Apple TV / Channel 4AppleTV may be the baby of the streaming world, especially when compared to Netflix, but the platform has some surprisingly delightful offerings when it comes to Christmas entertainment. While the service is known for specialising in its top-notch shows such as Severance, Shrinking, Slow Horses, and Masters of the Air, it confidently boasts other gems when it comes to festive content.
Here's a list of the titles the platform has to offer during the holiday season.
Channel 4Voiced by the late Mel Smith, Father Christmas is a charming story from the wonderful mind of novelist Raymond Briggs. It shows a very different kind of Father Christmas: a down-to-earth old man that lives in a quaint house in England. Beyond taking us through the typical Christmas Eve routine, he shares memories of a particularly wonderful round-the-world holiday he's been on.
AppleTV+Night of the Lights is an episode from the relaunched classic show Fraggle Rock, exclusively on AppleTV. Taking place on the darkest night of the year, each and every Fraggle celebrates this cherished 'Night of the Lights', as World's Oldest Fraggle leads everyone to the most magical and brightest light there is. A warm and festive 27-minute story for all the family.
AppleTV+Ryan Reynolds is Clint, an unscrupulous individual who works as a shameless PR guy who will twist and manipulate anything and anyone in order to secure his paycheck. When Present (Will Ferrell) decides he's the next guy to haunt into becoming a good person, the two embark on a musically-themed modern retelling of A Christmas Carol, to see if he can change his ways.
AppleTV+There's a holiday cheer crisis and, apparently, singing sensation Mariah Carey is the only one who can make things right! Obviously being a dear friend to Santa Claus, Mariah does all she can - accompanied by a host of stars, including Ariana Grande, Snoop Dogg, Tiffany Haddish, Billy Eichner, Jennifer Hudson, and Mille Bobby Brown - to rescue everyone's Christmas.
AppleTV+Based on the classic story written by Margery Williams, this live-action adaptation with more than one style of animated narrative manages to encapsulate the magic of the story. It captures loneliness, friendship, and unconditional love between one boy William (Phoenix Laroche) and his stuffed rabbit he receives as a gift at Christmas.
Channel 4Not to be confused with the 2017 Michael Fassbender crime-thriller of the same name, Brits will be fully aware of Raymond Briggs' beautifully told animated tale of one boy's adventure with his snowman that magically comes to life. Taking place on a cold, snowy Christmas Eve, the pair fly off to the North Pole for a spectacular adventure the youngster will never forget.
AppleTV+This controversial Christmas documentary has all the ups and downs of a Hollywood movie. Family man Jeremy Morris loves Christmas. but when he moves to a new home, his plans to turn his dwelling into festive shrine visible from space ruffles a few feathers in the community. Cue an unbelievable story one man versus a group of irate residents, as neither is prepared to back down.
Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddington is the host of this all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza that's a nod to the festive variety performance shows of yesteryear. Taking centre stage in front of an audience, and with the help of a mmix of musical guests and an on-stage orchestra, the likes of Juno Temple, Nick Mohammed, and Jason Sudeikis join in with the celebration.
AppleTV+The pleasantly endearing animated show about two buddies, a frog and a toad, has some rather heartwarming episodes. One that stands out is Christmas Eve, where Frog (Nat Faxon) becomes distracted once he's out and about on some last-minute errands before Christmas Day, leaving Toad (Kevin Michael Richardson) wondering where on Earth he could possibly have got to.
AppleTV+On the back of three highly successful seasons (and counting) of Ted Lasso, you'd assume spin-offs would be inbound. However, this quirky stop-motion story is from the early years, as it follows the core team (featuring key cast members, including Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddington, Nick Mohammed, and Brett Goldstein) to help Ted find his misplaced facial hair.
BBC One / AppleTV+A visually gorgeous adventure from directors Peter Baynton and Charlie Mackesy, it centres around a boy, known only as The Boy (Jude Coward Nicoll), who befriends a mole (Tom Hollander), a fox (Idris Elba), and a horse (Gabriel Byrne). Together, they form an unlikely bond, as they begin a journey together, in the hope that The Boy can find his way home.
D&B EntertainmentThe only place to watch all the classic and modern Charlie Brown movies, AppleTV has the rights to the impressive list below. So take your pick, whether you want to see Charlie Brown and the gang get into all sorts of mischief before, during, and after Christmas Day - as well as New Year!
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992)
Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales (2002)
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003)
Snoopy Presents For Auld Lang Syne (2021)
AppleTV+Mariah Carey's second entry on the list sees her host another holiday special, filled with all the glitz and glamour you'd expect. This seasonal display focuses on her special guests, Khalid and Kirk Franklin, as they perform their festive hit, Fall in Love at Christmas. The show is sprinkled with other musical performances as well as interviews with the woman herself.
