December 2015 TV premieres, holiday specials

December 2015 TV is mostly filled with holiday classics, but there are some new shows you should put on your calendar.

Syfy has two big premieres this month, both on Dec. 14. “Childhood’s End” is a three-part adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s 1953 novel about a peaceful alien invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords. But if you think you’ve seen this story before, just watch and be blown away like I was.

“The Expanse” is another novel adaptation, this time of the newer books series by James S. A. Corey. Set 200 years in the future, the 10-episode season revolves around a missing persons case that could spark a galactic war between Earth and Mars. The first hour already has streamed online and you can watch it above.

Idris Elba returns Dec. 17 in a new “Luther” movie on BBC America. Watch for the second seasons of Amazon’s  “Transparent” (Dec. 14) and “Mozart in the Jungle” (Dec. 30).

Netflix brings the Aussie workplace comedy “Dreamland” to the U.S. on Dec. 1. Called “Utopia” Down Under, it’s a funny look at workers in a fictitious government office.

Now back to the holiday specials of importance: The “Doctor Who” Christmas special on Dec. 25 will bring back River Song. And although it’s not officially a holiday special, “Adele Live in New York City” will be a pretty special concert Dec. 14 on NBC.

I’ve included some classic holiday specials and movies in this list, but focus mostly on new offerings. Here are some links to give you fall schedules for certain networks holiday-heavy December offerings.

ABC Family 25 Days of Christmas schedule — Hallmark Countdown to Christmas schedule — Lifetime holiday movies — UP holiday movies —
ION holiday movies

December 2015 TV premieres

All times are Central; check local listings.

Tuesday, Dec. 1

Streaming

• “Dreamland,” Netflix (U.S. series premiere; Aussie comedy about the bumbling work of the Nation Building Authority, a fictitious government office responsible for overseeing major infrastructure projects; called “Utopia” in Australia)
• “I’m Brent Morin,” Netflix (standup special)
• “Real Rob,” Netflix (series premiere; comic Rob Schneider plays an exaggerated version of himself)

7 p.m.

• “AMC Home for the Holidays” movie marathon, AMC (2 holiday movies every night through Dec. 25; visit www.amctv.com for schedule)
• “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” CBS (holiday special)

8 p.m.

• “Vice Special Report: Countdown to Zero,” HBO (doc; inside search for cure and preventative vaccine that could eliminate AIDS)
• “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” Bravo (season 6 premiere)
• “Married at First Sight,” FYI (season 3 premiere)
• “Fixer Upper,” HGTV (season 3 premiere)
• “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” ABC Family (holiday special)

8:30 p.m.

• “Keeping Up: Kardashians Family Rules,” E! (special)

9 p.m.

• “Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce,” Bravo (season 2 premiere)
• “Full Throttle Saloon,” Destination America (network premiere; four new episodes)
• “Building off the Grid: North Pole,” DIY (holiday special; mayor of North Pole, Alaska, and his contractor partners work to handcraft a remote family cabin in Alaskan wilderness)

10 p.m.

• “Planet Primetime,” Travel (series premiere; look at wildest TV shows from around the world)

Wednesday, Dec. 2

Streaming

• “RocketJump: The Show,” Hulu (series premiere)

7 p.m.

• “CMT Artists of the Year Awards,” CMT (special)
• “Christmas at Rockefeller Center,” NBC (holiday concert special)
• “The 12 Gifts of Christmas,” Hallmark (holiday movie)

7:30 p.m.

• “Shrek the Halls,” ABC (holiday special)

8 p.m.

• “Racing Extinction,” Discovery (doc; group behind “The Cove” assembles team to expose the world of endangered species trafficking)
• “Finding My Father,” Oxygen (series premiere; 16 people hope to connect with biological fathers for the first time)
• “Santa’s in the Barn,” truTV (series premiere; search for the nation’s Best Santa)
• “I Killed John Lennon,” Reelz (doc premiere; a look at Mark Chapman)
• “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” NBC (holiday special)
• “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” ABC (holiday special)

8:30 p.m.

• “SNL Christmas Special,” NBC (holiday special)

9 p.m.

