2018 Holiday Programming Roundup: Thanksgiving and Christmas Specials from CBS to Freeform
By Rachel Yang
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The holidays are on the horizon, and television networks everywhere are getting ready with a host of Thanksgiving and Christmas specials. Beginning on Thanksgiving Day, CBS will kick off the holiday season with its coverage of the Thanksgiving Day Parade, followed by a host of new holiday films and celebrity specials across broadcast, cable and streaming. To aid in your viewing pleasure,
Variety
has compiled a list of 2018’s winter holiday programming highlights.
Saturday, Nov. 10
“It’s Christmas, Eve” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Eve (LeAnne Rimes) is a superintendent who needs to trim music teacher Liam’s (Tyler Hines) program. However, her friend finds a way for people to donate to save it, and the newly launched website for the program could provide the Christmas miracle the town needs.
Sunday, Nov. 11
“Christmas in Love” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Ellie, an aspiring crafter works in her small town’s bakery making famous Christmas Kringles. When the new, big-city CEO visits the bakery, he arrives filled with modernization ideas destined to lay off many employees. Ellie is determined to show him it’s the people who make the business a success, not machines, and in the process the two get closer and closer.
Monday, Nov. 12
“The Talk,” 2 p.m. ET, 1 p.m. PT/CT on CBS Gobble up gourmet recipe ideas for Thanksgiving when renowned celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck serves up a special Turkey Day feast and shares some of his favorite holiday traditions for hosts Eve, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, and Sheryl Underwood.
Thursday, Nov. 15
“Young Sheldon,” 8:31 p.m. on CBS Sheldon (Iain Armitage) studies his family for a psychology project, and a Thanksgiving dinner turns into a family fight when George Sr. (Lance Barber) is offered a job in Oklahoma.
Friday, Nov. 16
“Hawaii Five-0,” 9 p.m. on CBS Thanksgiving brings Grover’s (Chi McBride) parents (guest stars Louis Gossett Jr. and Gladys Knight) and brother Percy, Jr. (Clifton Powel) to Oahu for a visit tainted by sibling rivalry, and Five-0 investigates a thief who is crushed to death by an empty safe.
“The Princess Switch,” on Netflix One week before Christmas, Margaret, the gorgeous Duchess of Montenaro, switches places with Stacy, a “commoner” from Chicago, who looks exactly like her. With the assistance of a magical Santa’s helper, Margaret falls in love with Stacy’s handsome co-worker, while Stacy falls in love with Margaret’s fiancé, a dashing prince.
Saturday, Nov. 17
“Christmas At Graceland,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Laurel (Kellie Pickler), a Chicago business executive travels to Memphis to secure one of the city’s oldest family-owned banks. There, Laurel reunites with an old flame who’s a local music promoter with loftier aspirations. Though Laurel tries to keep her eye on the prize of the business acquisition, Clay is very persuasive reminding her of the days when they were a performing duo on the brink of stardom. Now Laurel’s focus turns to the home of the Blues and dreams of making music again.
Sunday, Nov. 18
“Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark When Lisa returns to her hometown and finds the historic general store closed, she decides to help the town of Evergreen bring the store back to life. She pairs up with a local contractor to work on the project, and they face one surprise after another as they restore the store. And when the staff at the Kringle Kitchen accepts the store’s “Mailbox to Santa” for safekeeping, the townspeople rally around a mysterious 25-year-old letter that never made it to the North Pole.
Monday, Nov. 19
“The Neighborhood,” 8 p.m. on CBS Dave (Max Greenfield) and Gemma (Beth Behrs) have a memorable first Thanksgiving in their new home when Dave’s politically incorrect mother, Paula (Marilu Henner), visits from out of town and meets Calvin (Cedric the Entertainer), Tina (Tichina Arnold) and the rest of the Butlers.
Wednesday, Nov. 21
“The Price is Right,” 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on CBS Celebrity chef Catherine McCord stops by to present a special Turkey Day-themed showcase for host Drew Carey.
