What’s not to love about Christmas? Food, family, friends, and holiday cheer. It’s one of our all-time favorites, and we thought a family friendly Christmas movie marathon in the comfort of your own home might be an excellent way to welcome the holiday. Here’s our round up of where to go on your TV screen or mobile device to get the holidays going right with a movie marathon, watching the best family channels showing films set on or around Christmas. Yay!
best channels for a family Christmas holiday movie marathon
It’s finally Christmas, and you know what means: it’s time to close your laptop, throw on your most festive loungewear, and take a breather after twelve months hard work. As well as a cause for celebration, this holiday should also be a cause for rest. You deserve it!
The best channels for a family Christmas holiday movie marathon this year.
And how better to rest (and celebrate!) than with a Christmas movie marathon?
We know that the streaming services are full of holiday movies, but there is something special about watching a Christmas movie on actual cable; you know, like we used to do. It’s nice to let someone else choose what we’re going to watch for a change, and we will take any opportunity to dive headfirst into a warm, sudsy bath of nostalgia – especially on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
If you too have lost track of the number of Vanessa Hudgenses in Netflix’s Christmas Prince franchise, it’s time to change the channel. Here are some of the shows and movies that are being broadcast on December 24th and 25th – sit back, relax, and let someone else plan your Christmas movie marathon.
7 best movie channels to watch for a home marathon this Christmas
1. AMC
All month long, AMC has been celebrating the “Best Christmas Ever.” After more than thirty days of all your favorite holiday classics, it’s all wrapping up December 24th and 25th with “Best Christmas Marathon.” And when AMC says best, they mean best. Spend the weekend with a marathon of crowd-pleasers, including: Elf, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Four Christmases, Polar Expresses, Fred Claus, Christmas with the Kranks, and White Christmas.
2. TCM
That is Turner Classic Movies, to you. TCM is one of the best networks around, and we always love to see what they curate for the holidays. Spend the weekend with a marathon of crowd-pleasers, including: It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Christmas in Connecticut (1945), Holiday Affair (1949), A Christmas Carol (1938), and Holiday Affair (1949).
3. NBC
For many people, it wouldn’t be Christmas without an annual screening of It’s a Wonderful Life. You can see it on Saturday, December 24, 8-11 p.m. on NBC NBC presents the Frank Capra classic once more. An angel sent from heaven tries to help a desperately frustrated businessman (Jimmy Stewart), showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.
4. ABC
Though ABC has yet to reveal their full holiday lineup, we’re already getting excited. As well as an 8 pm showing of Home Alone on Christmas Eve, they’re kicking off Christmas morning with a screening of the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade. What a perfect way to start the day.
5. Freeform
Leave it to Freeform to give us the best Christmas gift of them all: a stacked lineup of entertainment for next weekend. Spend the weekend with a marathon of crowd-pleasers, some including: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, Home Alone, and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
6. TBS/TNT
If your favorite festive movie is A Christmas Story, well – you’re in luck. Starting on December 24th, both TBS and TNT will play the movie. On repeat. For twenty-four hours. Yes, that’s right, one full day of A Christmas Story – enough to get you through both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This means that you can tune in at any point during the holiday, and catch some of the all-time classic. (And p.s. the brand-new sequel, A Christmas Story Christmas – featuring a grown-up Peter Billingsley – is now playing on HBO Max).
7. Hallmark and Lifetime
Of course, any list of Christmas proceedings has to include both Hallmark and Lifetime. Together, they make up the land of Christmas, where every story get a happy ending, and where you’re bound to see at least one of your old favorite sitcom stars. We’re not sure why so many people conflate Christmas with romance, but hey, maybe it’s the mistletoe. And who are we to judge? You can expect a nonstop marathon of all the networks’ recent Christmas movies on December 24th and 25th, as well as the sight of familiar faces like Kyla Pratt, Jeremy Jordan, Mario Lopez, Lacey Chabert, and so many more. If you are craving a sweet and sentimental weekend, look no further than the television equivalent of a giant marshmallow (and we mean that as a compliment).
7 best movie channels to watch for a home marathon this Christmas
That’s where to go on your TV screen or mobile device to get the holidays going right with a movie marathon, watching the best family channels showing films set on or around Christmas. Enjoy!
