The Christmas Movies On Cable, Netflix, Hulu

NEW YORK, NY – Santa is about to launch his sleigh, the shopping frenzy is wrapping up and the last few days of the 2018 Christmas movie season are here. Networks and streaming services are airing your favorite movies for the holidays, including Hallmark which has two channels chock-full of cheer in its Countdown to Christmas format, plus Freeform, UPtv, Netflix and Hulu. (See lists from each, plus Amazon movies below.)

The holiday classics run from "Elf," "Christmas Vacation," and "Meet Me In St. Louis," to "Love Actually" and the heartwarming oldie "It's A Wonderful Life." Let's not forget "Die Hard," which IS a Christmas movie since New York City cop John McClane single-handedly defeats terrorists in an L.A. high-rise at Christmas. You can catch it on IFC in four back-to-back showings on Christmas Day starting at 2 p.m.

And the classic animated tale by Dr. Seuss, "How The Grinch Stole Christmas," will air one last time on network TV this season at 8 p.m. on Dec. 25.

Listings are subject to change; check each network's website for updates. If you want to imbibe in some Christmas cheer at the expense of Hallmark's formula of women dropping their clearly inappropriate boyfriends when they find true love at the holiday, there's a drinking game for that; watch for small towns pulling together, kids who need a parent, women named Eve and Holly, and adorable dogs. This year's Hallmark holiday lineup includes Candace Cameron Bure, Lacey Chabert, Tia Mowry-Hardrict and Danica McKellar, with network debuts by country artists LeAnn Rimes and Kellie Pickler.

Hulu Christmas movies include:

• Miracle on 34th Street
• Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
• A Very Brady Christmas
• Holiday Baking Championship
• The Holiday
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Hallmark Channel's 2018 "Countdown to Christmas":

All premieres are at 8 p.m. ET

• Sunday, December 23: "Christmas Made to Order"
• Tuesday, December 25: "When Calls the Heart" Christmas Two-Hour Special Event
• Saturday, December 29: "Focus on Love"

UPtv's final premiere Christmas movie:

• Hometown Holiday – Sunday, December 23 at 7 p.m. ET Music executive Ryan goes to a country wedding to meet a rising singer, but he falls for a local girl.

Freeform 25 Days Of Christmas
Freeform network began its annual "25 Days of Christmas" event on Dec. 1. Here's a sampling of what Freeform has planned for the rest of the season:

Sunday, December 23
• 7am/6c The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
• 7:30am/6:30c Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure
• 9:40am/8:40c Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish
• 11:45am/10:45c Disney•Pixar's Toy Story That Time Forgot
• 12:15pm/11:15c Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town
• 1:20pm/12:20c The Nightmare Before Christmas
• 3pm/2c Christmas with the Kranks
• 5:05pm/4:05c The Santa Clause
• 7:10pm/6:10c The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
• 9:15pm/8:15c Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• 11:55pm/10:55c Life-Size 2: A Christmas Eve

Monday, December 24
• 7:30am/6:30c Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish
• 11am/10c Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas
• 12:30pm/11:30c The Nightmare Before Christmas
• 2:05pm/1:05c Jingle All the Way 2
• 4:10pm/3:10c Disney’s A Christmas Carol
• 6:15pm/5:15c Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• 8:55pm/7:55c The Santa Clause
• 12am/11c The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause

Tuesday, December 25
• 7am/6c Disney’s Prep & Landing
• 7:30am/6:30c Disney’s Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice
• 8am/7c Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas
• 11am/10c The Nightmare Before Christmas
• 12:40pm/11:40c Disney’s A Christmas Carol
• 2:40pm/1:40c Disney's Meet the Robinsons
• 4:45pm/3:45c The Santa Clause
• 6:50pm/5:50c The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
• 8:55pm/7:55c Disney’s The Lion King (1994)
• 12am/11c Disney's Meet the Robinsons

Netflix Holiday Movies 2018

There are oodles of Christmas movies and specials on Netflix, but here are a few that the streaming service has highlighted for 2018.