“The Bold and the Beautiful,” 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on CBS The Forresters, Logans, Spencers, Avants and Spectras gather for their traditional Thanksgiving dinner, setting aside their grievances and saying something kind to the person to their right. Still, the evening isn’t without drama as Quinn (Rena Sofer) is forced to be gracious to Pam (Alley Mills) and Donna (Jennifer Gareis), and Wyatt (Darin Brooks) and Liam (Scott Clifton) question Bill’s absence.
“Christmas at Grand Valley,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Burned out artist Kelly (Danica McKellar) returns home to picturesque Grand Valley just in time for Christmas, and meets a businessman who reminds her of all the town’s charms of the town.
“My Christmas Inn,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime Jen (Tia Mowry-Hardict) inherits a cozy Alaska inn from her aunt, and upon inspecting the property, she meets a handsome town attorney and begins to wonder if the small town is where she truly belongs.
“A Christmas Arrangement,” 10 p.m. on Lifetime Flower shop owner Poppy enters the holiday floral show but standing in her way of victory is her rival Garrett. While Poppy and Garrett’s rivalry heats up on the flower show floor, an undeniable romance begins amidst a whimsical holiday backdrop.
Thursday, Nov. 22
“Let’s Make a Deal” on CBS Prizes for the Thanksgiving show include a trip to Belgium, a turkey fryer, two new cars and a chance at $20,000. Games also range from traders showing off their artistic talent by drawing a turkey to another that features photos of the cast eating turkey.
Thanksgiving Day Parade, 9 a.m. on CBS
The 58th annual CBS special will be anchored by “Entertainment Tonight” host Kevin Frazier and correspondent Keltie Knight. Featuring portions of the 92nd annual Macy’s Thankgiving Day Parade live in New York City. Performances include the cast of Broadway musical “Dear Evan Hanson” and new musical “King Kong.” A special performance will be announced in the coming weeks.
“Christmas at the Palace,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Katie, a former professional ice skater, is hired by the king of San Senova, Alexander, to help his daughter in a Christmas ice skating performance. She and Alex begin to develop feelings for each other as they spend more time together, but will the tradition-loving people of San Senova allow their king to make a foreigner their queen?
“The Christmas Contract,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime It’s a “One Tree Hill” reunion as Hilarie Burton, Robert Buckley, Danneel Ackles, and Antwon Tanner star in this holiday special. Jolie (Burton) is set up with Jack (Buckley) to save face for when she goes home for the holidays and has to face her ex and his new girlfriend. But what starts out as a professional agreement turns out to be more than what they signed up for.
“Murphy Brown,” 9:30 p.m. on CBS When the culinarily challenged Murphy (Candice Bergen) invites her colleagues plus Phyllis (Tyne Daly), Miguel (Adan Rocha) and his parents (Valente Rodriguez and Selenis Leyva) for Thanksgiving dinner with her and Avery (Jake McDorman), they all brace themselves for the worst.
“The Christmas Chronicles,” on Netflix Brother and sister pair Teddy and Kate Pierce hatch a plan to capture Santa (Kurt Russell) on camera on Christmas Eve. However, after sneaking onto Santa’s sleigh and causing a crash, the mischievous siblings are forced to embark on a wild adventure to save Christmas.
Friday, Nov. 23
“The Young and the Restless,” 12:30 p.m. ET/11:30 p.m. PT on CBS Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and Victoria Newman’s (Amelia Heinle) holiday is interrupted by the J.T. Hellstrom investigation, the Rosales family joins Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) in her annual tradition of hosting Thanksgiving for the homeless at Crimson Lights, and Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) receives unexpected news during the Abbotts’ Thanksgiving dinner.
“Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Darcy (Lacey Chabert) became successful starting her own company, rather than working with her father. Returning to her hometown for Christmas, Darcy reconnects with Luke, an old rival, and they are forced to plan a charity event together. Darcy sets out to mend her relationship with her father, and a romance with Luke may also be in the cards.
“Poinsettias for Christmas,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime It’s just weeks before Christmas when Ellie gets a call to return home to help with the family’s poinsettia farm. She is reminded of where her heart truly lies as she falls in love with both her roots and a local botanist.
