Apple TV+ celebrates the Christmas season with festive holiday lineup

The musical holiday special “Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas” is exclusively on Apple TV+.
Get into the Christmas spirit this year with fan-favorite holiday programming for all ages, now streaming globally on Apple TV+. Featuring beloved Peanuts specials; a double-dose of musical holiday specials from the queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey; Hannah Waddingham’s acclaimed “Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas”; and hit musical comedy feature “Spirited,” starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer, Apple TV+ is your destination to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.
In addition to Apple Original holiday films, specials and episodes, Peanuts fans can look forward to catching the timeless and iconic Peanuts holiday specials for free on Apple TV+, including “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Apple TV+ will provide special free streaming windows for nonsubscribers to enjoy these original holiday specials from Mendelson/Melendez Productions and Peanuts Worldwide, and subscribers can watch these specials anytime, all season long.
New and returning holiday-themed Apple Originals available to stream worldwide include:
“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” — Stream for Free Saturday, November 23, 2024 and Sunday, November 24, 2024
“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” — Stream for Free Saturday, November 23, 2024 and Sunday, November 24, 2024
For over 50 years of this Peanuts classic, Peppermint Patty invites everyone to Charlie Brown’s for Thanksgiving, even though he is already going to celebrate at his grandmother’s. Snoopy decides to cook his own version of a Thanksgiving meal with help from his friends.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” — Stream for Free Saturday, December 14, 2024 and Sunday, December 15, 2024
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” — Stream for Free Saturday, December 14, 2024 and Sunday, December 15, 2024
In this beloved Peanuts special, feeling down about the commercialism of Christmas, Lucy recruits Charlie Brown to be the director of the gang’s holiday play. Can he overcome his friends’ preference for dancing over acting, find the “perfect” tree and discover the true meaning of Christmas?
“Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas,”
“Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas”
In “Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas,” Emmy Award-winning star Hannah Waddingham rings in the holidays as she welcomes special guests for a musical extravaganza at the famed London Coliseum. The special is recorded live in front of an audience, and audiences around the world join Waddingham in celebrating her favorite time of year on Apple TV+ as she performs festive classics accompanied by a spectacular big band.
“Spirited”
“Spirited”
Apple’s hi, holiday musical comedy starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, and Octavia Spencer. In “Spirited,” each Christmas Eve, the Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) selects one dark soul to be reformed by a visit from three spirits. But this season, he picked the wrong Scrooge. Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) turns the tables on his ghostly host until Present finds himself reexamining his own past, present and future. For the first time, “A Christmas Carol” is told from the perspective of the ghosts in this hilarious musical twist on the classic Charles Dickens tale. Ferrell and Reynolds star in the film alongside Spencer, Sunita Mani, Patrick Page and the voice talents of Tracy Morgan.
“Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special”
“Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special”
Faced with a holiday cheer crisis, the North Pole knows there’s only one person who can save the day: Santa’s great friend Mariah Carey. The queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, creates a fabulous and star-studded spectacular to make the whole world merry! The special lineup also includes guest superstars Tiffany Haddish, Billy Eichner, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Dupri, Misty Copeland and Mykal-Michelle Harris. Extra special appearances are also made by Carey’s twins, Moroccan and Monroe.
“Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues”
“Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues”
Featuring the first and only performance of the multi-Grammy Award-winning global icon’s new single, “Fall in Love at Christmas,” “Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues” is a holiday spectacular featuring appearances from Grammy Award-nominated worldwide artist Khalid and Grammy Award-winning legend Kirk Franklin as they bring the spirit of Christmas to fans around the world. The queen of Christmas also rings in the holidays with a dazzling, new rendition of fan favorite, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” The special also features an exclusive interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe and Carey, along with her 10-year-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe, as they share their favorite holiday moments, and Carey celebrates her beloved holiday classic, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” and Apple TV+’s perennial smash hit, “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special.”
A still frame from Apple’s claymation “Ted Lasso” short film for Christmas
“Ted Lasso: The Missing Christmas Mustache”
From the team that brought kindness back, “Ted Lasso: The Missing Christmas Mustache” is a stop-motion short, featuring the voice talents of the beloved ensemble cast as they help Ted search for a lost item that ultimately leads him to realize the meaning of the holiday season. The holiday short stars Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brendan Hunt, Jeremy Swift, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Phil Dunster and Nick Mohammed.
“Spirited” Sing-Along
A sing-along version of the hit holiday musical comedy, “Spirited,” starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer, allows audiences to belt out fan-favorite tunes composed by Academy Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“La La Land”), such as “Good Afternoon” and “Bringin’ Back Christmas.”
“The Making of ‘Spirited’”
Go behind the scenes in “The Making of ‘Spirited,’” featuring never-before-seen rehearsal footage starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer. Since its debut, “Spirited” has received wide acclaim and has been hailed as “an instant Christmas classic” that is “hugely entertaining” with “show-stopping numbers reminiscent of the golden age of movie musicals.”
Apple Original Film “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”
A story of kindness, friendship, courage and hope for viewers of all ages in a heartwarming, classically animated Academy Award-winning film based on Charlie Mackesy’s book, “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.” The poignant and heartfelt journey follows the unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse traveling together in the boy’s search for home. The film, featuring Mackesy’s distinctive illustrations brought to life in full color with beautiful hand-drawn animation, stars BAFTA Award winner Tom Hollander (“The Night Manager”) as the Mole, Golden Globe and SAG Award winner Idris Elba (“Luther”) as the Fox, Golden Globe Award winner Gabriel Byrne (“All Things Bright and Beautiful”) as the Horse, and newcomer Jude Coward Nicoll as the Boy.
Heartwarming Apple Original special “The Velveteen Rabbit” is among the festive lineup of kids and family programming this Christmas season on Apple TV+.
“The Velveteen Rabbit”
Based on the treasured classic children’s book by Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit” celebrates the magic of unconditional love. When 7-year-old William receives a new favorite toy for Christmas, he discovers a lifelong friend and unlocks a world of magic. The 40-minute special from Apple TV+ and produced by Magic Light Pictures introduces Phoenix Laroche (“The Royal Nanny”) starring as William alongside an all-star cast, including the voices of Alex Lawther (“Andor”) as the Velveteen Rabbit, Helena Bonham Carter (“The Crown,” “Harry Potter”) as Wise Horse, Nicola Coughlan (“Bridgerton”) as Playroom Fairy, Bethany Antonia (“House of the Dragon”) as Female Rabbit, Lois Chimimba (“Still Up”) as Car, Paterson Joseph (“Vigil”) as King, Clive Rowe (“So Awkward”) as Lion, Nathaniel Parker (“The Inspector Lynley Mysteries”) as Male Rabbit, Tilly Vosburgh (“Inside Man”) as Momo and Samantha Colley (“Genius”) as Mother.
Plus, Apple TV+ offers a slate of Christmas and holiday-themed episodes from fan-favorite original series for the whole family, including:

