By Zach Johnson
’Tis the season for holiday favorites! This week begins with the hilarious Oddbods holiday special, premiering Monday on Disney XD. Freeform will air the film Black Nativity as part of its annual “25 Days of Christmas” event on Wednesday, while ABC will premiere a jolly new season of The Great Christmas Light Fight. Then, on Friday, Disney+ will unbox the highly anticipated High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special, which includes a special sneak peek at the upcoming season… and as if that weren’t enough, the streaming service will also debut the original sports drama Safety, inspired by an incredible true story.
Oddbods—Monday, December 7, at 7 p.m. ET on Disney XD
Trouble is brewing in the network premiere of the holiday special “The Festive Menace.” On Christmas Eve, Bubbles’ latest invention, the Naughty-or-Nice Machine, zaps Santa Claus and jeopardizes the whole holiday season. Can they find a way back onto his nice list?
Black Nativity—Wednesday, December 9, at 12 a.m. ET on Freeform
Based on Langston Hughes’ 1961 play of the same name, the 2013 holiday film stars Jacob Latimore as Langston, a Baltimore teen raised by a single mom (Jennifer Hudson), who travels to New York City to spend the holidays with his estranged grandparents (Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker). Feeling stifled by his grandfather’s strict rules, Langston ventures out to reunite with his mom, finding the values of faith and family along the way.
The Great Christmas Light Fight—Wednesday, December 9, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
The network’s tree-mendously popular decorating competition series is returning for its eighth season, airing two back-to-back episodes and featuring returning judges Taniya Nayak and Carter Oosterhouse. Four festive families will face off in the season premiere: the Reynolds family from La Verkin, Utah; the Fiore family from Wilmington, Massachusetts; the Trevisano family from in St. Louis, Missouri; and the Barbieri family from Deer Park, New York. The festive fun will continue in the next episode with the Sumner family from Jenks, Oklahoma; the DeBolt family from Boise, Idaho; the Stott Family from Fontana, California; and the Markowski family from Brownsville, Tennessee. Who will win $50,000 and the coveted Light Fight Trophy?
High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special—Friday, December 11, on Disney+
In the all-new holiday music special, the cast of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series will bear gifts of feel-good holiday cheer, performing their favorite Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s songs and sharing anecdotes from past holidays. Shot semi-remotely with cast across Arizona, California, New York, and Utah, the special stars series regulars Joshua Bassett, Matt Cornett, Julia Lester, Kate Reinders, Dara Reneé, Olivia Rodrigo, Frankie Rodriguez, Larry Saperstein, Joe Serafini, Mark St. Cyr, and Sofia Wylie. There’s one more present under the tree: As part of the holiday special, Bassett will also premiere an acoustic version of an original song he wrote for the upcoming second season.
Safety—Friday, December 11, on Disney+
Inspired by the story of former Clemson University football safety Ray McElrathbey (Jay Reeves), this Disney+ original film centers on a young man facing a series of challenging circumstances—but his dedication and persistence help him to triumph over countless adversities. Aided by his teammates and the Clemson community, he succeeds on the field while simultaneously raising and caring for his little brother Fahmarr (Thaddeus J. Mixson).
