TV takes a break in December for the holidays. Most shows air their midseason finales early in the month and not much new premieres except a boatload of holiday specials and movies. If you look beyond traditional Tv you’re likely to find more new offerings, but even the streaming services slow down a bit. Here is your December 2016 TV premieres calendar. Happy viewing, and happy holidays.
For more holiday fare, check out my holiday specials, movies and episodes calendar.
December 2016 TV premieres
Thursday, Dec. 1
8 p.m.
- “Nightwatch,” A&E (season 3)
- “The Great American Baking Show,” ABC (season premiere)
9 p.m.
- “Top Chef,” Bravo (season 14)
- “Cheap Eats,” Cooking Channel (season premiere)
Friday, Dec. 2
Streaming
- “Lost in Oz,” Amazon (season 1; Dorothy Gale finds herself lost in Oz with her trusty dog Toto)
- “Goblin: The Lonely and Great God,” DramaFever (movie; an immortal goblin and Angel of Death search for human bride who can help them enter spiritual world)
7 p.m.
- “I Love Lucy Christmas Special,” CBS (holiday special; colorized “Christmas Episode” from Dec.1956 and newly colorized “Lucy Gets in Pictures” from Feb. 21, 1955) See my holiday specials calendar.
Saturday, Dec. 3
7 p.m.
- “A Dream of Christmas,” Hallmark (movie; married woman granted wish to be single again changes her mind) See my holiday movies calendar.
- “Heaven Sent,” Lifetime (movie; 8-year-old runaway angel tries to help feuding couple mend marriage)
- “Homicide for the Holidays,” Oxygen (4-hour series premiere; firsthand accounts from four families’ whose holidays ended badly)
8 p.m.
- “Pearl Harbor: 75 Years Later,” History (doc premiere; lesser known details of the attack that still surprise 75 years later)
- “Pearl Harbor: The Last Word,” History (short-form pieces will be integrated into primetime programming throughout weekend; experiences of some of last living Pearl Harbor survivors)
9 p.m.
- “Pete Holmes: Faces and Sounds,” HBO (standup special; taped at Chicago’s Vic Theatre)
Sunday, Dec. 4
Noon
- “Greatest Travel Gifts: Top 20,” Travel (special)
7 p.m.
- “Looks Like Christmas,” Hallmark (movie; two parents compete to put on the best Christmas spectacular)
8 p.m.
- “Hearts of Christmas,” Hallmark M&M (movie; hospital official, fellow nurses try to save NICO nurse’s job)
- “Mariah’s World,” E! (series premiere; Mariah Carey kicks off her tour)
- “The Lost Tapes,” Smithsonian (series premiere; recounting major news events, beginning with Pearl Harbor)
- “Westworld,” HBO (season finale)
9 p.m.
- “The Royals,” E! (season 3)
- “Pearl Harbor: The Truth,” History (doc premiere; based on book “A Matter of Honor—Betrayal, Blame & a Family’s Quest for Justice,” doc examines intelligence and military blunders that allowed early warning signs of Japanese attack to be missed)
Monday, Dec. 5
Streaming
- “The Brokenwood Mysteries,” Acorn TV (U.S. premiere, season 3)
6 p.m.
- “National Christmas Tree Lighting,” Hallmark (special)
7 p.m.
- “Showtime at the Apollo,” Fox (special; Steve Harvey hosts star-studded reimagining of classic talent showcase series)
- “The Trans List,” HBO (doc; explores experiences of prominent members of transgender community)
- “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” ABC (season premiere)
8 p.m.
- “A Bombs of Nevada,” Smithsonian (special; birth of the atomic age)
9 p.m.
- “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show,” CBS (special; music, models and pricey bra)
- “Timber Creek Lodge,” Bravo (series premiere; workers at exclusive ski resort cater to high-end clientele)
Tuesday, Dec. 6
8 p.m.
- “Gangsters: America’s Most Evil,” Reelz (season premiere)
10 p.m.
- “The Battle of the Ex-Besties,” Oxygen (series premiere; 14 former BFFs compete)
Wednesday, Dec. 7
Streaming
- “Shut Eye,” Hulu (series premiere; fake clairvoyant gets hit on head, becomes real clairvoyant)
7 p.m.
- “Hairspray Live,” NBC (special; when 1950s teen Tracy Turnblad’s dream to dance on “The Corny Collins Show” comes true, she becomes a sensation)
8 p.m.
- “Alaskan Bush People Christmas Special,” Discovery (see holiday specials schedule)
9 p.m.
