Apple TV+ is a relatively new streaming service, having only launched a few years prior in November 2019. However, the platform has quickly been gaining the traction necessary to stand alongside other major streaming subscriptions, boasting awarding winning titles among its small yet carefully curated collection. Its lineup of merry media is similarly limited, but subscribers will find there are still quite a few gems in Apple TV+’s repertoire to queue up this merry season.
The majority of its festive selections consist of its vast array of Peanuts holiday specials, as Apple TV+ has acquired exclusive streaming rights to the franchise, but there are several other amazing films featured on the platform as well.
8/8 Spirited
There is no shortage of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol adaptations but this newest entry truly puts a fresh twist on the Christmas classic. Helmed by Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell, a man with one iconic holiday film already tucked under his belt, Spirited follows the Ghost of Christmas Present as he sets out to reshape the morals of Clint Briggs, a media consultant considered by the other Christmas spirits to be “unredeemable”.
The Apple TV+ exclusive is a must-watch for anyone who loves catchy musical numbers, new spins on old stories, and a healthy dose of the holiday spirit.
7/8 Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special
The face of modern Christmas music takes center stage in Apple TV+’s original holiday special. Mariah Carey teams up with Santa Claus’ elves to organize a Christmas concert in an effort to boost alarmingly low holiday spirits after the coronavirus pandemic brought the world to its knees. With the help of Ariana Grande, Snoop Dogg, Misty Copeland, Jennifer Hudson, Jermaine Dupri, and a few friendly faces from the Peanuts gallery, Mariah puts on a performance that’s sure to put viewers in a festive mood.
The special is a versatile treat that can be streamed to entertain adults or children, and enjoyed as background noise or watched with a viewer’s full attention. Those eager for more of Mariah can also check out her follow-up special, Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues.
6/8 A Charlie Brown Christmas
Even those who haven’t watched this cherished Christmas cartoon are well-acquainted with its name. More than half a century after its original release, A Charlie Brown Christmas is still considered the quintessential holiday special, and one of the most influential ever to be aired.
Viewers who adore Charlie Brown but lack access to an Apple TV+ subscription will be able to watch the animated special for free on the platform this year from December 22nd to the 25th. An Apple ID is necessary for limited free streaming but even those who don’t have an Apple device can create an Apple ID without charge.
5/8 It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown
Nearly thirty years after A Charlie Brown Christmas made its everlasting mark on holiday programming, Peanuts released its second full-length Christmas special, It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown.
Unlike its predecessor, this merry special consists of several holiday tales revolving around the beloved cartoon characters as they immerse themselves in the jolly season’s festivities. From Christmas book reports to questionable Santa impersonations to the struggle of finding (and affording) the perfect present, there’s nothing like watching Charlie Brown and his gang scramble through their lighthearted shenanigans with a cup of hot chocolate.
4/8 Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales
For those who just can’t get enough of Charlie Brown and Snoopy during the festive season, Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales has Peanuts fanatics covered. The special showcases Charlie Brown and his friends engaging in holiday shenanigans through five festive shorts.
Inspired by Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip that brought the Peanuts gang to life, each short centers on one of the darling characters as they get into the jolly spirit in their individual and charmingly odd ways. The stories range from Linus’ attempts to send a Christmas card to a girl who temporarily names herself Jezebel to Lucy struggling to ensure that she receives gifts to unwrap.
3/8 I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown
Rerun catches himself a case of puppy fever this winter after his older siblings, Lucy and Linus, spurn him one too many times. Rerun soon realizes that adopting a dog isn’t as simple as asking for one in his letter to Santa Claus, as the realities of the costs and effort required for pet care begin to weigh on him.
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown isn’t the most memorable of Peanuts’ holiday specials but it remains an endearing, seasonal watch for the franchise’s fans.
2/8 For Auld Lang Syne
Unlike the rest of the Peanuts holiday specials, Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne is a recent addition to the lineup, the first in almost twenty years. In a similar yet distinctive new animation style, the modern Peanuts special shines the spotlight on Lucy.
Featuring a dual holiday celebration, the story follows Lucy as she tries to cheer herself by throwing a New Year’s Eve party after the grandmother that she adores doesn’t show up on Christmas Day, leaving Lucy in fear that her grandmother doesn’t love her.
1/8 ‘Twas The Fight Before Christmas
Viewers can switch things up in their Christmas media binge with this holiday documentary. The true tale recounts an Idaho man’s battle against his neighborhood’s Homeowners’ Association over what he believes is the meaning and celebration of Christmas but what was argued in court as the right to organize a holiday display of biblical proportions.
What starts off as a festive story of a man with merry and ambitious aspirations soon spins into a darker (yet still undeniably comical) look at nationwide division and the extremes Americans often find themselves retreating to as a result.