• “Top Chef,” Bravo (season 13 premiere, part 1; Part 2 airs 9 p.m. Dec. 3)
• “Jay Leno’s Garage,” CNBC (season finale)
• “Rich in Faith,” Oxygen (docuseries premiere; Rich and DawnCheré Wilkerson and their young adult ministry, the Vous)
• “Rev Runs Around the World,” Travel (series premiere; Rev and family travel)
• “I Killed John Lennon,” Reelz (doc; a look at Mark Chapman)

Thursday, Dec. 3

Streaming

• Seeso Beta launch, Seeso (go to seeso.com to sign up free for new comedy streaming service)

7 p.m.

• “The Wiz Live!” NBC (special; live adaptation of the musical based on “Wizard of Oz”)
• “Toy Story That Time Forgot,” ABC (holiday special; replays 7 p.m. Dec. 15)

7:30 p.m.

• “Shrek the Halls,” ABC (holiday special replays 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15)

8 p.m.

• “CMA Country Christmas,” ABC (holiday special; replay 7 p.m. Dec. 25)
• “Food Porn,” FYI (series premiere; Michael Chernow searches for most popular #foodporn dishes)

9 p.m.

• “Crown for Christmas,” Hallmark (holiday movie; maid becomes governess for princess and falls for her father)

Friday, Dec. 4

Streaming

• “A Very Murray Christmas,” Netflix (holiday special; Bill Murray and friends put on a variety show)

7 p.m.

• “Once Upon A Holiday,” Hallmark (holiday movie; princess ditches royal obligations to experience life as commoner, falls for one)

8 p.m.

• “Marriage Boot Camp Reality Stars,” WEtv (season 4 premiere)
• “Moby Dick: Heart of a Whale,” Smithsonian (special; story behind Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”)
• “Disney Channel Fa-La-La-Lidays Celebrates a Radio Disney ‘Family Holiday,’” Disney (holiday special)

9 p.m.

• “A Christmas Detour,” Lifetime (holiday movie; snowstorm pairs two strangers on road trip)
• “Marc Maron: More Later,” EPIX (standup special)
• “Untold Stories of the ER,” Discovery Life (season 10 premiere)

Saturday, Dec. 5

5 a.m.

• “Red vs. Blue,” El Rey (series premiere; 13 seasons of Rooster Teeth’s animated sci-fi comedy is reformatted from digital shorts into 95 half-hour episodes; until 9 a.m.)

11 a.m.

• “Northpole: Open for Christmas,” Hallmark (holiday movie; woman plans to sell inherited hotel until she meets the people there)

5 p.m.

• “Angel of Christmas,” Hallmark (holiday movie; Grinchly reporter is assigned to write about her family’s wooden Christmas angel)

6 p.m.

• “Angels in the Snow,” UP (holiday movie; bickering family learns a lesson about love when a happy family is forced to stay with them)

7 p.m.

• “Just in Time for Christmas,” Hallmark (holiday movie; Lindsay is faced with a tough decision at Christmas, but time travel will help her make the right move)
• “Flight Before Christmas,” Lifetime (holiday movie; strangers on a plane have to share a room when it is diverted)
• “A Prince For Christmas,” ION (holiday movie; prince flees arranged marriage to America to find truer love)
• “It’s a Wonderful Life,” NBC (holiday special)
• “The Polar Express,” ABC Family (holiday special)

8 p.m.

• “Merry Kissmas,” ION (holiday movie; Whitney shares a magical kiss)
• “Royal Family Christmas,” TV One (holiday movie; the Royal children try to get their parents back together)
• “Doctor Who,” BBC America (season finale)
• “Opposite Field,” Fuse (Ugandan baseball team becomes first African team to qualify for Little League World Series)

8:30 p.m.

• “Elf,” ABC Family (holiday special)

Sunday, Dec. 6

7:20 a.m.

• “Mazel Tosh” marathon, Comedy Central (“Tosh.0” episode through 9 p.m.)

11 a.m.

• “Miraculous,” Nickelodeon (series premiere; girl transforms into superhero called Ladybug to save the day in Paris)

6 p.m.

• “Miracle Sundays” movie marathon, Sundance (holiday movie marathons Dec. 6, Dec. 13 and Dec. 20; sundance.tv for schedule)

7 p.m.

• “Karen Kingsbury’s The Bridge,” Hallmark (holiday movie; Molly and Ryan hang out a bookstore and fall for each other)
• “Beverly Hills Christmas,” UP (holiday movie; guardian angel helps spoiled teen true value of holiday)

8 p.m.

