December TV: what’s on and when to watch

With the holidays in full-swing, it could mean one of three things when it comes to your TV habits:

  1. You want to catch your favorite holiday specials, but you have no idea when they’re on.
  2. You don’t care about holiday specials, but DO wish you knew what else was out there to watch.
  3. You’re ignoring the holidays completely by binge watching.

No matter which category you fall into, we can hook you up with ideas and resources.

If you’re looking for holiday programs…

If you want to know when to catch your favorites, you need to check out Christmas TV Schedule. They did such a thorough job, I’d suggest heading there first. The only downside? The list isn’t searchable.

ElfTVGuide also has a special holiday section but it’s not quite as complete as Christmas TV Schedule’s, in my opinion. However, you can search there if you know what you want to watch which makes it a handy resource (as long as it’s scheduled to appear in the next 14 days).

One, final place to look for holiday programming is Patch. Like the first source mentioned here, it’s a list, but a much more focused one. If you’re not looking for anything specific or too off the beaten path (read: The Year Without A Santa Claus), it might be just the ticket.

And, don’t forget that Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas is still going! (And you know I had to mention it 🙂 ). There are new movies every week:


Non-holiday programs to watch

Holiday specials are always big this month, but there are lots of other things happening on TV this month you might not want to miss. Here’s a list of some highlights (all listed in Central Time):

Thursday, December 8
supernatural-cwSupernatural: it’s the 12th season fall finale. CW, 8pm
Note: if you really want overindulge in TV binge, Supernatural is a good option. You have 11 whole seasons to watch. That’s a lot of holiday avoidance (and fun show). (Image courtesy of CW)

Friday, December 9
*BING WATCH ALERT* Fuller House: Season 2 premiere’s on Netflix (available after 2am)
Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour. Showtime, 8pm

Saturday, December 10
Mary Poppins: the classic with Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews. ABC, 7:00p.m.

Sunday, December 11
frozen-poster-smallFrozen – The Wonderful World of Disney presents “Frozen,” the blockbuster movie’s first airing on TV. ABC, 7pm
Critic’s Choice Awards: the 22nd annual awards. A&E, 7pm
Ash vs. Evil Dead: it’s the second season finale. Starz, 7pm
Divorce: Sara Jessica Parker’s new show ends its first season. HBO, 9pm

Monday, December 12
Billboard Women in Music 2016: It’s new, two-hour special. Lifetime, 8pm
America’s Next Top Model: The 23rd season premiers. VHS, 9pm

Tuesday, December 13
The Middle: Called “A Very Marry Christmas”, it’s a holiday episode of your favorite comedy. ABC, 7pm
Fresh Off the Boat: It’s the 3rd season fall finale. ABC, 8pm
The Voice: It’s time for part 2 of the live season finale. NBC, 8pm

Wednesday, December 14
Survivor: It’s time for the two-hour 33rd season finale (yes, 33rd). CBS, 7pm
Note: ABC is airing the fall season finales of The Goldbergs, Speechless, Modern Family, Designated Survivor, and Black-ish all on the 14th.

Thursday, December 15
Big Bang Theory: The 10th season fall finale. CBS, 8pm (followed by the finale of The Great Indoors.)

Friday, December 16
man-in-high-castle*BINGE WATCH ALERT* Man in the High Castle: Season two is available. Amazon, 2am
The 85th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade: Floats, stars, and glamour—what more do you need? CW, 7pm.
Z Nation: The third season wraps up at 8pm on SyFy.

Sunday, December 18 
The Sound of Music: The Rodgers & Hammerstein cinematic treasure, based on the real-life von Trapp family. ABC, 7 p.m.
Shameless: The 7th season finale! Showtime, 8pm

Tuesday, December 20
The year, 2016: A special look at major events from the last 12 months. ABC, 8pm
Scream Queens: The second season finale wraps up just before the holidays. Fox, 8pm

Thursday, December 22
Project Runway: The second part of the season finale! Lifetime, 7pm (followed by the Project Runway Junior premiere)

Friday, December 23
*BINGE WATCH ALERT* Travelers: The complete first season premieres on Netflix, 2am
*BINGE WATCH ALERT* Trollhunters: For the kids, the complete first season premieres on Netflix, 2am

Tuesday, December 27
The 39th Annual Kennedy Center Honors: CBS, 8pm

20161123_164239_224016_mg_6392-jpg-1280x720_q85Wednesday, December 28
Egypt’s Treasure Guardians: Follow experts determined to safeguard Egypt’s treasures for future generations. PBS, 9pm

Saturday, December 31
Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest: ABC, 7pm & 10:30
Live from Lincoln Center: New York Philharmonic New Year’s Eve. PBS, 7pm
Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution: Fox, 10pm
New Year’s Eve Special: NBC, 9pm & 10:30pm

No matter what you choose to watch this December, we hope you find what you’re looking for!

 

Top image courtesy of graur razvan ionut at Free Digital Photos.net

Missy works on the Corporate Communications team and reports stories to TDS employees and customers. This is right up her alley because she’s an extrovert and also a big fan of research (really, she’ll look up just about anything that strikes her interest). Missy is a native of Madison, Wis. with an undergraduate in Anthropology and a master’s degree in Life Sciences Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her interest in the Internet as a mass media shaped her work towards a PhD in Journalism and Mass Communications. She’s also worked as an editorial assistant, copywriter, and production artist. In her off hours, Missy is a crafter, Pinterest addict, reader, wife, and mom of two kids.

Leave a Comment