#hbo war secret santa 2020

[softspeirs]

One Step Closer

Pairing: Joe Liebgott x OFC (Anna Cunningham, created by @mercurygray​’s Central Casting generator! Summary: 5 times Joe Liebgott wanted to kiss her, and 1 time he finally did. Author’s Note: To @rogue-sunday​ for the HBO War Secret Santa exchange! CATHERINE oh my god I have wanted to be like *waves hands* IT’S ME IT’S ME for weeks!!!! You reblogged one of my fics when I was still messaging you anonymously and I didn’t say anything because I was worried somehow you’d figure it out LOL. ANYWAY. You asked me for something with Lieb, something with some yearning and w o w is there yearning. Pining. Feelings abound. I hope you enjoy it! Disclaimer: I don’t own Band of Brothers. This portrayal is based completely on the actor and no disrespect is intended to any veterans or their families.

1.

Toccoa

The barracks are a disaster zone. All of their belongings are strewn about on their racks. Letters and clothes and personal effects are everywhere, but none are completely destroyed except for hers.

Joe and the others are used to this treatment from Sobel, and they grumble as they sort out their stuff. When the door opens with a bang and Cunningham comes in, they all freeze, watching her reaction.

She’s only been with them a few days. He’s not sure what to make of her. He thinks she’s absolutely out of her skull, that’s for damn sure. Why else would a woman want to become a sniper?

He expects embarrassment when she sees her clothes and belongings draped across her rack and several of the others next to hers, but she surprises them yet again with a loud, angry curse.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” she swears, gathering a bundle of her clothes in her arms. She shoves them into her trunk, and goes completely still when she sees what’s left on her bed.

It looks like a book. A diary, maybe. Joe snorts. Figures Sobel would want to read her deepest, darkest thoughts, the dirty bastard.

“Is this-- do you think this is funny?” She hisses, rounding on him. He didn’t realize he laughed loud enough for her to hear it.

He shrugs, straightening his shoulders. “Shouldn’t have brought a diary to basic, sweetheart.” He says with a smirk. “That’s just asking for trouble. He goes through everyone’s stuff when the whim strikes him.”

He nearly stops himself when he sees her hands are shaking.

“This-- this is my mother’s--” She stops herself, and for a moment, no one moves, no one even breathes. A single, solitary tear slides down her cheek. “This is all I have left of her, and now--”

He sees what’s making her upset. Sobel didn’t just read it. There’s pages torn out, the cover is nearly ripped off.

“Come on,” Luz is there, ever the mediator. “Let’s go outside for a second, get some air.”

She stiffens when he touches her elbow, but she levels one last glare at Joe and a few of the others who are watching her warily.

“I know you don’t want me here. I know everyone’s waiting for me to fail out. But I’m not going anywhere. So you and Sobel and everyone else better get used to it.”

There’s a fire in her eyes he’s never seen before, the ends of her hair practically crackling with energy as she runs a shaky hand through it.

For half a second, he’s transfixed. He shakes the feeling off as soon as it arrives, cursing himself for being so predictable.

She leaves with George and the rest of them go back to sorting out their own gear, Malarkey watching the door with a long, low whistle.

“Wouldn’t want to be on her bad side.”

“You already are, stupid.” Guarnere quips, and they dissolve into chuckles. It’s true - the entire platoon hasn’t been very welcoming, except for a few who were a little too eager to have a woman in their ranks.

He doesn’t really know what to think. One thing’s for sure, though, Anna Cunningham might be off her rocker, but she’s not someone you want to cross. Joe smiles to himself as he remembers her glaring at him. Somehow he thinks that won’t be the last time.

2.

Fort Benning

“Shut up--” She hisses, crouched down next to Joe and Chuck Grant in the weeds and dirt at the base of a small tree, “If either of you keep talking, we’re never going to win.”

Chuck snorts, “Anna, we’re never going to win anyway. They’ve got Shifty on their side.”

Her eyes narrow. “And you’ve got me.”

“Yeah, Grant. Stop doubting the lady.”

She makes a frustrated noise, somewhere between a groan and a growl, and Joe can’t help the chuckle that escapes. God, but he loves winding her up.

After everything Easy’s been through so far on their way to earning their wings, she’s really opened up. The incident in the barracks with Sobel and her Mom’s diary seemed to be the last straw. She stood up for herself, and wasn’t afraid to be loud about it to anyone who tried to get the better of her.

“There,” she says, almost breathlessly, interrupting Joe’s musing. “I see it.”

“Where?” Grant leans up.

“Stay down!” She hisses. “They’re close. I can hear Bill.”

Joe smirks, “Those damn Philadelphians don’t have quiet voices.”

She grins. “Better for us. I’m going to go get the flag, and then we’re on our way to a hot meal, boys.”

Still crouched down, the three of them make their way back a few yards to where the rest of their team is waiting.

“Well?” Malarkey asks, nearly tripping over his own feet to meet them halfway.

“The flag is tied to a branch on a tree a few yards ahead. They’ll see us the minute we start for it, though.”

Lipton whispers, “You’re the fastest, Cunningham. I say you make a break for it.”

“I’ll go with her, give her a boost.” Joe says, anticipating what she does next, which is to whip around to glare at him.

“I don’t need a boost--”

“You’re five feet at best--”

“Five two when you stretch,” Skip adds, snickering.

“Shut up, both of you. We’re wasting time. I’m going alone, and I’m going to beat Shifty at capture-the-flag if it’s the last thing I do.”

She heads off with a nod from Lip, and when Joe watches her scurry up the tree and wave around the flag victoriously while Shifty and Bill shout at her from a few yards away, that feeling of never wanting to take his eyes off her washes over him again.

3.

D-Day

A group of them are clumped together on the airfield, gathering their gear and trying to gather their nerves.

Joe won’t admit it, but he’s crawling out of his skin with anxiety. He wants to get in the plane and take off. The waiting is killing him.

He busies himself giving last minute haircuts, trying not to watch with increasing jealousy as someone else makes sure Anna is geared up, even though he knows she’s capable of taking care of herself.

Something about facing impending death is making him not give a flying fuck about decorum or anything else. If he’s going to die today, he doesn’t want to die not knowing if the spark he feels with her is just her digging her way under his skin, or something more.

After he finishes the last cut, he heads over towards her, his feet moving without his permission.

“There you go,” George says to her fondly, tugging the last strap tight where Anna can’t reach to do it herself. “Don’t look now--” he says as a warning, disappearing right when Lieb saunters over, a smirk on his face.

“You ready?”

“Want to get it over with.” Anna grumbles, trying to hide her nerves.

Joe clears his throat. “You’ll be fine.” He says, gruff. “Just--” he leans in, pressing a swift kiss to her forehead. “Be careful.”

He relishes in the surprised look on her face as he heads towards his stick.

4.

Bastogne

She muffles a scream into his shirt as he hauls her into his foxhole, the trees above them splintering into pieces.

He can feel her hot breath mixed with tears against her neck, and he wishes, not for the first time, that he could get her out of here.

Selfishly, he wants her to be safe. But also selfishly, he wants her close. He’s so used to the ache in his chest when he looks at her, the way a smile from her lights him up from the inside out… he knows that if it weren’t for her, he might be even more reckless than he usually is.

He’s determined to live, though, and keep her alive too. He promises himself that when this war is finally over, he’s going to get his shit together and tell her how he feels.

“Joe?” She gasps out, “Joe. Let me go.”

He instinctively holds her closer for a half second before releasing her. “Stay down.”

“I have to check on Shifty--”

“You’re not going anywhere until the shelling stops.” Grinding his teeth, he forces himself to soften his tone. “Are you hurt?”

“I don’t think so.”

Something in her voice makes him shift around so he can see her face. She’s bleeding - a gash on her forehead spilling crimson down her temple.

“Shit,” he curses, digging in his jacket for a bandage. “Hold still.”

“Don’t waste that on me.”

“It’s not a waste--” He snaps, stopping himself yet again. “Anna. Let me help you. Then we’ll find Doc.”

Close enough to feel her breath on his face, he presses the bandage to the side of her face, his throat growing tight at the look on her face as she gives her trust over to him.

“Lieb.” She whispers.

Something in her voice makes him freeze, and he finds himself lost in her eyes. Her hand comes up slowly, touching the side of his face much like he’s doing to her. Later, he’ll be embarrassed about the needy noise that gets choked in his throat at her touch, but now all he can concentrate on is the softness of her skin, and how he lov--

How he’s so mad about her that he can barely stand it.

“You have to stay safe.” He says, low. “Please.”

With that, he releases her, hauling himself out of the foxhole to find Doc for her before he gives too much of himself away.

5.

Austria

Joe enters the field hospital with trepidation. He hates it here.

It brings back memories of his own time in the hospital, before he went AWOL, when he was surrounded by the dead and dying.

He hates that she’s here.

He finds her bed easily - he’s been here more often than not, not only for his own peace of mind, but to deliver well wishes and gifts from the other men.

She doesn’t see him at first, staring out the window instead. He clears his throat when he gets to the door.

Her face lights up when she sees him, and it knocks the breath out of him.

“How are you feeling?”

She squirms, frowning. “Like I was shot.”

She’d been with Grant when it happened. He doesn’t think he’s ever been so scared in his life, even under fire himself.

She’d been so pale. So lifeless -- even the prospect of beating the shit out of the replacement who did this to her, to her and to Grant wasn’t enough to quell Liebgott’s rage. Still, he settled for being by her side nearly constantly.

He can tell she’s not up to talking today, so he settles in next to her. Writes a letter to his mother, and thumbs through the pages of a comic book he managed to get his hands on from back home.

“Lieb?”

She startles him - he thought she went back to sleep.

“Why do you keep coming here?”

He’s almost affronted by her question. Doesn’t she know? Can’t she see the way he cares for her? He feels as though his feelings for her pour out of him with every look, but maybe it’s not as obvious as he feared.

“Don’t be stupid.”

He curses himself; he doesn’t know why he’s so combative with her all the time, especially when she gets close to knocking on the door to what he’s been running away from all this time.

“Can you promise me something?” She asks, like she’s not affected at all by him snapping at her. “Can you promise me that we’ll see each other again after we get home?”

His gut reaction is to promise her that he’s never going to let her out of his sight ever again. He wants to tell her that if he had it his way, he’d never be parted from her once they get home, that he’d do exactly what he told Web he wanted to do and marry her.

He’s terrified.

He doesn’t know if she feels the same way. Sometimes she’s more friendly with Talbert and Luz than she is with him, hell, she’s even more friendly with some of the officers.

But he thinks of all the little moments, and there’s some hope that she feels the way he does.

The way he feels is… all consuming. She gets under his skin like no one else. She doesn’t put up with his shit, but she lets herself joke and laugh with him too. She trusts him. And he trusts her more than nearly anyone else.

“I promise,” he whispers. “I promise we won’t lose touch.”

When he leaves that day, he curses himself all the way back to his billet that he didn’t kiss her. He curses himself even more when he learns that they won’t be on the same ship back stateside.

+ 1

San Francisco

Pounding on the front door startles Joe awake. He rolls onto his back and squints into the darkness of the early morning, trying to figure out if he’s dreaming.

The knocking starts again, and he groans, getting to his feet unsteadily.

He pulls open the door with a snarl, ready to hurl a few curses at whoever’s on the other side, but the words die on his lips when he sees her.

“Good morning.” She says frostily. “Or should I say afternoon.” She checks her watch. “You look terrible.” She pushes her way past him, into his home.

He’s dumbstruck, has no idea what to do or say… just turns around slowly, trying to convince himself he’s not still drunk or asleep, or both.

“What the hell are you doing here?” He asks, his voice a rough rasp that even he barely recognizes. He regrets his phrasing the minute the words leave his mouth.

Her eyes are dark, hurt. “You promised me.”

“Ann-”

“You promised. I almost died and you said--”

“I know what I said,” he snarls, “I couldn’t--” He stops himself, hands on his hips, eyes screwed shut as he tries to gather himself.

He’s been dreaming of and dreading seeing her again for this exact reason. She makes him feel too much. His feelings knocked him flat on his ass when he first met her, and they’ve just gotten steadily stronger since.

Worse with the distance he intentionally put between them after he got home. He misses her like a lost limb.

If only he was brave enough to tell her that.

Jumping out of planes? No problem. Facing his feelings for one Anna Cunningham? Scares the hell out of him.

“You couldn’t what?” She’s pleading, and he can’t take it anymore.

He crosses the room in two quick strides, gripping her upper arms. “I couldn’t stand the idea of seeing you again because I wanted it too badly. People like me don’t get happy endings. Not after the shit I’ve done. I have nothing to offer you.”

“I just want you, Lieb. I think I get to make that decision for myself. You don’t get to do it for me.”

He curses under his breath even though inside, he feels like a weight has been lifted. “How did you find me?” He asks.

“Never doubt Captain Nixon when he owes someone a favor.” She says, smiling softly.

“You had him track me down?”

“I asked him to help me. I couldn’t stand the thought of another year going by without seeing you.” She corrects, and the breath leaves his lungs in a whoosh.

This time, he doesn’t stop himself or come up with a hundred reasons why it’s a bad idea - he takes her face in his hands and his lips crash against hers with a fervor that has him reeling.

It’s everything he thought it would be. His veins fill with fire and when she sighs and melts against him, he knows right then she’s it for him.

“I’m sorry,” he breathes when they break apart. “I wanted-- god, Anna, I’ve wanted you for so long I don’t even know where to begin.”

“How long?” She asks, just as hoarse.

“Probably since you helped our team kick ass at capture-the-flag.” He grins.

Her face lights up at the memory. “That long?”

His expression softens, and he leans in, brushing his lips against hers once more. “I feel like I’ve loved you forever, Anna Cunningham.”

Their hands intertwined, he kisses her in the living room of his apartment, his whole life stretching out in front of him and reminding him that he doesn’t have to hide, not from her.

He kicks himself for not having the courage to kiss her sooner, but then he wouldn’t have this. This moment with her in his arms, both of them home and safe and happy… he wouldn’t trade it for the world.

[wexhappyxfew]

The Sun Will Always Rise || Ronald Speirs

inspired by a quote from Ruta Sepetys’ book, Between Shades of Grey ~ ❛you stand for what is right, without the expectation of gratitude or reward. ❜

Happy HBO War Secret Santa 2020! I can’t believe the time has officially arrived and to say I am beyond excited for this lil Ronald Speirs imagine I cooked up, is an understatement. This is for @incorrectbandofbrothersquotes​ , for Kelsey!! It’s not as much of a Christmas theme, more of a snowy, wintry theme, which I love!!

I was beyond excited to take up a request for Secret Santa and laying out my options, going off your list, I chose Ronald Speirs to write for you - I am so happy with how this turned out, and I hope, more than anything, you enjoy it and it brings some holiday cheer to this time of year, especially after a year where it seems like every thing that happened just got worse and worse.

Take time to yourself this holiday season, Kelsey, and you enjoy some time for yourself as well - you are such a wonderful human being, who I believe if I’m correct, I have followed since Day 1 in this fandom, nearly 2 years ago - if that even sounds right LOL! It’s been a long while though! Happy reading and happy holidays for whatever holiday you celebrate, or if you don’t celebrate any at all! Thank you and enjoy! And thank you @hellitwasyoufirstsergeant for doing this!!! <3

ronald speirs imagine x reader - 2.5k word count <3 

Captain Speirs had been rather adamant on letting you go early from the tiny meeting Captain Winters had organized - between the runny nose, your numb fingertips, and your pale cheeks which seemed to stand out especially in the bleak wilderness around you, you figured it was for the best. 

Haguenea, France was far from the paradise that Mourmelon-le-Grande had offered back in the convent in Rachamps when it was the only thought inside your mind, the warmth reaching your hands for the first time in what felt like months. 

Now, your toes were numb just like your mind. Your helmet was cast down over your tired eyes, the dark rims that had accompanied you through Bastogne, along with the terrors of the Bois Jaque, you were surprised that you could no longer get a proper night of sleep at this point. 

OP 2 stood with its bullet speckled fortifications, shattered glass window panes, and mud covered path way but more than anything you felt a tiny smile poke up at the corner of your mouth, more than anything in that moment. 

Crossing your arms across your chest, you tucked your little hands towards the coat portion near your armpits, relishing the bit of warmth your body still managed to produce. 

Moving up the few steps you had taken that morning, up to the depths of OP 2, you stomped the bits of mud out from the portions of your new winter-boots pack and pushed inside the bit of warmth that drifted from the outpost. 

You could hear a few of the men moving around downstairs, most likely eating their fill before the patrol slated for 0100 tonight. It was quiet on the main level though, beds left unmade from where men had taken much-needed naps from the bitter cold which brought on layers of tiredness and loss of calories more than the normal days of what war brought. 

Pulling the Thompson from your shoulder, you let it drop into your cold hands before lying it beside the bunk you, yourself had taken a nap in before you had woken up for the meeting. 

Yawning, you glanced towards the open French doors that let in the cold draft of air in the late, dreary afternoon. The quiet river that trailed outside let it’s soft presence be known as the sun did its best to warm the land underneath which lay tattered in ruins and soaking snow and mud pits, decorating it with war. 

Moving outside again, you let your pistol bump at your hip - no one wanted to start another battle when the war had already taken enough, no one wished to throng bullet after bullet towards one another when there was already so much bloodshed - for a moment there was simply just peace as you moved outside towards the river. 