• “Last Chance Christmas,” Lifetime (holiday movie; Santa’s stable hand falls for woman who owns replacement reindeer)
• “How Sarah Got Her Wings,” ION (holiday movie; Sarah has to right a wrong before she goes to heaven)
• “Magic Stocking,” Hallmark M&M (holiday movie; closed-off Lindsey buys a stocking at Christmas craft fair that yields items to change their lives)
• “Work Out New York,” Bravo (docuseries premiere; elite fitness training)
• “Serial Thriller: The Chameleon,” Investigation Discovery (2-night event; story of a prolific serial killer who masked his identity for years; concludes 8 p.m. Dec. 7)

8:30 p.m.

• “Beyond the Shadows: The Making of Shadowhunters,” ABC Family (special; behind-the-scenes on set of “Shadowhunters” series)

 

Monday, Dec. 7

Streaming

• “The Brokenwood Mysteries,” Acorn TV (season 2 U.S. premiere)
• “Gadget Man,” Acorn TV (U.S. premiere; season 1-4 premiere each Monday; hosts Stephen Fry and Richard Ayoade share their passion for gadgets)

7 p.m.

• “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” ABC (season premiere)

8 p.m.

• “U2: Innocence + Experience Live In Paris,” HBO (concert special)
• “Street Outlaws,” Discovery (2-hour season finale)
• “TV’s Funniest Animated Stars: A Paley Center for Media Special,” Fox (2-hour special)

9 p.m.

• “Telenovela,” NBC (2-episode sneak peek; Eva Longoria plays the star of a hit Spanish soap opera in this comedy; official debut Jan. 4)
• “The Great Holiday Baking Show,” ABC (holiday special; amateur bakers)
• “Very Semi-Serious: A Partially Thorough Portrait of New Yorker Cartoonists,” HBO (doc premiere; behind-the-scenes look at the process behind The New Yorker cartoons)

Tuesday, Dec. 8

7:30 p.m.

• “Fresh Off the Boat,” ABC (“The Real Santa,” holiday episode)

8:30 p.m.

• “Keeping Up: Kardashians on Vacation,” E! (special)

9:15 p.m.

• “#Blacklove,” FYI (series premiere; 5 single black women date in NYC)

9 p.m.

• “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show,” CBS (special)
• “Born This Way,” A&E (docuseries premiere; seven young adults born with Down syndrome and their family and friends)
• “Born Again Virgin,” TV One (season premiere)
• “Sinatra & the Jack Pack,” Reelz (doc premiere; Frank Sinatra’s high-profile friendship with President John F. Kennedy)
• “The Guest List: Live From The Barrel House,” Seeso (special; stand-up comedy streamed live from San Francisco)

Wednesday, Dec. 9

Streaming

• “Trailer Park Boys: Drunk, High And Unemployed Live In Austin,” Netflix (standup special)

7 p.m.

• “The Middle,” ABC (“No Silent Night,” holiday episode)
• “Hellavator,” GSN (two-episode season finale)

7:30 p.m.

• “The Goldbergs,” ABC (“A Christmas Story,” holiday episode)

8 p.m.

• “Taraji and Terrence’s White Hot Holiday,” Fox (holiday special)
• “A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale,” UP (holiday movie; spoiled college student takes a dog walker job, discovers she’s more than selfish)
• “Finding My Father,” Oxygen (series premiere; 16 young women and men hoping to connect with their biological fathers)

8:30 p.m.

• “black-ish,” ABC (“Stuff,” holiday episode)

9 p.m.

• “The League,” FXX (season 7 finale)
• “South Park,” Comedy Central (season 19 finale)
• “The Illusionists: Live on Broadway,” NBC (special; magic show)

9:30 p.m.

• “You’re the Worst,” FXX (season 2 finale)

 

Thursday, Dec. 10

7 p.m.

• “Michael Bublé’s Christmas in Hollywood,” NBC (holiday special)
• “Toy Story At 20: To Infinity and Beyond,” ABC (holiday special; “Toy Story” 20th snniversary)

8 p.m.

