2011 Network TV Holiday Specials; NBC Picks-Up Full Season of Grimm, Adds 2 More Up All Night Episodes

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

2011 Network TV Holiday Specials; NBC Picks-Up Full Season of Grimm, Adds 2 More Up All Night Episodes

Can you believe the holiday season is nearing? Thanksgiving is um tomorrow, which means Christmas is right around the corner! And then it will be 2012 already a week after Christmas. Time flies! Anyway as I mentioned, I have put together our annual network television (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, The CW) holiday specials list that we all like to watch every year like Frosty the Snowman and A Charlie Brown Christmas, new classics like Shrek the Halls and Disney Prep & Landing and we even get some all-new specials like Disney Prep & Landing 2: Naughty Vs. Nice. Sure the network holiday line-ups are not as detailed as some cable networks like ABC Family, but the main holiday specials are still on network television! These are just actual holiday related specials and movies, not movies or specials airing during the holiday season on broadcast network television, kicking it off tomorrow with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on ABC:

ABC
Thursday, Nov. 24, 8-9pm: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving/This is America Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers
Thursday, Nov. 24, 9:30-11pm: A Very Gaga Thanksgiving (NEW!)
Monday, Nov. 28, 8-9pm: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated) and Shrek the Halls
Thursday, Dec. 1, 8-9pm: Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
Thursday, Dec. 1, 9-11pm ET: CMA Country Christmas (NEW!)
Monday, Dec. 5, 8-9pm: A Charlie Brown Christmas and Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice (NEW!)
Thursday, Dec. 8, 8-9pm: Winter Wipeout: Deck the Balls (NEW!)
Thursday, Dec. 8, 9-10pm: America's Funniest Home Videos Christmas Spectacular (NEW!)
Monday, Dec. 12, 8-9pm: I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown
Thursday, Dec. 15, 8-9pm: A Charlie Brown Christmas/Charlie Brown Christmas Tales plus seven-minute short from Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa
Saturday, Dec. 17, 8-9pm: Winter Wipeout: Deck the Balls ENCORE
Saturday, Dec. 17, 9-11pm: CMA Country Christmas ENCORE
Sunday, Dec. 18, 7-8pm: America's Funniest Home Videos Christmas Spectacular ENCORE
Sunday, Dec. 18, 9-11pm: ABC Sunday Movie of the Week: The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause
Monday, Dec. 19, 8-9pm: Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special and A Chipmunk Christmas (Both NEW! to ABC)
Thursday, Dec. 22, 8-9pm: Disney Prep & Landing and Disney Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice ENCORE
Thursday, Dec. 22, 9-10pm: I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown ENCORE
Friday, Dec. 23, 8-9pm: Shrek the Halls ENCORE and Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation
Friday, Dec. 23, 9-10pm: Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs Nice and Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special ENCORES
Saturday, Dec. 24, 8pm: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated) ENCORE
Saturday, Dec. 24, 8:30-11pm: ABC Thursday Movie of the Week: Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Monday, Dec. 27, 8-9pm: Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Thursday, Dec. 29, 8-9pm: Happy New Year, Charlie Brown/She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown
Saturday, Dec. 31, 8-10pm New Year's Rockin' Eve: The 40th Anniversary Party (NEW!)
Saturday, Dec. 31, 10-11pm Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012 (NEW!)
Saturday, Dec. 31, 11:30pm-2:11am Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012, Parts 1 and 2 (NEW!)
For other non-holiday related movies and specials airing during the holiday season on ABC, view our schedule.

CBS:
Friday, Nov. 25, 8-9pm: Hoops & Yo-Yo Ruin Christmas and Elf on a Shelf: An Elf's Story (NEW!)
Tuesday, Nov. 29, 8-9pm: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Friday, Dec. 9, 8-9pm: Frosty the Snowman and Frosty Returns
Friday, Dec. 9, 9-10pm: Yes, Virginia There Is A Santa Claus and Elf on a Shelf: An Elf's Story ENCORE
Saturday, Dec. 10, 8-9pm: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ENCORE
Saturday, Dec. 10, 9-10pm: The Flight Before Christmas
Saturday, Dec. 17, 8-9pm: Frosty the Snowman and Frosty Returns ENCORES
Saturday, Dec. 17, 9-10pm: The Story of Santa Claus
Wednesday, Dec. 21, 8-9pm: 13th Annual Home for the Holidays
For other non-holiday related movies and specials airing during the holiday season on CBS, view our schedule.