- “Conan With Borders: Berlin,” TBS (special episode)
Thursday, Dec. 8
Streaming
- “SuperMansion: War on Christmas,” Crackle (holiday special; The League of Freedom must save Christmas) More SuperMansion here. Crackle’s December line-up.
6 p.m.
- “Picasso: The Legacy,” Ovation (doc; glimpse into artist through exclusive interviews with family, friends)
7 p.m.
- “Taraji’s White Hot Holidays,” Fox (holiday special; Taraji P. Henson hosts variety hour)
8 p.m.
- “Alone,” History (season 3)
9 p.m.
- “The Selection: Special Operations Experiment,” History (series premiere; 30 people with no military background go through authentic experience led by former Navy SEALs, Green Berets and Army Rangers)
- “Gangland Undercover,” A&E (season 2)
- “Notorious,” ABC (season/possibly series finale)
10 p.m.
- “Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen,” Bravo (season premiere)
Friday, Dec. 9
Streaming
- “Medici: Masters of Florence,” Netflix (series premiere; the Medici family of bankers fuels the Renaissance in 15th Century Florence, Italy)
- “Captive,” Netflix (docuseries; examines wide range of hostage situations from the viewpoint of everyone involved)
- “Mozart in the Jungle,” Amazon (season 3)
- “Fuller House,” Netflix (season 2)
7 p.m.
- “Tom Papa: Human Mule,” EPIX (stand-up comedy special)
7:30 p.m.
- “Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special,” Disney (holiday special; Donald doesn’t migrate in order to enjoy holiday with Mickey)
8 p.m.
- “Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour,” Showtime (concert special)
9 p.m.
- “Vice Special Report: A House Divided,” HBO (doc special; look at the country’s bitter political divisions)
- “Van Helsing,” Syfy (season finale)
Saturday, Dec. 10
7 p.m.
- “A Nutcracker Christmas,” Hallmark (movie; woman who missed out on her chance to dance lead in ballet has strange deja vu years later when her dancer niece gets same shot)
- “A Christmas Wedding Date,” Lifetime (movie; fired exec goes home for friend’s Christmas Eve wedding and is surprised)
10 p.m.
- “Comedy Bang! Bang!” Comedy Central (series finale)
Sunday, Dec. 11
7 p.m.
- “Meant to Be,” Hallmark (movie; high-powered marketing exec ends up in Christmas Valley and questioning her priorities)
- “The Dick Van Dyke Show—Now in Living Color!” CBS (special; 2 newly colorized episodes, “That’s My Boy?” and “Coast to Coast Big Mouth”)
- “22nd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards,” A&E (special)
8 p.m.
- “The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses,” PBS (“Great Performances” premiere; epic film versions of “Henry VI” Parts 1 and 2, and “Richard III”)
- “The Sound of Christmas,” Hallmark M&M (movie; lovers try to save a Christmas concert)
Monday, Dec. 12
Streaming
- “The Level,” Acorn TV (series premiere; detectives double life might be exposed after violent incident)
7 p.m.
- “America’s Next Top Model,” VH1 (new network premiere; Rita Ora hosts with Ashley Graham, Drew Elliott and Law Roach as judges)
- “Hockney,” Smithsonian (doc; personal archive of photographs and films gives visual diary of unconventional artist David Hockney)
9 p.m.
- “Poker Central Charity Shootout,” CBS Sports (special; Chuck Liddell, Tony Hawk, Tyler Posey, Jackie Cruz and Jennie Garth play for charities; Part 2 at 9 p.m. Dec. 13)
- “Booze Traveler,” Travel (season premiere)
Wednesday, Dec. 14
Streaming
- “The Bureau,” Sundance Now (season 2; political thriller based on real-life accounts by former French spies)
7 p.m.
- “Empire,” Fox (fall finale)
- “A Pentatonix Christmas Special,” NBC (holiday concert special)
- “Tribute to the Troops,” USA (special)
8 p.m.
- “Star,” Fox (series premiere; 3 young singers navigate cut-throat music business)
9 p.m.
- “Big Night Out,” Vice (series premiere; how partying has become an act of rebellion, sustenance and survival for young people)
- “BBC Music Awards,” BBC America (special)
Thursday, Dec. 15
8 p.m.
- “Nashville,” CMT (season 5 sneak peek; first hour of two-hour season 5 premiere airing Jan. 5)
9 p.m.
- “The Selection: Special Operations Experiment,” History (competition series premiere; combat veterans train 30 civilians and test them in military exercises)
10:30 p.m.