• “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors,” NBC (movie; Dolly Parton’s upbringing dramatized)
• “Daft Punk Unchained,” Showtime (doc premiere; a look behind the masks)
• “Tamar & Vince,” WEtv (season premiere)
• “Fast N’ Loud,” Discovery (special)
• “Flip or Flop,” HGTV (holiday special)
• “Toy Story,” ABC (holiday movie)

 

Friday, Dec. 11

Streaming

• “Transparent,” Amazon (season 2 premiere)
• “The Ridiculous 6,” Netflix (movie; Tommy “White Knife” Stockburn journeys across Old West with his 5 brothers)
• “The Adventures of Puss in Boots,” Netflix (season 2 premiere)

7 p.m.

• “A Gift-Wrapped Christmas,” Lifetime (holiday movie)
• “Last Man Standing,” ABC (“Gift of the Wise Man,” holiday episode)

7:30 p.m.

• “Dr. Ken,” ABC (“The Master Scheduler,” holiday episode)

8 p.m.

• “Lidia Celebrates America: Home for the Holidays,” PBS (Lidia Bastianich celebrates holiday traditions of Italy)
• “Long Island Medium,” TLC (holiday special)

9 p.m.

• “Please Like Me,” Pivot (back-to-back episodes including season 3 finale)
• “Craft in America: Celebration,” PBS (premiere; examines role craft plays in holiday customs)
• “Gold Rush,” Discovery (special)

Saturday, Dec. 12

Streaming

• “Tumble Leaf,” Amazon (season 2 premiere)

7 p.m.

• “Becoming Santa,” Lifetime (holiday movie; Holly introduces her boyfriend to her parents, who make toys at the North Pole)
• “On the Twelfth Day of Christmas,” Hallmark (holiday movie; Maggie tries to renew her boyfriend’s love of Christmas)
• “Mary Poppins,” ABC (“The Wonderful World of Disney” special; 1st TV broadcast of film in 13 years)

8 p.m.

• “A Christmas Truce,” ION (holiday movie; U.S. soldier and Belgian farm girl vow to meet after WW II ends)

Sunday, Dec. 13

8 a.m.

• “Friday the 13th” marathon, EPIX (all the “Friday the 13th” through 7 a.m. Dec. 14)

9 a.m.

• “Behind the Story with The Paley Center,” Sundance TV (season 2 finale)

10 a.m.

• “Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter,” Sundance TV (season premiere; a look at Hollywood awards season)

5 p.m.

• “White House Christmas 2015,” HGTV (holiday special)

7 p.m.

• “Behind the Magic: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” ABC (special; a look at why and how Walt Disney made the classic 1934 animated film)
• “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Green Screen Christmas,” Logo (holiday special)
• “Jill and Jessa: Counting On,” TLC (3-part special premiere; Jill (Duggar) Dillard and Jessa (Duggar) Seewald and their new lives)
• “South Park” marathon, Comedy Central (through midnight)

8 p.m.

• “Wish Upon a Christmas,” Lifetime (holiday movie; woman plans to lay off people at family-run ornament company)
• “A Christmas Reunion,” ION (holiday movie; executive and her former boyfriend inherit her aunt’s small town bakery)
• “Debbie MacComber’s Dashing Through the Snow,” Hallmark M&M (holiday movie; strangers forced to share a car fall for each other and a cute dog with them)

9 p.m.

• “Married By Mom and Dad,” TLC (series premiere; 4 singles go to their parents in hopes of finding a spouse)

9:30 p.m.

• “Frosty Returns,” CBS (holiday special)

Monday, Dec. 14

Streaming

• “The Trials of Jimmy Rose,” Acorn TV (U.S. premiere; ex-con tries to change his old ways; new episode of 3-parter premieres each Monday)

7 p.m.

• “Childhood’s End,” Syfy (3-part miniseries; alien Overlords usher in peace on Earth, but at what price? Also airs Dec. 15 & 16)

8 p.m.

• “Bolshoi Babylon,” HBO (doc premiere; inside Moscow’s prestigious Bolshoi Ballet in the aftermath of the 2013 acid-attack against its creative director, Sergei Filin)

9 p.m.

• “The Expanse,” Syfy (series premiere, part 1; missing person case spirals into a solar system-spanning conspiracy)
• “Fargo,” FX (season 2 finale)
• “Adele Live in New York City,” NBC (special)
• “Tiny House Hunters,” HGTV (holiday special #1)

Tuesday, Dec. 15

7 p.m.