“Eva the Owlet” — Eva’s Moon Wish — Premiering Friday, December 13
“Eva the Owlet,” the animated series based on the New York Times bestselling Scholastic book series “Owl Diaries” by award-winning author Rebecca Elliott, stars Eva, a creative, cheeky owlet who lives next door to her best friend Lucy in the woodland world of Treetopington. With big ideas and an even bigger personality, Eva goes on high-flying adventures, expressing herself in her diary along the way! In “Eva’s Moon Wish,” as Treetopington celebrates a special holiday, Eva helps a lost oriole look for his family — and learns the true meaning of community.

“Sago Mini Friends” — New Year’s Steve
In a holiday special titled “New Year’s Steve,” Harvey makes a wish to stay awake until midnight and a firefly swoops in to help — and kickstarts a scavenger hunt for the whole crew. The series is an adorable nod to gratitude, featuring Harvey the floppy-eared dog and his best friends, Jinja the cat, Jack the rabbit and Robin the bird. Along with a unique cast of residents as colorful as their own whimsical world, the four friends play, explore, imagine and celebrate daily in their joyful town of Sagoville. In each episode, Harvey and all his friends express their true thankfulness for all things, big and small, through optimism, kindness, preschool-friendly humor and unforgettable original songs!
<img src=”https://macdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/241111_snoopy_holiday.png” alt=”“The Snoopy Show” — Happiness Is Holiday Traditions
In “Happiness Is Holiday Traditions,” Snoopy searches for the perfect tree topper, Woodstock gets trapped in a window display and Snoopy and Woodstock visit Spike for Christmas. An Apple TV+ original series from Peanuts and WildBrain, “The Snoopy Show” gives the world’s most iconic dog his close-up and dives into new adventures with the happy-dancing, high-flying, big-dreaming beagle, who’s joined by best friend Woodstock and the rest of the Peanuts gang.” width=”660″ height=”372″ class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-278131″ />
“The Snoopy Show” — Happiness Is Holiday Traditions
In “Happiness Is Holiday Traditions,” Snoopy searches for the perfect tree topper, Woodstock gets trapped in a window display and Snoopy and Woodstock visit Spike for Christmas. An Apple TV+ original series from Peanuts and WildBrain, “The Snoopy Show” gives the world’s most iconic dog his close-up and dives into new adventures with the happy-dancing, high-flying, big-dreaming beagle, who’s joined by best friend Woodstock and the rest of the Peanuts gang.
“The Snoopy Show” — Happiness Is the Gift of Giving
In “Happiness Is the Gift of Giving,” Snoopy adapts a Christmas poem to help Sally sleep, Charlie Brown makes gifts for his pals and Snoopy finds waiting to open his presents a challenge. An Apple TV+ original series from Peanuts and WildBrain, “The Snoopy Show” gives the world’s most iconic dog his close-up and dives into new adventures with the happy-dancing, high-flying, big-dreaming beagle, who’s joined by best friend Woodstock and the rest of the Peanuts gang.
“Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales”
Celebrate the merriest time of the year with the Peanuts gang. Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and Sally each star in a collection of Christmastime tales from the original Peanuts comic strips.
<img src=”https://macdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/241111_dog_for_christmas_charlie_brown.png” alt=”“I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown”
All Rerun wants from Santa is a dog, but his mother won’t let him have one. Spending time with Snoopy provides the perfect pick-me-up. But when Snoopy gets too busy to play with Rerun, they call in a substitute — Snoopy’s brother Spike.” width=”660″ height=”372″ class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-278132″ />
“I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown”
All Rerun wants from Santa is a dog, but his mother won’t let him have one. Spending time with Snoopy provides the perfect pick-me-up. But when Snoopy gets too busy to play with Rerun, they call in a substitute — Snoopy’s brother Spike.
“It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown”
“It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown” is a collection of Christmas-themed vignettes. Charlie Brown tries to sell wreaths; Peppermint Patty worries about her Christmas book report; Charlie Brown tries to buy gloves for Peggy Jean; and the gang is in a Christmas play, where Sally worries about her single line and Peppermint Patty plays a sheep.

“Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” — Night of the Lights
Jim Henson’s fun-loving and musical Fraggles — Gobo, Red, Wembley, Mokey, Boober and new Fraggle friends — have returned in the “Night of the Lights” holiday special for all-new adventures about the magic that happens when we celebrate and care for our interconnected world. It’s the Night of the Lights, the most Fraggily holiday of the year, and the Rock is filled with songs and cheer. When Jamdolin — voiced by Emmy Award nominee Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton”) — encourages Wembley to make a special wish, the Fraggles head out on an adventure to find the brightest light and, maybe, the true meaning of the holiday.
<img src=”https://macdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/241111_stillwater.png” alt=”“Stillwater” — The Way Home
In “The Way Home,” while helping Stillwater make treats to celebrate the winter solstice festival, the kids learn he plans to share some with a neighbor they’re wary of. Recognized with a Peabody Award for excellence in storytelling and for work that encourages empathy, “Stillwater” is a beautiful and engaging series for kids and families. It highlights mindfulness and has charmed young viewers with its tales of friendship, while providing kids with a new perspective on the world around them. The series centers on siblings Karl, Addy and Michael, who encounter everyday challenges — big and small — which sometimes feel insurmountable. Fortunately for these three, they have Stillwater, a wise panda, as their next-door neighbor. Through his example, stories and gentle humor, Stillwater gives the children a deeper understanding of their feelings as well as tools that help them face their own day-to-day challenges.” width=”660″ height=”372″ class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-278133″ />
“Stillwater” — The Way Home
In “The Way Home,” while helping Stillwater make treats to celebrate the winter solstice festival, the kids learn he plans to share some with a neighbor they’re wary of. Recognized with a Peabody Award for excellence in storytelling and for work that encourages empathy, “Stillwater” is a beautiful and engaging series for kids and families. It highlights mindfulness and has charmed young viewers with its tales of friendship, while providing kids with a new perspective on the world around them. The series centers on siblings Karl, Addy and Michael, who encounter everyday challenges — big and small — which sometimes feel insurmountable. Fortunately for these three, they have Stillwater, a wise panda, as their next-door neighbor. Through his example, stories and gentle humor, Stillwater gives the children a deeper understanding of their feelings as well as tools that help them face their own day-to-day challenges.