Turning the corner, where you had found a little secluded spot to just sit and let the tiny bit of peace you felt overtake you, you noticed a figure standing stiffly, his dark eyes looking out across the river, with a scarf pulled up around his stubble cheeks, eyes evidently alert and awake. 

You had found the area just that day, frosted hedges and a leafless tree hanging overhead with the dreary sky as a saddening backdrop. 

Clearing your throat, you took a tentative step forward, watching the man with gentle eyes. He didn’t seem to notice your presence, he didn’t make a show of it, but you knew he did, by the subtle shift in the way his shoulders dropped the slightest inch, and even his eyes seemed to soften, the hard glow from your side view of him fading. 

Captain Speirs seemed no stranger to your presence in the simple way, he suddenly turned his own head towards your eyes, his lips pulled into the thin line you had seen previously at the small gathering with Captain Winters. 

“ I thought I told you to get some rest, Lieutenant.” he said, his eyes softly moving up and down your small stature, stopping briefly on your hands which looked nearly as pale as the sky by that point - you looked so fragile and small in his eyes for a moment. 

“ Sleeping and I aren’t exactly compatible.” you said as you approached him, your feet in the mud covered boots slowing to a pause in front of him as he watched you earnestly.

“ What are you doing out here, Lieutenant?” 

“ I could ask the same of you, sir.” you answered quietly back, watching as he studied your eyes, noticing the build of stress lines that stretched like the horizon underneath your stressed eyes, the sunken in cheeks showing the wounds of war in someone who had fought so strongly against it and the pain of a million souls rupturing your heart. A slight hint of a smile poked up at the corner of his lips, as he finally rested his eyes on your own again, before looking back out towards the river and the enemy’s side.

“ It’s peaceful out here.” he said and you watched as he let his eyes move along the bank of water, softly picking on each and every little part of the river from its banks to the white caps. 

“ I’m glad I’m not the only one who found it peaceful then.” you said quietly, your own eyes caring out towards the, admittedly, cold water. Slowly, willing yourself with the might you had, you walked forward and slowly positioned yourself beside the man, barely reaching his shoulder if you could admit it and let your eyes remain out on the river. 

Captain Ronald Speirs had come into your life only recently, but even years before you had bumped into him on occasion - it was always a mutual greeting, signs of respect being passed between the two of you, both Lieutenants in your own realms. He had even complimented the dress you’d been wearing out on the town one night with a group of the guys in Aldbourne after the Normandy Campaign. He had liked the color - it had been a soft baby blue, like robin’s eggs - and he had liked it. 

Of course at the time, you hadn’t thought much of it, the sun rising and setting, the moon coming out to expose the raw pain and truth of war, the bloodshed and endless battles and the grief that consumed merely just one person after the next - you’d forgotten about it almost instantly. You still remembered the softness of his eyes - that hadn’t changed. 

Now, he was your CO and you remained a close Second to him; he turned to you when he wanted to run something over, and on occasion, you two shared a cigarette under the moonlight when all the men were tucked away and finally getting the restful sleep they deserved. 

“ What do you think’s gonna happen on that patrol tonight, Lieutenant?” he asked you, voice soft, in a way gentle, but the soft rasp of a cough in his throat was far from evident. He always seemed to confide in you when these circumstances arose - especially after Rachamps. 

“ I think the men will be okay, they’ve fought for a while in this war, just as the enemy has. They’ll do their best.” They were tired is what she wanted to say, all the men were - she gave a prayer to Sergeant Martin for the heed he took when assigned to lead the patrol over the exhausted Sergeant Malarkey. 

“ They’ve all fought long enough.” the Captain said quietly and you peaked a hesitant glance up towards him. Your heart didn’t fail to speed up the slightest bit at the gentle nature that encased his face and the way he seemed to undoubtedly care for each of the men like a father would. 

Turning from the river, he slowly met your eyes which didn’t falter in looking away from his own - you were rather mesmerized by his beautiful irises, the way they glowed even in darkness or in the bleak snow, even when the sun would rise, they glowed so purely. 

“ Sir….I….” He watched you speak, head inclined towards you, waiting for the words from your lips, but you were caught up with the caring nature he seemed to inhibit within himself in that moment of time where there was no war, no peace, just him and his eyes, and just...him. 

“ I know you care for these men, Y/N.” Captain Speirs whispered softly, as he watched your eyes change from the stressed expression they seemed to constantly encompass to a gentleness, a warmth, merely at the direct comment of her name and not just the soft rasp of Lieutenant - no he had said your name. So softly and tenderly, each letter off the tongue like a song. 

“ I’ve been with them since Toccoa, sir….I…” your shoulders managed to slump as you found yourself unable to finish your sentence under the Captain’s gaze, unable to process mere words. 

“ These men don’t deserve this Y/N, I know that and so does Captain Winters - I think we all do.” 

“ Battalion’s orders.” you managed out weakly, with an attempt at a frosted smile as he nodded, watching the sadness flood your eyes again - he found out he didn’t like seeing your beautiful eyes sad like that, even if they still looked just as beautiful, your eyes didn’t deserve to see and feel such pain, for their mere beauty was worth much more. 

“ You don’t deserve this either, Y/N.” Shutting your eyes for a moment, you felt your heart squeeze at his words - you always thought in some way you had - for the lives you took, for the ones you couldn’t prevent being taken, from everything. In some ways, it was alright - to pay your dues as such. 

“ You deserve to be happy, warm...in a little cottage by the sea that you’ve always liked…” 

He had LISTENED to that story? He had HEARD that story? 

You swore it must’ve been the fever or maybe that the recollection you had was just you mumbling to yourself, you swore it had been.

“ You heard all that?” you asked softly, your eyes opening as you met his own again. A chuckle left his lips and you found it enough to boost your own into a shy smile at it, his eyes downcast before glancing up to your own. He had a nice laugh.

“ Yeah, yeah I did,” he said biting back his lips as a smile crossed his lips, twinkling eyes shining on you,” must’ve been the fever but you were going on and on about it and I wasn’t going to stop you either.” You let out a soft laugh, shaking your head at your clumsy way of speech - through a fever and the cold and you had blabbered to Captain Speirs about the cottage by the sea you wished for. 

Both your smiles seemed to fall once the moment past and almost like a little angel on your shoulder, your heart pleaded to see that dash of a boyish grin on his lips again. Your heart nearly yearned for it when it’s only human contact was the Captain in front of her - maybe she wanted it too. 

And from the proximity of your bodies, you were nearly in reach of him. 

“ Your eyes..-” Softly looking towards you as you spoke, your lip hanging open a bit as you met them again,”...I mean, sir, I..I don’t know if you’ve been told, but you’re eyes…” He watched you softly.

“ They’re beautiful, sir, and I just thought you should know.” Because in war, this war, I may never see you after tonight, you wished to say, but your head was saying no as your heart was saying yes. 

The smile that had gone underground on the Captains’ face suddenly grew, spreading across his face and you couldn’t help but let your breath get caught in your throat. 

An ethereal being was your first thought. 

It seemed like he too was caught at a similar crossroads, his eyes betraying him and his heart - you were within reach, you were standing right there, despite everything. 

You were standing there with a wounded heart. 

“ I could say the same to you,” he said quietly,” Lieutenant.” Your heart squeezed the slightest bit tighter as he said it.

“ Baby blue,” he said quietly,” like robin’s eggs.” Your eyes carried up to his again and you met them within seconds, suddenly aware of the heat on your cheeks, the pounding of your heart - none of it.

“ I didn’t just notice that dress you wore that day, Lieutenant,” he said quietly,” I noticed those eyes too.” He swore they could make the sun want to rise on its worst days. You swore it was just the cold, but you had no words left to say, you had nothing to say at all - because his eyes which glowed like the sun, said it all. 

“ Sir….” you whispered, but he suddenly turned and gently pressed his hands which had been crossed over his chest, flush against your red cheeks and watched you tenderly, his thumbs brushing against the sensitive skin of your sunken in cheeks, as he watched your eyes. He watched you so selflessly, like you were his sun, his world. 

Could a person ever mean that much to another - maybe Ronald Speirs thought that way. 

Maybe he always had. 

It seemed for a moment the stoic Captain did everything to break down the walls which encapsulated him just so he could touch the human in front of him - you. The bit of warmth he still felt under his fingertips coming from you. 

Softly, ever so lovingly, he shut his eyes as you watched his long lashes cover his irises. 

And in that moment, you shut your own as he held your there, inches from his face, faintly hearing his heartbeat which raced for the first time since Foy. 

“ You stand for what is right, Y/N, without the expectation of gratitude or reward.” he whispered softly as your heart rushed and hurriedly skipped over a beat without hesitation,” And through this war, even after, it’s all you deserve.” 

And within a moment, a softness pressed against your cold cheek, the touch of his lips on your skin, a gentle kiss from the servant of the sun - and just as fast as it had happened it disappeared. 

Your own hands slowly moved upward towards your flushed cheeks - you could still feel the brush of his lips against the skin of your cheek. 

Opening your eyes, you found yourself alone, all alone by the rushing water of the river, your heart pounding. Slowly, you glanced over your shoulder and found the figure of the Captain moving away from you, his commanding presence which had fallen to his queen for a mere moment of time, back up. 

Yet you had seen it fall, and you had seen his heart, his beautiful heart - for not only were his eyes as beautiful as they had been, but so was his heart - it had always been, but this time, so was everything else about him. 

Everything.

The sun smiled, it would always rise. 

The sun would always rise. 

[wecomrades]

✨ Merry Christmas, friends! ✨

Hey @softspeirs I’m your secret Santa! :) here’s a drawing of Floyd Talbert for you!

I wish you a wonderful Christmas, I hope you’ll get to spend this day with the people you love and surrounded by presents and food and sweets!

I wanted to make the drawing look more magical by adding some christmassy stuff and I’m quite happy how it turned out! I also wanted to include a little bit of myself to make it look even more personal, if that makes sense. Well, I truly hope you like your present! ❤️🎁🎄✨

If you fancy being on/off my taglist please just send me an ask or comment this post!

Taglist:  @hellitwasyoufirstsergeant @gutsandgloryhere @lovinmullen @meteora-fc @vintagelavenderskies @blahblahblahclintnickiscanon @stressedinadress  @sunnyshifty @wexhappyxfew @guarnere-mp4 @liebegott @punkgeekchic @not-john-watsons-blog @fromcrossroadstoking @we-always-hit-our-ass @alienoresimagines @iamateenageanarchist @i-dont-like-bullies @tvserie-s-world @julianneday1701 @rubinecorvus @inglourious-imagines @were-supposed-to-be-surrounded @jamie506101 @wereinadell @papersergeant-pencilsoldier @rogue-sunday @vanderlindeandco

[libramooon]

POST WAR LIFE WITH EUGENE SLEDGE  ❤

Merry Christmas everyone! Merry Christmas @s-ara-bel ! I was so excited to be your Secret Santa! I have always loved post war mood boards so I thought I’d try one :) I hope you have a safe and very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year too! ✨🎄❤

[anthrobrat]

The Great Chocolate Heist of 1945

Merry Christmas!! Hello @papersergeant-pencilsoldier it is I, your Secret Santa!! I am so excited I got to write a little 2nd Platoon BROT4 The Last Patrol extra scene for you. The story is a little weird (and not christmassy at all, sorry) but I do hope you like the friendship and hilarity of these boys!!

TLP BROT4, Rated G, 1500 words

“No patrol tonight, moving off the line tomorrow. Chuck am I dreamin?” Liebgott yells across the room as their leaders exit the room, followed quickly by Web and Jones.

“If you are, we all are.” They all shook hands and clapped each other on the shoulder.

The rapid mood change from anxious and angry to relieved and relaxed was palpable as everyone milled about, congratulating each other on their luck that day, and making plans for finally moving off the line. They all knew better than to get their hopes up, but it was difficult not to with the announcement Major Winters had just made.

Chuck had smiled for the first time since November, and everyone was caught in the good mood, not wanting to ruin it by mentioning that Winters had told them they were moving off the line twice since Foy and neither had panned out. But the Germans were very close to throwing in the towel at that point, so maybe this would be the last time they’d have to worry about falling artillery or snipers.

“So, are they gonna make us look like we’re preparing for this again tonight, or does this mean we get the afternoon off?” Babe asked as he pushed his chair back and cupped his hands around his metal tin of coffee, placing first one then the other leg onto the table.

“Lieb.” McClung walked up from his spot crouched against the wall across the room. “You should ask Web when he gets back. He left after them, I’m sure he’s got a better idea than us. Not like we’ve ever faked a patrol before.” McClung’s deadpan as he sat down at the table made them all laugh.

“You think Winters has either? He’s straighter than an arrow,” Lieb answered, and then snarled as an aside: “Although maybe Dog and Fox have been running fake fucking patrols this whole time. It would certainly explain a lot.”

As more guys filtered out of the basement to find other ways to entertain themselves, the room ended up with just the four of them at the table. Babe, Liebgott, McClung, and Chuck drinking coffee and smoking the Lucky Strikes that Luz had pilfered from somewhere or other.

“Guys, I have an idea,” Babe declared between his third and fourth smoke.

“Ah fuck, Babe, not again.” Chuck tipped his chair back and looked toward the ceiling. Lieb laughed, knowing exactly what disaster Chuck was thinking about.

“Nah, this is a good one,” Babe said, putting his coffee down and lacing his hands behind his head, trying to look confident. “Lieb, you think there’s more Hersheys bars in the stash you pilfered from yesterday?”

“I don’t see why there wouldn’t be, unless fucking Nixon ate them all.” Liebgott didn’t bother denying his transgressions. Anyone with eyes would have seen him the day before enjoying the spoils.

“So here’s what I’m thinkin’. We plan our own patrol tonight.” Babe raised his eyebrows like he had said something so brilliant that the rest of them should bow down or something. He picked up his cup and finished off his coffee, twirling the empty tin mug in the air.

“What are you, Billy the fucking Kid?” Chuck said, making Liebgott laugh while Babe scowled at them both.

McClung chimed back in. “Billy the Kid, huh? I see it, saying you want to sneak into CP to steal fucking chocolate. Just waltz right in?”

“You think it can’t be done?” Babe fired back, cigarette bobbing as he spoke, fingers twisting the mug around like he couldn’t sit still.

“I mean, the man’s got a point, McClung. It’s barely illegal, and we deserve it. Plus, ain’t no sign of Sobel with his ‘army property’ bullshit. I’m in.” Liebgott opened his jacket then, and pulled out a piece of paper with writing on one side. He unfolded it so the blank side was facing up and began to draw a sketch of the CP, with a big X where the chocolate had last been spotted.

“I guess we’re really doing this then,” Chuck sighed, before he let the front legs of his chair touch the ground again and leaned in to look at their amateur blueprints. He pulled the pencil out of Liebgott’s hand, marking up the map and motioning with his middle finger as he explained the plan they’d need to pull this off. “Here’s our perimeter. Babe you’ll be lookout, McClung you’re lead scout. Once you clear the rooms off the foyer, Liebgott and I will come through and--”

“Yea yea, we’ll check the last places chocolate was spotted, and if there even is any left we’ll grab as many as we can carry. I know my job,” Liebgott took the pencil back and tucked it into his ear before lighting another cigarette.

McClung took one more look at the map before folding it up and handing it back to Liebgott.

“So we meet outside OP2 at 2300 hours,” Babe stage whispered, “and if the coast is clear, the heist is on.”

“Babe, we’re stealing chocolate, can you calm down?”

“Chocolate or no fuckin chocolate, Lieb, it’s still a heist. What should we call it? A fucking patrol?” McClung put his hand out to Babe’s chest to calm him down, because who gets worked up over chocolate? On the other hand, it felt like they really didn’t have much else to live for at this stage of the game.

“Relax, Babe, we’re in, alright?”

“Yeah yeah, alright, Chuck. You better be there tonight. I’m counting on your leadership.” Babe winked and laughed, diffusing the sudden tension.

“Heard Lip’s getting his battlefield commission before we get back to base. You think they’ll have him transferred?” Lieb asked no one in particular as they all got up from the table and made their way back out to the street.

“Nah, I bet Winters’ll figure out some way to keep him with us at least until we cross the river,” Chuck said over his shoulder as they made their way back to their billets.

H-hour rolled around quicker than anyone had expected, with Babe the last to arrive from his outpost duty at 23:05.

“Sorry I’m late, I had to ditch Shifty. He got so suspicious I thought I’d have to invite him along.”

“It’s okay,” McClung nodded at him, “I already promised him I’d get him a bar.”

“You told fucking Shifty?” Liebgott yelled toward the sky. “Who else knows? You guys are the worst.”

“First off,” Babe scoffed, “did any of us actually keep our mouths shut?”

Chuck laughed and kicked his boot against the ground, and Liebgott gave them all an angry stare. Footsteps along the road made everyone duck into the adjoining alley.

When the footsteps had moved on, it was time to put their plan into action. Except no one moved.

“We sure it’s in there?” Babe asked, looking up at the darkened windows on the first floor.

“Fucking positive, Babe. Unless Shifty beat us to it, since people can’t keep their fucking traps shut.” McClung shrugged at Liebgott’s jab in the darkness, and Lieb pulled his map out once more and shined the flashlight on it. “Ok, if we go in this back door it’ll be about 50 yards in on the left.”

“I’d say it’s more like 75,” Chuck chimed in, trying and failing to keep the humor out of his voice.

“I just wanted a fucking bar of chocolate,” Babe interjected. “Lieb didn’t share any of his, and I promised Gene. I owe him a chocolate bar.”