• Christmas Inheritance: Ellen, the socialite heiress to her father's gift business, is stranded in a small town and falls in love with it and with a charming local. Watch it now.
• Merry Kissmas: The heroes have to figure out the wrong relationships before they can figure out that they're right for each other. Kayla is engaged to a self-absorbed choreographer, but after she kisses a caterer, she realizex what real romance could be like. Watch it now.
• A Christmas Prince: A favorite last year told the story of a reporter assigned to go abroad to cover a playboy prince, and she falls for him. There's a sequel coming out just in time for this Christmas. Watch it now.
• Dear Santa: When a wealthy young woman discovers a "Dear Santa" letter written by a little girl, she opens up to the girl's father, a soup kitchen owner. Watch it now.
• The Spirit of Christmas: The ghosts of Christmas past and future put a holiday twist on the haunted house genre. A ghost meets Kate, a lawyer trying to sell the property, and as they attempt to break the curse binding the ghost to the house, feelings develop. Watch it now.
• Love Actually: The British ensemble rom-com has become a holiday staple with several storylines: a lonely prime minister, a boy trying to woo his first crush, a newly divorced writer and his Portuguese housekeeper, a wife and mother who discovers an ugly truth about her husband, and more. The storylines all intersect at a children's Christmas pageant. Watch it now.
• White Christmas: The Old Hollywood classic filled with Bing Crosby crooning Christmas songs, and snow as an actual plot point. Watch it now.
• A Holiday Engagement: When a young woman can't face telling her family that she got dumped by her boyfriend, she hires an actor to pretend to be her fiancé during a weekend at her parents'. Watch it now.
• Christmas in the Smokies: A family fights to save their berry farm during the holiday season. While their daughter spearheads their efforts to save the farm, her famous ex returns to add a twist. Watch it now.
• You Can't Fight Christmas: Opposites attract is the premise for this story of a holiday fiend and a business-minded workaholic. Will he find Christmas joy? Will they find true love? Watch it now.
• Christmas Crush: Also released as Holiday High School Reunion, this movie combines Christmas and school reunions. Watch it now.
• A Dogwalker's Christmas Tale: A young woman has to choose between her wealthy, powerful employer and her handsome friend's request to help save a dog park at the holidays. Watch it now.
• Miss Me This Christmas: When a couple reaches their breaking point, they agree to split up. Their divorce will be finalized on Christmas — which is also their wedding anniversary. Watch it now.
• Coffee Shop: A coffee shop owner fights to save her business, and takes a chance on romance with a handsome New York writer who prefers tea to coffee. Watch it now.
• Holiday Baggage: A middle-aged divorced couple reunites with the family they have drifted apart from over the years. When they gather for the holidays, their feelings aren't as long-gone as they had thought. Watch it now.

"Elf" airs year-round on multiple networks and streaming services. Upcoming showings on AMC include: Monday, Dec. 24, 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 24, 5:30 p.m. It will also air at 10 p.m. and midnight on Jan. 1 on Bravo. All times Eastern.

Here's a sampling of holiday movies the networks and cable channels have set for the run-up to Christmas:

Sunday, December 23

• 7:00am – The Little Drummer Boy (1968, Rankin/Bass) (Freeform)
• 7:30am – Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure (2011, Curtis Armstrong) (Freeform)
• 7:30am – TCM Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas! (TCM)
• 8:30am – Bush Christmas (1947) (TCM)
• 9:40am – Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish (1998, Eugene Levy, Martin Mull) (Freeform)
• 11:45pm – Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story That Time Forgot (Tim Allen, Tom Hanks) (Freeform)
• 12:15pm – Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970, Rankin/Bass) (Freeform)
• 1:20pm – The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) (Freeform)
• 2:00pm – Susan Slept Here (1954, Debbie Reynolds) (TCM)
• 3:00pm – Christmas With the Kranks (2004, Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis) (Freeform)
• 4:00pm – All Mine to Give (1957) (TCM)
• 5:05pm – The Santa Clause (1994, Tim Allen) (Freeform)
• 7:00pm – Hometown Holiday (UP)
• 7:10pm – The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006, Tim Allen, Martin Short) (Freeform)
• 8:00pm – Disney’s Prep & Landing (2009) (ABC)
• 8:00pm – Christmas Made to Order (2018, Alexa PenaVega) (Hallmark)
• 8:00pm – 3 Holiday Tails (Lifetime)
• 8:00pm – The Holly and the Ivy (TCM)
• 8:30pm – Disney’s Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice (2011) (ABC)
• 9:00pm – Christmas Bells are Ringing (2018) (Hallmark Movies)
• 9:15pm – Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000, Jim Carrey) (Freeform)
• 2:45am – Fanny and Alexander (1982) (TCM)

Monday, December 24
Christmas Eve

• 6:00am – Beyond Tomorrow (1940, Harry Carey) (TCM)
• 7:30am – Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish (1998, Eugene Levy, Martin Mull) (Freeform)
• 7:30am – Little Women (1933, Katharine Hepburn) (TCM)
• 9:30am – The Great Rupert (1950, Jimmy Durante) (TCM)
• 11:00am – Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas (2004) (Freeform)
• 12:30pm – The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) (Freeform)
• 12:30pm – The Shop Around the Corner (1940, James Stewart) (TCM)
• 2:05pm – Jingle All the Way 2 (Freeform)
• 2:15pm – Holiday Affair (1949, Robert Mitchum) (TCM)
• 4:00pm – Christmas in Connecticut (1945, Barbara Stanwyck) (TCM)
• 4:10pm – Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009 Jim Carrey) (Freeform)
• 6:00pm – Meet Me in St. Lous (1944, Judy Garland) (TCM)
• 6:15pm – Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000, Jim Carrey) (Freeform)
• 8:00pm – It’s a Wonderful Life (1946, James Stewart, Donna Reed) (NBC)
• 8:00pm – A Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) (TBS)
• 8:00pm – The Bishop’s Wife (1947, Cary Grant) (TCM)
• 8:55pm – The Santa Clause (1994, Tim Allen) (Freeform)
• 10:00pm – A Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) (TBS)
• 10:00pm – A Christmas Carol (1938, Reginald Owen) (TCM)
• 11:30pm – Christmas Eve Mass from St. Peter’s Basilica (NBC)
• 11:30pm – In the Good Old Summertime (1949, Judy Garland) (TCM)
• 12:00am – The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006, Tim Allen, Martin Short) (Freeform)
• 12:00am – A Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) (TBS)
• 1:30am – Meet John Doe (1941, Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck) (TCM)
• 2:00am – A Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) (TBS)
• 4:00am – A Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) (TBS)

Tuesday, December 25
Merry Christmas!

• 6:00am – A Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) (TBS)
• 6:00am – Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland) (TCM)
• 7:00am – Disney’s Prep & Landing (2009) (Freeform)
• 7:30am – Disney’s Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice (2011) (Freeform)
• 8:00am – Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas (2004) (Freeform)
• 8:00am – A Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) (TBS)
• 8:00am – Three Godfathers (1948, John Wayne) (TCM)
• 10:00am – Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade (9am central/mountain/pacific) (ABC)
• 10:00am – A Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) (TBS)
• 10:00am – Bundle of Joy (1956, Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds) (TCM)
• 11:00am – The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) (Freeform)
• 12:00pm – A Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) (TBS)
• 12:00pm – Bachelor Mother (1939, Ginger Rogers) (TCM)
• 12:40pm – Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009 Jim Carrey) (Freeform)
• 1:30pm – Fitzwilly (1967, Dick Van Dyke) (TCM)
• 2:00pm – A Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) (TBS)
• 2:40pm – Christmas With the Kranks (2004, Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis) (Freeform)
• 3:30pm – The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941, Bette Davis) (TCM)
• 4:00pm – A Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) (TBS)
• 4:45pm – The Santa Clause (1994, Tim Allen) (Freeform)
• 5:45pm – It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) (TCM)
• 6:00pm – A Christmas Story (1983, Peter Billingsley) (TBS)
• 6:50pm – The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006, Tim Allen, Martin Short) (Freeform)
• 8:00pm – Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 cartoon) (NBC)
• 8:00pm – When Calls the Heart Christmas (2018, Lori Loughlin, Jack Wagner) (Hallmark)
• 8:30pm – Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000, Jim Carrey) (NBC)