“Interrupting Chicken” — A Chicken Carol
In the holiday special, “A Chicken Carol,” Ebenezer Wolf decides to cancel the holidays so, Piper teams up with the Three Little Pigs and some ghostly friends to change his mind. This animated preschool series is based upon “Interrupting Chicken,” the 2011 Caldecott Honor-winning book series written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein, introduces children to the joy of storytelling — starting with a young little chicken named Piper who has a habit of interrupting storytime! Every time Piper hears a story, she can’t help but jump in, ask questions and let her imagination run wild as she tries to fill in details, guess what happens next or insert herself in the middle of the action to help save the day.

“Get Rolling With Otis” — A Winter’s Cow Tale
In a special episode, “A Winter’s Cow Tale,” it’s Christmas Day and Rosalie is due to have her baby. Daisy can’t wait to be a big sister, but she’s disappointed when she can’t decorate the tree with her mama. Otis rolls into action to help Daisy decorate the tree and when the snow builds up too high, he plows his way through the snow, so Daisy can meet her new baby sister. Based on the popular books by New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Loren Long, this animated adventure series welcomes young viewers to Long Hill Dairy Farm, home to Otis the Tractor (voiced by Griffin Robert Faulkner) and all his friends. Otis may be little, but he has a big heart. Whenever he sees a friend in need, he hits the brakes, asks how they’re feeling and rolls into action to help!

“Frog and Toad” Christmas Eve
In “Christmas Eve,” Frog and Toad are looking forward to spending the winter holiday together, but a last-minute errand into town sidetracks Frog, causing Toad to wonder if his best friend will make it home in time. An Apple TV+ original series based on the beloved book series by Arnold Lobel, “Frog and Toad” are not at all alike. Frog likes new adventures. Toad likes the comforts of home. Yet despite their differences, Frog and Toad are always there for each other — as best friends should be. The talented voice cast includes Academy Award winner Nat Faxon (“Our Flag Means Death,” “The Conners”) and Emmy Award nominee Kevin Michael Richardson (“The Simpsons,” “Family Guy”) as Frog and Toad, as well as appearances by Ron Funches (“Trolls”), Fortune Feimster (“Good Fortune”), Cole Escola (“At Home with Amy Sedaris”), Aparna Nancherla (“The Great North”), John Hodgman (“Up Here”), Yvette Nicole Brown (“Disenchanted”), Stephen Tobolowsky (“The Goldbergs”), Emmy Award nominee Tom Kenny (“SpongeBob SquarePants”), Selene Luna (“Coco,” “Mayans M.C.”), Emmy Award nominee Margaret Cho (“Fire Island”) and Betsy Sodaro (“Duncanville,” “Tiny Toons”).

“Shape Island” — The Winter Blues
“Shape Island” is the acclaimed stop-motion series for kids and families based on the internationally bestselling trilogy of Shapes picture books written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen. Apple TV+ features an all-new holiday special titled “The Winter Blues.” The chilly season leaves Square feeling sad, so Circle and Triangle try to cheer him up by creating a new holiday: Yeti Night. The clever, funny and inspiring stop-motion animated series takes place on a charming island and invites viewers to join serious Square, intrepid Circle and tricky Triangle on their silly adventures as they dig up some fun, search for answers and build on their friendship — all while learning how to navigate each other’s differences. “Shape Island” shows kids that friendship can take many shapes. The series features the beloved familiar voices of Gideon Adlon (“Blockers”), Scott Adsit (“30 Rock”), Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”) and Yvette Nicole Brown (“Disenchanted”).

“Pretzel and the Puppies” — Merry Muttgomery!
In “Merry Muttgomery!,” when a heavy snowfall jeopardizes the annual holiday festival, the pups find unique ways to celebrate with all the snowed-in dogs in the city. Based on the beloved canine from the classic book “Pretzel” by award-winning authors Margret and H. A. Rey, creators of “Curious George,” the original series follows a modern dog family led by stay-at-home dad Pretzel, his five adorable Dachshund puppies, and mom Greta, the mayor of Muttgomery. Together, the Doxies are always sniffing out ways to “make their bark” on their doggie hometown and make it a better place for their four-legged friends and neighbors. Pretzel and Greta encourage their pups to try to solve their own problems, often reminding them to “Get those PAWS UP!” whenever they face a challenge. Voice talent includes Mark Duplass, Nasim Pedrad and many more.
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 520 wins and 2,372 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
MacDailyNews Take: Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.

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