“You told—“ Liebgott began to yell before he reined himself in, spun around, leveled a glare. “You told the Doc?”

Babe was about to reply when Chuck stepped between them.

“Where the fuck did McClung go?”

“He was just here, I don’t fucking know. You didn’t see him?” Lieb asked.

“Well I certainly didn’t see him, I was looking at your map.”

Just as their voices began to raise, the door banged open and out stepped their missing brother in arms.

“It seemed like that argument might take a while, so I went ahead and grabbed the chocolate.” McClung handed two bars each to his open mouthed comrades, who pocketed them silently.

“Well,” Babe stuttered at last, “I suppose that was a pretty successful heist.”

“No thanks to you.” Liebgott punched him to emphasize his point.

“Or you,” McClung said around a mouthful of chocolate. “Anyway I gotta go bring this to Shifty, I’ll see you fellas later.”

At that, McClung meandered off back down the alley, contraband chocolate in hand. Babe scratched his head, shrugged his shoulders, and ran to catch up. Chuck and Joe followed quickly behind, still laughing at the confusion on Babe’s face. 

“You think Gene will like my present? It’s not quite the Belgian chocolate that he gave me, but I still wanted to give him something.” 

“Babe. It’s chocolate. He’ll like it.” Liebgott slugged him in the shoulder. “But you’re a sucker for giving up your second bar of chocolate.” 

“Hey Chuck! You hear that! He says I’m a sucker! We’ll see who’s the sucker when I get stitched up before him.”

They all rolled their eyes, but Babe knew he was right. He also knew every one of them was going to end up splitting their chocolate with someone. He was just smart because he picked the medic.  

[eightysix-baby]

Here’s my secret santa gift for  @currently-passing-through hope you like them and merry christmas and happy new year!!🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

[wecomrades]

OH MYYYYY 😍😍😍 this is gorgeous, my precious Welshy! The world needs more Harry Welsh INDEED! Thank you so much, truly, this is amazing and I hope you had an amazing Christmas Day and happy holidays 💛

I wish you very happy holidays and a sweet ending for a harsh year @wecomrades, the world needs much more Harry Welsh in it, so have some!

I had a lot of fun painting this and I hope you enjoy it, too!

Thank you so much @hellitwasyoufirstsergeant for organizing this Secret Santa! <3

[rachelthompsonauthor]

The past two quarantine months have been like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime, and I turned 56 in January. So rather than regurgitate what you’ve likely read in the news or on social media, I’ve decided to share how I’ve spent my time these past two months along with random thoughts. I hope you’ll continue along with me as I share what I’m doing each week.

Books

Oh, how I’ve missed reading! With my business so insanely busy (for which I’m truly grateful) these past few years, I’ve barely had time to read little more than Slack, emails, texts, and social media updates. Not exactly satisfying for this lifelong, avid reader. This quarantine has allowed me a little bit of extra time, which I’ve put to good use.

In no particular order, here’s what I’ve read: 

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow is fantastic. Read it in one sitting because I didn’t want any of the details of this lacy, incredibly intricate work to fade. I highly recommend it. A mix of fantasy, drama, and a love story (because in the end, aren’t all stories love stories?), anyone with a working brain will love this novel.

  Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng is also superb. I’d heard about this book for a while, yet only got around to it because it’s also now a mini-series on Hulu (which I watched afterward – also very good, though the character arcs and the plot changed in crucial, at times startling, ways).

Curious if you’ve read the book and watched the series, what your thoughts are? I could write an entire post about it, yet I’ll only share this…

As a child, my parents hire a housekeeper. My folks both work full-time and we are not in any way rich or well-off. Neither of my folks has college degrees – Dad is an assistant manager at a chain drugstore and Mom has just completed x-ray tech school and works nights at San Bernardino County Hospital. We live in a small house on a long street in the smoggy Inland Empire of California.

There are two of us, my older sister and me. Then my mom gets pregnant when I’m nine and has my baby sister when I’m ten. My folks advertise for a housekeeper and Miss Louise answers. She’s African American and willing to work for the little they can pay her. She smokes a lot (outside only, so as “not to hurt the babies”), insists on wearing a uniform though my mom tells her it isn’t necessary and comes looking for us in her big old white Caddy if we aren’t home from school exactly 20 minutes after it lets out.

(Miss Louise’s husband’s name is George. If you are alive in the 70s and watch The Jeffersons, you understand why this is an endless source of amusement to my sister Caren and me.)

Being that young, neither Caren nor I understand what privilege means. We didn’t get whatever we wanted because my parents are always strapped, yet there is food on the table, and the lights are always on. Except for the occasional venture to Disneyland or Knott’s Berry Farm that one time (mom hated it), our vacations consist of driving to visit our Zayde (great-grandfather) in a nursing home in Santa Cruz, or some other relatives we don’t know somewhere in L.A. (I remember one great-aunt who drank. A lot.) We’d always stop at Cantor’s for a soup and sandwich (the highlight for us), and be back on the road. We don’t mind because it is anywhere but home.

Anyway – my entire point is that in Little Fires Everywhere – the show – Kerry Washington’s Mia is an artist who takes a maid job with Reese Witherspoon’s Elena Richardson’s family to keep an eye on her daughter Pearl, who is quite taken with the teenage Richardson clan. The racial and financial dichotomy is blatantly obvious: a rich family who’s seemingly got it all vs. a seemingly poor black single mother, which adds to the ‘fires’ mentioned in the title.

The book really made me think about my own privilege and despite how well my folks treated Louise, and how much we loved her, and she us, there would always be that wall. Granted, it was a business arrangement and my folks paid her for her services, and in truth, anyone could’ve answered the housekeeping ad. The fact that she was African American and we were white created a racial divide that’s undeniable.

The third book I read is Certain Cure by Jennifer Valoppi, also excellent. It’s the first in a series (parts two and three aren’t out yet, darn it). The novel chronicles the life of three generations of the Cummings family; Claire, a woman in her 70s who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, Helene, her television journalist daughter and Justin, the teenage grandson whose adoration of his “Grams” leads him to discover the dark secret behind the miracle technology that is not only curing Claire of her cancer but tempting his mother with eternal youth, as traditional medical industries wage war against the mysterious doctor from China who threatens them all.

I had no idea what to expect with this one, and I’m glad I read it. Valoppi is a former TV journalist from NYC so she knows her stuff. I’m not particularly religious (or scientific), yet I didn’t find either the science or religious stuff bogged me down.  Fascinating read. I highly recommend it.

Movies and Shows

Gosh, so many. With four of us in the house (and two teens), it’s worth it to me to pay for Hulu and Netflix, Amazon Prime Video comes with my Amazon Prime membership already, plus my internet plan comes with AT&T Direct, Showtime, HBO, and other premium channels. For the amount of entertainment, it’s worth the money.

I watch movies and shows on my iPad at night, once I’m finally off my computer. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like a super loud TV with stereo surround-sound barking at me after a long day of noise and stress. So I go upstairs to my cozy bed, surround myself with blankets and pillows and cats, and snuggle in for a few hours to watch a movie or a few episodes of something I enjoy.

Another note: not a big ‘reality TV’ watcher, mostly because, as a writer, I prefer well-written shows. I also don’t like the negativity and yelling normally associated with those shows. That said, I do watch Vanderpump Rules (on Bravo) with my daughter (age 20). We bond.

Shows

Here’s what I’ve binged these past few quarantine months, show-wise (no links because you can Google):

Ray Donovan – ggggggreat! Heard it was wonderful, yet truly had no idea how awesome. Liev Schrieber is captivating as Ray. Flawed, human, sad, and, in case you don’t know, a childhood sexual abuse survivor (church abuse). I had no idea going in this would be a theme of the show, yet it was handled with care and truth. The entire supporting cast is also amazing. Every season is great. Watch it all. I hated to see it end.

Homeland – the first four or so seasons were mesmerizing. Then, I got bored. This last season had me falling asleep and then WHAM! that ending. Worth it.

Hunters – Good, not fantastically great. The twist in the last episode will get you, though.

Upload – Loved it! Thought it would be silliness (and in some places, it was, but that’s okay – we need a little silliness right now). Had a ton of heart which I love.

Bosch – come on, it’s Titus Welliver. He’s fantastic. This last season didn’t draw me in as much as the entire rest of the series, though. You?

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – terrific, all of it. Every season, every episode, every character.

Tales From The Loop – amazing. Anything having to do with time-travel or the bending of time, I’m a total sucker for. This hurt my brain in a good way.

The Feed – weird but good and thought-provoking.

Dark – by far, my favorite show year. A German show dubbed in English (you get used to it – don’t let that scare you off), this time-bending, decade-moving hit show spans two seasons and every episode is worth watching. And the music – my god. Amazing. Here’s a Spotify playlist link.

Movies

Parasite – thought-provoking. Took a while to get into it and then boom! It just goes full-on insanity. Well-written, well-acted, and the message of the movie is just, wow. No spoilers in case you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it.

Hustlers – loved it. Whatever issues people have with strip clubs and ‘dancers,’ get over it. These girls are amazingly talented, are in amazing shape, and work hard to make money for their families. What I loved the most about the movie is that it’s all about the women; the men are only there as a plot device. It’s a movie entirely shot through the ‘female gaze’ (though of course, men will enjoy the dance scenes which are sexy, yet not unclothed). How many movies can say that?

Memento – I think I’m probably one of the few people who had never seen this neo-noir psychological thriller starring Guy Pearce looking like Brad Pitt (who was originally considered for the role). It was great, I think? LOL. My brain still hurts.

Call Me By Your Name – Lovely, sad, gorgeous. (And I will not make a juvenile peach joke.) And the music! Oh, my.

Zombieland – I hate zombies, I hate horror movies. I hate gore and squishy sounds. This movie was cute. (Not ready for the sequel, yet.)

Music

As mentioned above, the music in Dark sent me off on a ‘who are these talented musicians?’ lark. I’ve discovered so many. Here is who I’m listening to right now (all free on Spotify) and links provided here:

Apparat (you’ll recognize the opening theme of Dark and stay for the rest).

Agnes Obel – wondrous. I’ve played her entire catalog repeatedly since discovering her music on Dark. She’s become a commercial favorite as well now. Familiar is the song used in the show that’s received the most play.

Alev Lanz – otherworldly. I’ve not heard anyone like her. Her songs on the Dark soundtrack and Black Mirror are what she’s most noted for (May The Angels, and Fall Into Me, respectively), however, I love all of her work. Her harmonies are like nothing else. One song is layered with her voice and African throat singers – it’s gorgeous (May The Angels). She’s active on Twitter and we’ve interacted a few times. She’s beautifully transparent about her love of music and it shows in all her work.

Patrick Watson – I heard this song, Good Morning Mr. Wolf, on the Ray Donovan soundtrack and immediately clicked my SoundHound app. Who is this talented being? This song, in particular, sounds so large and cinematic – I wondered – is he is a film composer? (yes). A band? (yes). And so much more. I cannot get enough of all of his music, and still, I play this one song on repeat – repeatedly.

London Grammar – I discovered this band a few years ago and still adore them. Strong is still my favorite song, though Rooting For You is a close second. Hannah Reid’s vocals are big and beautiful.

Hilary Woods – ethereal and lovely. Especially the song Kith.

Sufjan Stevens – many of us just discovered him from the movie Call Me By Your Name soundscore, however, he’s been a working musician since the early 2000s. Talented beyond.

I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here. I made a Female Rockers list on Spotify which you’re welcome to.

Thoughts on Quarantine

My Business

Living in California, I’ve barely left the house in two months, with the exception of going to the pharmacy for meds or for the occasional physician appointment for me or the kids, because of the quarantine restrictions in place. And I’m okay with that.

I’m fortunate that my business is primarily online-only: I work with authors and small businesses on their branding, marketing, and promotion, so given that all real-life events are off the table, I’ve been quite busy working with my clients to ensure their products and services are still viable.

This doesn’t mean I don’t need help as a small business. I applied for an SBA loan and couldn’t even get onto the website the first time – it was pretty ridiculous – like the end scene in Beetlejuice. You all know who those first small business loans went to, right? Not small-potatoes people like me. So the second time around, it went much smoother, and I’m grateful to have received a small loan which will definitely help me keep going with rent, insurance, and other expenses.

I still did my annual non-profit initiative for writers, NaNoProMo (National Novel Promotion Month) this year over on my business site, BadRedhead Media, yet only for two weeks instead of the entire month. Daily blog posts from experts on everything publishing-related plus amazing giveaways. It’s always exhausting, yet I find enormous gratification in helping writers.

This year, however, getting writers to comment to win amazing, FREE giveaways was like pushing a house up a hill. I get it – people are focused on putting food on the table instead of commenting on blog posts, even if the giveaways were worth $500. That’s why I wanted to do this initiative this year – to help writers who are in a jam – yet only a smattering of writers participated.

I’m seriously rethinking if I want to do it next year given the financial cost as well as the personal toll. My first therapist, who I started seeing after I gave birth to my daughter Anya (I was terrified to leave her to go back to work, given my history with childhood sexual abuse), gave me this tip whenever I had trouble deciding whether to do something:

“If you ever aren’t sure if you should do something, ask yourself this question: Is this good for Rachel? If the answer is yes, do it. If the answer is no, don’t. It really is that simple.”

Self-care, y’all.

Social Media

I’ve stopped interacting with the crazies on social media (and who knows, maybe you’re one of them so truly, no offense), but I’d rather stay safe and keep my family safe by working exclusively at home – which I mostly do anyway – than venture back into face-to-face meetings with clients. I support four people with my business and if something happens to me, four people are doomed.

So the answer is simple to me: stay home, work from home, and don’t risk dying from this virus.

I don’t buy into any of this ridiculous conspiracy crap. Sorry, not sorry. You can if you want to. Spending time arguing with people online about it takes away time from my business, my kids, my guy, and my own sanity. Speaking of which…

Mental Health

There were a few mix-ups with my meds when this all started, and I couldn’t get my prescriptions filled and delivered before I ran out, so I ended up having about a week of insomnia which I’ve never had to deal with. I was a zombie (the non-squishy kind) and it sucked.

If you have insomnia, I’m sorry. I feel for you.

It’s all straightened out now, thank goodness. My son Lukas and I donned our masks and drove to the local CVS the other day because I couldn’t wait two days for my meds to be delivered. It felt like walking into a dystopian future walking in there: everyone in masks, tape six feet apart for the waiting line, plexiglass between us and the cashiers.

I’m thankful for these measures, of course, and wonder how long we’ll need them, or if this is our new normal?

My Writing

I finished the final edits on Broken People and sent it back to my editor. She’s had some health issues, so the delay is understandable. To be honest, I’m not in a huge hurry to launch a new book right now. Here are the questions that run through my mind:

Do people have money to purchase a new book?

If they do, will they want to read my new book?

If they do want to read my new book, will they take the money they do have to read mine, and then review it?

Does it even matter in the grand scheme of life? 

I’m an author just like any author – I want to get my work out there so people can read it, engage with it, connect with me. I hope they’ll like it, feel something, reflect on their own lives, learn something new, particularly about being a childhood sexual abuse survivor. It’s a weird limbo to be in right now.

Our New Normal

This phrase is bandied about quite a lot yet let’s face it: it’s life as we know it, now. The anxiety is real, too. I haven’t hugged or kissed my elderly parents who live two miles away in two months. I bring them toilet paper and cookies from our favorite bakery (drive up and trunk drop off, pay online only) and drop it on their porch.

All these scenarios run through my mind: If I go to do this, what happens if? I know I’m not the only one. And yet, we can’t predict anything. So I sit here, writing this post, safe inside my little house bubble, grateful I can pay my rent, put food on the table (delivered by Instacart, thankfully), and everyone around me is healthy.

What’s your new normal? What have you been reading, watching, and listening to? If you’ve stuck it out this far, I thank you. Would love to hear your comments! Safe hugs, y’all. 

***

Read more about Rachel’s experiences in the award-winning book, Broken Pieces.

She goes into more detail about living with PTSD and realizing the effects of how being a survivor affected her life in

Broken Places, available in print everywhere!

