Apple TV has announced its lineup of holiday-themed offerings for viewers, including classic holiday specials that can be viewed even without a subscription. Here are all the details.
New for the holidays this year on Apple TV
Apple TV has a growing catalog of holiday offerings that are always available to stream. But this year, viewers can enjoy two new offerings as well.
The Family Plan 2 is a sequel to the hit 2023 film, and comes with a European holiday setting this time around. It premieres Friday, November 21 on Apple TV.
Here’s Apple’s official summary followed by the trailer:
In “The Family Plan 2,” it’s the holiday season and Dan (Mark Wahlberg) has planned the perfect vacation for his wife Jessica (Michelle Monaghan) and their kids to celebrate overseas — until a mysterious figure from his past (Kit Harington) shows up with unfinished business. An international game of cat-and-mouse ensues as Dan and his family battle, bicker and bond their way through a series of bank heists, holiday hijinks and car chases amid scenic European terrain.
The First Snow of Fraggle Rock is an all-new holiday special from The Jim Henson Company, featuring musical artist Lele Pons.
It will premiere Friday, December 5 on Apple TV and join the existing lineup of Fraggle Rock content on the service.
Here’s the official summary:
The Fraggles eagerly await the first snow of the season and all the traditions it brings, but when only a single snowflake arrives and Gobo can’t write the yearly holiday song everyone is expecting, the season is thrown off course. For the first time ever, Gobo journeys to the human world — or, as the Fraggles refer to it: Outer Space — to find some unexpected musical inspiration. And in another first, back at the Gorgs’ castle, Junior is overwhelmed by the arrival of a new baby Gorg joining the family. This holiday season, the Fraggles and Gorgs learn that beautiful moments aren’t always perfect — but they can be as unique and memorable as snowflakes.
Returning Apple TV holiday hits, including free offerings
Apple has an extensive lineup of holiday offerings available, all of which you can browse here.
Classic Peanuts holiday specials all live on Apple TV. They’re available year-round for subscribers, but viewers can even stream them free during limited windows.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will stream free on November 15 and 16
A Charlie Brown Christmas will stream free on December 13 and 14
My personal favorite Apple TV holiday offering is the movie Spirited, a musical comedy that debuted in 2022.
Spirited stars Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell in a modern retelling of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Before you think that you’ve seen one too many Dickens takes, I highly recommend making room for one more.
The music from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land) is excellent, the cast is fantastic, and overall it’s quickly become one of my favorite Christmas movies of the last decade.
Here’s Apple’s plot summary, and the trailer:
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 Dickens tale.
If you like Ted Lasso and don’t mind musicals, another recommendation is Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas.
It’s essentially a holiday concert featuring Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca on Ted Lasso), and cameos from lots of other Lasso cast members.
There are plenty more holiday-related TV episodes and specials you can find here.
What are your favorite Apple TV holiday specials? Let us know your top recommendations in the comments.
Apple TV is available for $12.99 per month and features hit TV shows and movies like Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Silo, and Shrinking.
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