- “Bong Appetit,” Vice (series premiere; chefs and party guests discuss making and consumption of high-end cannabis-infused foods)
Friday, Dec. 16
Streaming
- “The Man in the High Castle,” Amazon (season 2)
- “Shopping King Louie,” DramaFever (series premiere; wealthy shopaholic who loses his memory and parents in accident is forced to restart his life with help of working class girl)
7 p.m.
- “Paranormal Lockdown: Evidence Revealed,” TLC (special; review of season 1 cases)
8 p.m.
- “Running for His Life: The Lawrence Phillips Story,” Showtime (doc; examines troubled linebacker who was convicted of several offenses including domestic abuse and assault with a deadly weapon)
- “EPIX Presents Road To the NHL Outdoor Classics,” EPIX (season 2)
- “Paranormal Lockdown,” TLC (season 2)
- “Z Nation,” Syfy (season finale)
9 p.m.
- “Top Chef,” Bravo (season 14; from Charleston, S.C.)
- “Lidia Celebrates America: Holiday for Heroes,” PBS (special; Lidia Bastianich prepares dinner for 250 active duty Navy troops aboard USS George Washington)
Saturday, Dec. 17
11 a.m.
- “The Great British Baking Show: Masterclass,” PBS (marathon through 6 p.m.)
7 p.m.
- “My Christmas Love,” Hallmark (movie; anonymous benefactor gifts woman with each item from “The 12 Days of Christmas” song)
Sunday, Dec. 18
6 p.m.
- “Breakthrough Prize,” Fox (special; 5th annual ceremony celebrating top achievements in physics, life sciences, mathematics)
7 p.m.
- “Sleigh Bells Ring,” Hallmark (movie; old sleigh nudges woman fixing it up back to her high school sweetheart)
- “Rob & Chyna Baby Special,” Bravo (special)
8 p.m.
- “A Christmas to Remember,” Hallmark M&M (movie; TV personality loses memory but when she begins remembering she wants to keep her new life)
Monday, Dec. 19
8 a.m.
- “Better-Than-A-Sweater” marathon, Esquire (147-hour holiday marathon of several series)
7 p.m.
- “America’s Got Talent Holiday Spectacular,” NBC (holiday special; music, magic and variety acts celebrate the holidays)
- “Risky Drinking,” HBO (doc; case-study look at hazards of alcohol use)
- “First Lady Michelle Obama Says Farewell to the White House—An Oprah Winfrey Special,” CBS (special; her final one-on-one interview inside the White House)
8 p.m.
- “Leave it to Stevie,” VH1 (series premiere; “Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta” star Stevie J launches comeback)
- “Christmas With The Mormon Tabernacle Choir,” PBS (holiday special)
8:30 p.m.
- “K. Michelle: My Life,” VH1 (season 3)
9 p.m.
- “The Is History 2016,” History (special; how will events of the past 12 months fit into the fabric of history?)
Tuesday, Dec. 20
Streaming
- “Andy Richter’s Home for the Holidays,” Seeso (special; see details here)
7 p.m.
- “Michael Bublé Sings and Swings,” NBC (concert special)
- “Terry Crews Saves Christmas,” CW (special; see more in the holiday roundup)
8 p.m.
- “Tony Bennett Celebrates 90: The Best Is Yet to Come,” NBC (2-hour special; host Alec Baldwin and performers including Lady Gaga honor the legend)
- “The Year 2016,” ABC (special; a look back)
9 p.m.
- “Adam Ruins Christmas,” truTV (special; see details here)
Wednesday, Dec. 21
3 a.m.
- “Comedy Crib: The Show,” IFC (series premiere; best fan-favorite content from IFC’s Comedy Crib digital comedy showcase)
7 p.m.
- “Undercover Boss,” CBS (season 8)
8 p.m.
- “Time Presents: Milestones 2016—A Tribute to the Stars We’ve Lost,” Reelz (special)
- “First Lady Michelle Obama Says Farewell to the White House—An Oprah Winfrey Special,” OWN (special; her final one-on-one interview inside the White House)
9 p.m.
- “Joe’s Pub Presents: A Holiday Special,” IFC (special; Tony Hale hosts the comedy and music special taped at Joe’s Pub inside historic Public Theater in downtown Manhattan)
- “Surprise! Instant Xmas Carol,” TBS (holiday special; celebrity carolers surprise ordinary people; repeats 6 p.m. Dec. 4 on TBS, TNT)
Thursday, Dec. 22
Streaming
- “Café Society,” Amazon (movie; young Bronx man returns to New York from Hollywood and is swept up in high society nightclub life)
6 p.m.