                The post This is How To Spend Quarantine With Me appeared first on Rachel Thompson.

via Rachel Thompson

[sleepykittypaws]

2020 Theatrical Holiday Premieres

Updated: December 10,  2020

Lina From Lima (holiday-set drama written and directed by Maria Paz Gonzalez; starring Emilia Ossandon, Sebastian Brahm and Cecilia Cartasegna; A Peruvian woman working for a wealthy family in Chile prepares for a Christmas trip home to see her son, her first in a decade, but things don’t go as planned) - Jan. 4, festival (Trailer); also available on HBO Max as of Oct. 8

The Lodge (Christmas-set horror film starring Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell and Alicia Silverstone; A soon-to-be stepmom gets snowed in with her fiancé's two children at a remote holiday village. Just as relations begin to thaw between the trio, some strange and frightening events take place.) - Feb. 7, Rated R (Trailer); also available on Hulu as of May 5 

The Crossing (a.k.a. Flukten Over Grensen; Norwegian-language film directed by Johanne Helgeland; In WWII Norway, two young children’s parents, active in the resistance, are captured by Nazis just days before Christmas, leaving them to fend for both themselves and the Jewish children they find hidden in their house) - Feb. 14, Norway/US TBA (Trailer, Website)

Tidy Tim’s (holiday comedy starring Shane Woodson, Rich Williams and Jennifer Day, about a father and son run who run a rickety used car lot in Southern California that is facing foreclosure.) - Feb. 15, Rated PG-13, festival (Trailer) also available on DVD Oct. 6

12 Days of Christmas (holiday movie starring Annie Newton and Drew Petriello; directed by Michael Boyle; Best friends home from college on Christmas break navigate an unplanned pregnancy, making it a tricky holiday with their families) - Mar 7, Cinequest Film Festival (Facebook, Website, Trailer) also available on DVD Sep. 1

The Last Christmas Party (indie drama starring Samantha Brooks, Anna Clare Kerr, Lainey Woo, James Williams, Martin Drop and Gabriel Armentano; directed by Julian Santos; Three college couples attend the last fraught party before Christmas break; filmed in New York) - June 7, Festival (Website, Trailer) available on Amazon Prime Nov. 13

Merry Christmas, Yiwu (Documentary from director Mladen Kovacevic focusing on life for workers in the Chinese city that has over 600 Christmas ornament and decor factories.) - June 24, Hot Docs Film Festival (Website, Facebook, Teaser)

A New York Christmas Wedding (starring Chris Noth, Avery Whitted, Joe Perrino, Adriana DeMeo and Tyra Ferrell; written and directed by Otoja Abit; As her Christmas Eve wedding draws near, a woman is visited by an angel and shown what could have been if she’d allowed her feelings for her childhood friend to flourish instead.) - Aug 21, Festival (Trailer, Trailer 2) also available on Netflix as of Nov. 5

A Christmas Cancellation (holiday movie starring Lauren Melty, Marcus Ellison and Elliott Kashner; written and directed by Justin Timpane; A group of fictional TV characters who become sentient as their show is set to end; filmed in Washington, D.C.) - Aug. 31, American Golden Picture International Film Festival (Website, Facebook, Trailer) available on Amazon Prime Nov. 13

A Christmas Tree Love Story (holiday movie starring Gregory Piccirilli and Ashley Holliday Tavares, filmed in Georgia; Two old friends reminiscence while searching for the perfect Christmas tree) - Sep 8, Richmond International Film Festival (Website, Trailer); also available on Amazon Prime as of Dec. 21

Blackbird (drama starring Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Sam Neill, Mia Wasikowska and Rainn Wilson;  A woman with ALS who wants to end her life on her own terms, gathers her family for one final Christmas celebration) - Sep. 18, Rated R (Trailer) also available VOD

We Three Kings (faith-based film from writer-directors Joseph and Stacie Graber; starring Michael W. Smith, Rebecca St. James and Nice Davies; The story behind the Christmas carol; filmed in Denver, Colo.) - Sep. 27, festival (Website, Trailer)

It Cuts Deep (horror-comedy from writer-director Nicholas Santos; A couple on Christmas vacation trying to figure out their future have their lives turned upside down by a disturbing stranger; filmed in Cape Cod, Mass.) - Oct. 8  (Website)

The War With Grandpa (holiday-set family comedy starring Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Uma Thurman, Jane Seymour, Rob Riggle and Cheech Marin; A grandfather comes to live with his daughter, ousting his grandson from his room and prompting a declaration of war from young to old) - Oct. 9, Rated PG (Trailer), available on digital Dec. 15 and DVD Dec. 22

The Wolf of Snow Hollow (holiday-set horror comedy written, directed and starring Jim Cummings, alongside Riki Lindhome, Robert Forster and Chloe East; A small town sheriff tries to keep control of a panicking small town as a string of murders on full moons makes the townspeople think supernatural thoughts) - Oct. 9, Rated R (Trailer)

The Food Club (a.k.a. Madklubben; Danish film directed by Barbara Topsøe-Rothenborg and starring Kirsten Olesen, Stina Ekblad and Kirsten Lehfeldt; A women abandoned by her husband on Christmas Eve leans on her friends, a widow and lifelong singleton who take her to Italy to take part in an culinary adventure) - Oct. 22 Denmark (Danish Trailer)

Fair Haven (partially crowd-funded indie from Red Skies Studios starring Bobby McGruther and Amandalyn McLellan; A death in the family brings a musician on the verge of making it back to his hometown for the holidays) - Oct. 24, Catskills International Film Festival (Facebook, Indiegogo)

Friendsgiving  (a.k.a. Dinner with Friends; starring Kat Dennings, Malin Akerman, Christine Taylor, Aisha Tyler, Jane Seymour, Chelsea Peretti and Ryan Hansen; directed by Nicol Paone; Friends host a chaotic Thanksgiving dinner) - Oct. 23, Rated R (Trailer) also available on blu-ray Oct. 27

Gledelig Jul (a.k.a. Another Happy Christmas; Norwegian comedy starring Anne Marit Jacobsen and Otto Jespersen; directed by Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken; The story of a family coming together for holidays for the first time in years, where secrets are revealed.) - Oct. 30, Norway  (Website)

A Christmas Gift from Bob (sequel to 2016′s A Street Cat Named Bob, based on the book; starring Kristina Tonteri-Young and Luke Treadaway; A ginger cat saves a homeless man at Christmas) - Nov. 6 UK (Trailer)

My Dad’s Christmas Date (UK holiday-set, comedy-drama starring Joely Richardson, Jeremy Piven, Roger Ashton-Griffiths and Olivia-Mai Barrett; directed by Mick Davis and co-written by Brian and Jack Marchetti; A teenager struggling to cope with her mother’s death signs up her depressed, widower father for a dating service) - Nov. 6, limited (Website, Trailer, Trailer 2) Also available on iTunes

The Santa Box (family movie from writer/director Spanky Dustin Ward and starring Cami Carver and Shawn Stevens; A girl who thinks she’s cursed by Christmas finds a note in a Santa Box left on her doorstep that changes everything; filmed in Utah) - Nov. 6, limited (Facebook) also available via DVD and digital on Nov. 10

Julemandens Datter 2 (a.k.a. All I Want for Christmas 2; Danish-language family film sequel to the popular 2018 movie; After Lucia becomes the first girl to gain entrance to the Santa School, she most prove her best friend, Oscar’s, innocence, after he’s wrongly accused of a crime and expelled from school.) - Nov. 12, Denmark (Trailer)

A Wrestling Christmas Miracle (low-budget movie from right-wing Justice for All Productions, starring Ken Del Vecchio and Oriana D’Agostino and re-using many scenes from last year’s A Karate Christmas Miracle; A young wrestler gives up the sport to make a movie he hope will wake his comatose friend for Christmas) - Nov. 15, festival; also available as of Nov. 27 on Amazon Prime

Malous Jul (Danish-language fantasy film from Frederik Norgaard; starring Karla My Nordquist and Lars Ranthe; A troubled girl finds herself spending Christmas on an island with a family of elves) - Nov. 19, Denmark (Website)

Some Kind of Christmas (holiday movie written and directed by Davien Harlis and produced by his own Act1Scene2 Productions; starring Tomathan McGinnis, Mariela Perez Calderon, Andre Lamar and Derrell Lester; A man comes home for Christmas for the first time in years, but finds his holiday spirit tested when he hires a fake boyfriend to bring home for Christmas) - Nov. 19-21, Cinevision in Ga.  (Website)

A Carolina Christmas (right-wing, faith-based holiday movie from Dalton Pictures; A new city inspector tries to stifle a town’s Christmas celebrations; filmed in South Carolina) - Nov. 20, limited (Making Of Series)

Michael McClean’s The Forgotten Carols (filmed adaptation of the long-running, faith-based, original musical; filmed in Cedar City, Utah) - Nov. 20 in select theaters (Website, Trailer)

The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (holiday movie sequel to the 2018 film starring Kurt Russell as a sassy Santa, Goldie Hawn, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Tyrese Gibson; directed by Chris Columbus; Kate Pierce—now a cynical teenager—is unexpectedly reunited with Santa Claus when a mysterious, magical troublemaker named Belsnickel threatens to destroy Christmas forever.) - Nov. 25 (Trailer) also available on Netflix

Fatman (action-comedy written and directed by Ian and Eshom Nelms, starring Walton Goggins, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Chance Hurstfield, and Mel Gibson as a “rowdy, unorthodox” Santa Claus who is fighting his popularity decline when a 12-year-old hires a hitman to do him in after receiving a lump of coal the previous season.) - Nov. 13, Rated R (Trailer), available on digital Nov. 17

A Christmas Carol (live-action animated feature starring Andy Serkis, Carey Mulligan, Daniel Kaluuya, Martin Freeman and Leslie Caron; abstract re-telling of A Christmas Carol when, during a children’s paper theater telling of the classic story, we enter the imagination of a child hearing it told.) - Nov. 19, limited release (Featurette, Trailer) also available in the UK starting Dec. 4

Katherine Jenkins: Christmas Spectacular (concert film featuring the Welsh opera singer's 2019 Royal Albert Hall Christmas show, including special guests Vanessa Redgrave and Bill Nighy) - Dec. 1 in UK, also available VOD

The Loss Adjuster (holiday movie starring Luke Goss, Martin Kemp, Joan Collins, Gary Siner and Cathy Tyson; An insurance adjuster’s wife leaves him a week before Christmas and his day just gets worse from there, until he discovers how truly lucky he is with the help of some Christmas magic) - Dec. 1 in UK (Trailer, Facebook) also available same day digital in the U.S.

Christmas in the Jungle (Latvian-Estonian family adventure movie, with mainly English dialogue; starring Paaru Oja, Tonu Kark, Rukman Rosadi; directed by Jaak Kilmi; When a 10-year-old girl is moved to the tropics by her parents, she has trouble getting into the holiday spirit, so she and a local friend head into the jungle in search of the Christmas Shaman; filmed in Indonesia) - Dec. 1 in Estonia

Saving the Spirit of Christmas (holiday musical written, produced and directed by members of the Grand Prairie Arts Council; A teen mourns the loss of her favorite Christmas traditions due to COVID, prompting the Spirit of Christmas to visit her) - Dec. 3, drive-in, benefit premiere at South Grand Prairie High School

Dear Santa (feature documentary from filmmaker Dana Nachman; based on the USPS’s Operation Santa, which allows people to adopt and answer children’s letters to Santa.) - Dec. 4 (Website, Trailer) Also available VOD

Lost at Christmas (holiday movie starring Natalie Clark and Kenny Boyle; After being dumped by his fiancé after a rejected proposal, two strangers stranded in the Scottish Highlands join forces to try and get home in time for Christmas; filmed on location in Scotland) - Dec. 4 in UK (Website, Trailer) also available VOD on Dec. 7 (UK only)

Nomadland (drama starring Frances McDormand, Gay DeForest and Patricia Grier; directed by Chloe Zhao; Exploring the life of a modern nomad, who travels the country looking for temporary seasonal work; starting at the holidays) - Dec. 4, limited (Trailer)

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Directed and written by Pedro Brenner, starring Guillermo Ivan and filmed in Mexico, the holiday-set, faith-based story of a reporter sent to research the meaning of a miracle who ends up needing one himself) - Dec. 10, limited (Trailer)

Silent Night (UK action-thriller written and directed by Will Thorne, starring Bradley Taylor and Cary Crankson; An ex-con hoping to go straight and spend a nice Christmas with his daughter, but who gets drawn back into the criminal life) - Dec. 11 in UK (Facebook) also available on UK VOD Dec. 14 and DVD Dec. 28 

Christmas on Mars (a.k.a. Un Natale su Marte; Italian Christmas comedy from director Neri Parenti; filmed in Rome) - Dec. 17 in Italy

The Lost Christmas (Dutch comedy about a theater producer who tries to save his theater from a Coronavirus-caused crisis by putting on a spectacular holiday show that goes horribly wrong; filmed in Velsen) - Dec. 21, Netherlands (Instagram, Trailer)

Pieces of a Woman (partially holiday-set drama starring Vanessa Kirby, Shia LeBeouf and Ellen Burstyn; A home birth goes horribly wrong, leaving a family and community to pick up the pieces) - Dec. 30 (Trailer), available on Netflix, January 7, 2021

Creatures (holiday horror-comedy about a group of students who find an adorable injured alien, only to find he’s being chased by terrifying creatures) - Dec. in UK (Facebook, Trailer, Trailer 2)

[perfectirishgifts]

Every New Movie Coming To Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu And HBO This Weekend

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Every New Movie Coming To Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu And HBO This Weekend

TOKYO, JAPAN – JANUARY 15: Amanda Seyfried attends the press conference for Lancome on January 15, … [] 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Jun Sato/WireImage)

December is fresh, which means a swath of new movies have recently been added to our favorite streaming services: Netflix NFLX , Amazon Prime AMZN , Hulu, HBO Max. But the rest of the month promises plenty of new options as well.

And that includes this week, when 15 new movies will be added across those four platforms. Here’s every one of those new projects and when you can expect those movies to premiere.

Bombay Rose (Netflix)

Plot summary: A Hindu girl falls in love with an orphaned Muslim boy after escaping from an arranged marriage.

Bombay Rose stars Cyli Khare, Amit Deondi, Anurag Kashyap, Makrand Deshpande, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Shishir Sharma, Virendra Saxena and Amardeep Jha. The movie was directed by Gitanjali Rao.

Bombay Rose will be available to stream on Netflix on December 4.

Captain Underpants: Mega Blissmas (Netflix)

Plot summary: Christmas gets weird—really weird—after George and Harold go back in time to change up a few of their beloved holiday traditions.

Captain Underpants: Mega Blissmas stars Nat Faxon, Jay Gragnani, Ramone Hamilton, Sean Astin, Dayci Brookshire, Jim Cummings and Jorge Diaz.. The movie was directed by Erik Kling and Kevin Peaty.

Captain Underpants: Mega Blissmas will be available to stream on Netflix on December 4.

Leyla Everlasting (Netflix)

Plot summary: A resilient housewife, her husband and their marriage therapist become mired in a toxic love triangle an a plot to obtain an antique manuscript.

Leyla Everlasting stars Haluk Bilginer, Demet Akbag, Elçin Sangu, Firat Tanis and Alican Yücesoy. The movie was directed by Ezel Akay.

Leyla Everlasting will be available to stream on Netflix on December 4.

MANK (Netflix)

Plot summary: 1930s Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing wit and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish “Citizen Kane.”

MANK stars Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Arliss Howard, Tom Pelphrey, Sam Troughton, Ferdinand Kingsley, Tuppence Middleton, Tom Burke, Joseph Cross, Jamie McShane, Toby Leonard Moore and Monika Gossman. The movie was directed by David Fincher.

MANK will be available to stream on Netflix on December 4.

Mighty Express: A Mighty Christmas (XXX)

Plot summary: The Mighty Express welcomes a new train and speeds into a snowstorm to deliver Santa’s presents and save Christmas for all the kids in Tracksville.

Mighty Express: A Mighty Christmas stars Jay Hatton, Meesha Contreras, Dylan Schombing, Tyler Nathan, Leo Orgil and Michela Luci. The movie was directed by Clint Butler.

Mighty Express: A Mighty Christmas will be available to stream on Netflix on December 6.

Sound of Metal (Amazon Prime)

Plot summary: A heavy-metal drummer’s life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing.

Sound of Metal stars Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff and Mathieu Amalric. The movie was directed by Darius Marder.

Sound of Metal will be available to stream on Amazon Prime on December 4.

She Dies Tomorrow (Hulu)

Plot summary: A woman’s conviction that she will die tomorrow spreads like a contagion through a town.

She Dies Tomorrow stars Kate Lyn Sheil, Jane Adams, Kentucker Audley, Katie Aselton, Chris Messina, Tunde Adebimpe, Jennifer Kim, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Michelle Rodriguez, Josh Lucas and Adam Wingard. The movie was directed by Amy Seimetz.

She Dies Tomorrow will be available to stream on Hulu on December 4.

God’s Own Country (Hulu)

Plot summary: A young farmer numbs his frustrations with drinking and casual sex until a Romanian migrant worker sets him on a new path.

God’s Own Country stars Josh O’Connor, Alec Secăreanu, Gemma Jones and Ian Hart. The movie was directed by Francis Lee.

God’s Own Country will be available to stream on Hulu on December 5.

It Had to Be You (Hulu)

Plot summary: Sonia, a neurotic and charming jingle writer, dreams of having an exciting life. The sudden marriage proposal and subsequent ultimatum from her easygoing boyfriend force Sonia to confront whether she wants to join the ranks of her married friends or pursue her fantasies.

It Had to Be You stars Cristin Milioti, Dan Soder, Halley Feiffer, Kate Simses, Erica Sweany, Mark Gessner and Rachel York.. The movie was directed by Sasha Gordon.

It Had to Be Your will be available to stream on Hulu on December 5.

Mr. Jones (Hulu)

Plot summary: Welsh journalist Gareth Jones risks his life to expose the truth about the devastating famine in the Soviet Union in the early 1930s.

Mr. Jones stars James Norton, Vanessa Kirby and Peter Sarsgaard. The movie was directed by Agnieszka Holland.

Mr. Jones will be available to stream on Hulu on December 5.

Waiting for the Barbarians (Hulu)

Plot summary: A magistrate at an isolated outpost reevaluates his loyalty to his nation when an army colonel uses cruel tactics to interrogate the locals about a possible uprising.

Waiting for the Barbarians stars Mark Rylance, Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson, Gana Bayarsaikhan and Greta Scacchi. The movie was directed by Ciro Guerra.

Waiting for the Barbarians will be available to stream on Hulu on December 5.