• “Toy Story That Time Forgot,” ABC (holiday special)

7:30 p.m.

• “Shrek The Halls,” ABC (holiday special)

8 p.m.

• “I Want a Dog for Christmas Charlie Brown,” (holiday special)

9 p.m.

• “The Expanse,” Syfy (series premiere, part 2; regular time period premiere)

Wednesday, Dec. 16

7 p.m.

• “Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas,” NBC (holiday special)
• “The Middle,” ABC (“The Christmas Wall,” holiday episode)

7:30 p.m.

• “The Goldbergs,” ABC (“The Most Handsome Boy on the Planet,” holiday episode)

8 p.m.

• “Modern Family,” ABC (“Grill, Interrupted,” holiday episode)

8:31 p.m.

• “black-ish,” ABC (“Black Santa/White Christmas,” holiday episode)

9 p.m.

• “Tiny House Hunters,” HGTV (holiday special #2)

 

Thursday, Dec. 17

Streaming

• “SuperMansion,” Crackle (season 1 finale)

7 p.m.

• “Disney Prep & Landing,” ABC (holiday special)
• “How Murray Saved Christmas,” NBC (holiday special)

7:30 p.m.

• “Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice,” ABC (holiday special)

8 p.m.

• “Luther,” BBC America (movie; Idris Elba returns as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, who faces a cannibalistic serial killer)
• “Blake Shelton’s Not-So-Family Christmas,” NBC (holiday special)

8:30 p.m.

• “Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2015,” ABC (special)

9 p.m.

• “Running Wild with Bear Grylls,” NBC (special; President Obama goes to Alaska)

 

Friday, Dec. 18

Streaming

• “F is for Family,” Netflix (season 1 premiere; comic Bill Burr’s look at 1970s family life)
• “Glitter Force,” Netflix (season 1 premiere; 5 preteen girls learn they’re superhero squad)
• “Making A Murderer,” Netflix (season 1 premiere; real-life thriller filmed over 10 years follows DNA exoneree who becomes suspect in a grisly new crime)
• “Mike Epps: Don’t Take It Personal,” Netflix (standup special)

7 p.m.

• “Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon,” NBC (special; global fun shot on cell phones, dash cams, etc.)
• “Billboard Women in Music 2015,” Lifetime (concert special)

7:30 p.m.

• “Yes, Virginia,” ABC (holiday special)

8 p.m.

• “A Home for the Holidays,” CBS (holiday special; LL Cool J hosts variety show)
• “Sinatra: Voice for a Century,” PBS (“Live from Lincoln Center” premiere)

9 p.m.

• “The Soup,” E! (series finale)

Saturday, Dec. 19

7 p.m.

• “A Christmas Melody,” Hallmark (holiday movie; Mariah Carey plays a music teacher who helps student prep a holiday concert song)
• “The Spirit of Christmas,” Lifetime (holiday movie; Kate meets a ghost who takes human form for 12 days of Christmas)
• “I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown,” ABC (holiday special)

8 p.m.

• “Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert,” AMC (concert special)

Sunday, Dec. 20

All Day

• Ghosts of Christmas Past marathon, Comedy Central (“Ghostbusters,” “Ghostbusters II” & network premiere of “Hell Baby”)

7 p.m.

• “Christmas Land,” Hallmark (holiday movie; Jules wants to sell off Christmas tree farm she inherited)
• “Santa’s Little Helper,” USA (movie premiere; man offered job as second-in-command)

9 p.m.

• “Into the Badlands,” AMC (season 1 finale)

Monday, Dec. 21

Streaming

• “A Place to Call Home,” Acorn TV (Season 3 U.S. premiere)

4 p.m.

• “Rodeo and Juliet,” UP (holiday movie; Juliet begrudgingly spends holiday at family farm until a special horse and handsome cowboy catch her eye)

7 p.m.

• “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” ABC (season finale)

8 p.m.

• “Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir featuring Santino Fontana and the Sesame Street Muppets,” PBS (holiday concert special)
• “Bolshoi Babylon,” HBO (doc premiere; look inside Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet in the wake the 2013 acid attack on its artistic director Sergei Filin by agents of male soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko)
• “Major Crimes,” TNT (fall finale)

9 p.m.