NBC:
Friday, Nov. 24, 10-11pm: The 85th Anniversary of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (NEW!)
Saturday, Nov. 26, 8-9pm: The 85th Anniversary of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ENCORE
Wednesday, Nov. 30, 8-9pm: Christmas in Rockefeller Center (NEW!)
Saturday, Dec. 3, 8-11pm: NBC Movie of the Week: It's a Wonderful Life
Monday, Dec. 5, 8-10pm: The Sing-Off Holiday Special (NEW!)
Tuesday, Dec. 6, 8-9pm: A Michael Buble Christmas (NEW!)
Tuesday, Dec. 20, 9-11pm: Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas
Saturday, Dec. 24, 8-11pm: NBC Movie of the Week: It's a Wonderful Life ENCORE
For other non-holiday related movies and specials airing during the holiday season on NBC, view our schedule.

Fox:
Thursday, Nov. 24 8-9:30pm: Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas and Happiness is Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown (NEW!)
Friday, Dec. 16 8-9pm: Happiness is Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown ENCORE
Wednesday, Dec. 28, 8:30pm: Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas ENCORE
For other non-holiday related movies and specials airing during the holiday season on Fox, view our schedule.

The CW:
Friday, Nov. 25 8-10pm: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer and Olive, The Other Reindeer
Wednesday, Nov. 30 8-9pm: A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa (NEW! to The CW)
Friday, Dec. 23 8-10pm: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer and Olive, The Other Reindeer ENCORE
For other non-holiday related movies and specials airing during the holiday season on The CW, view our schedule.

NBC has picked-up a full season of the new Friday drama Grimm. The series has surprisingly done decently for a Friday, either winning its time period or coming in second place over its four airings to date. As a result, NBC has picked-up a full 22 episode season for the series. NBC will also air an all-new episode on a special night and time on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 10pm to try and expand its audience and drive more tune-in to its regular Friday airings. The series has averaged about a 1.8 rating among adults 18-49 in live+same day data.
Also at NBC, two more episodes of new comedy Up All Night have been ordered, bringing the number of episodes from 22 to 24. The single-camera starring Christina Applegate, Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph was picked up for a full season early last month, as we mentioned. The series will be moving to Thursdays after The Office starting January 11. After a decent start, the comedy has plunged in the ratings but NBC will give it a boost by moving it to another night and time. Will it work? We shall see.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, December 26

Ghosts - "The Christmas: Spirit One" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
In part one of a special one-hour #Ghostsmas episode, Jay’s sister, Bela (Punam Patel), visits Woodstone Mansion and brings along an adoring male friend, inspiring Sam to spark a romance between them in the spirit of the holiday rom-coms she loves. Meanwhile, the ghosts have conjured up a very different holiday plan for Trevor and Bela. Also, Isaac has an awkward encounter with Nigel that forces him to look back on events in his life.

Ghosts - "The Christmas: Spirit Two" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
In part two of a special one-hour #Ghostsmas episode, Sam and Thorfinn get caught in the crossfire as the scheme Jay’s sister, Bela (Punam Patel), and the ghosts have conjured up goes awry. Also, Isaac’s marriage to Beatrice sheds light on how apprehensive he has been in communicating his feelings to Nigel.

Ghosts - "A Very Arondekar Christmas Part 1" / "A Very Arondekar Christmas Part 2" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
A leaky water heater mishap threatens to ruin holiday plans as Sam and Jay prepare to host Jay’s hard-to-please dad, Mahesh (Bernard White), difficult-to-impress mom, Champa (Sakina Jaffrey), and sister Bela (Punam Patel), on a one-hour GHOSTSMAS special.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 23)

Thursday, December 26

Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Catch Jenny on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Paul Feig (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/The Louie Show/The Jackie Thomas Show/Dirty Dancing) - Paul is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Luke Wilson (No Good Deed/Englightened) - Luke is joining Drew for a round of "Behind-the-Scenes" with tidbits from his roles in movies like Legally Blonde on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. He's also telling her about his role in the thrilling new show, No Good Deed.
Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney is chatting with Drew about joining her on Hollywood Squares, going back to work in comedy after becoming a mother, and hosting her new trivia show about Friends on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - Michelle appears on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Sanaa Lathan (Family Guy/The Cleveland Show/LateLine) - Sanaa and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor talk about the enduring power of friendship in their new Hulu film The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat on a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Carol Kane (Taxi/All Is Forgiven/Amerian Dreamer/Pearl/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) - Carol chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Lamorne Morris (Woke/New Girl) - Lamorne sits down for an interview on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
Jay Pharoah (White Famous/Champaign ILL) - Jay talks about his new virtual reality series Soapstone Comedy Presents on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.