How to Fake a War (Hulu)

Plot summary: When an unexpected outbreak of peace leads to a cease fire between Ukbar forces and Georgian rebels, arrogant rock star Harry Hope fears for the success of his heavily hyped Piece of Peace global charity concert. Desperate, he dispatches his PR consultant, Kate, and her naïve intern, Peggy, to create a fake war story, until the concert, at least.

How to Fake a War stars Katherine Parkinson, Hanna Jewell, Volker Michalowski and Jay Pharoah. The movie was directed by Rudolph Herzog.

How to Fake a War will be available to stream on Hulu on December 6.

The Secret Garden (Hulu)

Plot summary: When Mary Lennox’s parents suddenly die, she is sent to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven, on his remote country estate deep in the Yorkshire moors. While exploring, she discovers a hidden magical garden.

The Secret Garden stars Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Dixie Egerickx, Edan Hayhurst and Amir Wilson. The movie was directed by Marc Munden.

The Secret Garden will be available to stream on Hulu on December 6.

La Leyenda Negra (HBO)

Plot summary: In Compton, an undocumented teenager fights for her right to stay in America while risking her family, her friendships, and her first love.

La Layenda Negra stars Monica Betancourt, Kailei Lopez, Irlanda Moreno, Justin Avila, Sammy Flores and Juan Reynoso. The movie was directed by Patricia Vidal Delgado.

La Layenda Negra will be available to stream on HBO on December 4.

The Photograph (HBO)

Plot summary: When famed photographer Christina Eames dies unexpectedly, she leaves her estranged daughter, Mae, hurt, angry and full of questions. When Mae finds a photograph tucked away in a safe-deposit box, she soon finds herself delving into her mother’s early life—an investigation that leads to an unexpected romance with a rising journalist.

The Photograph stars Issa Rae, Lakeith Stanfield, Chelsea Peretti, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Chanté Adams and Jasmine Cephas Jones. The movie was directed by Stella Meghie.

The Photograph will be available to stream on HBO on December 5.

From Hollywood & Entertainment in Perfectirishgifts

[aion-rsa]

Christmas Movies and TV Specials: Full 2020 Schedule

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Every year, the cheer of the holiday season at the end of the calendar is the reward for us good boys and girls who behaved ourselves for 11 grueling months. Never, however, has the reward of the holiday season felt more earned than in 2020.

There’s no way around it – amid worldwide pandemics, contentious political campaigns, and the cancellation of everything on Netflix – we’ve had a bit of a rough time. Thankfully, November and December marks the unofficial beginning of the holiday season on the entertainment calendar and we’re here to make sure you don’t miss a minute of any of it. 

Using network schedules, we’ve cobbled together all of the holiday movies and TV specials we could find. Be sure to chime in with anything we may have missed as we will be updating as the season moves along.

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With social distancing guidelines in place, the holiday season might be just as weird as the rest of the year. But with this schedule in place, hopefully the entertainment world can provide a bit of normalcy. Check it out below!

All times are EST.

Tuesday, November 17

LEGO Star Wars Holiday SpecialDisney+The Mistle-tones (12:00 a.m.)Freeform12 Gifts of Christmas (12:00 a.m.)HallmarkScrooged (12:00 a.m.)AMCA Holiday Engagement (12:00 a.m.)HMMChristmas on the Vine (12:01 a.m.)LifetimeChristmas In Evergreen (2:00 a.m.)HMMSnow Day (2:00 a.m.)AMCChristmas at Cartwright’s (2:00 a.m.)HallmarkThe Christmas Edition (2:04 a.m.)LifetimeMarry Me at Christmas (4:00 a.m.)HallmarkChristmas at Graceland (4:00 a.m.)HMMFamily For Christmas (6:00 a.m.)HMMHats Off to Christmas! (6:00 a.m.)HallmarkChristmas at Graceland: Home For the Holidays (8:00 a.m.)HallmarkA Star for Christmas (8:00 a.m.)LifetimeThe Christmas Bow (8:00 a.m.)HMMA Godwink Christmas: Meant For Love (10:00 a.m.)HMMChristmas Around the Corner (10:00 a.m.)LifetimeHoliday in Handcuffs (10:30 a.m.)FreeformA Dennis the Menace Christmas (11:30 a.m.)AMCOne Royal Holiday (12:00 p.m.)HallmarkChristmas on My Mind (12:00 p.m.)HMMChristmas Pen Pals (12:00 p.m.)LifetimeSanta Buddies (12:55 p.m.)HBO FamilyPlanes, Trains, and Automobiles (1:30 p.m.)AMCChristmas Land (2:00 p.m.)HallmarkStaging Christmas (2:00 p.m.)LifetimeTwo Turtle Doves (2:00 p.m.)HMMSnow Day (3:30 p.m.)AMCCherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2 (4:00 p.m.)HallmarkChristmas Bells Are Ringing (4:00 p.m.)HMMThe Road to Christmas (4:00 p.m.)LifetimeJack Frost (5:30 p.m.)AMCA Shoe Addict’s Christmas (6:00 p.m.)HallmarkRediscovering Christmas (6:00 p.m.)LifetimeThe Christmas Train (6:00 p.m.)HMMMeet Me at Christmas (8:00 p.m.)HMMChristmas at Dollywood (8:00 p.m.)HallmarkLove Actually (8:00 p.m.)FreeformFour Christmases (8:00 p.m.)AMCA Christmas Winter Song (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeA Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (9:30 p.m.)HBO ComedyFred Claus (10:00 p.m.)AMCSense, Sensibility, and Snowmen (10:00 p.m.)HMMThe Mistletoe Secret (10:00 p.m.)HallmarkA Very Vintage Christmas (10:03 p.m.)LifetimeBlack Christmas (11:20 p.m.)HBO2

Wednesday, November 18

Holiday Home Makeover with Mr. ChristmasNetflixChristmas Connection (12:00 a.m.)HallmarkThe Christmas Doctor (12:00 a.m.)HMMA Christmas Winter Song (12:01 a.m.)LifetimeDie Hard (12:55 a.m.)HBO2The Sweetest Christmas (2:00 a.m.)HallmarkChristmas Incorporated (2:00 a.m.)HMMA Very Vintage Christmas (2:04 a.m.)LifetimeA Christmas Melody (4:00 a.m.)HMMChristmas Joy (4:00 a.m.)HallmarkFinding Santa (6:00 a.m.)HallmarkSmall Town Christmas (6:00 a.m.)HMMA Christmas to Remember (8:00 a.m.)HMMCrown For Christmas (8:00 a.m.)HallmarkWish Upon a Christmas (8:00 a.m.)LifetimeThe Spirit of Christmas (10:00 a.m.)LifetimeA Joyous Christmas (10:00 a.m.)HMMBlack Christmas (11:15 a.m.)HBOThe Perfect Holiday (11:30 a.m.)FreeformCheck Inn to Christmas (12:00 p.m.)HallmarkHolly and Ivy (12:00 p.m.)HMMChristmas on the Bayou (12:00 p.m.)LifetimeIce Age: Continental Drift (12:33 p.m.)HBO FamilyPicture a Perfect Christmas (2:00 p.m.)HallmarkA Princess For Christmas (2:00 p.m.)HMMFour Christmases and a Wedding (2:00 p.m.)LifetimeJack Frost (3:30 p.m.)AMCLove Actually (4:00 p.m.)FreeformA Gift to Remember (4:00 p.m.)HallmarkChristmas Reservations (4:00 p.m.)LifetimeA Bramble House Christmas (4:00 p.m.)HMMMaggie’s Christmas Miracle (6:00 p.m.)HMMComing Home For Christmas (6:00 p.m.)HallmarkFour Christmases (6:00 p.m.)AMCForever Christmas (6:00 p.m.)LifetimeDeck the Halls (7:00 p.m.)FreeformFred Claus (8:00 p.m.)AMCNever Kiss a Man In a Christmas Sweater (8:00 p.m.)HallmarkReturn to Christmas Creek (8:00 p.m.)HMMChristmas on Wheels (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeDisney’s A Christmas Carol (9:00 p.m.)FreeformMerry and Bright (10:00 p.m.)HallmarkOnce Upon a Christmas Miracle (10:00 p.m.)HMMCandy Cane Christmas (10:03 p.m.)LifetimeThe Polar Express (10:30 p.m.)AMCLast Christmas (10:30 p.m.)HBO Family

Thursday, November 19

The Princess Switch: Switched AgainNetflixOnce Upon a Holiday (12:00 a.m.)HallmarkRudolph’s Shiny New Year (12:00 a.m.)AMCThe Mistletoe Inn (12:00 a.m.)HMMChristmas on Wheels (12:01 a.m.)LifetimeThe Year Without a Santa Claus (1:45 a.m.)AMCMiss Christmas (2:00 a.m.)HallmarkChristmas In the Air (2:00 a.m.)HMMCandy Cane Christmas (2:04 a.m.)LifetimeRudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (3:00 a.m.)AMCChristmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy (4:00 a.m.)HallmarkThe Christmas Ornament (4:00 a.m.)HMMHearts of Christmas (6:00 a.m.)HMMEnchanted Christmas (6:00 a.m.)HallmarkWrite Before Christmas (8:00 a.m.)HallmarkHome For Christmas Day (8:00 a.m.)HMMLast Chance for Christmas (8:00 a.m.)LifetimeThe Great Christmas Light Fight (9:00 a.m.)AMCA Christmas For the Books (10:00 a.m.)HMMMatchmaker Christmas (10:00 a.m.)LifetimeA Christmas Reunion (12:00 p.m.)LifetimeA Family Christmas Gift (12:00 p.m.)HMMTurkey Drop (12:00 p.m.)FreeformChristmas In Love (12:00 p.m.)HallmarkA Perfect Christmas (2:00 p.m.)HallmarkThe Christmas Doctor (2:00 p.m.)HMMChristmas Love Letter (2:00 p.m.)LifetimeRudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (2:30 p.m.)AMCNew Year’s Eve (3:25 p.m.)HBO ComedyChristmas Under Wraps (4:00 p.m.)HallmarkA Gingerbread Romance (4:00 p.m.)HMMChristmas Stars (4:00 p.m.)LifetimeFrosty’s Winter Wonderland (5:00 p.m.)AMCRudolph’s Shiny New Year (5:30 p.m.)AMCA Cheerful Christmas (6:00 p.m.)HallmarkA Twist of Christmas (6:00 p.m.)LifetimeHope at Christmas (6:00 p.m.)HMMThe Year Without a Santa Claus (6:45 p.m.)AMCTop Elf *Season Premiere (7:30 p.m.)NickelodeonThe Polar Express (8:00 p.m.)AMCA Timeless Christmas (8:00 p.m.)HallmarkDeliver by Christmas (8:00 p.m.)HMMA Christmas Wish (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeMiracle on 34th Street (8:30 p.m.)FreeformScrooged (10:00 p.m.)AMCThe Christmas Ring (10:00 p.m.)HMMChristmas With the Darlings (10:00 p.m.)HallmarkThe Magical Christmas Shoes (10:05 p.m.)Lifetime

Friday, November 20

Alien XmasNetflixIt’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (12:00 a.m.)FreeformChristmas at Pemberley Manor (12:00 a.m.)HallmarkJourney Back to Christmas (12:00 a.m.)HMMA Christmas Wish (12:01 a.m.)LifetimeThe Perfect Christmas Present (2:00 a.m.)HMMMy Christmas Love (2:00 a.m.)HallmarkThe Magical Christmas Shoes (2:06 a.m.)LifetimeA December Bride (4:00 a.m.)HallmarkThe Town Christmas Forgot (4:00 a.m.)HMMChristmas Dance (6:00 a.m.)HMMMy Christmas Dream (6:00 a.m.)HallmarkA Christmas Detour (8:00 a.m.)HallmarkA Golden Christmas (8:00 a.m.)LifetimeChristmas Song (8:00 a.m.)HMMFrosty’s Winter Wonderland (9:00 a.m.)AMCFinding Christmas (10:00 a.m.)HMMA Very Merry Toy Store (10:00 a.m.)LifetimePrancer Returns (10:30 a.m.)FreeformLast Christmas (11:20 a.m.)HBO LatinoPAW Patrol *holiday-themed episode (12:00 p.m.)NickelodeonHoliday High School Reunion (12:00 p.m.)LifetimeA Very Merry Mix-Up (12:00 p.m.)HallmarkA Christmas Miracle (12:00 p.m.)HMMSantiago of the Seas *holiday-themed episode (12:30 p.m.)NickelodeonLast Christmas (12:35 p.m.)HBOMatilda (12:35 p.m.)FreeformHBO Family (12:47 p.m.)HBO FamilyWelcome to Christmas (2:00 p.m.)HallmarkChristmas 9 to 5 (2:00 p.m.)LifetimeTime For You to Come Home For Christmas (2:00 p.m.)HMMMeet Me at Christmas (4:00 p.m.)HMMA Christmas in Tennessee (4:00 p.m.)LifetimeEntertaining Christmas (4:00 p.m.)HallmarkOn the 12th Date of Christmas (6:00 p.m.)HallmarkChristmas A La Mode (6:00 p.m.)LifetimeScrooged (6:00 p.m.)AMCLooks Like Christmas (6:00 p.m.)HMMHolly and Ivy (8:00 p.m.)HMMChristmas In Vienna (8:00 p.m.)HallmarkA Taste of Christmas (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeIrving Berlin’s Holiday Inn – The Broadway Musical (9:00 p.m.)PBSChristmas at the Plaza (10:00 p.m.)HallmarkHoliday For Heroes (10:00 p.m.)HMMA Very Charming Christmas Town (10:03 p.m.)LifetimeHome Alone: The Holiday Heist (11:25 p.m.)HBO Family

Saturday, November 21

Christmas In Rome (12:00 a.m.)HallmarkChristmas Tree Lane (12:00 a.m.)HMMA Taste of Christmas (12:01 a.m.)LifetimeChristmas on Honeysuckle Lane (2:00 a.m.)HMMThe Christmas Cure (2:00 a.m.)HallmarkA Very Charming Christmas Town (2:04 a.m.)LifetimeA Wish For Christmas (4:00 a.m.)HallmarkA Christmas Visitor (4:00 a.m.)HMMChristmas Wonderland (6:00 a.m.)HMMChristmas Land (6:00 a.m.)HallmarkLittle Drummer Boy: Book II (6:00 a.m.)AMCMrs. Doubtfire (6:25 a.m.)HBO SignaturePrancer Returns (7:00 a.m.)Freeform‘Tis the Season For Love (8:00 a.m.)HMMIce Age: Continental Drift (8:00 a.m.)HBO FamilyChristmas In Homestead (8:00 a.m.)HallmarkBon Voyage Charlie Brown (9:10 a.m.)FreeformSleigh Bells Ring (10:00 a.m.)HallmarkChristmas In Angle Falls (10:00 a.m.)HMMForever Christmas (11:00 a.m.)LifetimeSmall Town Christmas (12:00 p.m.)HMMChateau Christmas (12:00 p.m.)HallmarkThe Spirit of Christmas (12:30 p.m.)LifetimeA Crafty Christmas Romance (2:00 p.m.)LifetimeA Christmas Love Story (2:00 p.m.)HallmarkNorthern Lights of Christmas (2:00 p.m.)HMMHome Alone 4 (2:10 p.m.)HBO FamilyA Royal Christmas (4:00 p.m.)HallmarkThe Christmas Edition (4:00 p.m.)LifetimeI’m Not Ready For Christmas (4:00 p.m.)HMMChristmas at Graceland (6:00 p.m.)HMMA Taste of Christmas (6:00 p.m.)LifetimeA Timeless Christmas (6:00 p.m.)HallmarkFour Christmases (6:00 p.m.)AMCA Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (6:50 p.m.)HBO ZoneNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (8:00 p.m.)AMCFeliz NaviDAD (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeA Nashville Christmas Carol (8:00 p.m.)HallmarkAngel Falls: A Novel Holiday (8:00 p.m.)HMMFeliz NaviDAD (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeDr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (8:45 p.m.)FreeformNew Year’s Eve (10:00 p.m.)HBO2Christmas Next Door (10:00 p.m.)HallmarkThe Angel Free (10:00 p.m.)HMMChristmas Unwrapped (10:03 p.m.)LifetimeNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (10:15 p.m.)AMC

Sunday, November 22

Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the SquareNetflixThe Nine Lives of Christmas (12:00 a.m.)HallmarkA Godwink Christmas (12:01 a.m.)HMMFeliz NaviDAD (12:01 a.m.)LifetimeFour Christmases (12:30 a.m.)AMCSharing Christmas (2:00 a.m.)HallmarkA Homecoming For the Holidays (2:01 a.m.)HMMChristmas Unwrapped (2:04 a.m.)LifetimeA Cookie Cutter Christmas (4:00 a.m.)HallmarkOur Christmas Love Song (4:01 a.m.)HMMCall Me Mrs. Miracle (6:00 a.m.)HMMDouble Holiday (6:00 a.m.)HallmarkBon Voyage Charlie Brown (7:00 a.m.)FreeformLet It Snow (8:00 a.m)HallmarkChristmas Encore (8:00 a.m.)HMMThe Christmas Doctor (10:00 a.m.)HMMA Very Charming Christmas Town (10:00 a.m.)LifetimeWith Love, Christmas (10:00 a.m.)HallmarkThe Christmas Club (12:00 p.m.)HallmarkChristmas on the Vine (12:00 p.m.)LifetimeI’ll Be Home For Christmas (12:00 p.m.)HMMOnce Upon a Christmas Miracle (2:00 p.m.)HMMThe Christmas Yule Blog (2:00 p.m.)LifetimeChristmas Wishes and Mistletoe (2:00 p.m.)HallmarkA Nashville Christmas Carol (4:00 p.m.)HallmarkChristmas on Wheels (4:00 p.m.)LifetimeA Veteran’s Christmas (4:00 p.m.)HMMDr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (4:05 p.m.)FreeformChristmas Under the Stars (6:00 p.m.)HallmarkThe Angel Tree (6:00 p.m.)HMMFeliz NaviDAD (6:00 p.m.)LifetimeHome Alone (6:45 p.m.)FreeformHomemade Christmas (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeThe Christmas House (8:00 p.m.)HallmarkA Godwink Christmas: Meant For Love (8:00 p.m.)HMMHomemade Christmas (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeHome Alone 2: Lost in New York (9:15 p.m.)FreeformA Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (10:00 p.m.)HBO ComedyChristmas In Vienna (10:00 p.m.)HallmarkA Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Love (10:00 p.m.)HMMA Taste of Christmas (10:03 p.m.)LifetimeBlack Nativity (11:55 p.m.)Freeform

Monday, November 23

One Royal Holiday (12:00 a.m.)HallmarkMeet Me at Christmas (12:01 a.m.)HMMHomemade Christmas (12:01 a.m.)LifetimeMingle All the Way (2:00 a.m.)HallmarkA Christmas For the Books (2:01 a.m.)HMMA Taste of Christmas (2:04 a.m.)LifetimeChristmas Made to Order (4:00 a.m.)HallmarkTwo Turtle Doves (4:01 a.m.)HMMFir Crazy (6:00 a.m.)HMMCherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2 (6:00 a.m.)HallmarkA Cookie Cutter Christmas (8:00 a.m.)HallmarkA Christmas Kiss (8:00 a.m.)LifetimeThe Christmas Train (8:00 a.m.)HMMI’m Not Ready For Christmas (10:00 a.m.)HMMLast Chance for Christmas (10:00 a.m.)LifetimeAll About Christmas Eve (12:00 p.m.)LifetimeChristmas With Holly (12:00 p.m.)HMMA December Bride (12:00 p.m.)HallmarkBlack Christmas (1:10 p.m.)HBOThe Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2:00 p.m.)HallmarkDear Santa (2:00 p.m.)LifetimeHearts of Christmas (2:00 p.m.)HMMChristmas In the Air (4:00 p.m.)HMMChristmas in Louisiana (4:00 p.m.)LifetimeCheck Inn to Christmas (4:00 p.m.)HallmarkChateau Christmas (6:00 p.m.)HallmarkFinding Christmas (6:00 p.m.)HMMYou Light Up My Christmas (6:00 p.m.)LifetimeElf (7:00 p.m.)AMCHeart of the Holidays (8:00 p.m.)HallmarkHoliday Hearts (8:00 p.m.)HMMFeliz NaviDAD (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeElf (9:00 p.m.)AMCChristmas at Grand Valley (10:00 p.m.)HMMThe Christmas Aunt (10:03 p.m.)LifetimeJingle Bell Bride (10:03 p.m.)Hallmark

Tuesday, November 24

Dragons: Rescue Riders: Huttsgalor HolidayNetflixMagical Christmas Ornaments (12:00 a.m.)HMMFeliz NaviDAD (12:01 a.m.)LifetimeHoliday Date (12:03 a.m.)HallmarkChristmas Song (2:00 a.m.)HMMChristmas List (2:03 a.m.)HallmarkThe Christmas Aunt (2:04 a.m.)LifetimeCatch a Christmas Star (4:00 a.m.)HMMEntertaining Christmas (4:03 a.m.)HallmarkChristmas Scavenger Hunt (6:00 a.m.)HallmarkChristmas Dance (6:00 a.m.)HMMThe Perfect Christmas Present (8:00 a.m.)HMMMiss Christmas (8:00 a.m.)HallmarkA Christmas Wedding Date (8:00 a.m.)Lifetime12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue (9:30 a.m.)AMCJourney Back to Christmas (10:00 a.m.)HMMA Christmas Proposal (10:00 a.m.)LifetimeDecorating Disney: Holiday Magic (11:00 a.m.)FreeformChristmas wonderland (12:00 p.m.)HMMDeck the Halls (12:00 p.m.)FreeformAlways and Forever Christmas (12:00 p.m.)LifetimeNew Year’s Eve (12:00 p.m.)HBO2My Christmas Dream (12:00 p.m.)HallmarkChristmas at Holly Lodge (2:00 p.m.)HallmarkMoonlight and Mistletoe (2:00 p.m.)HMMHoliday Spin (2:00 p.m.)LifetimeMerry and Bright (4:00 p.m.)HallmarkA Taste of Christmas (4:00 p.m.)LifetimeChristmas In Montana (4:00 p.m.)HMMA Christmas to Remember (6:00 p.m.)HMMWrite Before Christmas (6:00 p.m.)HallmarkA Crafty Christmas Romance (6:00 p.m.)LifetimeNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (7:00 p.m.)AMCA Christmas Tree Grows In Colorado (8:00 p.m.)HallmarkA Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Love (8:00 p.m.)HMMA Twist of Christmas (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeHome Alone: The Holiday Heist (8:27 p.m.)HBO FamilyNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (9:00 p.m.)AMCThe Angel Tree (10:00 p.m.)HMMPride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe (10:03 p.m.)HallmarkA Welcome Home Christmas (10:03 p.m.)Lifetime

Wednesday, November 25

The Christmas Chronicles: Part TwoNetflixHappiest SeasonHuluA Twist of Christmas (12:01 a.m.)LifetimeA Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (1:25 a.m.)HBOA Welcome Home Christmas (2:04 a.m.)LifetimeDie Hard (2:45 a.m.)HBO2Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow (8:00 a.m.)LifetimeBeethoven’s Christmas Adventure (9:00 a.m.)AMCOn Strike for Christmas (10:00 a.m.)LifetimePrancer Returns (10:30 a.m.)FreeformThe Christmas Yule Blog (12:00 p.m.)LifetimeHomemade Christmas (2:00p.m.)LifetimeChristmas with the Kranks (3:00 p.m.)FreeformCandy Cane Christmas (4:00 p.m.)LifetimeJack Frost (5:30 p.m.)AMCGrounded for Christmas (6:00 p.m.)LifetimeTwinkle All the Way (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeThe Polar Express (8:00 p.m.)AMCSanta’s Wild Home (8:00 p.m.)PBSPlanes, Trains, and Automobiles (10:00 p.m.)AMC

Thursday, November 26

Craftopia: Craft the HallsHBO MaxCraftopia: Merry Craftmas!HBO MaxTurkey Drop (12:00 a.m.)FreeformPlanes, Trains, and Automobiles (1:05 a.m.)AMCChristmas with the Kranks (7:00 a.m.)FreeformHBO Family (9:02 a.m.)HBO FamilyIce Age: Continental Drift (10:30 a.m.)HBO FamilyBon Voyage Charlie Brown (10:30 a.m.)FreeformPocahontas (2:00 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone (6:00 p.m.)FreeformNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (7:00 p.m.)AMCOlaf’s Frozen Adventure (8:00 p.m.)ABCToy Story That Time Forgot (8:30 p.m.)ABCHome Alone 2: Lost in New York (8:30 p.m.)FreeformThe Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration (9:00 p.m.)ABCNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (9:15 p.m.)AMCA Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (11:35 p.m.)HBO Comedy

Friday, November 27

A Go! Go! Cory Carson ChristmasNetflixDance Dreams: Hot Chocolate NutcrackerNetflixSugar Rush Christmas: Season 2NetflixSanta Buddies (5:27 a.m.)HBO FamilyMerry Madagascar (5:30 a.m.)AMCTo Grandmother’s House We Go (9:00 a.m.)AMCMatilda (10:30 a.m.)FreeformJingle All The Way 2 (12:30 p.m.)FreeformThe Nightmare Before Christmas (4:30 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone 4 (5:30 p.m.)HBO FamilyPlanes, Trains, and Automobiles (5:30 p.m.)AMCHome Alone: The Holiday Heist (6:54 p.m.)HBO FamilyFour Christmases (7:30 p.m.)AMCDear Christmas (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeFrosty The Snowman (8:00 p.m.)CBSSanta Claus Is Comin’ to Town (8:00 p.m.)ABCGrandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer (8:00 p.m.)CWFrosty Returns (8:30 p.m.)CBSThe Adventures of Paddington *holiday-themed episode (8:30 p.m.)NickelodeonFred Claus (9:30 p.m.)AMC

Saturday, November 28

Four Christmases (12:00 a.m.)AMCTo Grandmother’s House We Go (4:30 a.m.)AMCHappy Feet (6:30 a.m.)AMCSnow Day (9:00 a.m.)AMCDeck the Halls (11:35 a.m.)FreeformPlanes, Trains And Automobiles (3:30 p.m.)AMCFred Claus (5:30 p.m.)AMCMerry Liddle Christmas Wedding (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeElf (8:00 p.m.)AMCRobbie The Reindeer: Hooves of Fire (8:00 p.m.)CBSRobbie The Reindeer: Legend of the Lost Tribe (8:30 p.m.)CBSThe Story of Santa Claus (9:00 p.m.)CBSThe All-Star Nickmas Spectacular (9:00 p.m.)NickelodeonA Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (9:40 p.m.)HBO ComedyElf (10:00 p.m.)AMCThe Nutcracker and the Four Realms (11:55 p.m.)Freeform

Sunday, November 29

Wonderoos: Holiday Holiday!NetflixSnow Day (12:00 a.m.)AMCDie Hard With a Vengeance (1:40 a.m.)HBO ZoneThe Nutcracker and the Four Realms (7:00 a.m.)FreeformChristmas with the Kranks (9:10 a.m.)FreeformDie Hard (11:55 a.m.)HBO2Matilda (1:25 p.m.)FreeformBlack Christmas (2:10 p.m.)HBODisney Prep & Landing (7:00 p.m.)ABCDisney Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice (7:30 p.m.)ABCPeople Presents: Once Upon a Main Street (8:00 p.m.)Lifetime

Monday, November 30

Spookley and the Christmas KittensNetflixUnhappy HolidaysShudderChristmas with the Kranks (7:30 a.m.)FreeformGeneral Hospital *holiday-themed episode (2:00 p.m.)ABCThe Nightmare Before Christmas (5:10 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone 4 (6:10 p.m.)HBO FamilyThe Christmas Listing (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeFour Christmases (8:00 p.m.)AMCThe Disney Holiday Singalong (8:00 p.m.)ABCCMA Country Christmas (9:00 p.m.)ABCFred Claus (10:00 p.m.)AMC

Tuesday, December 1

Angela’s Christmas WishNetflixThe Holiday Movies That Made UsNetflixPAW Patrol *holiday episode rerun (8:00 a.m.)NickelodeonSnow (12:00 a.m.)FreeformFour Christmases (12:32 a.m.)Disney’s A Christmas Carol (11:00 a.m.)FreeformMiracle on 34th Street (1:00 p.m.)FreeformHBO Family (1:00 p.m.)HBO FamilyHome Alone (3:30 p.m.)FreeformFred Claus (5:00pm)Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (6:00 p.m.)FreeformThe Polar Express (7:30 p.m.)Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (8:00 p.m.)CBSDr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (8:30 p.m.)FreeformWilly Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (9:30 p.m.)

Wednesday, December 2

Holly Gialli ChristmasShudderDeck the Halls (12:00 a.m.)FreeformCharlie And The Chocolate Factory (2:25 a.m.)The Great Christmas Light Fight (4:55 a.m.)It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas (7:00 a.m.)FreeformThe Nativity Story (9:00 a.m.)Miracle on 34th Street (11:00 a.m.)FreeformCharlie And The Chocolate Factory (1:00 p.m.)Deck the Halls (1:40 p.m.)FreeformWilly Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (3:30 p.m.)Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (3:45 p.m.)FreeformThe Polar Express (6:00 p.m.)The Santa Clause (6:25 p.m.)FreeformIce Age: Continental Drift (7:00 p.m.)HBO FamilySpotlight on Christmas (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeThe Goldbergs *holiday-themed episode (8:00 p.m.)ABCNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (8:00 p.m.)The Santa Clause 2 (8:30 p.m.)Freeformblack-ish *holiday-themed episode (9:30 p.m.)ABC

Thursday, December 3

Chico Bon Bon and the Very Berry HolidayNetflixTudo Bem No Natal Que VemNetflixAnything For JacksonShudderThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (12:00 a.m.)FreeformSnow Day (12:30 a.m.)How Murray Saved Christmas (4:55 a.m.)The Simpsons *holiday episode rerun (7:00 a.m.)FreeformMrs. Doubtfire (7:50 a.m.)HBO2Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic 2 (10:30 a.m.)Freeform12 Dogs Of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue (11:00 a.m.)The Little Drummer Boy (11:30 a.m.)FreeformJingle All the Way 2 (12:00 p.m.)FreeformChristmas with the Kranks (2:00 p.m.)FreeformDisney’s A Christmas Carol (4:00 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone: The Holiday Heist (5:30 p.m.)HBO FamilyHome Alone (6:00 p.m.)FreeformSnow Day (6:00 p.m.)Elf (8:00 p.m.)Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (8:30 p.m.)Freeform

Friday, December 4

Captain Underpants Mega BlissmasNetflixThe Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 3NetflixFred Claus (12:00 a.m.)White Christmas (2:30 a.m.)The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold (5:15 a.m.)Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic (7:00 a.m.)FreeformThe Preacher’s Wife (8:05 a.m.)FreeformPAW Patrol *holiday episode rerun (10:00 a.m.)NickelodeonHappy Feet (10:30 a.m.)Christmas with the Kranks (10:45 a.m.)FreeformBlue’s Clues and You! *holiday-themed episode (11:00 a.m.)NickelodeonRyan’s Mystery Playdate *holiday-themed episode (11:30 a.m.)NickelodeonBubble Guppies *holiday-themed episode (12:00 p.m.)NickelodeonJingle All the Way 2 (12:00 p.m.)FreeformTim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (12:50 p.m.)FreeformFree Birds (1:00 p.m.)The Santa Clause (2:30 p.m.)FreeformGremlins (3:00 p.m.)The Santa Clause 2 (4:40 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (7:10 p.m.)FreeformSpotlight on Christmas (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeDisney Holiday Magic Quest (8:00 p.m.)Disney ChannelScrooged (8:00 p.m.)The Hollywood Christmas Parade Greatest Moments (8:00 p.m.)CWDr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (9:15 p.m.)FreeformFred Claus (10:00 p.m.)Deck the Halls (11:55 p.m.)Freeform

Saturday, December 5

Mighty Express: A Mighty ChristmasNetflixGremlins (12:30 a.m.)Pinocchio’s Christmas (6:00 a.m.)The Preacher’s Wife (7:00 a.m.)FreeformJack Frost (7:15 a.m.)The First Christmas: The Story Of The First Christmas Snow (8:30 a.m.)Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (9:00 a.m.)Rudolph And Frosty’s Christmas In July (9:30 a.m.)Deck the Halls (9:40 a.m.)FreeformSpongeBob SquarePants *holiday episode rerun (11:00 a.m.)NickelodeonIt’s Pony *holiday-themed episode (11:30 a.m.)NickelodeonPrancer Returns (11:45 a.m.)FreeformThe Life & Adventures Of Santa Claus (12:00 p.m.)The Legend Of Frosty The Snowman (1:15 p.m.)Ice Age: Continental Drift (1:15 p.m.)HBO FamilyJingle All the Way 2 (1:50 p.m.)FreeformJack Frost (2:45 p.m.)Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (3:55 p.m.)FreeformLittle Drummer Boy: Book II (4:00 p.m.)‘Twas The Night Before Christmas (4:30 p.m.)Frosty’s Winter Wonderland (5:00 p.m.)Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (5:30 p.m.)Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (6:35 p.m.)FreeformThe Loud House holiday episode rerun (6:30 p.m.)NickelodeonThe Year Without A Santa Claus (6:45 p.m.)The Casagrandes *holiday-themed episode (7:00 p.m.)NickelodeonThe Loud House *holiday-themed episode (7:30 p.m.)NickelodeonRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (7:40 p.m.)FreeformLet’s Meet Again on Christmas Eve (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (8:00 p.m.)Frosty the Snowman (8:45 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause (9:20 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause 2 (11:30 p.m.)Freeform

Sunday, December 6

The Year Without A Santa Claus (12:30 a.m.)‘Twas The Night Before Christmas (1:45 a.m.)Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (2:15 a.m.)Rudolph And Frosty’s Christmas In July (3:30 a.m.)‘Twas The Night Before Christmas (6:00 a.m.)The First Christmas: The Story Of The First Christmas Snow (6:30 a.m.)Decorating Disney: Holiday Magic (7:00 a.m.)FreeformNestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (7:00 a.m.)The Legend Of Frosty The Snowman (7:30 a.m.)Prancer Returns (8:00 a.m.)FreeformThe Life & Adventures Of Santa Claus (9:30 a.m.)Abby Hatcher *holiday-themed episode (10:00 a.m.)NickelodeonJingle All the Way 2 (10:10 a.m.)FreeformJack Frost (10:45 a.m.)Rudolph And Frosty’s Christmas In July (12:00 p.m.)Disney’s A Christmas Carol (12:15 p.m.)FreeformSpongeBob SquarePants *holiday episode rerun (1:00 p.m.)NickelodeonTim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (2:20 p.m.)FreeformLittle Drummer Boy: Book II (2:30 p.m.)The Legend Of Frosty The Snowman (3:00 p.m.)Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (4:00 p.m.)FreeformFrosty’s Winter Wonderland (4:30 p.m.)‘Twas The Night Before Christmas (5:00 p.m.)Frosty the Snowman (5:05 p.m.)FreeformThe Year Without A Santa Claus (5:30 p.m.)Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (5:40 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone (6:45 p.m.)FreeformRudolph’s Shiny New Year (6:45 p.m.)Challenge Accepted! Disney Channel’s Epic Holiday Showdown (7:00 p.m.)Disney ChannelChristmas Ever After (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeElf (8:00 p.m.)Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (9:15 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone 4 (10:37 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (11:55 p.m.)Freeform

Monday, December 7

The Year Without A Santa Claus (12:00 a.m.)Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (1:15 a.m.)Rudolph And Frosty’s Christmas In July (2:30 a.m.)Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer (5:00 a.m.)The Sons Of Mistletoe (9:15 a.m.)The Truth About Christmas (10:30 a.m.)FreeformThe Holiday (12:30 p.m.)FreeformLove Actually (3:30 p.m.)FreeformLove Actually (3:30 p.m.)Planes, Trains And Automobiles (6:00 p.m.)The Santa Clause (6:30 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Squad (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeScrooged (8:00 p.m.)The Santa Clause 2 (8:30 p.m.)FreeformGremlins (10:00 p.m.)

Tuesday, December 8

Super Monsters: Santa’s Super Monster HelpersNetflixChristmas with the Kranks (12:00 a.m.)FreeformPlanes, Trains And Automobiles (12:30 a.m.)Die Hard With a Vengeance (3:05 a.m.)HBO SignatureThe Legend Of Frosty The Snowman (4:30 a.m.)Christmas with the Kranks (7:00 a.m.)FreeformMariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You (9:00 a.m.)Love Actually (10:30 a.m.)FreeformMrs. Doubtfire (12:40 p.m.)HBO ComedyThe Preacher’s Wife (1:35 p.m.)FreeformGremlins (3:30 p.m.)The Perfect Holiday (4:10 p.m.)FreeformScrooged (6:00 p.m.)The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (6:15 p.m.)FreeformElf (8:00 p.m.)Almost Christmas (8:20 p.m.)FreeformThe Polar Express (10:00 p.m.)

Wednesday, December 9

Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love: ChristmasNetflixThe Big Show Show: Christmas NetflixSanta’s Apprentice (10:30 a.m.)FreeformPrancer Returns (12:00 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone 4 (1:31 p.m.)HBO FamilyDisney’s A Christmas Carol (2:00 p.m.)FreeformThe Star (4:00 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone (6:00 p.m.)FreeformThe Great Christmas Light Fight *season premiere (8:00 p.m.)ABCGreatest Holiday Commercial Countdown (8:00 p.m.)CWHome Alone 2: Lost in New York (8:30 p.m.)Freeform

Thursday, December 10

Prancer Returns (12:00 a.m.)FreeformThe Simpsons *holiday episode rerun (7:00 a.m.)FreeformThe Star (10:30 a.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause (12:30 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause 2 (2:30 p.m.)FreeformHBO Family (2:32 p.m.)HBO FamilySanta Buddies (4:00 p.m.)HBO FamilyThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (5:00 p.m.)FreeformThe Nightmare Before Christmas (7:00 p.m.)FreeformSilent Night – A Song For The World (8:00 p.m.)CWThe Substitute *holiday-themed episode (8:30 p.m.)NickelodeonDr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (8:30 p.m.)FreeformRugrats *holiday episode rerun (10:00 p.m.)Nickelodeon

Friday, December 11

A Trash Truck Christmas NetflixChristmas with the Kranks (12:00 a.m.)FreeformDecorating Disney: Holiday Magic (7:00 a.m.)FreeformSnow (8:00 a.m.)FreeformSnow 2: Brain Freeze (10:00 a.m.)FreeformSnowglobe (12:00 p.m.)FreeformPAW Patrol *holiday-themed episode(12:00 p.m.)NickelodeonBaby Shark’s Big Show! *holiday-themed episode (12:30 p.m.)NickelodeonChristmas with the Kranks (2:00 p.m.)FreeformDr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (4:05 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone (6:45 p.m.)FreeformDisney Channel Holiday House Party (8:00 p.m.)Disney ChannelInn Love by Christmas (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeThe Christmas Caroler Challenge (8:00 p.m.)CWMrs. Doubtfire (8:36 p.m.)HBO FamilyJoe Bob Saves Christmas (9:00 p.m.)ShudderHome Alone 2: Lost in New York (9:15 p.m.)FreeformDaddy’s Home 2 (11:55 p.m.)Freeform

Saturday, December 12

The Simpsons *holiday episode rerun (7:00 a.m.)FreeformDaddy’s Home 2 (8:00 a.m.)FreeformHome Alone 4 (8:15 a.m.)HBO FamilyThe Santa Clause (10:05 a.m.)FreeformSpongeBob SquarePants *holiday episode rerun (10:00 a.m.)NickelodeonThe Loud House *holiday episode rerun (10:30 a.m.)NickelodeonSpongeBob SquarePants *holiday episode rerun (12:00 p.m.)NickelodeonThe Santa Clause 2 (12:15 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2:45 p.m.)FreeformToy Story (4:50 p.m.)FreeformToy Story 2 (6:50 p.m.)FreeformThe Christmas Setup (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeDanger Force *holiday-themed episode (8:00 p.m.)NickelodeonSide Hustle *holiday-themed episode (8:30 p.m.)NickelodeonToy Story 3 (8:55 p.m.)FreeformToys of Terror (10:00 p.m.)SYFYToy Story That Time Forgot (11:25 p.m.)FreeformDisney’s A Christmas Carol (11:55 p.m.)Freeform

Sunday, December 13

Love the Coopers (7:00 a.m.)FreeformToy Story That Time Forgot (9:30 a.m.)FreeformPrancer Returns (10:00 a.m.)FreeformDisney’s A Christmas Carol (12:00 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone (2:05 p.m.)FreeformSnow Buddies (4:03 p.m.)HBO FamilyHome Alone 2: Lost in New York (4:35 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause (7:15 p.m.)FreeformA Sugar & Spice Holiday (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeThe Santa Clause 2 (9:25 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (11:55 p.m.)Freeform

Monday, December 14

Prancer Returns (7:00 a.m.)FreeformThe Perfect Holiday (11:00 a.m.)FreeformAlmost Christmas (1:00 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone (3:30 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone: 2 Lost in New York (6:00 p.m.)FreeformLonestar Christmas (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeDr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (8:30 p.m.)FreeformChristmas with The Tabernacle Choir (9:00 p.m.)PBS

Tuesday, December 15

The Perfect Holiday (12:00 a.m.)FreeformThe Magic Snowflake (10:30 a.m.)FreeformJingle All the Way 2 (12:00 p.m.)FreeformChristmas with the Kranks (2:00 p.m.)FreeformThe Nightmare Before Christmas (4:05 p.m.)FreeformDr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (5:45 p.m.)FreeformElla Wishes You a Swinging Christmas (8:00 p.m.)PBSDisney’s A Christmas Carol (8:25 p.m.)FreeformChristmas at Belmont (9:00 p.m.)PBSPrep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice (10:30 p.m.)Freeform

Wednesday, December 16

Jingle All the Way 2 (12:00 a.m.)FreeformChristmas with the Kranks (11:30 a.m.)FreeformMiracle on 34th Street (1:35 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause (4:15 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause 2 (6:25 p.m.)FreeformThe Great Christmas Light Fight (8:00 p.m.)ABCThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (8:55 p.m.)FreeformPenn & Teller: Merry Fool Us (9:00 p.m.)CW

Thursday, December 17

Black Nativity (12:00 a.m.)FreeformThe Simpsons *holiday episode rerun (7:00 a.m.)FreeformMiracle on 34th Street (10:30 a.m.)FreeformThe Holiday (1:00 p.m.)FreeformDisney’s A Christmas Carol (4:00 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone (6:00 p.m.)FreeformDogs Of The Year (8:00 p.m.)CWAll That *holiday-themed episode (8:30 p.m.)NickelodeonHome Alone 2: Lost in New York (8:30 p.m.)FreeformRugrats *holiday episode rerun (10:00 p.m.)Nickelodeon

Friday, December 18

A Creepshow Holiday SpecialShudderLife Size 2: A Christmas Eve (12:00 a.m.)FreeformHoliday in Handcuffs (7:00 a.m.)FreeformThe Holiday (9:05 a.m.)FreeformDisney’s A Christmas Carol (12:15 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause (2:20 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause 2 (4:25 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (6:55 p.m.)FreeformChristmas on the Menu (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeShrek the Halls (8:30 p.m.)ABCDr. Seuss’ The Grinch (9:00 p.m.)FreeformElla Wishes You a Swinging Christmas (9:00 p.m.)PBSLucy Worsley’s 12 Days of Tudor Christmas (10:00 p.m.)PBSThe Star (11:00 p.m.)Freeform

Saturday, December 19

The Simpsons *holiday episode rerun (1:00 a.m.)FreeformKung Fu Panda Holiday (7:00 a.m.)FreeformThe Little Drummer Boy (7:30 a.m.)FreeformThe Star (8:00 a.m.)FreeformThe Nightmare Before Christmas (10:05 a.m.)FreeformAlvin! and the Chipmunks *holiday-themed episode (11:00 a.m.)NickelodeonLEGO City Adventure *holiday-themed episode (11:30 a.m.)NickelodeonHome Alone (11:45 a.m.)FreeformHome Alone 2: Lost in New York (2:15 p.m.)FreeformFrosty the Snowman (4:55 p.m.)FreeformRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (5:30 p.m.)FreeformDr. Seuss’ The Grinch (6:35 p.m.)FreeformA Christmas Exchange (8:00 p.m.)LifetimeDanger Force *holiday-themed episode (8:00 p.m.)NickelodeonDr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (8:40 p.m.)FreeformLetters to Satan Clause (9:00 p.m.)SYFYMiracle on 34th Street (11:20 p.m.)Freeform

Sunday, December 20

The Simpsons *holiday episode rerun (7:00 a.m.)FreeformMiracle on 34th Street (9:30 a.m.)FreeformJingle All the Way 2 (12:10 p.m.)FreeformSanta Claus is Comin’ to Town (2:20 p.m.)FreeformFrosty the Snowman (3:25 p.m.)FreeformRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (4:00 p.m.)FreeformDr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (5:05 p.m.)FreeformThe Sound of Music (7:00 p.m.)ABCHome Alone (7:45 p.m.)FreeformMasters of Illusion: Christmas Magic (8:00 p.m.)CWHome Alone 2: Lost in New York (10:15 p.m.)Freeform

Monday, December 21

Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (12:55 a.m.)FreeformJingle All the Way 2 (10:30 a.m.)FreeformMiracle on 34th Street (12:30 p.m.)FreeformSpongeBob SquarePants *holiday episode rerun (1:00 p.m.)NickelodeonThe Nightmare Before Christmas (3:00 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause (4:30 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause 2 (6:30 p.m.)FreeformGrandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer (8:00 p.m.)CWGreatest Holiday Commercial Countdown (9:00 p.m.)CWThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (9:00 p.m.)Freeform

Tuesday, December 22

Christmas with the Kranks (12:00 a.m.)FreeformSanta’s Apprentice (7:00 a.m.)FreeformMiracle on 34th Street (8:30 a.m.)ABCThe Perfect Holiday (11:00 a.m.)FreeformChristmas with the Kranks (1:00 p.m.)FreeformThe Loud House *holiday episode rerun (1:00 p.m.)NickelodeonDisney’s A Christmas Carol (3:05 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone (5:10 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone 2: Lost in New York (7:40 p.m.)FreeformThe Night Before (10:20 p.m.)Freeform

Wednesday, December 23

The Simpsons *holiday episode rerun (12:30 a.m.)FreeformLife-Size 2: A Christmas Eve (7:30 a.m.)FreeformThe Mistle-tones (9:30 a.m.)FreeformHoliday in Handcuffs (11:30 a.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause (1:30 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause 2 (3:35 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (6:05 p.m.)FreeformSilent Night – A Song For The World (8:00 p.m.)CWGeneral Hospital *holiday-themed episode (8:00 p.m.)ABCDr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (8:10 p.m.)FreeformThe Great Christmas Light Fight (9:00 p.m.)ABCSanta Claus Is Comin’ to Town (10:50 p.m.)FreeformPrancer Returns (11:55 p.m.)Freeform

Thursday, December 24

The Simpsons *holiday episode rerun (7:00 a.m.)FreeformPrancer Returns (10:30 a.m.)FreeformHome Alone (12:30 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone 2: Lost in New York (3:00 p.m.)FreeformDr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (5:35 p.m.)FreeformThe Greatest Showman (8:00 p.m.)ABCFrosty the Snowman (8:15 p.m.)FreeformRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (8:50 p.m.)FreeformChristmas with The Tabernacle Choir (9:00 p.m.)PBSSanta Claus Is Comin’ to Town (9:55 p.m.)Freeform

Friday, December 25

The Simpsons *holiday episode rerun (7:00 a.m.)FreeformDisney Parks Magical Christmas Day Celebration (10:00 a.m.)ABCThe Santa Clause (10:30 a.m.)Freeform The Santa Clause 2 (12:30 p.m.)FreeformThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2:30 p.m.)FreeformFrosty the Snowman (4:30 p.m.)FreeformRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (5:00 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone (6:00 p.m.)FreeformHome Alone 2: Lost in New York (8:30 p.m.)FreeformCall The Midwife Holiday Special (9:00 p.m.)PBS

Saturday, December 26

Matilda (12:00 a.m.)Freeform

Sunday, December 27

Lucy Worsley’s 12 Days of Tudor Christmas (10:00 p.m.)PBS

Tuesday, December 29

Popstar’s Best Of 2020 (8:00 p.m.)CW

Wednesday, December 30

Heroes On The Front Line (8:00 p.m.)CWDogs Of The Year (9:00 p.m.)CW

Thursday, December 31

United in Song: a Celebration of America’s Resilience (8:00 a.m.)PBSDogs Of The Year (9:00 p.m.)CW

The post Christmas Movies and TV Specials: Full 2020 Schedule appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/35TBAjI

[daleisgreat]

Last Action Hero

Today’s entry will result in one of the quickest turnaround times of an older movie in my backlog box yet. A couple weeks ago I noticed Uproxx posted an article on how 1993’s Last Action Hero (trailer) was way ahead of its time (click or press here for the Uproxx piece). Once I noticed this story I tracked down a BluRay copy of it off Amazon and promptly watched it within 24 hours of its delivery. I did not read the Uproxx entry yet, but I will after I finish proofing this entry to prevent it from altering my current thoughts I am about to deliver and will post a little addendum at the end of this look back at Last Action Hero for some extra insight on how my take compares with Uproxx’s. I cannot remember how many times I watched Last Action Hero as a kid, but my gut tells me it may be near the double digits. Our family had the HBO and Starz movie channels as part of our cable package back then, and the way those channels primarily were programmed back then was a specific amount of newer and older movies were highlighted each month, and they would play each movie once every day or two to the best of my recollection. I remember being stoked for Last Action Hero. The turnaround time on movies from the theater back then in the early 90s was it would take about five to six months after the cinema release for a film to hit Pay-Per-View and home video. Several months later, or roughly a year after release it would hit the premium cable movie channels like HBO, Starz and Cinemax in their original form. Another year or two after that it would be available for local and basic cable channels, but usually in an edited and censored/FCC friendly format. Our family could only afford trips to the theater and video rentals so many times a year, so if we missed a movie in either of those formats and it wound up on HBO/Starz it was kind of a guilty pleasure in my childhood boredom days to pick an anticipated movie like Last Action Hero and watch it as many times as possible the first month it was available.

I have not seen it since then however when I was 11 and have not thought much about it since LAH is not as highly regarded as other Arnold Schwarzenegger classics even though it hit at the tail end of Arnold’s prime (which I consider to be from 1984’s original Terminator through 1994’s True Lies). When it hit theaters in 1993 I remember a ton of hype for it getting ubiquitous advertising and the requisite hot-summer-movie-licensed videogame and pinball table. The pinball table is part of the many licensed tables included in Pinball Arcade on PS4 which I also played a few rounds of before diving into the movie. In 1993 Arnold was the big name action star fresh off his Terminator 2 success. He also dabbled in the occasional comedy like Kindergarten Cop and Jingle All the Way. LAH marked Arnold’s first action comedy however. Schwarzenegger portrays big name action movie star ‘Jack Slater.’ Danny (Austin O’Brien) is Slater’s #1 fan on top of being a middle school film guru where he routinely cuts class to catch flicks at the local cinema where he is best friends with the old-timer projectionist there, Nick (Robert Prosky). Daniel is promised by Nick an after-hours exclusive showing of the wildly anticipated Jack Slater IV. To celebrate the special showing, Nick gives Danny a special ‘magical’ movie ticket that Nick states he got from legendary magician Houdini himself as a kid, but was too afraid to use it. Through cinema magic, the ticket activates and Danny is warped into the movie world of Jack Slater IV as his new reality when he winds up magically transported into the backseat of Slater’s ride in the middle of a cliché action movie car chase.

Danny is thrilled being immersed in an action movie world filled with the clichés and tropes of the genre that he gleefully points out and references past film lore to help Jack track down his latest bad guy. Slater has none of it and takes in Danny in for questioning. Slater’s over-the-top-gruffy captain, Dekker (Frank McRae) is impressed with Danny’s knowledge and makes him Slater’s new partner. Slater begrudgingly works together with Danny to track down Slater’s current most wanted baddie, Benedict (Charles Dance). The film unravels from there in a world jam-packed with the aforementioned clichés that Danny constantly breaks the fourth wall by showing off his action movie fandom by pointing out how all the women in this universe are hyper-sexualized, indulging Slater’s gratuitous one-liners, how Slater instantly pops up from battles unscathed and how the bad guy stereotypically monologues too long to give Slater a chance to make the heroic comeback. 11 year-old-Dale was the perfect target age for LAH when I first saw it in 1994. I experienced the filmed vicariously through Danny and I was right there with Danny for how wicked it would be to magically transport alongside your movie hero in his latest summer blockbuster and helping him bust bad guys and be in the middle of an extravagant chase scenes overstuffed with special effects. I think a big part of me held off forever re-watching this again because I dismissed LAH as a satire film over the years that I loved as a kid, but thought I thought I would outgrow over the years. After my recent re-watch however, I emerged surprised how wrong I was. Seeing it with a grown-up’s set of eyes significantly helped with a new understanding of filmmaking references and other off-color jokes that went right over my childhood head. I also got a whole new appreciation of the scene where Danny takes Slater to a video store in his universe to show him how awesome he is in Terminator 2 only to instead see in that world Sylvester Stallone landed the role.

Speaking of guest stars, the cameos are through the roof in LAH. There are some blink and you miss it surprise cameos, and then there are exponentially more in the final act where Danny takes Slater back into the ‘real’ world in time for the red carpet movie premiere of Jack Slater IV. The premiere sees the likes of Little Richard, MC Hammer, Jean Claude Van Damme and a few other recognizable celebrities of that era. Back in 1994 I was probably only lucky enough to recognize Van Damme from his role as Guile in the underappreciated Street Fighter, but reliving it again with a new set of eyes made that scene pop in a whole new way. Needless to say, Last Action Hero was a surprise delight to experience in 2020. If I had any nitpicks it is that it was not as brisk a watch as I recalled as it clocks in a little over two hours and I came out of it feeling they could have trimmed at least a good 10 minutes or so off. For as big a deal LAH was when it hit in 1993 it was a bit of a buzzkill to see the no-frills BluRay have a complete lack of extras. I would have loved all-star action movie director John McTiernan (Predator, the good Die Hard films) do a commentary track with Arnold and a few other bonus extras, but it regrettably was not meant to be. At least I have this Uproxx take I can now peruse that will have to suffice for a bonus of some degree…..

Alrighty, I just finished the Uproxx 27 years later take on LAH and we share a lot of similarities. Uproxx’s Mike Ryan thesis is that LAH was too meta and ahead of its time in 1993, but perfect for a 2020 viewing experience. I could not agree with him more, and he grinds out the little references and meta-details more eloquently than I can here, so I highly urge you all to give his editorial a perusal. One key takeaway from Ryan’s article on why Last Action Hero came and went back then was because it made the big time mistake of releasing one week after Jurassic Park. No wonder it is not brought up with other classic Arnold films over the years. I am right there with Ryan on how LAH is an absolute marvel of a film, and if it has slipped by you all these years later then now is the perfect time to watch it in these pandemic times with zero movies hitting theaters nowadays. 1993’s Last Action Hero is the ideal 2020 summer blockbuster! BONUS EXTRAS TO COMPENSATE FOR BLURAY’S ABSENCE OF ANY Click or press here to check out this awesomely through ‘Did You Know’ style breakdown of facts and backstage filming secrects from Mental Floss Here is an incredibly thorough two part oral history of LAH complete with interview excerpts from the cast and crew And I will leave you with Cinemassacre’s ‘Rental Review’ roundtable of Last Action Hero….

Other Random Backlog Movie Blogs 3 12 Angry Men (1957) 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown 21 Jump Street The Accountant Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie Atari: Game Over The Avengers: Age of Ultron The Avengers: Infinity War Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Bounty Hunters Cabin in the Woods Captain America: Civil War Captain America: The First Avenger Captain America: The Winter Soldier Christmas Eve Clash of the Titans (1981) Clint Eastwood 11-pack Special The Condemned 2 Countdown Creed I & II Deck the Halls Detroit Rock City Die Hard Dredd The Eliminators The Equalizer Dirty Work Faster Fast and Furious I-VIII Field of Dreams Fight Club The Fighter For Love of the Game Good Will Hunting Gravity Grunt: The Wrestling Movie Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Hell Comes to Frogtown Hercules: Reborn Hitman I Like to Hurt People Indiana Jones 1-4 Ink The Interrogation Interstellar Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Jobs Joy Ride 1-3 Major League Man of Steel Man on the Moon Man vs Snake Marine 3-6 Merry Friggin Christmas Metallica: Some Kind of Monster Mortal Kombat Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpions Revenge National Treasure National Treasure: Book of Secrets Not for Resale Pulp Fiction The Replacements Reservoir Dogs Rocky I-VIII Running Films Part 1 Running Films Part 2 San Andreas ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Shoot em Up Slacker Skyscraper Small Town Santa Steve Jobs Source Code Star Trek I-XIII Sully Take Me Home Tonight TMNT The Tooth Fairy 1 & 2 UHF Veronica Mars Vision Quest The War Wild Wonder Woman The Wrestler (2008) X-Men: Apocalypse X-Men: Days of Future Past

[wereinadell]

Hi dear @stressedinadress, it’s me, your Secret Santa! ❤️ With this, a bit confused looking Webster in a santa hat, I wish you a very merry Christmas, from one Webthusiast to another!

[just-beyond-ecoust]

Thank you so much!!!!! All of these are just. Amazing. I absolutely love it. Thank you!!!!!!!!

Here’s my secret santa gift for  @currently-passing-through hope you like them and merry christmas and happy new year!!🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

[aion-rsa]

HBO Max New Releases: November 2020

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

There are only two months left to go in this truly hellish year and relatively new streaming service HBO Max is trying to make the best of them. While most other streamers recover from Halloween and get prepared for Christmas, HBO Max is using November 2020 to fill out its servers.

Things are pretty light not the new original series front this month with only Industry (Nov. 9) and His Dark Materials season 2 (Nov. 16) making a splash. But the streamer has a couple of notable original films to complement them. Between the World and Me, based on the book by Ta-Nehisi Coates, arrives on Nov. 21 and Melissa McCarthy comedy Superintelligence arrives on Nov. 26. That’s not even to mention two intriguing projects that don’t have dates yet: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion Special and The Mystery of DB Cooper.

Thankfully, the real appeal in November 2020 is all the fresh library content making its way to HBO Max. Nov. 1 sees the arrival of The Dark Knight, The Hobbit Trilogy, all the Lego Movies, and even the first episode of Rick and Morty season 4 (with more presumably to follow). Those offerings will be augmented later on by the always-entertaining Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Nov. 7.

Here is everything else coming to HBO Max in November 2020.

HBO Max New Releases – November 2020

TBA

12 Dates Of Christmas, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show, HBO Max Original Special Premiere

Crazy, Not Insane, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air Reunion Special, HBO Max Original Special Premiere

Full Bloom, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

I Hate Suzie, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

The Mystery Of DB Cooper, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

Sesame Street, Season 51 2020

Valley Of Tears, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

Veneno, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

November 1

10,000 BC, 2008

13 Going On 30, 2004

2 Fast 2 Furious, 2003 (HBO)

Above The Rim, 1994

All Is Bright, 2013

America, America, 1964

Anchors Aweigh, 1945

Another Cinderella Story, 2008

The Arrangement, 1969

Austin Powers In Goldmember, 2002

Autumn In New York, 2000 (HBO)

Baby Doll, 1956

Battleship, 2012 (HBO)

Beasts Of The Southern Wild, 2012 (HBO)

Billy Madison, 1995 (HBO)

Blast From The Past, 1999

Blood Work, 2002

The Bridge Of San Luis Rey, 2005 (HBO)

Broadway Danny Rose, 1984 (HBO)

The Bucket List, 2007

The Children, 2009

A Christmas Carol, 1938

Chronicle, 2012 (Director’s Cut) (HBO)

City Island, 2010 (HBO)

City Slickers, 1991 (HBO)

Clash Of The Titans, 2010

Critical Care, 1997

Cruel Intentions, 1999 (HBO)

The Dancer Upstairs, 2003 (HBO)

The Dark Knight, 2008

David Copperfield, 1935

Dead Man Walking, 1995 (HBO)

Desperately Seeking Susan, 1985 (HBO)

The Devil’s Advocate, 1997

Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, 2003 (HBO)

Dolphin Tale, 2011

Dumb And Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, 2003

The Eagle, 2011 (HBO)

East Of Eden, 1955

Eight Legged Freaks, 2002

Elf Pets: Santa’s Saint Bernard’s Save Christmas, 2018

The Enforcer, 1976

A Face In The Crowd, 1957

The Fast And The Furious, 2001 (HBO)

Femme Fatale, 2002

The Five-Year Engagement, 2012 (Extended Version) (HBO)

A Flintstone Christmas, 1977

A Flintstone Family Christmas, 1993

Free Willy, 1993

Friday The 13th, 2009

G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra, 2009

The Gauntlet, 1977

Genius, 2016 (HBO)

Get Santa, 2014

Girl In Progress, 2012

Grumpier Old Men, 1995

Grumpy Old Men, 1993

Guys And Dolls, 1955

Hacksaw Ridge, 2016 (HBO)

Happy Gilmore, 1996 (HBO)

Heidi, 2006

High Fidelity, 2000 (HBO)

High Society, 1956

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 2012

The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies, 2014

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, 2013

Hollidaysburg, 2014

House On Haunted Hill, 1999

Ice Age: Continental Drift, 2012 (HBO)

Impractical Jokers: Inside Jokes

The Iron Giant, 1999

J. Edgar, 2011

Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday, 1993

Jason X, 2002

King Kong, 1976 (HBO)

The Last King Of Scotland, 2006 (HBO)

The Lego Batman Movie, 2017

The Lego Movie, 2014

The Lego Ninjago Movie, 2014

License To Wed, 2007

Life Stinks, 1991

Linda And The Mockingbirds, 2020 (HBO)

Little Man Tate, 1991 (HBO)

Looney Tunes: Back In Action, 2003

The Losers, 2010

Lowriders, 2017 (HBO)

Made, 2001 (HBO)

The Madness Of King George, 1994 (HBO)

Magic Mike, 2012

The Magical Wand Chase: A Sesame Street Special, 2017

Magnum Force, 1973

Malibu’s Most Wanted, 2003

The Man With The Golden Arm, 1955

The Mask, 1994

Menace II Society, 1993

Miss Julie, 2014 (HBO)

Money Talks, 1997

Mr. Nanny, 1993

Music And Lyrics, 2007

Must Love Dogs, 2005

Mystic River, 2003

National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1, 1993

Needful Things, 1993

The Neverending Story, 1984

The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter, 1991

New York Minute, 2004

Nights In Rodanthe, 2008

Nothing Like The Holidays, 2008

Now And Then, 1995

Ocean’s 11, 1960

Old School, 2003

On The Town, 1949

Once Upon A Sesame Street Christmas, Special Premiere

A Perfect World, 1993

Pleasantville, 1998

The Pledge, 2001

Popstar, 2005

Practical Magic, 1998

The Prophecy, 1995 (HBO)

The Prophecy 2, 1998 (HBO)

The Prophecy 3: The Ascent, 2000 (HBO)

Prophecy 4: The Uprising, 2005 (HBO)

Prophecy 5: The Forsaken, 2005 (HBO)

Radio Days, 1987

Red Tails, 2012 (HBO)

Rick And Morty, Season Four Premiere

The Right Stuff, 1983

Rock Star, 2001

Rosewood, 1997

Rumor Has It, 2005

Salvador, 1986 (HBO)

Scoop, 2006 (HBO)

The Sea Of Grass, 1947

The Secret Garden, 1993

Sesame Street, 1969

Sesame Street: Elmo’s Playdate, Special Premiere

Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, Special Premiere

Sinbad Of The Seven Seas, 1989 (HBO)

The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants, 2005

The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2, 2008

Smurfs Christmas Special, 1982

Some Came Running, 1958

Space Cowboys, 2000

Splendor In The Grass, 1961

Sudden Impact, 1983

Summer Catch, 2001

Swingers, 1996 (HBO)

Swordfish, 2001

A Tale Of Two Cities, 1935

Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines, 2003

Terminator Salvation, 2009

Terms Of Endearment, 1983

Thief, 1981 (HBO)

Thirteen Ghosts, 2001

Tightrope, 1984

The Time Traveler’s Wife, 2009

Tis The Season To Be Smurfy, 1987

Titans, Seasons 1 & 2

Torque, 2004

Tower Heist, 2011 (HBO)

The Town That Santa Forgot, 1993

Troll, 1986 (HBO)

Troll 2, 1990 (HBO)

True Crime, 1999

Tweety’s High-Flying Adventures, 2000

Twilight Zone: The Movie, 1983 (HBO)

Una Semana (HBO)

Unaccompanied Minors, 2006

Untamed Heart, 1993 (HBO)

Veronica Mars, 2014

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, 2011 (Extended Version) (HBO)

We Bought A Zoo, 2011 (HBO)

When You Wish Upon A Pickle: A Sesame Street Special, 2018

Wild Wild West, 1999

Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!, 2004 (HBO)

Witches Of Eastwick, The, 1987

The Wood, 1999

Wyatt Earp, 1994

Yogi Bear’s All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper, 1982

Yogi’s First Christmas, 1980

Young Justice, Seasons 1-3

Zoo Animals (HBO)

November 2

Quadrophenia, 1979

We Are Who We Are, Season Finale (HBO)

A Woman Under The Influence, 1974

November 4

Looney Tunes, 1930 – 1969

November 6

Pecado Original (Aka Original Sin) (HBO)

November 7

The Dead Don’t Die, 2019 (HBO)

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2020 Inductions

November 9

Industry HBO Max Original Premiere

Food Wars! Shokugeki No Soma, Season 5 (Subtitled) (Crunchyroll Collection)

November 11

Patria, Season Finale (HBO)

November 12

My Sesame Street Friends, 2020

November 13

De Lo Mio (HBO)

Entre Nos: LA Meets NY (HBO)

November 14

Dolittle, 2020 (HBO)

November 15

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Season Finale (HBO)

Murder On Middle Beach, Docuseries Premiere (HBO)

November 16

His Dark Materials, Season Two Premiere (HBO)

Linda and the Mockingbirds, 2020 (HBO)

November 20

Porno Para Principiantes (Aka Porno For Newbies) (HBO)

November 21

Between the World and Me HBO Original Special Premiere

Real Time with Bill Maher, Season Finale (HBO)

Underwater, 2020 (HBO)

November 24

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)

Smurfs, Season 4, 1981

November 26

Stylish with Jenna Lyons 

Craftopia: Craft the Halls, HBO Max Special Premiere

Craftopia: Merry Craftmas!, HBO Max Special Premiere

The Flight Attendant, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

Superintelligence, HBO Max Original Film Premiere

November 27

Chateau Vato (HBO)

How To With John Wilson, Season Finale (HBO)

November 28

The Call Of The Wild, 2019 (HBO)

November 29

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The Undoing, Season Finale (HBO)

Leaving HBO Max – November 2020

November 4

Aquaman, 2018 (HBO)

November 5

Rolling Stone: Stories From The Edge, 2017 (HBO)

Signs, 2002 (HBO)

November 25

Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar & Grill, 2016 (HBO)

November 26

All Def Comedy, 2017 (HBO)

November 30

24/7: Kelly Slater, 2019 (HBO)

All The President’s Men, 1976

Anastasia, 1997 (HBO)

Badlands, 1973

Batman Begins, 2005

Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead, 2007 (HBO)

Blinded By The Light, 2019 (HBO)

The Bodyguard, 1992

Bridesmaids, 2011 (Unrated Version) (HBO)

Bridget Jones’s Baby, 2016

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, 1958

Charlotte’s Web, 1973

Cheech & Chong’s Up In Smoke, 1978

Chicago, 2002

Child’s Play 2, 1990 (HBO)

Child’s Play 3, 1991 (HBO)

Commando, 1985 (Director’s Cut) (HBO)

The Conversation, 1974

The Dark Knight, 2008

Dave, 1993

Deliverance, 1972

Dog Day Afternoon, 1975

Election, 1999

Ella Enchanted, 2004

Father Of The Bride, 1950

Going The Distance, 2010

Good Boys, 2019 (HBO)

The Haunting, 1999

JFK, 1991

The Kitchen, 2019 (HBO)

Little Shop Of Horrors, 1986 (Director’s Cut) (HBO)

Malcolm X, 1992

The Mask, 1994

Marathon Man, 1976

Pearl Harbor, 2001 (Director’s Cut) (HBO)

The Pelican Brief, 1993

Roger & Me, 1989

Sky High, 2005 (HBO)

Son Of The Mask, 2005

Stuber, 2019 (HBO)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 1990

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, 1991

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3, 1993

TMNT, 2007

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