15 holiday oldies and goodies you can stream right now in Canada
The holiday rush is real. Luckily, we’ve all learned a thing or two about stepping back and self-care over the past couple of years. Enter our favourite downtime pastime: streaming comforting TV shows and movies.
After a long work week of trying to catch up on deadlines or wrapping yet another pile of gifts, there’s no better feeling than busting out a hot chocolate bomb and snuggling into a soft blanket on the couch. Then? Well, then it’s time to cue up a slew of holiday movies, specials and TV episodes.
That’s where CTV.ca comes in handy. There are dozens and dozens of holiday titles, from themed episodes of your favourite shows to an entire holiday hub of free movies and specials to check out. Add in Crave, our other go-to when it comes to a robust selection of wintery titles, and we’re ready to hibernate.
Looking for some suggestions on what to stream and watch this month? Read on for our 15 top picks, ready to cue up now.
The Holiday
Would it really be the holidays without this 2006 rom-com starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz? Nancy Meyers (a.k.a. the queen of cozy holiday interiors) wrote and directed the movie and it puts us in that Christmas spirit every year. If you haven’t caught it, the leading ladies star as women who switch houses for the holidays in order to escape their lives. What they find, however, is what their souls needed all along.
Streaming on: CTV.ca
Eight Crazy Nights
Don’t celebrate Christmas but looking for something to get you into the holiday spirit? Adam Sandler is here with this animated romp that’s always worth a watch. It revolves around Davey Stone, an alcoholic with a criminal record who is sentenced to community service. Naturally, all kinds of antics ensue.
Streaming on: CTV.ca
My One Christmas Wish
If you haven’t caught this family musical starring recent Masked Singer winner Amber Riley, this is the season to check it out. The 2015 flick features Riley as a lonely college student named Jackie who places an ad to find a family to spend time with her on Christmas. The uplifting story is based on a true tale, and may have you holding back (or letting loose) a tear or two.
Streaming on: CTV.ca
A Madea Christmas
If you’re a fan of Tyler Perry’s popular Madea character, then you know it’s not really Christmas without an annual viewing of the 2013 Christmas special. In the movie, Madea travels with her niece to pay a surprise visit to her grandniece, who refuses to come home for the holidays. The real reason the young woman won’t come home, however, takes everyone by surprise.
Streaming on: CTV.ca
Cross Country Cake Off
What’s a holiday without a little comfort food? And when it comes to comfort food, cake takes the… well, cake. That’s why we’re pumped for this new, four-part holiday series co-hosted by Mary Berg and pastry chef Andrew Han. The pair travel across Canada to find the best cake makers around. In the end, only one can win bragging rights and the grand prize, but it should be a delicious journey nonetheless. Hungry for more? This special is just a sample for the full series, which continues in Spring 2023.
Streams: Dec. 15, 16, 19, 20 on CTV.ca.
The Original Santa Claus Parade
Whether you missed the big man coming into town the first time around or you just want to watch the action again in all its glory, you can stream the celebration all month long. Throw on the parade while you wrap presents or bake cookies to get you in the festive spirit, with a little help from performances by John Legend and Preston Pablo.
Streaming on: CTV.ca
Elf
Will Ferrell’s classic holiday comedy still makes us giggle, whether he’s running around as Buddy the Elf on the mean streets of New York or hamming it up opposite Zooey Deschanel and her deadpan take on Jovie. Stream it to rekindle your own Christmas spirit, or just to remind yourself that maple syrup does not, in fact, belong on everything.
Streaming on: Crave
Love Actually
One of the most romantic holiday movies of our time, this 2003 movie from director/writer Richard Curtis is still a popular pick. It features an all-star cast including Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Martin Freeman, Andrew Lincoln and Keira Knightley, and follows the lives of eight very different couples dealing with love over Christmas in London, England.
Streaming on: Crave
A Christmas Story Christmas
A Christmas Story is one of the greatest Christmas movies ever made. But have you seen the newly-released sequel, featuring many of the original cast members? This family comedy features a now-adult Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) returning to the house he grew up in on Cleveland Street. There, he hopes to give his kids the kind of magical Christmas he had as a child.
Streaming on: Crave
Four Christmases
Whether you’re feeling slightly bitter over all of the holiday planning or like the festive mood hasn’t quite hit you yet, this 2008 film starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon is good company. It features a couple who struggle to visit all four of their divorced parents after their tropical holiday plans fall through at the last minute, and has some surprisingly uplifting moments peppered throughout.
Streaming on: Crave
Mary Makes it Easy: Holiday Hang
If you’re looking for new holiday recipes and entertaining ideas, Mary Berg’s got you. In this new holiday special, the home cook shares alternative recipes, like her Peppercorn Beef, Buttery Mashed Potatoes, and a festive Camembert with Cranberry Jam and Spiced Nuts. It’s the perfect menu for a hang with your friends, but judging by how delicious some of these dishes sound, your family probably wouldn’t mind them either.
A Letterkenny Christmas: The Three Wise Men
Ever wonder what happens when the Hicks throw a Christmas party? Well now you don’t have to, thanks to this 2018 Letterkenny special featuring all of the main players you know and love from the original show. So who are the wise men in question, you ask? In Letterkenny they call them a shot of Irish whiskey, a shot of American whiskey, and a shot of Canadian rye whiskey.
Streaming on: Crave
Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas
If you’re looking for something to watch with younger kids this holiday season, the Sesame gang delivers. The 2016 movie features Elmo’s father recounting the story of a man who brought cheer to a dreamy and unfriendly Sesame Street. If you need help explaining the meaning of Christmas or the Christmas spirit, this is definitely an entertaining way to do it.
Streaming on: Crave
The Best Man Holiday
This 2013 holiday-themed sequel to the 1999 film reunites the group of college friends for a little Christmas merriment. Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Harold Perrineau and Monica Calhoun all reprise their roles, to comedic results. It’s always worth a re-watch but especially so this year, since The Best Man: Final Chapters drops in the US on Dec. 22 (we’re keeping our eyes peeled for it here in Canada!).
Streaming on: Crave
Jann: Alone for the Holidays
This new holiday special is a must-see for Jann Arden fans, as she and the rest of the Jann series team come together for a celebration of all things Christmas. When Jann discovers her family has all made holiday plans without her, she reminisces about holidays past—the good, bad and the humiliating. Watch for special guest appearances by Michael Bublé and Bryan Adams.
