2016 Christmas TV Schedule: When Are Holiday Classics On?
Find out when your favorite holiday movies will air on network television this 2016 season. Some start airing before Halloween.
The Northeast is still walking to commuter trains in flip-flops, leaves have yet to reach their peak in the Mid-Atlantic states and the Cubs haven’t yet made it to the World Series. (There’s always hope, right?)
But at least two TV networks have posted their schedules of 2016 holiday programming — and the deluge of Santa Claus, elves and all things Christmas starts before Halloween even arrives. Stars to look for this year include Oscar-winner Shirley Maclaine, "Outlander’s" Sam Heughan and Eric McCormack of "Will and Grace" fame.
So, if your family Christmas traditions include gathering the kids to watch “Elf” or “Christmas Vacation,” or a heartwarming oldie like “It’s A Wonderful Life,” we have the dates and times for you to post on your calendar.
Check the 2016 season’s lineup of holiday programming on TV to find your favorite classic films — "A Christmas Story," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "Miracle on 34th Street" and more.
Patch has pulled together these highlights for holiday shows every night into the new year, courtesy of Freeform (formerly ABC Family) and a holiday TV website. It runs the gamut from Bing Crosby and Jimmy Stewart on Turner Movie Classics to countless showings of Will Ferrell as everyone’s favorite elf. The deluge of Christmas romances on Hallmark Channel starts Oct. 28; so far the network has only posted its new weekend offerings.
Freeform kicks off its annual holiday programming Dec. 1 with its 25 Days of Christmas schedule, which has not been fully released yet. Likewise for NBC, which shows "It’s a Wonderful Life" several times during the season.
We’ll update this as more networks confirm their offerings.
Here’s the schedule of evening shows, all times Eastern unless otherwise noted:
Friday, October 28
- 10 pm- A Christmas Melody | Hallmark
- 12 am- A Cookie Cutter Christmas | Hallmark
- 2 am- Best Christmas Party Ever | Hallmark
- 4 am- Naughty or Nice | Hallmark
Saturday, October 29
- 6 am- One Starry Christmas | Hallmark
- 8 am- Hats Off to Christmas! | Hallmark
- 10 am- Christmas at Cartwright's | Hallmark
- 11 am- The Nightmare Before Christmas | Freeform
- 12 pm- A Royal Christmas | Hallmark
- 2 pm- I'm Not Ready for Christmas | Hallmark
- 4 pm- Merry Matrimony | Hallmark
- 6 pm- Crown for Christmas | Hallmark
- 8 pm- A Wish for Christmas | Hallmark
- 10 pm- On the Twelfth Day of Christmas | Hallmark
- 12 am- 'Tis the Season for Love | Hallmark
- 2 am- A Holiday Engagement | Hallmark
- 4 am- Hitched for the Holidays | Hallmark
Sunday, October 30
- 6 am- Snow Bride | Hallmark
- 8 am- Northpole: Open for Christmas | Hallmark
- 10 am- Ice Sculpture Christmas | Hallmark
- 12 pm- A Princess for Christmas | Hallmark
- 2 pm- A Wish for Christmas | Hallmark
- 4 pm- The Nine Lives of Christmas | Hallmark
- 6 pm- Christmas Under Wraps | Hallmark
- 8 pm- Family for Christmas | Hallmark
- 10 pm- Christmas Land | Hallmark
- 12 am- 12 Gifts of Christmas | Hallmark
- 2 am- Window Wonderland | Hallmark
- 4 am- One Christmas Eve | Hallmark
Monday, October 31
- 6 am- It's Christmas, Carol! | Hallmark
- 8 am- Christmas Incorporated | Hallmark
- 2 pm- Hitched for the Holidays | Hallmark
- 4 pm- Best Christmas Party Ever | Hallmark
- 6 pm- The Most Wonderful Time of the Year | Hallmark