• “The Great Holiday Baking Show,” ABC (season finale)
• “Christmas at Belmont,” PBS (holiday special; Kathy Mattea, 700 Belmont School of Music student musicians and faculty perform holiday concert)

10 p.m.

• “Colony: Behind the Wall,” USA (special; look at upcoming series)

Tuesday, Dec. 22

Midnight

• “Two More Eggs” marathon, Disney XD (through midnight Dec. 23)

9 a.m.

• Must Rock List movie marathon, USA (through 8 p.m.)

8 p.m.

• “Fixer Upper,” HGTV (holiday bed-and-breakfast episode)

9 p.m.

• “Chrisley Knows Best,” USA (holiday special, “A Very Chrisley Christmas 2”)

Wednesday, Dec. 23

8 a.m.

• Christmas movie marathon, AMC (through Dec. 24; includes “Miracle on 34th Street”—1994, “A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa,” “A Christmas Carol”—1984, “Jingle All the Way,” “Christmas with the Kranks,” “Scrooged,” “Dennis the Menace Christmas,” “Miracle on 34th Street”—1947, “White Christmas,” “All I Want for Christmas”)
• Christmas Week marathon, Comedy Central (Christmas-themed episodes of “South Park,” “Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special” movies, stand-up; all day through Dec. 25)

11 a.m.

• “Blunt Talk” marathon, Starz (season 1 episodes)

7 p.m.

• “I Love Lucy Christmas,” CBS (holiday special)
• “WWE Tribute to the Troops,” USA (special)
• “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” NBC (holiday special)

7:30 p.m.

• “How Murray Saved Christmas,” NBC (holiday special)

8 p.m.

• “Property Brothers,” HGTV (holiday episode)
• “Adele Live in New York City,” NBC (holiday encore)

9 p.m.

• “Michael Bublé’s Christmas in Hollywood,” NBC (holiday encore)

11 p.m.

• “MythBusters” marathon, Science (248 episodes, 2,950 experiments, 1,050 myths and 900 explosions through 7 p.m. Jan. 3)

 

Thursday, Dec 24

Streaming

• “Dawn of the Croods,” Netflix (season 1 premiere; prehistoric family sitcom)

5 a.m.

• “Kaiju Christmas” Godzilla movie marathon, El Rey Network (features 10 cable TV title premieres and more; through 5 a.m. Dec. 27; schedule here)

11 a.m.

• “Black Sails” marathon, Starz (season 2 episodes)

3 p.m.

• “NCIS” Christmas marathon, USA (through 10 p.m.)

7 p.m.

• “It’s Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown,” ABC (holiday special)
• “Die Hard” movie marathon, Encore (“Die Hard 1” and “Die Hard 2”)
• “A Christmas Story,” TBS (holiday special)

8 p.m.

• “It’s a Wonderful Life,” NBC (holiday special)
• “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” ABC (holiday special)
• “Santas in the Barn,” truTV (season finale)

9 p.m.

• “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” ABC (season finale)
• “A Merry Friggin’ Christmas,” EPIX (holiday movie)

10 p.m.

• “Modern Family” Christmas marathon, USA (through midnight)

10:30 p.m.

• “Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas,” EPIX (holiday movie)
• “Midnight Mass with Christmas Eve at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome,” NBC (holiday special)

11:30 p.m.

• “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” ABC Family (holiday movie)

Friday, Dec. 25

VOD

• “Far From Home,” EPIX (doc premiere; Brolin Mawejje tries to become Africa’s first Olympic snowboarder)

Midnight

• “A Merry Friggin’ Christmas,” EPIX (holiday movie)

5 a.m.

• FEZ-tival marathon of “That 70s Show,” IFC (through 8 a.m. Dec. 26)
• “Commercial Free Christmas Morning” movie marathon, Sundance (“Miracle on 34th Street”—1947; “White Christmas”—1954; “A Christmas Carol”—1938)
• “Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas,” EPIX (holiday movie; reairs at 1:50 p.m.)

8 a.m.

• “Christmas with The Duke” movie marathon, AMC (John Wayne films, including “Rooster Cogburn,” “The Train Robbers,” “The Cowboys,” “Rio Bravo,” “Cahill U.S. Marshall,” “Chisum”)

8:20 a.m.

• Big “Beethoven” movie marathon, Encore Family (all the “Beethoven” movies)

9 a.m.