- “Kelly’s Hollywood,” Showtime Showcase (doc; intimate story of aspiring actor who brings his sister, born with Down syndrome, to LA to pursue her dream of becoming a Hollywood diva)
9 p.m.
- “Project Runway Junior,” Lifetime (season 2)
Friday, Dec. 23
Streaming
- “Sense 8,” Netflix (holiday special; unofficially the start of Season 2)
7 p.m.
- “A Home for the Holidays,” CBS (holiday special; touching stories about adoption from foster care)
8 p.m.
- “Great Performances: Shakespeare Live!” PBS (PBS Arts Fall Festival finale; celebrating the international legacy of Shakespeare in all the performing arts, including opera, ballet, hip hop, blues, jazz and musical theater)
9 p.m.
- “Treehouse Masters: Appalachian Christmas Treehouse,” Animal Planet (special; team builds treehouse deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina)
Saturday, Dec. 24
10 a.m.
- “Very Merry Movie Marathon,” WGN America (featuring “Rio,” “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” “Head of State”)
7 p.m.
- “24 Hours of ‘A Christmas Story,’ ” TBS, TNT (20th annual marathon of holiday classic)
Sunday, Dec. 25
Streaming
- “A Place to Call Home,” Acorn TV (season 4 finale)
- “The Brokenwood Mysteries,” Acorn TV (season 3 finale)
3 p.m.
- “MVP: Sports Stars and Their Most Valuable Pets,” CBS (special; pets of sports stars; read more here)
8 a.m.
- “AFV Ha Ha Holidays” marathon WGN America (“America’s Funniest Home Videos” episodes all day)
- “Call The Midwife Holiday Special,” PBS (special; sisters of Nonnatus House travel to South Africa to save Hope Clinic)
7 p.m.
- “When Calls the Heart Christmas,” Hallmark (movie; bad weather threatens Hope Valley’s Christmas plans)
8 p.m.
- “Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio,” BBC America (Christmas special; the Doctor join forces with a masked superhero in New York City to battle brain-swapping aliens)
Monday, Dec. 26
Streaming
- “Close to the Enemy,” Acorn TV (limited series finale)
11 a.m.
- “Breaking Bad” marathon, AMC (seasons 1-5; through 3 a.m. Dec. 29)
6 p.m.
- “Jonas Restaurant: Family Style,” Food (special; Jonas parents want to open restaurant)
7 p.m.
- “Every Brilliant Thing,” HBO (movie; filmed version of off-Broadway show about a boy who creates list of best things to cure his mother’s depression and adds to it throughout his life into adulthood)
9:30 p.m.
- “Greatest Ever,” Tru TV (season premiere)
Tuesday, Dec. 27
8 p.m.
- “The 39th Annual Kennedy Center Honors,” CBS (special; pianist Martha Argerich, the Eagles, Al Pacino, Mavis Staples and James Taylor receive honors)
Wednesday, Dec. 28
7 p.m.
- “Undercover Boss,” CBS (time and night premiere)
8 p.m.
- “My Crazy Ex,” LMN (season premiere)
9 p.m.
- “My Crazy Sex,” LMN (series premiere; tales of ordinary people’s sexual misadventures)
- “My Kid’s Obsession,” TLC (special; 5 kids show off unusual collections)
10 p.m.
- “The Expanse: Expanded,” Syfy (special; behind-the-scenes look at “The Expanse,” which returns for its second season Feb. 1)
Saturday, Dec. 31
Streaming
- “Bookaboo’s Barkin’ New Year’s Eve,” Amazon (special; Bookaboo, his bandmates and celeb friends celebrate holiday)
8 a.m.
- “Humans” marathon, AMC (season 1; through 4 p.m.)
4 p.m.
- “Into the Badlands” marathon, AMC (season 1; through 10 p.m.)
10 p.m.
- “The Walking Dead” marathon, AMC (seasons 4-6; through 12:15 a.m. Jan. 1)
Saturday, Dec. 31
5 a.m.
- “The Twilight Zone” marathon, Syfy (through 3 a.m. Jan. 2)
7 p.m.
- “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2017,” ABC (special; airs 7-10 p.m., then 10:30 p.m.-1:13 a.m.)
- “Live From Lincoln Center: New York Philharmonic New Year’s Eve,” PBS (holiday special)
- “A Toast to 2016!” NBC (special; Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb host interview special)
10 p.m.
- “Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution,” Fox (holiday special; Queen Latifah and Snoop Dogg host from Miami’s Bayfront Park)
- “Austin City Limits Hall of Fame New Year’s Eve,” PBS (holiday special; Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King and Kris Kristofferson are inducted)