- 8 pm- A Royal Christmas | Hallmark
- 10 pm- Christmas at Cartwright's | Hallmark
- 12 am- The Christmas Parade | Hallmark
- 2 am- Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus | Hallmark
- 4 am- Finding Christmas | Hallmark
Saturday, November 5
- 8 pm- A Wish for Christmas | Hallmark
Sunday, November 6
- 8 pm- Mistletoe Promise | Hallmark
Saturday, November 12
- 8 pm- Every Christmas Has a Story | Hallmark
Sunday, November 13
- 8 pm- Christmas Cookies | Hallmark
Saturday, November 19
- 8 pm – My Christmas Dream | Hallmark
Sunday, November 20
- 8 pm- A December Bride | Hallmark
Wednesday, November 23
- 8 pm – Christmas in Homestead | Hallmark
Thursday, November 24
- 8 pm – Christmas List | Hallmark
Friday, November 25
- 8 pm – Journey Back to Christmas | Hallmark
Saturday, November 26
- 8 pm - A Heavenly Christmas | Hallmark
Sunday, November 27
- 8 pm – Broadcasting Christmas | Hallmark
Friday, November 25
- 8 pm - Christmas Bucket List | Hallmark
Thursday, December 1
- 8 pm- The Man Who Came to Dinner | TCM
- 10 pm- It Happened on 5th Avenue | TCM
- 12 am- O. Henry's Full House | TCM
- 2:15am - Meet John Doe | TCM
- 4:30am - Fitzwilly | TCM
Friday, December 2
- 8 pm- National Christmas Tree Lighting | Hallmark
Saturday, December 3
- 8 pm - A Dream of Christmas | Hallmark
Sunday, December 4
- 8 pm - Looks Like Christmas | Hallmark
Saturday, December 10
- 8 pm - A Nutcracker Christmas | Hallmark
Sunday, December 11
- 8 pm– Meant To Be | Hallmark
Monday, December 12
- 8 pm- Meet Me in St. Louis | TCM
- 10 pm- In the Good Old Summertime | TCM
- 12 am- A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas! | TCM
- 1:15am - Bachelor Mother | TCM
- 2:45am - Bundle of Joy | TCM
- 4:30am - Susan Slept Here | TCM
Thursday, December 15
- 8 pm- The Shop Around the Corner | TCM
- 10 pm- Christmas in Connecticut | TCM
- 12 am- Love Finds And Hardy | TCM
- 1:45am - Desk Set | TCM
- 3:45am - Period of Adjustment | TCM
Saturday, December 17
- 8 pm - My Christmas Love | Hallmark
Sunday, December 18
- 8 pm - Sleigh Bells Ring | Hallmark
Thursday, December 22
- 8 pm- Holiday Affair | TCM
- 9:45pm - Remember the Night | TCM
- 11:30pm - A Christmas Carol | TCM
- 1:15am - Babes in Toyland | TCM
- 2:45am - Little Women | TCM
Friday, December 23
- 5am - A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas! | TCM
Saturday, December 24
- 6:45am - Tenth Avenue Angel | TCM
- 8 am- Meet John Doe | TCM
- 10:15am - Scrooge | TCM
- 12:15pm - It Happened on 5th Avenue | TCM
- 2:15pm - Holiday Affair | TCM
- 4 pm- The Shop Around the Corner | TCM
- 6 pm- Meet Me in St. Louis | TCM
- 8 pm- It's a Wonderful Life | NBC
- 8 pm- A Christmas Story | TBS
- 8 pm- Christmas in Connecticut | TCM
- 10 pm- A Christmas Story | TBS
- 10 pm- The Dolly Sisters | TCM
- 12 am- A Christmas Story | TBS
- 12 am- In the Good Old Summertime | TCM
- 2 am- A Christmas Story | TBS
- 2 am- The Man Who Came to Dinner | TCM
- 4 am- A Christmas Story | TBS
- 4 am- Bell Book and Candle | TCM
Sunday, December 25
- 6 am- A Christmas Story | TBS
- 6 am- Going My Way | TCM
- 8 am- A Christmas Story | TBS
- 8:30am - Boys Town | TCM
- 10 am- A Christmas Story | TBS
- 12 pm- A Christmas Story | TBS
- 2 pm- A Christmas Story | TBS
- 4 pm- A Christmas Story | TBS
- 6 pm- A Christmas Story | TBS
- 8 pm - When Calls the Heart | Hallmark
Original Article Courtesy of Patch.com Annapolis
Patch file photo of "A Christmas Story" house in Cleveland
