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arts entertainmentHolidays

Get merry! Here's when to catch Christmas specials on TV

It's time to start looking out for those shows and films that you can catch on TV to help you get into the holiday spirit. Sure, you can find some of them elsewhere, but watching while everyone else does gives the whole thing a little bit of charming, grandma's-house feel.

Here is a list of the times, dates and networks where just some promising and tried-and-true holiday shows can be found (we'll keep updating throughout the season, so come back for more).

A Charlie Brown Christmas, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m., ABC: The Peanuts gang gathers around that lovably scrawny tree in the quintessential animated special, which has been around since 1965.

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I Love Lucy Christmas SpecialDec. 2 at 7 p.m., CBS: Catch two episodes of the beloved sitcom, "The Christmas Episode" and "Lucy Gets In Pictures," back-to-back.

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It's A Wonderful Life, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m., NBC: Jimmy Stewart stars in the 1946 holiday classic.

Mariah Carey will sing her heart out on VH1.
Mariah Carey will sing her heart out on VH1.(Charles Sykes / Invision/AP)
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VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent NightDec. 5 at 8 p.m., VH1:  Get merry with Mariah Carey, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Teyana Taylor and Vanessa Williams.

The Great Christmas Light Fight, Dec. 5, 12 and 19 at 7 p.m., ABC: Taniya Nayak and Carter Oosterhouse will judge home decorations.

Ariana Grande will lend her pipes to "Hairspray Live!"
Ariana Grande will lend her pipes to "Hairspray Live!"(AP)

Hairspray Live!Dec. 7 at 7, NBC: Kristen Chenoweth, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Harvey Fierstein and Martin Short are among the stars of the musical about a teen who dreams of dancing on TV.

Toy Story That Time Forgot, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m., ABC: See favorite characters from Toy Story in a holiday adventure.

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Shrek the HallsDec. 8 at 7:30 p.m., ABC: The lovable ogre deals with the holidays.

Taraji's White Hot Holidays, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m., Fox: All Christmas Cookie jokes aside, enjoy some fun with Empire's Taraji P. Henson in this variety show. She'll be joined by Pharrell Williams, Missy Elliott, Tyler Perry, Alicia Keys and others.

Expect sweet harmony during "A Pentatonix Christmas Special."
Expect sweet harmony during "A Pentatonix Christmas Special."

A Pentatonix Christmas SpecialDec. 14 at 7 p.m., NBC: Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson are among the guests joining the a cappella group for its first holiday special.

Terry Crews Saves Christmas, Dec. 20-23 at 7 p.m., the CW: The Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor and his crew of experts help people make over their holiday celebrations in this reality series.

Lidia Celebrates America: Holiday For Heroes, Dec. 23 at 10 p.m., PBS: Join chef Lidia Bastianich as she prepares dinner for 250 active duty Navy troops aboard the USS George Washington.

Call the Midwife Holiday SpecialDec. 25 at 6:30 p.m., PBS: The Nonnatus House crew takes their baby-saving do-gooding to South Africa, where they help out a tiny mission hospital on the brink of closure.

Compiled from archival, staff and wire reports