25 Days of Christmas

25 Days of Christmas is an annual season of Christmas programming broadcast during the month of December by the U.S. cable network Freeform. The event was first held in 1996, and has been annual fixture of the channel through its various incarnations, including The Family Channel, Fox Family, ABC Family, and Freeform. The brand covers airings of classic holiday specials as well as new Christmas-themed television movies each year; generally few of the network's original series air during the time period, outside of Christmas-themed episodes. In 2006, the lineup has also included airings of general, family films that Freeform holds rights to, which included the Harry Potter films until January 2017, and other Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures films. In 2007, the block was extended to November with a Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas block. 25 Days of Christmas programming often attracts major surges in viewership for Freeform, with higher-profile film airings often attracting 3-4 million viewers or more.
For 2017, Disney extended the 25 Days of Christmas branding to holiday programming shown by Freeform's sister properties in the Disney-ABC Television Group, including ABC, Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Junior.
For most of the block's run, fourteen specials from the Rankin/Bass Productions library of Christmas specials (excluding the original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman specials, both of which have aired on CBS since 1972 and 1969 respectively) served as the centerpiece of the 25 Days of Christmas. Freeform lost the rights to twelve of those specials (which included The Year Without a Santa Claus) to AMC in 2017 to serve as the linchpin of its new "Best Christmas Ever" schedule; Freeform still airs Santa Claus is Comin' to Town and The Little Drummer Boy. In May 2019, Freeform announced it had acquired the cable rerun rights to the Rudolph and Frosty specials, reuniting the four pre-1974 Rankin/Bass programs on the same network. CBS will continue to hold the free-to-air rerun rights to both specials. Freeform and ABC also held rights to the Charlie Brown holiday specials until Apple TV+ acquired the exclusive rights to the franchise in 2020 (later sublicensing some of the specials to PBS for one-time airings that year).
== Programming ==
=== Original specials ===
* 1996 – Home and Family Christmas Special
* 2001 – Donner
* 2008 – A Miser Brothers' Christmas
* 2009 – Gotta Catch Santa Claus, Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure
* 2011 – A Very Pink Christmas
* 2017 – Disney Parks Presents a Disney Channel Holiday Celebration
=== Original films ===
Nearly every year since 25 Days of Christmas debuted in 1996, at least one new holiday-related TV film has been produced (excluding 2002, 2014, and 2015). Starting in 2005, two TV films have been produced. In 2007, three films were created for the block, due to the popularity of the previous year's films.
==== The Family Channel era: The Family Channel's 25 Days of Christmas ====
* 1996 – Christmas Every Day
* 1997 – The Christmas List
==== Fox Family era: Fox Family's 25 Days of Christmas ====
* 1998 – Like Father, Like Santa
* 1999 – The Ghosts of Christmas Eve
* 2000 – Special Delivery
* 2001 - Three Days
==== ABC Family era: ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas ====
* 2003 – Picking Up & Dropping Off
* 2004 – Snow
* 2005 – Chasing Christmas; Christmas in Boston
* 2006 – Christmas Do-Over; Santa Baby
* 2007 – Christmas Caper; Holiday in Handcuffs; Snowglobe
* 2008 – Christmas in Wonderland; Snow 2: Brain Freeze
* 2009 – The Dog Who Saved Christmas; Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe
* 2010 – The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation; Christmas Cupid; The Gruffalo
* 2011 – Desperately Seeking Santa; 12 Dates of Christmas
* 2012 – The Mistle-Tones; Home Alone: The Holiday Heist
* 2013 – Holidaze, Christmas Bounty
==== Freeform era: Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas ====
* 2016 – Holiday Joy
* 2017 – Angry Angel
* 2018 – Life-Size 2, No Sleep 'Til Christmas, The Truth About Christmas
* 2019 – Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas, Same Time, Next Christmas
=== Current Christmas specials ===
The following non-original (originally premiered direct to video, or on some other TV network or cable channel, or as a theatrical featurette) Christmas specials (including Kickoff to Christmas and airings on other networks that share the "25 Days..." brand) (as of 2020):
* American Housewife: Blue Christmas
* Bear in the Big Blue House: A Berry Bear Christmas
* Black-ish: Christmas in Theater Eight
* A Charlie Brown Christmas (rights shared with PBS)
* Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
* The Conners: Hold the Salt
* Cricket on the Hearth
* DuckTales: Last Christmas
* Elena of Avalor: Snow Place Like Home
* Elmo Saves Christmas
* Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas
* A Flintstone Christmas
* Fresh Off the Boat: Cousin Eddie
* Frosty the Snowman (rights shared with CBS)
* Frosty's Winter Wonderland
* Frosty Returns
* A Garfield Christmas Special
* The Goldbergs: Yippie Ki Yay Melon Farmer
* Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas
* It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
* Jack Frost
* Kung Fu Panda Holiday
* The Little Drummer Boy
* Modern Family: Stuck in a Moment
* Olaf's Frozen Adventure (rights shared with ABC)
* Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation
* Prep and Landing trilogy
* Rolie Polie Olie: Starry Starry Night / Snowie / Jingle Jangle Days Eve
* Rolie Polie Olie: A Jingle Jangle Holiday
* Rolie Polie Olie: A Little Jingle Jangle Sparkler / A Gift for Klanky Klaus / All's Squared Away Day
* Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (rights shared with CBS)
* Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
* Rudolph's Shiny New Year
* Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (rights shared with ABC)
* The Simpsons: "The Fight Before Christmas"
* The Simpsons: "Holidays of Future Passed"
* The Simpsons: "Marge Be Not Proud"
* The Simpsons: "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace"
* The Simpsons: "The Nightmare After Krustmas"
* The Simpsons: "She of Little Faith"
* The Simpsons: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
* The Simpsons: "Skinner's Sense of Snow"
* The Simpsons: "'Tis the Fifteenth Season"
* The Simpsons: "White Christmas Blues"
* Sofia the First: The Mystic Isles/A Very Mystic Wassalia
* SpongeBob SquarePants: It's a SpongeBob Christmas
* Star vs. the Forces of Evil: Stump Day / Holiday Spellcial
* The Star Wars Holiday Special
* Toy Story That Time Forgot
* Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too
* The Year Without a Santa Claus
* Yogi's First Christmas
As of 2019, the only Christmas episodes of a regular series that are featured in the block are from The Simpsons, which Freeform acquired as part of the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in 2019.
=== Current Christmas films ===
The following non-original (originally premiered theatrically, or direct to video, or on some other TV network or cable channel) Christmas films are presently being featured during 25 Days of Christmas (as of 2020):
* A Christmas Carol (2009 version)
* All I Want for Christmas
* Almost Christmas
* An All Dogs Christmas Carol
* Annabelle's Wish
* Angels Sing
* Arthur Christmas
* Babes in Toyland
* Bah Humduck: A Looney Tunes Christmas
* Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
* Beethoven's Christmas Adventure
* Black Nativity
* Blizzard
* Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales
* Call Me Claus
* A Carol Christmas
* Christmas with the Kranks
* Daddy's Home 2
* Deck the Halls
* A Dennis the Menace Christmas
* A Disney Christmas Gift
* The First Snow of Winter (1998) US Version
* Elf
* Eloise at Christmastime
* Ernest Saves Christmas
* The Family Man
* The Family Stone
* Four Christmases
* Fred Claus
* Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas
* The Grinch (2018 version)
* The Holiday
* Holiday Inn
* Holiday in Handcuffs
* Home Alone
* Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
* Home Alone 3
* Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House
* Home Alone 5: The Holiday Heist
* How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 version) (shared with NBC)
* I'll Be Home for Christmas
* It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
* It's a Wonderful Life
* Jack Frost (1998)
* Jingle All the Way
* Jingle All the Way 2
* Life-Size 2
* Love Actually (shared with AMC)
* Love the Coopers (shared with AMC)
* The Magic Snowflake
* Mickey's Christmas Carol
* Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas
* Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
* Miracle on 34th Street (1994 version)
* The Muppet Christmas Carol
* National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
* The Night Before
* The Nightmare Before Christmas
* The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
* Office Christmas Party
* Once Upon a Christmas
* Pluto's Christmas Tree
* The Polar Express
* Prancer
* Prancer Returns
* The Perfect Holiday
* The Preacher's Wife
* Richie Rich's Christmas Wish
* Santa's Apprentice
* Santa Buddies
* The Search for Santa Paws
* Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups
* The Santa Clause
* The Santa Clause 2
* The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
* Santa Who
* Scrooged
* The Star
* Stealing Christmas
* This Christmas
* To Grandmother's House We Go
* Twice Upon a Christmas
* The Ultimate Christmas Special
* Unaccompained Minors
* VeggieTales: The Toy That Saved Christmas
* VeggieTales: The Star of Christmas
* VeggieTales: Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving
* VeggieTales: It's a Meaningful Life
* VeggieTales: The Little Drummer Boy
* VeggieTales: Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas
* The VeggieTales Show: The Best Christmas Gift
* A Very Brady Christmas
* White Christmas
* Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year
* Yogi Bear's All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper
=== Current non-Christmas specials ===
* The Cat in the Hat (1971)
* A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (rights shared with PBS)
* Dr. Seuss on the Loose
* The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat
* The Hoober-Bloob Highway
* The Lorax (1972)
* Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You?
