In these post-Thanksgiving weeks, everything seems holiday-themed — advertisements, coffees, cookies — but most importantly, television. At any given moment, you can turn on the TV and see 15 different screen interpretations of Santa Claus as well as several broadcasts of “Elf” and “The Polar Express.” So many festive programs may seem overwhelming, but this guide to holiday TV should help.
Fans of primetime TV will be pleased with the abundance of seasonal spirit on their favorite shows. On Dec. 4 NBC’s “The New Normal” and “Go On” will both have holiday-themed episodes. ABC’s popular comedies “The Middle,” “The Neighbors” and “Suburgatory” will have their holiday specials on Dec. 5, and “Modern Family” will have a re-broadcast of last year’s holiday episode, “Express Christmas,” for old time’s sake.
On Dec. 6 “The Office” will feature Dwight giving the office a traditional German Christmas in “Dwight Christmas.” “Parks and Recreation” will also be in the spirit of the season later that night, when Jerry hosts a holiday party and doesn’t invite everyone. On Dec. 11 on FOX, “New Girl,” “Raising Hope” and “The Mindy Project” will celebrate the holidays as well. “Parenthood” will be decking the halls on Dec. 11, so you can cozy up in the Bravermans’ living room. “Glee, Actually” will air on Dec. 13 on FOX along with a sort of snowy episode of “Up All Night” on NBC.
The holiday season is also a great time for variety shows. On Dec. 3 at 10 p.m. on NBC, “Blake Shelton’s Not-So-Family Christmas” will be re-broadcast. It’s a star-studded event that includes the sense of humor found on Shelton’s Twitter page and features musical guests such as Kelly Clarkson and a duet with his mom that is sure to be adorable. You can see Blake Shelton again on Michael Bublé’s “Home for the Holidays,” along with Carly Rae Jepsen and Elmo, on Dec. 10 at 10 p.m. on NBC. Former castmate Martin Short will host “Saturday Night Live” on Dec. 15, with musical guest Paul McCartney.
Classic holiday and family movies will be playing almost 24/7 on ABC Family’s annual “25 Days of Christmas,” with several screenings of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “The Santa Clause” and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” Some unique specials are “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” airing on Dec. 6 at 8 p.m.; a new ABC Family original musical called “The Mistle-Tones” at 8 p.m. on Dec. 9; and, possibly the most exciting of all, the “Boy Meets World” Christmas episodes, airing on Christmas Eve at 7 a.m. Refer to the ABC Family website for a full listing.
The best way to end the holiday TV season is with the annual 24-hour “A Christmas Story” marathon on TBS, starting at 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
So whether you need a break from finals or just a pick-me-up, tune in and get your holiday fix.
A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Dec. 4 print edition. Jamie Kiliany is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].
