Holiday TV Specials 2016: What to Watch When

This year’s Christmas special will see the Nonnatus House transported to South Africa when they receive an SOS call from a tiny mission hospital in the Eastern Cape that is understaffed, underfunded and threatened with closure. Trixie, Barbara and co. face some of their toughest challenges, as they work to save Hope Clinic and make a difference in the lives of the people who depend upon it.

4:30 p.m., WTVS; 7:30 p.m., KCTS

In an adventure titled “The Return of Doctor Mysterio,” Doctor Who (Peter Capaldi) teams up with an American journalist (Charity Wakefield) and a superhero called the Ghost (B.C. native Justin Chatwin) to save New York from a deadly alien threat. Also along for the ride: River Song’s old flunky Nardole (Matt Lucas), who’s said to fill the role of “anti-Companion.”

12:45 p.m., Space

Disney Parks celebrates the joy of the holiday season with hosts Julianne and Derek Hough. The festivities include the beloved Christmas Day parade, musical performances from Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks and Kelly Clarkson, and surprise celebrity guests to help us all ring in this most wonderful time of the year. 

9 a.m., ABC

This special tells touching stories of adoption from foster care in order to raise awareness for this important social issue. The inspirational tales are enhanced with performances by some of today’s most popular artists—none of whom had been announced at press time.

8 p.m., CBS

The Boris Karloff-narrated tale of a furry green misanthrope’s efforts to steal every last shred of holiday cheer from the good folks of Whoville celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. And after all those decades as a yuletide institution, there’s really nothing left to say except: It wouldn’t be Christmas without you, Mr. Grinch.

8 p.m., CBC

Nick Cannon hosts the first America’s Got Talent Holiday Spectacular with performances from celebs and past fan favourites Grace VanderWaal, The Clairvoyants, Mat Franco, Piff the Magic Dragon, Olate Dogs, The Regurgitator, Professor Splash and more. And since every Christmas needs its Scrooge, expect Simon Cowell to cast a bit of humbuggery on the evening’s spectacle, alongside fellow judges Mel B, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel.

8 p.m., NBC

The classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical about the Austrian von Trapp family, who fled their home to escape the Nazis in 1938, returns to television to restore your faith in the essential goodness of people. Singing along with stars Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer et al. to standards like My Favorite Things and Edelweiss is very much encouraged.

7 p.m., ABC

Walt Disney Animation Studios brings you an elite unit of elves known as Prep & Landing. The yuletide adventures of Wayne and Lanny (voiced by Dave Foley and Derek Richardson) include saving Christmas from the threat of a raging snowstorm and a race to recover classified North Pole technology that’s fallen into the wrong hands.

8 p.m. & 8:30 p.m., ABC; 8:31 p.m., CTV

This 2003 Peanuts adventure follows Rerun van Pelt’s quest for a canine companion. First, he sets his sights on Snoopy, who soon enough feels compelled to pawn the boy off on his ne’er-do-well brother, Spike.

6 p.m., YTV

In their first-ever holiday special, the Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum-selling a capella group Pentatonix takes the audience on a musical journey through their holiday favourites with special guests Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson.

8 p.m., NBC

In an episode titled "The Nightmare After Krustmas,” Krusty tries to impress his daughter (guest voice Natasha Lyonne) as they spend Christmas with the Simpsons. Meanwhile, Reverend Lovejoy seeks converts after church attendance plummets, and Maggie is haunted by a spooky Christmas toy.

8 p.m., Global & Fox (re-airs Sunday, December 25, 8 p.m., Fox)

It was one of the biggest animated flicks of all time and now it’s officially a holiday staple (though if you’re the parent of a young child, it’s probably in your DVD player year-round). For the uninitiated, Frozen is the frantic, whimsical race to find Princess Elsa (Idina Menzel), whose powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. It falls to her sister Anna (Kristen Bell), ice harvester Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and sentient snowman Olaf (Josh Gad) to bring a little warmth back to Elsa’s life.

8 p.m., ABC

We’ve all seen more than one take on Charles Dickens’ tale of a miser visited by three spirits one fateful Christmas Eve. But nothing’s quite so magical as the Disney version of any given story, as evidenced by this half-hour adaptation, which finds Scrooge McDuck inhabiting the role of his namesake Ebenezer Scrooge, Mickey Mouse playing Bob Cratchit and Jiminy Cricket as the Ghost of Christmas Past.

6:30 p.m., CBC

Jimmy Durante’s final performance was as narrator of the irresistible holiday classic where an inanimate pile of snow (voiced by Jackie Vernon) comes to life after a young girl places a magical hat atop his head. Frosty’s original adventure is followed up by a “sequel” made 23 years later where a magic hat once again brings Frosty (now voiced by John Goodman) to life, this time to lead the fight against people’s hatred of winter.

9 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., CBS

Some things never get old, and this heartwarming 1964 tale is one of them. Who could get tired of watching the triumph of a bullied reindeer whose greatest shame—that nose!—ends up saving the day when a blizzard threatens to cancel Christmas?

8 p.m., CBS

OK, so it’s not a Christmas movie in the strictest sense, but this iconic musical just feels right for the snowy season doesn’t it, with unfailingly cheer-inducing tunes like Jolly Holiday, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Chim Chim Cher-ee and Let’s Go Fly a Kite, delivered by the great Julie Andrews and a goofily accented Dick Van Dyke.

8 p.m., ABC

Some say this live-action take on the beloved cartoon about a misanthropic green creature intent on ruining Christmas doesn’t do the Grinch justice. Others insist it’s one of Jim Carrey’s finest roles. We say: why can’t it be both?

9 p.m., W Network

The beloved Will Ferrell holiday comedy makes its yearly appearance to tell the hilarious tale of an oversized elf named Buddy as he travels to New York City to track down his birth father and, of course, spread weird holiday cheer along the way. 

8 p.m & 10 p.m., CBC, Comedy