Holiday TV specials: ‘Home Alone,’ ‘A Pickleball Christmas’ and more

From classics like “Home Alone” and “The Sound of Music” to NFL games and more, the days leading up to Christmas are a time of cheers and nostalgia.

Here are some highlights from Dec. 13-25.

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Dec. 13

— Apple TV streams the beloved favorite “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for free on Dec. 13 and Dec. 14.

@appletv Santa came just in time. Stream A Charlie Brown Christmas for free 12/14 – 12/15 on Apple TV+ or watch anytime with an Apple TV+ subscription. #ACharlieBrownChristmas #Peanuts #Snoopy #AppleTV #AppleTVPlus ♬ A Charlie Brown Christmas – Apple TV

— In “A Suite Holiday Romance” for Hallmark Channel, Jessy Schram stars a ghostwriter who checks-in to a fancy New York hotel for a job writing a memoir. She meets a handsome Brit (Dominic Sherwood) and the two experience a series of misunderstandings until they realize they’re meant to be.

Dec. 14

— HGTV returns to the White House at Christmas for a one-hour special that goes behind-the-scenes of its decorating transformation at the holidays. It also streams next day on HBO Max and Discovery+.

— On the first night of Hanukkah, Hallmark Channel premieres the new movie “Oy to the World!” When the pipes burst at a local synagogue, a church opens its doors for an interfaith service. Brooke D’Orsay and Jake Epstein play choir directors who were also rivals in high school that must work together to put on a successful event for all.

Dec. 15

— Acorn TV has a two-part Christmas special of “The Madame Blanc Mysteries” airing Dec. 15 and Dec. 22. British actor Sally Lindsay plays antique dealer Jean White, who visits the France museum Maison Sainte-Victoire on Christmas Eve to authenticate an Ormolu box once owned by Marie Antoinette. It’s discovered that the box contains a ticking time bomb and Jean and her team have just 90 minutes to diffuse it.

Dec. 16

— “The Nutcracker” ballet is a Christmas classic, and PBS is offering a reimagined version taped at the London Coliseum. Still set to Tchaikovsky’s score, this version centralizes Clara’s story and is set in Edwardian London where a street scene has dancing chimney sweeps and suffragettes. “Great Performances: Nutcracker from English National Ballet” will also be available for streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app.

Dec. 20

— Lifetime is jumping on the pickleball popularity bandwagon with the new movie “A Pickleball Christmas.” It stars James Lafferty as a tennis pro whose family’s racquet club is on the brink of closing its doors. He and a tennis instructor take part in a holiday tournament to save the day.

Dec. 21

— Tate Donovan and Jillian Murphy star in a new Christmas movie for Great American Family called “Mario Lopez Presents: Chasing Christmas.” In the film, Donovan plays a morning show host and Murphy a designer who team up to make a child’s Christmas wish come true. Lopez’s son Dominic also has a role.

— The Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer classic “The Sound of Music” airs on ABC.

Dec. 24

— “Home Alone” airs on ABC. The film made Macaulay Culkin a child star for playing a boy whose parents accidentally leave him home when their large family hurries off on a Christmas vacation. He’s left to defend his house against two clumsy burglars.

Dec. 25

— Netflix is gifting us with football on Christmas again this year. The Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders game is at 1 p.m. Eastern followed by the Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.

(With AP report)

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