Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!"
Airs Monday, 11/30 at 8pm ET on ABC
In this traditional holiday perennial, the miserly, crotchety Grinch tries to eradicate Christmas from the tiny town of Whoville by stealing the material symbols of the Yuletide celebration (he's a mean one, all right), only to discover the real spirit of the season is beyond his covetous grasp. The Whos actually manage to melt his cold heart, and The Grinch learns the true meaning of Christmas. The voice cast includes Boris Karloff as The Grinch and the narrator, and June Foray as Cindy Lou Who. This holiday special is a timeless gem and an annual must-see.
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Miracle on 34th Street
This holiday special is as traditional during this time of the year as egg nog and Christmas caroling. The television movie is based on the story by Valentine Davies and the theatrical film of the same title. "Miracle on 34th Street" is the heartwarming story of a department store Santa who causes worldwide ramifications when he claims that he is in fact the real Santa Claus.
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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Airs Wednesday, 12/2 at 8pm ET and Saturday, 12/12 at 8pm ET on CBS
It's that time of year again! It's the return of television's longest-running holiday special, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," which tells the story of a shy, young reindeer named Rudolph who is picked on by the other reindeer for his shiny red nose and ... well, you know the rest. This classic, originally produced in 1964, has been digitally remastered for today's technically savvy generation. So get that fire roaring, pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate, and enjoy!
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A Christmas Carol
In this acclaimed production of the Dickens classic, a crotchety, old misanthrope, Ebenezer Scrooge (played by George C. Scott who received an Emmy nomination for the role), experiences an epiphany on Christmas Eve when he revisits his wretched past and is permitted to see terrifying glimpses of his future with the help of three spirits and the ghost of his dead business partner. This 1984 version has sequences of Scrooge's past life that was previously unexplored in most of the earlier filmed versions dating back to 1901. Don't be a Scrooge, and enjoy this lavish holiday treat with the whole family.
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Frosty the Snowman
Airs Friday, 12/18 at 8pm ET on CBS
That jolly, happy soul is back again this year. Yes, we're talking about "Frosty the Snowman." This animated musical, first broadcast in 1969, tells the story of Frosty (voiced by comedian Jackie Vernon), a happy-go-lucky snowman who comes to life thanks to a magician's hat. He wins over little Karen and then heads to the North Pole to keep from melting, encountering lots of winter adventures along the way. This is one tale that never loses its charm.
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The Year Without a Santa Claus
Airs Tuesday, 12/1 at 7pm; Tuesday, 12/8 at 8pm; Friday, 12/11 at 7pm; Saturday, 12/12 at 3pm; and Thursday, 12/24 at 9pm on ABC Family
In this stop-motion animated 1974 Christmas classic, Mrs. Claus (voiced by Shirley Booth) tells the story of the time Santa's bad cold caused him to take a vacation from Christmas. Santa's two elves, Jingle Bells and Jangle Bells, (can you guess who's the more popular elf?) along with Vixen the baby reindeer set out to convince Santa that the holiday spirit is still important and a lot of people believe in and count on Santa Claus every year to bring Christmas cheer. Unfortunately, the Bells elves must figure out a way to get the dreaded Heat Miser and his stepbrother, Snow Miser, to help them bring snow to Southtown, USA, in order to save Christmas and to get Santa to un-cancel his annual Christmas Eve sleigh ride.
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A Charlie Brown Christmas
Airs Tuesday, 12/1 at 8pm ET on ABC
This Emmy-winning Christmas special features Charles Schulz's beloved "Peanuts" characters set against a jazz soundtrack by pianist Vince Guaraldi. Charlie Brown discovers what Christmas is really about as he chooses a tiny, bare Christmas tree for the school's nativity production, while Snoopy decorates his doghouse and Sally writes to Santa Claus. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" will entertain both kids and grown-ups alike this holiday season.
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'Twas the Night Before Christmas
Airs Monday, 12/7 at 7pm and Thursday, 12/24 at 1pm and 6:30pm on ABC Family
Adapted from Clement Moore's poem, "A Visit From St. Nicholas," this animated holiday special tells the story of the citizens of Junctionville, who saved their favorite day of the year by uncovering the culprit who wrote an unsigned letter to the editor of the local paper, claiming that Santa Claus was a myth. The Junctionville residents were determined to prove that Santa is real so that he could continue to pay his yearly visits to the town's children.
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Shrek the Halls
Airs Monday, 11/30 at 8:30pm ET and Monday, 12/14 at 8pm ET on ABC
Spend some holiday time with everyone's favorite family of green ogres. Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) doesn't feel too festive when the holidays roll around, but his love for Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz) and his kids motivates him to get into the spirit of the season. There's never a day of peace for Shrek, however, as Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy), Puss in Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas), the Gingerbread Man, and the rest of the gang decide to crash Shrek's cozy family celebration. Things spiral out of control and Christmas becomes an unforgettable event for everyone.
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Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
Airs Monday, 12/7 at 8pm ET on ABC, Wednesday, 12/9 at 8pm, Thursday, 12/10 at 7pm, Saturday, 12/12 at 5pm, and Thursday, 12/24 at 8pm on ABC Family
Where does Santa Claus come from? This special tells the story of how Santa came to be the jolly, toy-making, gift-giving, sleigh-riding man we all know and love. The tale begins with an orphaned Kris Kringle, who wishes to make the children of Sombertown happy by giving them toys that the town's mayor, Burgermeister Meisterburger, has outlawed. Kris manages to spread joy not only to the kids of Sombertown, but also to the rest of the children of the world with the help of his adopted elf family and toy workshop. This holiday favorite features the famous titular Christmas song that's guaranteed to please the entire family.
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Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too
Celebrate Christmas in the Hundred Acre Wood with the lovable Pooh bear and his friends Christopher Robin, Rabbit, Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet, and Gopher with this holiday classic. Winnie the Pooh and the gang learn the true meaning of Christmas when Pooh realizes that the letter they sent to Santa won't be delivered and then disguises himself as Santa to deliver the presents to his friends himself.
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Bing Crosby's White Christmas
Get into the cheer-spreading mood with "Bing Crosby's White Christmas," the 1976 special that featured the Crosby family along with Jackie Gleason and singer/actress Bernadette Peters.
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