17 Holiday Episodes to Make This December Merry and Bright (PHOTOS)
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Ho-Ho-Holidays
Ready for the best time of the year? Check out these holly jolly Christmas-themed episodes of your favorite network shows. There may or may not be some gingerbread, but there will sure be some merry mischief (maybe under mistletoe?) and goodies galore.
John P. Fleenor/FOX
The Last Man on Earth
Get ready for an excess of Christmas cheer when Carol (Kristen Schaal) goes all-out planning a Secret Santa gift exchange to help everyone remember the magic of the holiday season. Plus: Carol and Phil Get Crazy Jolly
Sunday, Dec. 6, 9:30/8:30c, FOX
Hulu
The Mindy Project
Will there be another intricate Danny Castellano gingerbread house or more Christmas Party antics in store this year? Now that the opposites-attract couple has a baby, Mindy Kaling calls the new holiday episode “a peek into Mindy’s Christmas traditions with her new little family, like Danny and Mindy baking cookies and Mindy eating way too many of them. It’s very sweet.”—Rob MoynihanTuesday, December 8, Hulu
Katie Yu/The CW
The Flash
Apparently, heroes don’t get a Christmas break: Metahuman mischief arises on a harrowing holiday-themed episode when Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) must contend with the return of Mark Hamill’s The Trickster after the Weather Wizard (Liam McIntyre) breaks him out of Iron Heights, along with Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller). Another surprise? Joe (Jesse L. Martin) and Iris (Candice Patton) finally meet Wally West (Keiynan Lonsdale). —Damian HolbrookTuesday, Dec. 8, 8/7c, The CW
ABC
Fresh Off the Boat
On Fresh Off the Boat—ABC’s hit comedy about the Huangs, an Asian-American family living in Orlando during the ’90s—nothing is ever good enough for mom Jessica (Constance Wu). With the holidays upon us, then, it’s only fitting that she’ll cast her critical gaze toward Jolly Old St. Nick. “Jessica loves Christmas, but she thinks Santa has been coasting by for too long,” executive producer Nahnatchka Khan says. “Her new version of Santa has an advanced degree from Princeton and employs the laws of physics to make his sleigh fly. She wants him to be management, not labor.” As for how Kris Kringle 2.0 will manifest himself to her three boys? “[Let’s just say] there are a lot of prosthetics in this episode,” Khan hints. “And some characters look different than they normally look, and that’s pretty fun.” —Ingela RatledgeTuesday, Dec. 8, 8:30/7:30c, ABC
Jack Rowand/The CW
iZombie
Liv's (Rose McIver) latest meal, a teacher by day and a vigilante crime fighter by night, has her suiting up to be a superhero during the Christmas season. Elsewhere, Major (Robert Buckley) has a surprising conversation, and Blaine (David Anders) proves (again) that he's a dangerous influence in Liv's life.Tuesday, Dec. 8, 9/8c, The CW
The CW
Arrow
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Star City, so the team is off to a “big holiday party” that will feature two surprising romantic reveals, promises executive producer Wendy Mericle. But since this is Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell, above, with Emily Bett Rickards) and Co. we’re talking about, expect a shoot-out and “some serious heartbreak” too. —Damian HolbrookWednesday, Dec. 9, 8/7c, The CW
ABC
The Middle
It’s Sue Heck’s (Eden Sher, center) first winter back from college, and she has just one item on her Christmas wish list. “Sue loves being home,” executive producer Eileen Heisler says, “and she is determined to take a holiday photo in bed with her family to post online for her friends to see on Christmas morning.” But, as expected, her father (Neil Flynn), mother (Patricia Heaton) and two brothers (Charlie McDermott and Atticus Shaffer) aren’t making it easy for her to achieve her goal. And she’s not even making them wear ugly Christmas sweaters. —Aubry D’ArminioWednesday, Dec. 9, 8/7c, ABC
Ron Tom/ABC
The Goldbergs
Get ready for "Super Hanukkah" when Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) tries to get everyone into the holiday spirit. Just one problem: the celebrations seem like a blue-and-silver version of Christmas, complete with a tree, stockings, a gingerbread house and a jolly blue suit. And look out for a special tribute when Adam (Sean Giambrone) dares Barry (Troy Gentile) à la "A Christmas Story." Plus: The Goldbergs Get Stuck on ChristmasWednesday, Dec. 9, 8:30/7:30c, ABC
ABC
black-ish
Forget visions of sugarplums. On the hit sophomore sitcom black-ish this year, “the holiday theme is that kids are jerks,” creator Kenya Barris says with a laugh. “Especially when it comes to gifts.” In particular, dad Dre (Anthony Anderson, above right) will be faced with the stark contrast between his own humble upbringing and his current, ultra-affluent reality in suburban Los Angeles. Good thing his parents, Pops and Ruby (Laurence Fishburne, above left, and Jenifer Lewis), are on hand for historical reference. “The Johnsons are going to be navigating how Christmas has changed over the years,” Barris says. “Specifically, the differences between how Dre celebrated as a child versus how his kids celebrate now.” Cue the teaching moment—with a big red bow on top! —Ingela RatledgeWednesday, Dec. 9, 9:30/8:30c, ABC
The Vampire Diaries
For a town like Mystic Falls, Christmas can be more mayhem than merriment, especially for newly pregnant vampire Caroline (Candice King). While Alaric (Matt Davis) worries about her, Bonnie (Kat Graham) makes a new friend at a toy drive. Meanwhile, the Salvatore brothers find themselves going out of town to track down Julian (Todd Lasance), only for the search to trigger something they can never change.Thursday, Dec. 10, 8/7c, The CW
The CW
The Originals
It’s a Christmas miracle in New Orleans! “After months of estrangement and the threat of war, the Mikaelsons gather with their extended family for a rare moment of holiday joy,” executive producer Michael Narducci says of The Originals’ Yuletide installment/fall finale. That isn’t the only miracle, jokes Phoebe Tonkin, who plays werewolf/vampire–hybrid mama Hayley (center). “This episode was the first time every actor on the show shot together,” she says. For the scene above, Tonkin explains, “Our only direction was ‘open gifts and look like you’re having fun.’ But all the prop presents were empty, so we kept ad-libbing to make each other laugh.” —Ileane RudolphThursday, Dec. 10, 9/8c, The CW
FOX
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Yippee ki-yay! The hot Fox comedy pays tribute to Die Hard as Jake (Andy Samberg), Charles (Joe Lo Truglio, near right, with Samberg) and Gina (Chelsea Peretti) get trapped in Goodwin’s department store during the holiday rush with a gang of armed robbers. “Suffice it to say, there will be crawling through vents,” says executive producer Dan Goor. The episode also features Captain Holt (Andre Braugher), Amy (Melissa Fumero) and Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) participating in a polar bear swim and includes a return appearance from major-crimes detective and precinct headache the Vulture (Dean Winters). Bah, humbug. —Rob MoynihanSunday, Dec. 13, 8:30/7:30c, Fox
Scott Everett White/The CW
Jane the Virgin
Jane (Gina Rodriguez) and Rafael (Justin Baldoni) must put aside their differences to celebrate Mateo's first Christmas, while Jane also tries to figure out a better way to pay for grad school. Meanwhile, Petra (Yael Groblas) continues to sort out her troubles and Michael (Brett Dier) starts his search for the crime boss Mutter, who may or may not be Luisa's mom. As for Rogelio? He's just having intern woes.Monday, December 14, 9/8c, The CW
CBS
NCIS: L.A.
The holiday season has a merry start for NCIS: Los Angeles techie and LARP lover Eric (Barrett Foa) when he dresses up as a wooden soldier for a Toys for Tots celebration. But field agent Sam (LL Cool J) isn’t so lucky—and his plans for a quiet family dinner are ruined by a last-minute case that culminates in a chase through a mall’s Christmas Village. “Sam’s in a real Grinchy mood,” executive producer R. Scott Gemmill says, “and he wants everything closed ASAP so he can pick up his son at the airport.” If he has to crush some giant candy canes or push a few elves to do it, so be it. —Aubry D’ArminioMonday, Dec. 14, 10/9, CBS
CBS
Life in Pieces
Just call them Scrooge. Greg and Jen (Colin Hanks and Zoe Lister-Jones, above) break the news to his parents that they’re shirking family tradition to spend the holidays at home with their new baby, rather than with the extended Short clan. “Mom Joan [Dianne Wiest] lays a guilt trip on Greg until he invites her and dad [James Brolin] to sleep over at their place on Christmas Eve,” explains exec producer Justin Adler. Throw in an extremely bouncy air mattress and you’ve got a nightmare before Christmas. Quips Adler, “Dianne and James performed all their own stunts.” —Gregory E. MillerThursday, Dec. 17, 8:30/7:30c, CBS
USA Network)
Chrisley Knows Best: A Very Chrisley Christmas
This might be the only household in America where the Christmas goose is actually golden. Atlanta-area millionaire Todd Chrsley and his reality-TV familiy offer viewers a glimpse at their over-the-top approach to holiday merrymaking. —Ingela RatledgeTuesday, Dec. 22, 10/9c, USA
Greg Gayne/The CW
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
When the hard-to-please Mrs. Bloom (Tovah Feldshuh) comes to town for the holidays, Rachel's elaborate lies about her life unravel at a Christmas talent show held at the West Covina Mall. Greg (Santino Fontana) also has mom troubles of his own when he can't convince her why the rich life is embarrassing.Originally aired on Monday, Nov. 30. Watch on CWtv.com
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