“Frosty the Snowman,” 8 p.m. on CBS
Frosty, along with his his old silk hat, button nose and two eyes made out of coal, returns again this year for a rebroadcast, with classic narration by Jimmy Durante and the voices of Jackie Vernon as Frosty and Billy De Wolfe as Professor Hinkle.
“Frosty Returns,” 8:30 p.m. on CBS
Stay tuned for a rebroadcast of the snowman’s sequel following the original, with narration by Jonathan Winters and the voice of Frosty by John Goodman.
“Every Other Holiday,” 10 p.m. on Lifetime At the request of their daughters, recently separated parents Tracie and Rick have to spend Christmas all together. Perhaps this special gathering can help rekindle the lost romance between the two and make their daughters’ greatest wish come true.
Saturday, Nov. 24
“Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire,” 8 p.m. on CBS
In a rebroadcast of the animated special, Ben Stiller voices Robbie, who trains to become a part of the sleigh team carrying Santa, voiced by Jim Belushi, to deliver presents to good children across the world.
“Christmas Everlasting,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Corporate lawyer Lucy’s (Tatyana Ali) sister passes away, and per her eccentric Last Will and Testament, Lucy can only inherit the family home if she lives there for 30 straight days, including Christmas. Patti LaBelle also stars in this holiday special.
“Every Day is Christmas,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime Inspired by Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” Alexis (Toni Braxton) gets the holiday visit of a lifetime. A self-proclaimed workaholic, Alexis ends up embracing the spirit of Christmas when her past, present, and future collide and force her to rely on her heart.
“Robbie the Reindeer: Legend of the Lost Tribe,” 8:30 p.m.on CBS
In the second “Robbie” special, Robbie tries to put a stop to a reindeer theme park, spearheaded by Blitzen, who is voiced by Hugh Grant.
Britney Spears, James Woods, Leah Remini and Jerry Stiller also voice characters.
“The Story of Santa Claus,” 9 p.m. on CBS
A rebroadcast of animated musical special finds a humble toymaker, voiced by Ed Asner, whose only desire is for every child to have a toy on Christmas. Betty White and Tim Curry also lend their voices to the special.
“Christmas Harmony,” 10 p.m. on Lifetime Soft-spoken Harmony is used to living in the shadow of her pop star boyfriend, but when he breaks up with her right before the holidays, she returns to her quaint hometown to discover the heart and music that her big city life has been missing.
Sunday, Nov. 25
“A Shoe Addict’s Christmas,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark When Noelle (Candace Cameron Bure) gets in locked in at a department store on Christmas Eve, a quirky woman appears out of nowhere in the shoe department and tells Noelle that she’s her guardian angel. Soon, Noelle finds herself revisiting Christmases past, present, and future as she must work with her new neighbor, a handsome firefighter, to plan the annual Christmas Charity Gala.
“Jingle Bell,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime Isabelle (Tatyana Ali) must work with the high school sweetheart she left behind to put on her hometown’s Christmas Eve Pageant. Can they put the past behind them and reunite on stage for another show-stopping duet?
“Christmas Cupid’s Arrow,” 9 p.m. on ION
A Christmas formal makes a lovelorn professor realize the perfect guy may be right under her nose.
“The Truth About Christmas,” 9 p.m. on Freeform Jillian, a successful political consultant, finds herself working on her boyfriend’s mayoral campaign. When a confrontation with a toy store Santa makes her unable to stop spilling the truth, Jillian must find a way to make it stop before she loses her job, her relationships, and her holiday.
“Christmas Perfection,” 10 p.m. on Lifetime Control freak Darcy suddenly finds herself magically transported into her idea of the perfect Christmas Village and learns that perfection isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Tuesday, Nov. 27
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” 8 p.m. on CBS
The classic Christmas special, narrated by Burl Ives who also voices Sam the Snowman, tells the story based on the holiday number of the same name by Johnny Marks.
“House Hunters: Home for the Holidays,” 9 p.m. on HGTV The “House Hunters” spinoff features heartwarming stories of families searching for a new place to celebrate a most wonderful time of the year. The eight-episode series follows buyers as they rush to find the perfect house just in time to deck the halls and celebrate with loved ones.
Wednesday, Nov. 28
“A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy,” 10 p.m. on NBC
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are taking on the holiday season, accompanied by friends and family. Legend will perform new songs from his recently released Christmas album, “A Legendary Christmas” with several other celebrity appearances that will be announced at a later date.
Thursday, Nov. 29
“The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration,”
9 p.m. on ABC
A slew of musical performances will include: Gwen Stefani singing “Feliz Navidad;” Meghan Trainor performing a medley of her hits plus a duet of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Brett Eldredge; Andrea Bocelli belting out a Christmas classic, followed by a duet with his son Matteo Bocelli of new song “Fall on Me” from Disney’s “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms;” Jordan Fisher performs his Christmas hit, “Come December;” Aloe Blacc performs his debut single, “I Got Your Christmas Right Here,” American Idol winner Maddie Pope sings “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas;” breakout musical group Why Don’t We performs a medley of the classic “Silent
Night” and an original holiday song, “Hey Good Lookin.”
Friday, Nov. 30
“A Very Nutty Christmas,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime After a broken-hearted Kate hangs the last ornament on the tree and goes to bed, she awakens the next morning to a little bit of Christmas magic straight out of a fairytale.
Saturday, Dec. 1
“Disney Parks Presents a 25 Days of Christmas Holiday Party,”
8 p.m. on Disney Channel
Musical performances include: Gwen Stefani singing “Let It Snow;” Brett Eldredge performing “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas;” Disney Channel’s Asher Angel sings “Last Christmas,” and Disney Channel’s Meg Donnelly sings the tropical Christmas hit “Mele Kalikimaka.”
“Mingle All The Way,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Molly joins a dating app that she founded to prove to her family that it’s a success. When she gets matched with a man she’s previously had disastrous encounters with, they decide to stay paired up to face upcoming holiday events together. As they spend more time together, the two realize a business arrangement may turn into something more.
“A Twist of Christmas,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime In the frenzy before Christmas, two single parents (Vanessa Lachey and Brendon Zub) accidentally mix up toys at a department store. Although the two can’t stand each other, they must come together to help each other salvage their holiday plans.
Sunday, Dec. 2
“Garth: Live at Notre Dame!” 8 p.m. on CBS
Catch Garth Brooks live at Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana in a broadcast that gives viewers a front row seat to an electrifying performance.
“A Majestic Christmas,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Architect Nell has the daunting task of turning the historic Majestic Playhouse into a modern multiplex, much to the town’s objections. She decides to give the theater’s new owner a crash course in Christmas during the town’s Twelve Day Festival, to see if he might change his mind about modernizing the Majestic.
“The Christmas Pact,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime Can best friends fall in love? That’s the question next door neighbors Sadie and Ben will answer as they keep the spirit of Christmas and the magic of their childhood pact alive.
“A Wedding for Christmas,” 9 p.m. on ION
Co-starring Vivica A. Fox, the special follows a big-city wedding planner who returns to her hometown for her sister’s wedding and reunites with an old friend, Carter. When sparks fly, she must question if her metropolitan life is right for her, or if she’ll fall back in love with her old town and Carter.
“The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Holiday Special,”
10 p.m. on ABC Shawn Mendes, Bebe Rexha, the Chainsmokers, Halsey, Rita Ora, Kelsea Ballerini, and the Struts will perform at Victoria’s Secret’s annual fashion show. Sisters Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid, as well as Kendall Jenner, will join Victoria’s Secret Angels like Adriana Lima, Behati Prinsloo, Jasmine Tookes, Candice Swanepoel, Lais Ribeiro, and more.
“Life Size 2,” at 9 p.m. on Freeform
The sequel to the beloved Disney Channel movie about Eve, a life-size doll that come to life. Banks reprises her role as Eve, and Francia Raisa stars as the frazzled CEO of the toy company that created Eve.
Monday, Dec. 3
“Pop Up Santa Holiday Special,” 9:30 p.m. on Freeform Hosted by Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Allison Holker, the special follows celebrity guests including ballerina Misty Copeland, former NFL athlete DeMarco Murray, “The Fosters’” Sherri Saum, Tommy Martinez from new Freeform drama “Good Trouble,” a special Marvel guest and Freeform Santa as they team up with Freeform to spread holiday cheer. The special celebrates the spirit of the season through heartwarming moments including a home giveaway, a surprise baby shower at a military base, a family reunion of epicproportions, a celebration for two very special children at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and more.
Friday, Dec. 7
“RuPaul’s Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular,” 8 p.m. on VH1 “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is bringing back fan favorites like Kim Chi, Shangela, Trixie Mattel, Latrice Royale, Eureka O’Hara, Jasmine Masters, Mayhem Miller, and Sonique, as they compete for the title of America’s first “Drag Race Xmas Queen.” The eight queens will return for a holiday-themed episode filled with jaw-dropping surprises, eye-popping fashions, and epic performances choreographed by Todrick Hall.
“Christmas Lost and Found,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime When Whitney accidentally throws out her family’s precious box of Christmas ornaments, it’s up to her Grandma Frances to stealthily devise a fun Christmas scavenger hunt to remind Whitney what the holiday is all about.
Saturday, Dec. 8
“Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic,” 8 p.m. on Freeform The special returns with an all-new installment once again hosted by Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Allison Holker. This year’s spectacular weddings at Walt Disney World Resort feature a special performance by country music superstar Martina McBride, and a wedding with a “Mary Poppins Returns” theme.
“Homegrown Christmas,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Maddie (Lori Loughlin) is forced to put together a Christmas dance for the local high school with her old high school sweetheart. They must put their differences aside and rediscover what made them fall in love all those years ago.
“Santa’s Boots,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime Holly (Megan Hilty) fills in as Santa’s helper at her family’s department store. The chemistry between her and Nick, the handsome young man hired to play Santa, draws in big crowds. But when Nick disappears right before Christmas, Holly scrambles to find him with only one clue – his misplaced black boot.
“Rent-an-Elf,” 9 p.m. on ION In this holiday movie, Ava owns “Rent-an-Elf,” a business helping busy families have a memorable Christmas. Right as she’s falling for her client Liam, his ex-wife comes back and Ava has to figure out how to give Liam and his son an amazing holiday and put their needs above her own.
Sunday, Dec. 9
“White House Christmas 2018,” 6 p.m. on HGTV The one-hour special will follow designer and home renovation star Alison Victoria as White House staff and volunteers take her on an exclusive room-by-room tour of the iconic home’s holiday transformation.
“Welcome to Christmas,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Resort developer Madison visits the town of Christmas, Colorado, to consider it as the location for a new resort. When a fender-bender strands her in the town, Madison grows to love the community and the spirit of Christmas that runs throughout.
“A Christmas in Tennessee,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime Allison helps her community fight against a charming real estate developer who wants to buy their small mountain town for a corporate ski resort.
“A Snow White Christmas,” 9 p.m. on ION
A diabolical stepmother, a love triangle, and a family inheritance are part of the intrigue of this holiday special. Blanca Snow’s stepmother wants to keep her late husband’s mansion for herself and has Blanca hypnotized out of jealousy. Can our protagonist regain her memory and stop her dastardly stepmother from stealing everything her father built? How can she choose between the house painter and designer who have both fallen for her?
Monday, Dec. 10
“No Sleep ‘Til Christmas,” 9 p.m. on Freeform Two stressed-out insomniacs, Lizzie and Billy, (Odette Annable and Dave Annable) meet and find that they can only fall asleep next to each other. What seems like an odd coincidence might be more meaningful than they’d admit.
Friday, Dec. 14
“I Love Lucy Christmas Special,” 8 p.m. on CBS
Catch a rebroadcast of two back-to-back, colorized episodes of “I Love Lucy” — “The Christmas Episode,” which originally aired on Christmas Eve 1956, and “Pioneer Women,” which aired March 31, 1952.
“Christmas Around the Corner,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime Venture capitalist Claire escapes to a quaint Vermont town for the holidays and tries to help repair the local bookstore after a flood. She falls in love with the owner, but when she discovers he’s planning on selling the store, Claire wonders if the spirit of Christmas be enough to change his mind and encourage him to follow his heart.
