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OK, let’s admit that while everyone loves Christmas, not everyone loves holiday movies. I mean, “Elf” is a great movie, but how many original holiday films can one person stand? Also, I’m a little sick of Will Ferrell after all of this “Anchorman 2” promotion. North Dakota? Really?
In that sort of Grinch-y spirit, Brief offers 12 Days of Christmas TV, a best-of list of all things TV heading into the holiday. Consider it our gift to you.
Saturday, December 14:
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: A partridge in a pear tree AND “It’s a Wonderful Life” on NBC, the first of many opportunities you will have to re-watch this Christmas gem this season. Actually, let’s be honest: in this on-demand world, you can watch this anytime you want. But it’s Christmas, so it’s nice to have this on the TV while you make your 35th batch of cookies.
“Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.”
If you’ve already seen “It’s A Wonderful Life” too many times, take in a Lifetime double-header of original Christmas movies: “Christmas on the Bayou” at 8 p.m. ET and “A Snow Globe Christmas” at 10 p.m. ET. Or you can flip back and forth between Lifetime and Hallmark, which is offering 12 original movies this year as part of its Countdown to Christmas, to catch part of “Hats Off to Christmas,” also airing at 8 p.m. ET.
Sunday, December 15:
We’re going to give you a real Christmas present on this night: The third-season finale of Showtime’s “Homeland” and the first-season finale of “Masters of Sex.” This present would be better if I wasn’t so sad that “Masters of Sex” was over already. Good thing I have season two of Netflix’s “House of Cards” to look forward to! Happy Valentine’s Day to me!
Monday, December 16:
It’s the fall season finales of CBS’ Monday night comedy lineup, including “How I Met Your Mother,” in its last season, “2 Broke Girls” and “Mike & Molly” (with this clever episode title: “They shoot asses, don’t they?”) Finally, after NINE YEARS, we have learned how he freaking met the mother. That story literally took forever to tell, as the kids point out here.
But if you’d really rather watch something Christmas-y, we recommend “Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas” on Fox at 9 p.m.
Tuesday, December 17:
Got nothing for you here. Take a break from holiday programming and watch PBS’ “How Sherlock Changed the World” at 9 p.m. and let Sherlock change your life. Season three of “Sherlock,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, premieres on PBS at 9 p.m. on January 19, 2014. (And if you fall in love with this casting pairing, as I have, you can watch them again on Wednesday, December 18, as “The Hobbit 2: The Desolation of Smaug” premieres in theaters.)
Wednesday, December 18:
It’s an annual tradition: “Barbara Walter’s 10 Most Fascinating People of 2013,” airing on ABC at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.
This year, Walters includes A-plus-lister, Jennifer Lawrence, as well as reality-queen Kim Kardashian and her fiance, rapper Kanye West; “Good Morning America’“s Robin Roberts, NSA leaker Edward Snowden, infamous twerker Miley Cyrus and the world’s most famous baby (although Kim and Kanye’s North West could probably give him a run for his money), Prince George Alexander Louie, heir to the British throne.
Thursday, December 19:
Live, from New York, it’s Thursday night! And it’s actually not live, but it will probably be funny, so it’s in. NBC presents a Christmas best-of “Saturday Night Live” starting at 9 p.m. ET/PT and featuring past and present stars. But even better: on Saturday, Dec. 21, Jimmy Fallon returns to host with BFF Justin Timberlake, who appears as a musical guest on the show for the fifth time.
As an added bonus, here’s one of my favorite “SNL” Christmas digvids:
Friday, December 20:
OK, we’re getting close now so if you haven’t started shopping, it’s time to start. When you get home from the mall (or let’s face it, off the computer, where you are frantically ordering gourmet sausage-and-cheese gift sets and boxes of wine for everyone on your list), you can relax with CBS’ airing of the colorized episode of “I Love Lucy” at 8 p.m. It’s surprisingly odd to see this gang in color, and I’m pretty sure Lucy’s hair is pink.
Saturday, December 21:
It’s the last weekend before Christmas and while — of course — you will be watching Fallon and Timberlake on “Saturday Night Live” tonight, you can literally watch an entire day of Christmas programming on ABC Family, which has a marathon of Christmas movies planned from 7 a.m. on.
ABC Family, which every year offers 25 Days of Christmas, closes the night with a triple feature of Tim Allen’s “The Santa Clause,” “The Santa Clause 2” and “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.”
Here’s a link to ABC Family’s entire holiday schedule:
You can also see what ABC Family has planned every day by clicking on its advent calendar on Facebook.
Sunday, December 22:
Jim Carrey is great and all but nothing beats the original: “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” on ABC Family at 7 p.m., starring little Cindy Lou Who.
Monday, December 23:
This has nothing to do with Christmas but it’s just a good movie: “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” on PBS’ Independent Lens at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Set your DVRs and give yourself a Christmas video gift.
And let’s be honest, most of you will be watching the San Francisco 49ers v. the Atlanta Falcons on ESPN. Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean anyone’s going to stop watching football.
Tuesday, December 24:
Turn your TV to TBS and leave it there, starting at 5 p.m. It’s the annual 24-hour marathon of “A Christmas Story,” one of the few movies worth watching this many times in a row.
Wednesday, December 25:
We made it! NBA fans can literally watch five games in a row on Christmas Day, but if you are still in the holiday spirit, tune in one final time for one of the all-time great Christmas movies: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” You know you’ve always wanted to put that many lights on your own house.
Merry Christmas!
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