMov, 9PM)
Friday, Dec. 13: Angels Fall: A Novel Holiday (HallMov, 9PM)
Saturday, Dec. 14: Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Sunday, Dec. 15: Holiday Date (Hallmark Channel, 8PM)
Thursday, Dec. 19: Christmas on My Mind (HallMov, 9PM)
Friday, Dec. 20: A Family Christmas Gift (HallMov, 9PM)
Saturday, Dec. 21: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Sunday, Dec. 22: A Cheerful Christmas (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)
Wednesday, Dec. 25: When Calls the Heart Christmas (Hallmark Channel, 8PM)
Saturday, Dec. 28: New Year, New Me (Hallmark Chan, 8PM)

Freeform Kickoff to Christmas

All November! All scheduled times are in EST.

*Note: the December Freeform schedule will be released on 11/1, according to Freeform’s Facebook! Circle back tomorrow for an update!

Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas Schedule

Coming soon.

Christmas TV Specials 2020

Thursday, November 26th

2020 Thanksgiving Day Parade (CBS at 9:00AM ET)
2020 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC at 9:00AM ET)

24-Hour A Christmas Story Marathon 2020

TBS’s annual holiday tradition, the 24-hour marathon of A Christmas Story, is returning in 2020. Starting on the evening of Christmas Eve at 8:00PM ET, TBS will show A Christmas Story for 24 hours straight, with new showings starting every two hours. So, 8PM, 10PM, 12AM, 2AM, 4AM, 6AM, 8AM, 10AM, 12PM, 2PM, 4PM, and then finally at 6PM on Christmas night.

AMC’s ‘Best Christmas Ever’ Slate

This afternoon, AMC released a basic overview of their holiday programming – and it’s a doozy! While we don’t have a day by day schedule for the Christmas movies AMC will be showing this holiday season just yet, we have a mega list of the Christmas movies they’ll be showing, and it’s the best we’ve seen yet (blows Freeform’s out of the water, in our expert opinions).

We also know that it all begins on Monday, November 26 and will run through Christmas Day. Here’s what they’re going to be showing below:

Elf (2003) [Stream Elf]
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) [Stream Christmas Vacation]
Polar Express, The (2004)
Santa Clause 2, The (2002)
Jingle All the Way (1996) [Stream Jingle All The Way]
Prancer (1989)
Gremlins (1984)
Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)
All I Want For Christmas (1991)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
Christmas in Connecticut (1992)
Christmas Story 2, A (2012)
Dennis the Menace Christmas, A (2007)
Nativity Story, The (2006)
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (2004)
To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992)
White Christmas (1954)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Sons of Mistletoe, The (2001)
Holiday to Remember, A (1995)
Nothing Like the Holidays (2008)
One Magic Christmas (1985)
Christmas Star, The (1986)
Scoot & Kassie’s Christmas Adventure (2013)
12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue (2012)

Christmas Specials on AMC

Donkey’s Caroling Christmas-tacular (2011)
Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper, The (2005)
Frosty’s Winter Wonderland (1976)
Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974)
First Christmas, The: The Story of the First Christmas Snow (1975)
Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold, The (1981)
Little Drummer Boy Book II, The (1976)
Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977)
Merry Madagascar (2009)
How Murray Saved Christmas (2014)
Jack Frost (1979)
Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (1976)
Year Without a Santa Claus, The (1974)
Life & Adventures of Santa Claus, The (1985)
Pinocchio’s Christmas (1980)
Michael Bublé’s Christmas in Hollywood (2020)
Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (1979)

See Also:

Netflix Christmas Movies 2020

Of course, for all of those cord-cutters out there, Netflix has a ton of movies to watch as well. They’re mostly overly cheesy, overloaded with Christmas cheer and enough yuletide to fill Santa’s sleigh. Still, there are plenty of options for holiday joy, and you just might find one you like. Here are the Christmas movies on Netflix in 2020 (and yes, there ARE some Hallmark Christmas movies on Netflix)

48 Christmas Wishes
A Christmas Prince
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding
A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale
Abominable Christmas
Angela’s Christmas
Angels in the Snow
Believe
Benji’s Very Own Christmas Story
Bob’s Borken Sleigh
Christmas Break-In
Christmas in the Heartland
Christmas in the Smokies
Christmas Inheritance
Christmas Wedding Planner
Christmas With a View
Christmas With the Kranks
Elliot
Get Santa
Holiday Calendar
Holiday in the Wild
Holiday Rush
Holly Star
Home for the Holidays
How Sarah Got Her Wings
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Klaus
Mariah Carey’s Merriest Christmas
Marvel Superhero Adventures: Frost FIght
Merry Kissmas
Miss Me This Christmas
Prince of Peoria: A Christmas Moose Miracle
Puppy Star Christmas
Santa Claws
Santa Girl
Santa’s Apprentice
Super Monsters and the Wish Star
SUper Monsters Save Christmas
The Christmas Chronicles
The Christmas Project
The Great British Baking Show Holidays
The Grinch (2020)
The Knight Before Christmas
The Magic Snowflake
The Princess Switch
The Spirit of Christmas
Unaccompanied Minors
White Christmas
You Can’t Fight Christmas

Christmas Movies on Disney+

Wondering what Christmas movies are on Disney Plus, the new Disney streaming service that launched November 12th? We’ve got you covered with an ultimate list:

There are currently 17 Christmas movies on Disney+:

A Very Merry Pooh Year
Beauty & The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
Disney’s I’ll Be Home For Christmas
Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas
Home Alone
Home Alone 2
Home Alone 3
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas
Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Noelle
One Magic Christmas
Pluto’s Christmas Tree
Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish
The Christmas Star
The Muppet Christmas Carol
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Santa Clause
The Santa Clause 2
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
The Ultimate Christmas Present

Here’s how to stream them:

Sign Up for Disney+
Go to your device’s app store
Search for Disney Plus
Download/Install the App
Open the App
Log in with your Credentials
Find whatever Christmas movie you want to watch by searching for it
Tap the Play Button

Boom! You’ve now got access to all of these Disney Christmas movies.

Christmas Movies: The Non-Christmas Movies List

Of course, there are some Christmas movies that we watch around the holidays that technically aren’t really Christmas movies. If we find any of these on the Christmas movies on TV schedule, we’ll add it in above. For now, here are some of our Non-Christmas favorites:

1. Die Hard

Buy or Rent Die Hard here.

2. Batman (1989)

Buy or Rent Batman here

3. Trading Places (1983)

Buy or Rent Trading Places here.

4. Gremlins (1984)

Watch on Prime Video (Included).

5. Batman Returns (1994)

Buy or Rent Batman Returns here.

6. Home Alone 1 and 2

Buy or Rent Home Alone 1 and 2 here.

New Christmas Movies 2020

There are a handful of new Christmas movies in 2020 to watch, and whether you’re planning to boot up the good ‘ole Netflix account or dive into the many Christmas movies on Disney Plus that just launched, there’s something for everyone.