• “Disney Parks Unforgettable Christmas Celebration,” ABC (special)

11 a.m.

• “Power” marathon, Starz (season 2 episodes)

3:30 p.m.

• “Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas,” EPIX (holiday movie)

5 p.m.

• “25 Rules of Gibbs” marathon, USA (24 hours of “NCIS”)

5:15 p.m.

• “A Merry Friggin’ Christmas,” EPIX (holiday movie)

7 p.m.

• “CMA Country Christmas,” ABC  (holiday special)

8 p.m.

• “Doctor Who Christmas Special: The Husbands of River Song,” BBC America (holiday special)
• “Call the Midwife Holiday Special,” PBS (holiday special; Poplar readies itself for Christmas 1960)
• “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors,” NBC (holiday encore)

Saturday, Dec. 26

11 a.m.

• “Outlander” marathon, Starz (season 1 episodes)
• “Law & Order: SVU” marathon, USA (season 16 marathon)

9 p.m.

• “Sex Sent me to the ER,” TLC (season premiere)

Sunday, Dec. 27

11 a.m.

• “Survivors Remorse” marathon, Starz (season 2 episodes)

Monday, Dec. 28

Streaming

• “Prisoners Wives,” Acorn TV (U.S. premiere; seasons 1-2  of drama about women whose husbands have been imprisoned)

7 p.m.

• “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown,” ABC (holiday special)
• “Bible Bowl,” TLC (special; teams of children in Bible competition)

8 p.m.

• “Rudolph’s Shiny New Year,” ABC (holiday special)
• “Ghostly Encounters,” Destination America (season premiere)
• “Carter’s W.A.R.” Outdoor Channel (series premiere; wildlife conservation show)
• “Heroin: Cape Cod, USA,” HBO (doc premiere; 8 heroin addicts)
• “Ash vs. Evil Dead” mini marathon, Starz (episodes 101-103)

Tuesday, Dec. 29

8 p.m.

• “The 38th Annual Kennedy Center Honors,” CBS (special)
• “Ash vs. Evil Dead” mini marathon, Starz (episodes 104-106)

9 p.m.

• “Almost Genius,” truTV (series premiere; comedy celebrating people, places and things that try hard to succeed but come up short)

 

Wednesday, Dec. 30

Streaming

• “Mozart in the Jungle,” Amazon (season 2 premiere)

6 p.m.

• “The Twilight Zone” marathon, Syfy (156 episodes of Rod Serling’s series in chronological order and HD through 11 a.m. Jan. 3. The 87-hour marathon will be interrupted once, from 7-9 p.m. Dec. 31, for “WWE Smackdown.”)

8 p.m.

• “In Defense of Food,” PBS (doc premiere; author Michael Pollan journeys to answer the question: What should I eat to be healthy?)
• “My Crazy Ex,” Lifetime Movie Network (season premiere)
• “Ash vs. Evil Dead” mini marathon, Starz (episodes 107-109)

9 p.m.

• “I Love You … But I Lied,” LMN (season premiere)

10:30 p.m.

• “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” Crackle (season 7 premiere, new episodes every Wednesday)

Thursday, Dec. 31

5 a.m.

• “The Twilight Zone” marathon, El Rey Network (holiday marathon through 5 a.m. Jan. 1)
• “That 70s Show” marathon, IFC (through 12:30 p.m.)

6 a.m.

• “Bond-A-Thon” movie marathon, EPIX (classic Bond films through 6:30 a.m. Tuesday)

1 p.m.

• “The Walking Dead” New Year’s marathon, AMC (seasons 2-6; continues through Jan. 2)

5 p.m.

• “The Simpsons” New Year’s marathon, FXX (starts with “The Simpsons Movie” followed by 56 resolution-themed episodes)

7 p.m.

• “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2016,” ABC (holiday special, to 10 p.m.)
• “New York Philharmonic New Year’s Eve: La Vie Parisienne,” PBS (“Live from Lincoln Center” holiday special)

9 p.m.

• “NBC’s New Year’s Eve Game Night With Andy Cohen,” NBC (special)

10:30 p.m.

• “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2016,” ABC (holiday special, to 1:13 a.m.)
• “NBC’s New Year’s Eve With Carson Daly,” NBC (holiday special)