“The Dick Van Dyke Show – Now in Living Color!” 9 p.m. on CBS
Episodes of the classic “Dick Van Dyke Show” will also air back-to-back with newly colorized episodes, “Where Did I Come From,” first aired Jan. 3, 1961, and “Never Bathe on Saturday,” first aired March 31, 1965.
Saturday, Dec. 15
“Entertaining Christmas,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Candace (Jodie Sweetin) is poised to take over her perfect mother’s cooking and lifestyle brand. The only problem is, she can’t cook or do anything her mother was known for. When she’s sent to meet a young girl who wants her help welcoming her deployed father home for Christmas, Candace worries she may be in over her head in her quest to prove herself worthy.
“Christmas Pen Pals,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime Hannah heads home for the holidays and signs up for the town’s Christmas Cupid, an anonymous holiday pen pal service. She’s smitten by each beautifully written letter she receives, but when Christmas Eve arrives and her pen pal’s true identity is revealed, Hannah could be in for a big shock.
“Country Christmas Album,” 9 p.m. on TNT
Two middling musicians who seem to be polar opposites are forced to collaborate on a Christmas album. As the album shapes up, they find themselves growing closer, with the possibility of a new romance blooming just in time for Christmas.
Sunday, Dec. 16
“A Gingerbread Romance,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Architect Taylor (Tia Mowry-Hardrict) pairs up with baker and single dad Adam to make a life-sized gingerbread house for a contest.
“Hometown Christmas,” 8 p.m. on Lifetime Back in Louisiana for Christmas, Noelle (Beverly Mitchell) teams up with her high school sweetheart to resurrect the town’s live nativity. In the process they find themselves growing close, uncovering a hometown love for each other and the joy of Christmas that both never really faded away.
“A Christmas in Royal Fashion,” 9 p.m. on TNT
A young royal becomes smitten with Kristin, the PR assistant helping with an event his family co-sponsors. He mistakes her for her boss Melanie, and Kristin can’t help but wonder if he would’ve fallen for her if he knew she was an assistant.
Friday, Dec. 21
“A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary,” 8 p.m. on CBS
Tune in to this annual star-studded special featuring heartwarming stories of adoption the foster care system to raise awareness of this social issue. Performances by musical artists to be announced in the coming weeks.
Saturday, Dec. 22
“Jingle Around the Clock,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark Elle teams up with an advertising campaign “fixer” to spearhead a Christmas campaign and learn about each other’s holiday traditions in the process.
Sunday, Dec. 23
“Christmas Made to Order,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark When architect Steven (Jonathan Bennett) finds himself hosting his family for Christmas, he recruits holiday coordinator Gretchen (Alexa PenaVega) to bring holiday joy to his home. Gretchen’s expert Christmas spirit brings Steven’s family together, but neither expected it to bring them closer to each other.
Tuesday, Dec. 25
“Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade,”
10 a.m. on ABC
Musical performances include: Gwen Stefani doing “Winter Wonderland” from her Christmas album, “You Make It Feel Like Christmas;” Brett Eldredge does “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Andrea Bocelli sings “Ave Maria”; then does a duet with son Matteo Bocelli of “White Christmas;” host Jordan Fisher performs “This Christmas;” Aloe Blacc performs “Tell Your Mama” from his first holiday album, “Christmas Funk;” Freeform star and Hollywood Records artist Olivia Holt sings a surprise holiday jam; American Idol winner Maddie Poppe performs “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree;” Disney’s a cappella group DCappella sings “Last
Christmas,” and Why Don’t We sings “Kiss You This Christmas” from their holiday album, “A Why Don’t We Christmas.”
“When Calls the Heart Christmas,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark A group of orphans become stranded in Hope Valley for Christmas, and the community works together to give them a memorable Christmas.
Saturday, Dec. 29
“A Midnight Kiss,” 8 p.m. on Hallmark When her family drops out in planning an important New Year’s Eve party for a tech entrepreneur, Lisa must reluctantly enlist the help of her brother’s visiting college buddy. But what Lisa didn’t plan on was falling in love in the process.