* Toy Story of Terror
=== Current non-Christmas films ===
The following non-original (originally premiered theatrically, or direct to video, or on some other TV network or cable channel) Non-Christmas films are currently or used to be being featured during 25 Days of Christmas (including Kickoff to Christmas) (as of 2020):
* 101 Dalmatians (1961)
* A Bug's Life
* A Boy Named Charlie Brown
* Aladdin (1992)
* Aladdin (2019)
* Aladdin and the King of Thieves
* Alice in Wonderland (1951)
* Alice in Wonderland (2010)
* The Aristocats
* Babe
* Beauty and the Beast (1991)
* Beauty and the Beast (2017)
* The BFG
* Belle's Magical World
* Big Hero 6
* The Black Cauldron
* The Boss Baby
* The Boxtrolls
* Brave
* Cars
* Cars 2
* Cars 3
* The Cat in the Hat (2003)
* Coco
* Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
* Chicken Little
* The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
* Cinderella (1950)
* Cinderella (2015)
* Cinderella II: Dreams Come True
* Cinderella III: A Twist in Time
* A Cinderella Story
* Another Cinderella Story
* A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits
* Dennis the Menace (1993)
* Despicable Me
* Despicable Me 2
* Despicable Me 3
* Dumbo (1941)
* Dumbo (2019)
* Eloise at the Plaza
* The Emperor's New Groove
* Encanto
* Epic
* Fantastic Mr. Fox
* Ferdinand
* Finding Nemo
* Finding Dory
* The Fox and the Hound
* Frozen
* Frozen II
* The Good Dinosaur
* The Great Mouse Detective
* Happy Feet Two
* Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
* Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
* Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
* Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
* Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
* Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 2
* Hercules
* Home on the Range
* Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
* The Hunchback of Notre Dame
* The Hunchback of Notre Dame II
* The Hunger Games
* Ice Age
* Ice Age: The Meltdown
* Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
* The Incredibles
* Incredibles 2
* Inside Out
* Ice Age
* Jumanji
* Kronk's New Groove
* Lady and the Tramp
* Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure
* Lilo & Stitch
* Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch
* The Lion King (1994)
* The Lion King (2019)
* The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
* The Lion King 1½
* The Little Mermaid
* The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
* The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning
* The Little Rascals
* The Lorax (2012)
* Luca
* Madagascar
* The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
* Mary Poppins
* Mary Poppins Returns
* Matilda
* Meet the Robinsons
* Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers
* Minions
* Mulan
* Mulan II
* Norm of the North
* The Odd Life of Timothy Green
* Oliver!
* Oliver & Company
* Onward
* Open Season
* Paddington
* The Peanuts Movie
* Peter Pan
* Pinocchio
* Planes
* Pocahontas
* Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
* The Princess and the Frog
* Ralph Breaks the Internet
* Ratatouille
* Raya and the Last Dragon
* The Return of Jafar
* Return to Never Land
* The Rescuers
* The Rescuers Down Under
* Rio
* Rio 2
* Robin Hood
* Robots
* Ron's Gone Wrong
* Scoob!
* Scrooge
* The Secret Life of Pets
* The Secret Life of Pets 2
* The Secret of NIMH
* Secret of the Wings
* Shrek
* Shrek 2
* Shrek the Third
* Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
* Sing
* Sing 2
* Sleeping Beauty (1959)
* Snoopy Come Home
* Snow Day
* Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
* Soul
* The Sound of Music
* Spies in Disguise
* The Sword in the Stone
* Storks
* Surf's Up
* Tangled
* Tarzan
* The Tigger Movie
* Tooth Fairy
* Toy Story
* Toy Story 2
* Toy Story 3
* Toy Story 4
* Trolls
* Trolls World Tour
* Turning Red
* UglyDolls
* Up
* Wall-E
* Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
* Winnie the Pooh (2011)
* Wreck-It Ralph
* Yogi Bear (2010)
* Zootopia
Category:TV Specials