By Zach Johnson
Nat Geo WILD will celebrate the “Pol-idays” this year with a 12 Days of Dr. Pol Marathon, beginning December 21 and continuing through the New Year. As an early present, two of our favorite holiday films—Home Alone and The Mistle-Tones—will air this week before Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas” comes to a close. And ABC will offer fun for the whole family with its debut of The Greatest Showman on Christmas Eve, followed the next morning by the fan-favorite annual special Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Celebration.
12 Days of Pol—December 21–January 3 on Nat Geo WILD
This holiday season, the network is having snow much fun with 12 festive days of The Incredible Dr. Pol, followed by all-new episodes beginning January 2, 2021. And as a special gift, the all-day marathons will also include behind-the-scenes stories from Dr. Pol himself!
Home Alone—Tuesday, December 22, at 5:10 p.m. ET on Freeform
In this 1990 classic, the McCallister family travels to Paris to celebrate Christmas. There’s just one problem: They’ve accidentally left 8-year-old Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) behind! Unsupervised and unencumbered by his family’s absence, Kevin relishes his new role as man of the house. It’s not all fun and games, of course. Soon, he learns that bumbling burglars Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) have been robbing his neighbors and set their sights on his home—meaning Kevin alone will have to defend it.
The Mistle-Tones— Wednesday, December 23, at 9:30 a.m. on Freeform
In this 2012 film, the day has finally come for Holly (Tia Mowry) to audition for the Snow Belles, a holiday singing group founded by her late mother. Unfortunately, ice queen Marci (Tori Spelling) is in charge of casting… and she’s threatened by Holly. So, Holly creates her own musical group, The Mistle-Tones, and challenges her rivals to a Christmas Eve sing-off.
The Greatest Showman—Thursday, December 24, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
Making its network broadcast debut, the award-winning musical stars Hugh Jackman as the sensational showman P.T. Barnum. Given his knack for publicity and promotion, he decides to give showbiz a shot, rising from nothing to create the Barnum & Bailey circus. Featuring catchy musical numbers, exotic performers, and daring acrobatic feats, his spectacle quickly takes the world by storm to become the greatest show on earth. Rounding out the film’s all-star cast are Zac Efron as Phillip Carlyle, Rebecca Ferguson as Jenny Lind, Keala Settle as Lettie Lutz, Michelle Williams as Charity Hallett-Barnum, and Zendaya as Anne Wheeler.
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Celebration—Friday, December 25, at 10 a.m. ET and 9 a.m. CT/PT on ABC
Join hosts Tituss Burgess and Julianne Hough as they spread holiday cheer across Walt Disney World Resort. Featuring appearances by actor Keegan-Michael Key and Tik Tok creator Alex Ojeda, the annual holiday special will include Disney cast member highlights and a look into Disney Dreamers Academy, as well as special sneak peeks at the attraction Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, the series WandaVision, and the animated feature film Soul. In addition to Burgess and Hough, performers will include Jon Batiste, Keedron Bryant, the Florida A&M University Gospel Choir, Becky G, Trevor Jackson, Tori Kelly, and Maddie & Tae. Be sure to keep an eye out for beloved Disney characters popping up in unique ways!
