Apple TV+ Holiday Schedule: Hannah Waddingham Musical Event, Peanuts Programming & More
From musical events to fun programming for the whole family, there’s plenty to stream on Apple TV+ this holiday season.
The streaming service will be debuting its Original special The Velveteen Rabbit, based on the beloved children’s classic by Margery Williams, as well as the holiday-themed Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas featuring the Ted Lasso star. Plus, there will be all-new holiday special episodes of The Snoopy Show, Frog and Toad, Sago Mini Friends, and Shape Island.
Apple TV+ will also offer special free windows to stream iconic holiday specials from Mendelson/Melendez Productions and Peanuts Worldwide. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, will be available for all to watch Saturday, November 18 through Sunday, November 19, while A Charlie Brown Christmas will be available Saturday, December 16 through Sunday, December 17. (These specials are already available to subscribers.)
Plus, subscribers can check out the already-released Spirited (starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer), Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special, I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, The Snoopy Show: Happiness is the Gift of Giving Holiday Collection, and more, now streaming.
Check out the full schedule, in premiere order, of new and returning original specials and films featured in Apple TV+’s holiday-themed collection below. Plus, check out our printable holiday movie schedule here!
Saturday, November 18 to Sunday, November 19 (Streaming Free)
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (50th Anniversary): Peppermint Patty invites everyone to Charlie Brown’s for Thanksgiving, even though he’s going to see his grandmother. Snoopy decides to cook his own version of a Thanksgiving meal with help from his friends.
Wednesday, November 22
Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas: In the musical event, Emmy-winning star Hannah Waddingham will ring in the holidays as she welcomes special guests for a musical extravaganza at the London Coliseum. The special is recorded live in front of an audience, and audiences around the world will be able to join Waddingham in celebrating her favorite time of year on Apple TV+ as she performs festive classics accompanied by a spectacular big band.
Apple TV+
The Velveteen Rabbit: Based on the treasured, classic children’s book by Margery Williams, the 40-minute special celebrates the magic of unconditional love. When seven-year-old William (Phoenix Laroche) receives a new favorite toy for Christmas, he discovers a lifelong friend and unlocks a world of magic. The all-star cast includes the voices of Alex Lawther as the Velveteen Rabbit, Helena Bonham Carter as Wise Horse, Nicola Coughlan as Playroom Fairy, Bethany Antonia as Female Rabbit, Lois Chimimba as Car, Paterson Joseph as King, Clive Rowe as Lion, Nathaniel Parker as Male Rabbit, Tilly Vosburgh as Momo as well as Samantha Colley as Mother.
The Making of Spirited
Go behind-the-scenes in The Making of ‘Spirited,’ featuring never-before-seen rehearsal footage starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer.
Friday, December 1
Frog and Toad, “Christmas Eve”: Frog and Toad are looking forward to spending the winter holiday together, but a last-minute errand into town sidetracks Frog, causing Toad to wonder if his best friend will make it home in time. The voice cast includes Nat Faxon and Kevin Michael Richardson as Frog and Toad, as well as appearances by Ron Funches, Fortune Feimster, Cole Escola, Aparna Nancherla, John Hodgman, Yvette Nicole Brown, Stephen Tobolowsky, Tom Kenny, Selene Luna, Margaret Cho, and Betsy Sodaro.
Shape Island, “The Winter Blues”: The acclaimed stop motion series for kids and families based on the internationally bestselling trilogy of Shapes picture books written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen, is back on December 1 with an all-new holiday special. The chilly season leaves Square feeling sad, so Circle and Triangle try to cheer him up by creating a new holiday: Yeti Night. The series features the beloved familiar voices of Gideon Adlon, Scott Adsit, Harvey Guillén, and Yvette Nicole Brown.
The Snoopy Show, “Happiness is Holiday Traditions”: Snoopy searches for the perfect tree topper; Woodstock gets trapped in a window display; and Snoopy and Woodstock visit Spike for Christmas.
Spirited Sing-along
Starting December 1, a sing-along version of the holiday hit musical comedy, starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer, will be available on Apple TV+. This sing-along version of the “instant Christmas classic” allows audiences to belt out fan favorite tunes composed by Academy Award-winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul such as “Good Afternoon” and “Bringin’ Back Christmas.”
Apple TV+
Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17 (Streaming Free)
A Charlie Brown Christmas: In this beloved Peanuts special, feeling down about the commercialism of Christmas, Charlie Brown becomes the director of the gang’s holiday play. Can he overcome his friends’ preference for dancing over acting, find the “perfect” tree and discover the true meaning of Christmas?
Friday, December 22
Sago Mini Friends, “New Year’s Steve”: In an all-new holiday special, Harvey makes a wish to stay awake until midnight when a firefly swoops in to help—and kickstarts a scavenger hunt for the whole crew.
Streaming Now
Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales: Celebrate the merriest time of the year with the Peanuts gang. Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and Sally each star in a collection of Christmastime tales from the original Peanuts comic strips.
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, “Night of the Lights”: Jim Henson’s fun-loving and musical Fraggles — Gobo, Red, Wembley, Mokey, Boober and new Fraggle friends — have returned in this holiday special for all-new adventures about the magic that happens when we celebrate and care for our interconnected world. It’s the Night of the Lights, the most Fraggily holiday of the year, and the Rock is filled with songs and cheer. When Jamdolin (voiced by Daveed Diggs) encourages Wembley to make a special wish, the Fraggles head out on an adventure to find the brightest light and, maybe, the true meaning of the holiday.
Get Rolling With Otis, “A Winter’s Cow Tale”: In a special episode, it’s Christmas Day and Rosalie is due to have her baby. Daisy can’t wait to be a big sister, but she’s disappointed when she can’t decorate the tree with her mama. Otis rolls into action to help Daisy decorate the tree and when the snow builds up too high, he plows his way through the snow, so Daisy can meet her new baby sister.
Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show, “Jack’s Snow Globe Cafe”: When a snowstorm postpones the winter gazebo lighting, Jack and friends make the most of the moment with a “kindness cascade” at the café.
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown: All Rerun wants from Santa is a dog, but his mother won’t let him have one. Spending time with Snoopy provides the perfect pick-me-up. But when Snoopy gets too busy to play with Rerun, they call in a substitute—Snoopy’s brother Spike.
Interrupting Chicken, “A Chicken Carol”: In the holiday special, Ebenezer Wolf decides to cancel the holidays so, Piper teams up with the Three Little Pigs and some ghostly friends to change his mind. The animated preschool series debuts globally on Apple TV+ on November 18.
It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown: This collection of Christmas-themed vignettes, includes: Charlie Brown tries to sell wreaths; Peppermint Patty worries about her Christmas book report; Charlie Brown tries to buy gloves for Peggy Jean; and the gang is in a Christmas play, where Sally worries about her single line and Peppermint Patty plays a sheep.
Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special: Faced with a holiday cheer crisis, the North Pole knows there’s only one person who can save the day: Santa’s great friend Mariah Carey. The Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, creates a fabulous and star-studded spectacular to make the whole world merry! The special lineup also includes guest superstars Tiffany Haddish, Billy Eichner, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Dupri, Misty Copeland and Mykal-Michelle Harris. Extra special appearances are also made by Carey’s twins, Moroccan and Monroe.
Pretzel and the Puppies, “Merry Muttgomery!”: When a heavy snowfall jeopardizes the annual holiday festival, the pups find unique ways to celebrate with all the snowed-in dogs in the city. Voice talent includes Mark Duplass, Nasim Pedrad, and many more.
The Snoopy Show, “Happiness Is the Gift of Giving”: Snoopy adapts a Christmas poem to help Sally sleep, Charlie Brown makes gifts for his pals, and Snoopy finds waiting to open his presents a challenge.
Spirited: Each Christmas Eve, the Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) selects one dark soul to be reformed by a visit from three spirits. But this season, he picked the wrong Scrooge. Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) turns the tables on his ghostly host until Present finds himself reexamining his own past, present and future.
Stillwater, “The Way Home”: While helping Stillwater make treats to celebrate the winter solstice festival, the kids learn he plans to share some with a neighbor they’re wary of. The series features the voice talents of James Sie, Eva Ariel Binder, Tucker Chandler, and Judah Mackey.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse: A story of kindness, friendship, courage and hope for viewers of all ages in a heart-warming, classically animated Academy Award winning film based on Charlie Mackesy’s book. The poignant and heartfelt journey follows the unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse traveling together in the boy’s search for home. The film, featuring Mackesy’s distinctive illustrations brought to life in full color with beautiful hand-drawn animation, stars Tom Hollander as The Mole, Idris Elba as The Fox, Gabriel Byrne as The Horse, and newcomer Jude Coward Nicoll as The Boy.