Amazon Holiday Movies To Stream

Amazon has holiday films galore to stream, so Country Living has picked the 16 best that come included with your Amazon Prime membership. They range from "A Christmas Carol" and "Scrooged" to "Home Alone."

• Scrooged: Rediscover Charles Dickens' iconic story about a grumpy man transformed by the magic of Christmas in this movie starring Bill Murray. Watch it here.
• Home Alone: Watch everyone's favorite Yuletide film about a boy who has the holiday adventure of a lifetime after his family accidentally leaves him home alone over Christmas. Watch it here."Home Alone" Photo by 20th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

• Home for the Holidays: This film, starring Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., and many more familiar faces proves every family is a little dysfunctional—especially around the holidays. Watch it here.
• Jack Frost: After losing his father in a car accident on Christmas Day, a grieving boy befriends a special snowman who reminds him of his dad. Watch it here.
• The Man Who Invented Christmas: Learn the story behind one of the greatest Christmas tales of all time in this exciting movie about Charles Dickens and the inspiration behind A Christmas Carol. Watch it here.
• The Miracle on 34th Street: This is a 1955 made-for-TV version of the classic tale in which a young girl befriends a department store Santa Claus who claims to be the real thing. Watch it here.
• I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown: Celebrate the holidays with the Peanuts gang in this sweet story about Rerun van Pelt's hope for a new furry friend this Christmas. Watch it here.
• The Christmas Switch: When a skilled con artist switches bodies with an elderly man who loves Christmas, he'll realize all he's capable of—especially when it comes to helping others during the holiday season. Watch it here.
• Jack Frost: Satisfy your Christmas nostalgia with this 1979 classic about Jack Frost's adventure to find love and save a village from an evil king. Watch it here.
• The Man Who Invented Christmas: Learn the story behind one of the greatest Christmas tales of all time in this exciting movie about Charles Dickens and the inspiration behind A Christmas Carol. Watch it here.
• The Miracle on 34th Street: This is a 1955 made-for-TV version of the classic tale in which a young girl befriends a department store Santa Claus who claims to be the real thing. Watch it here.
• Love at the Christmas Table: Lea Thompson and Danica McKellar star in this film about two childhood friends who've grown apart but may finally find true love in one another over the holidays. Watch it here.
• Falling for Christmas: When an injured figure skater takes a break from the rink around the holidays, she'll learn there's a lot more to life beyond the ice thanks to a romantic retired ice hockey player. Watch it here.
• Christmas Angel: When a friendly neighbor offers her a special job for the holiday season, a lonely, struggling woman will find love, new friends, and a new purpose helping others. Watch it here.
• Four Christmases: While they'd hoped to avoid their families' holiday celebrations altogether, couple Brad and Kate will begrudgingly make the rounds at four Christmas celebrations and learn a thing or two about the importance of family along the way. Watch it here.

This list is compiled from the holiday TV website christmastvschedule.com and Pop Sugar, along with the Hallmark Channel, Freeform and UP TV.

Originally reported by Deb Belt/Patch

Lead image credit in clockwise order: Snap Stills/REX/Shutterstock; Alan Markfield/New Line Prods./Kobal/REX/Shutterstock; Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock; 20th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock