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The Best Christmas Specials 2022-23: Holiday Movies and Shows to Stream: Don’t Miss Anything With VeePN

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Mar 20, 2024
12 min read
The Best Christmas Specials 2022-23: Holiday Movies and Shows to Stream
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What’s the one tried and true way to get into holiday spirit? A good old Christmas movies and specials spree! If you want to cram the last few weeks of this year with enough holiday vibes to see you through the rest of winter, you’ve come to the right place! Read along to check out the best new entertaining content that has rolled into town, from light holiday shows to horrors. 

Holiday movies: The sweet mix 

Christmas comes in many genres. Check out this list to find a merry film to your liking. 

Spirited

This remake of the classic Dickens story follows the Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) haunting Scrooge (read selfish businessman Clint Briggs played by Ryan Reynolds) in the hopes he’ll change his life for better. However, it’s the Ghost who ends up examining his life in the end. Oh, and did we mention it’s a musical? 

A Christmas Story Christmas 

This sequel to the classic 1983 movie sees all-grown-up Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) return home to bring the Christmas magic to his family.

All I Didn’t Want for Christmas

  • Already streaming on Sling TV, Prime Video, YouTube, fuboTV, Philo

Emily Harris (Gabourey Sidibe) drunkenly writes a letter to Santa asking for this Christmas not to suck. She finds her wish fulfilled. The thing is — the woman doesn’t remember most of what she wished for.

Something from Tiffany’s

What’s better than the classic “Whoops, my engagement ring ended up in the wrong hands so now I have to get it back from some random dude’s girlfriend but maybe just fall in love with her instead along the way” plot? Happens more often than you’d think. This brand new rom-com produced by Reese Witherspoon proves it.   

Christmas with You 

Burned-out pop star Angelina (Aimee Garcia) travels to a small town to grant a wish of a young fan. Along the way, she has to find inspiration for a hit holiday song or get kicked off her producer’s label. So she’s definitely going to go for the first. 

A Hollywood Christmas

A Christmas movie about being in a Christmas movie. Why not? A filmmaker (Jessika Van) directing a new holiday title finds plenty of Christmas movie tropes penetrating her life when a network executive threatens her latest production. 

Christmas Bloody Christmas 

Here’s one for those who want their dose of holiday violence. Can’t check out Violent Night starring Stranger Things’s David Harbour in theaters, but still want to see Santa Claus going on a murderous rampage? Stay home and watch this antidote to sappy Christmas movies about animatronic Santa gone rogue. 

The Noel Diary

“Cleaning out his childhood home at Christmas, a novelist meets a woman searching for her birth mother. Will an old diary unlock their pasts — and hearts?“

Okay, Netflix, chill. So here we have 2017 eponymous holiday story come to life, with Justin Hartley (This Is Us) and Barrett Doss (Station 19) starring. These two have a lot of drama to work through as well as bonding over — and, knowing how these movies go, they’ll probably (read definitely) let that old diary unlock their hearts. 

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol

This fresh animated remake of the classic story adds time travel, mystical elements, and music to the mix.  

It’s a Wonderful Binge

  • Already streaming on Hulu

Looking for something on Santa’s naughty list? A sequel to the raunch-com The Binge, this Hulu original is also a parody of The Purge. Except all drugs and alcohol are legal for one day of the year, which — oh wow — just happens to fall on Christmas. 

A Christmas Mystery

Now, what about some X-mas whodunnit? The stakes are high — a strip of Santa’s jingle bells which has brought a century of peace and prosperity to a small town in Oregon has gone missing. Finding a real thief, locating the bells, and restoring holiday magic is on the to-do list of a group of bold kids. 

Falling for Christmas 

A spoiled heiress (Lindsay Lohan) suffers from amnesia after a skiing accident and falls for a local lodge owner who takes her in. It’s not about watching a Christmas movie for the actual plot, but rather for a holiday vibe. Yes, it’s corny. And yes, we’re here for it.

Santa Camp

Who said Christmas movies are just about spoiled heiresses or Santas on a killing spree? This heartwarming documentary takes a behind-the-scenes look at wannabe Santas gathering as they welcome their first diverse Santas. This film isn’t afraid to challenge norms, and the ending may just make your heart burst wide open.    

Christmas goodies: Hallmark channel edition 

We’ve made this one separate because Hallmark is like a Christmas movie central. You can tune into plenty of movies on their premiere day or stream them on-demand on Peacock for 72 hours after the network premiere. Roku, Philo, YouTubeTV or fuboTV subscribers can watch Hallmark content, too. 

There are a lot of Hallmark movies (some of them more ridiculous than others), so we can’t possibly cover them all. But here are some honorable mentions. 

Three Wise Man and a Baby 

Some say it’s kinda like the Avengers of Hallmark movies and holiday rom-coms. It’s also the most watched TV movie on cable in 2022. And yep, you might wonder when or if any of these three men will ever do anything wise — after all, we have three bachelors learning how to take care of a baby here. 

Haul Out the Holly 

  • Already streaming on Philo (December 16) 

This goofy rom-com follows Emily (played by Lacey Chabert — and this is her 12th Hallmark holiday movie to date), freelance editor, who stays at her parents’ house while they’re away, only to find out that the community has certain standards for the holiday festivities she better comply with or else.   

The Holiday Sitter

  • Already streaming on Philo (December 15) 

Hallmark’s first gay Christmas movie follows Sam (Jonathan Bennett), a workaholic bachelor, who has to babysit his niece and nephew just before the holidays. Not the Hawaii trip he was expecting to take, but hightailing it to the suburbs will also do. Especially with the cute neighbor around (wink). 

Lights, Camera, Christmas 

  • Already streaming on Hallmark Channel via Peacock, Roku, YouTube TV, Philo, and FuboTV

Another Christmas rom-com about romance blooming on the set of a Christmas rom-com. Which we’re totally here for. A costume designer Kerry (Kimberly Sustad) has her business in a rut. She starts working for a movie that’s shooting in her hometown. And oof, do sparks start to fly between her and the film’s leading man Brad Baxter (John Brotherton). Will Kerry get swept up in a Hollywood romance and let go of her career dreams for good? That’s the question. Because Kerry is hella determined. 

Christmas at the Golden Dragon

  • Already streaming on Hallmark Channel via Peacock, Roku, YouTube TV, Philo, and FuboTV

It’s the busiest week of the year. Perfect timing for Romy (Kara Wang) and Rick’s (Osric Chau) parents to announce that they’re closing their decades-old Midwestern Chinese restaurant. This prompts the siblings and clientele to re-examine their future in a series of interconnected stories.

Holiday specials and TV shows

I Hate Christmas 

Here we have a woman making up a boyfriend during the holidays to get her family off her back. Ah, the classics. This 6-episode Netflix comedy from Italy shows us that sappy holiday romance is a universal concept. And with the beauty of Venice in the background and charming lead performances, it’s a pleasure to watch.

Love Actually: 20 Years Later

“To me, you are perfect.” Yes, Love Actually specials, that’s what we’re talking. Here Diane Sawyer sits down with the cast of this 2003 holiday favorite including Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Bill Nighy and Thomas Brodie-Sangster on its 20th anniversary.

Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All

  • Streaming December 20 on CBS and Paramount+

Couple of modern-day holiday classic songs kind of made Mariah Carey the Queen of Christmas. In this musical special, the singer takes the stage at Madison Square Garden. And yes, she will perform “All I Want for Christmas Is You” — CBS doesn’t want problems. 

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

In this special set after the events of Thor: Love and Thunder, the Marvel superheroes team up again to bring the perfect Christmas present — which may involve kidnapping 80’s hero Kevin Bacon — to Peter Quill (Chris Pratt). 

Boss Baby: Christmas Bonus

It’s Boss Baby (JP Karliak)’s first Christmas, and things go awry. Find out what happens when Boss Baby gets accidentally sent to the North Pole. At 45 minutes long, the movie is perfect to grab the attention of your young ones.

The Santa Clauses

In this modern take on the 1994 classic, Tim Allen returns as Santa Claus, the spirit of the season formerly known as Scott Calvin who sets out to find a suitable replacement for Santa. If you are a fan of the Santa Clause trilogy, you may want to see what happens next in this one.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

  • Streaming for free December 22-25

That small-but-mighty Charlie Brown Christmas tree always captures hearts around the holidays. But this iconic 1965 25-minute special won’t air on broadcast TV in 2022. Instead, you can stream it on Apple TV+. 

Baking It: Celebrity Holiday Edition

  • Already streaming on Peacock

Meet season 2 of this reality competition show with the star-studded holiday special: Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph as hosts, celebrities “cele-baking” in a friendly competition, the Judging Grannies, crafty bakes, goofy songs about butter…Count us in! 

Dolly Parton’s Magic Mountain Christmas 

Dolly Parton and her guests are making a network TV holiday musical special in Dollywood, her amusement park in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. There are performances, production havoc, and three wise mountain men who guide the woman through her past. 

Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays

Pentatonix is back in town! And they brought some new music. This unscripted musical special follows a star a capella group on a trip around the world to discover local holiday traditions and find inspiration for their new holiday album.

How to stream content without problems

Holidays aren’t just about binge watching Christmas movies and specials. Trips are often on the agenda, as well. When traveling, it’s a good idea to get yourself a reliable Virtual Private Network (VPN) so that you could effortlessly access your streaming services’ home libraries anywhere in the world. 

VeePN is your little helper here. With an extensive network of 2,500+ VPN servers in 89 locations across 60 countries, VeePN gives you a new anonymous IP address. This allows you to: 

  1. Change your virtual location and conceal your identity 
  2. Avoid Internet Service Provider (ISP) throttling 
  3. Step up your streaming game and watch favorite content with no lags and limits
Connecting is as simple as it gets: 
  1. Sign up with VeePN.
  2. Install the app for your device.
  3. Open the app and sign in to your account. 
  4. Choose a needed server location and click Connect on the main screen (you won’t miss that big switch button). 

You can run the service on all devices, from your phone to a Smart TV. One VeePN account covers up to 10 devices at once — enough for you and your loved ones. So, let your Christmas spree sleigh (pun totally intended) with the best content and no limits. And Merry Bingemas! (OK, that was the last one). 

Disclaimer: VeePN does not promote, condone, or encourage using a VPN in ways that would potentially violate Terms of Service of streaming service providers. For more details, please read the VeePN Terms of Service.  

FAQ

What are the classic Christmas specials?

If you last the entire holiday without watching at least one of these films, you might just be the Grinch…

  1. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 & 2000)
  2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
  3. A Christmas Story (1983)
  4. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
  5. A Christmas Сarol (1951 & 2009) 
  6. Home Alone (1990)
  7. Elf (2003)
  8. The Polar Express (2004)
  9. The Santa Clause (1994)
  10. Love Actually (2003) 
  11. Die Hard (1988) (yep, it’s a Christmas movie, you are welcome)
  12. The Holiday (2006)

Also, check out our article to see what new Christmas movies and specials have rolled into town. 

What Christmas specials are on TV UK?

Here are the best Christmas television specials airing in UK this month:

  1. Call the Midwife Christmas Special — airs on Christmas Day at 7.55pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. 
  2. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse — Christmas Eve at 4.55pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
  3. Bad Education Christmas Special — 15th December 2022 at 9pm BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.
  4. Christmas Comedy Club with Lost Voice Guy — Christmas Eve at 10.40pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
  5. Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special — Christmas Day at 5.10pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
  6. Doc Martin Christmas Special — Christmas Day at 9.05pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
  7. The Greatest Snowman — Boxing Day at 7.30pm on Channel 4.
  8. Death in Paradise Christmas Special — Boxing Day at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Written by VeePN Research Lab VeePN Research Lab is dedicated to provide you latest posts about internet security and privacy.
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