The CW Unveils 2021 Holiday Programming Lineup With Classics, Family Favorites and All-New Specials

By Michael Hein

The CW has released its slate of holiday programming for the 2021 season, but it doesn't begin for a few weeks yet. The network is ramping up holiday content slowly, starting at the end of November and going right through the end of December. Those trying to savor the Christmas season will have plenty of chances.

The CW's 2021 holiday slate has a surprising amount of new content to consider. While many viewers count on their yearly re-watch of old classics, there are plenty of ways to keep the holidays fresh as well. The CW has 11 brand-new TV specials premiering this season, as well as a new holiday-themed episode of Wellington Paranormal and a new holiday movie. All of it goes from Thanksgiving to the end of 2021.

These holiday specials and themed programming are built around The CW's usual slate, which is gaining some serious traction right now. Hopefully, die-hard fans of the shows in the usual schedule will forgive these interruptions and displacements where possible. Here's a look at what's coming up in The CW's holiday schedule in November and December of 2021.

November Schedule

Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Scooby-Doo, Where Are You Now? (New Special)

9 p.m. ET - World's Funniest Animals: Halloween (New Special)

Friday, Nov. 26, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Masters of Illusion: Christmas Magic 2021 (New Special)

9 p.m. ET - Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer

Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Whose Line is it Anyway?

8:30 p.m. ET - Wellington Paranormal (New Holiday Episode)

9 p.m. ET - World's Funniest Animals

Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021

8 p.m. ET - The Waltons' Homecoming (New Movie)

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December Schedule

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Beebo Saves Christmas (New Special)

9 p.m. ET - World's Funniest Animals: Christmas (New Special)

Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Silent Night - A Song for the World

Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Christmas Around the World

9 p.m. ET - Batwoman

Friday, Dec. 10, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Penn & Teller: Merry Fool Us

9 p.m. ET - Nancy Drew

Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021

8 p.m. ET The Waltons' Homecoming

Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Legends of the Hidden Temple

9 p.m. ET - Greatest Holiday Commercials Countdown 2021

Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021

8 p.m. ET - iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2021

9:30 p.m. ET - Whose Line is it Anyway?

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December Schedule (Cont.)

Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Dogs of the Year 2021

9 p.m. ET - Legacies

Friday, Dec. 17, 2021

8 p.m. ET The 89th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade

Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer

9 p.m. ET - World's Funniest Animals: Christmas

Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Beebo Saves Christmas

9 p.m. ET - Greatest Holiday Commercials Countdown 2021

Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer

9 p.m. ET - Masters of Illusion: Christmas Magic 2021

Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Silent Night - A Song For the World

Friday, Dec. 24, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Christmas Around the World

9 p.m. ET - Nancy Drew

Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021

8 p.m. ET - iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2021

9:30 p.m. ET - Whose Line is it Anyway?

Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Popstar's Best of 2021

9 p.m. ET - Masters of Illusion

Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021

8 p.m. ET - Dogs of the Year 2021

9 p.m. ET - World's Funniest Animals

Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021

8 p.m. ET - iHeartRadio Music Festival Night 1

Friday, Dec. 31, 2021

8 p.m. ET - iHeartRadio Music Festival Night 2

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'Scooby-Doo, Where Are You Now?'

One of the biggest new titles coming to The CW this season is the one-hour special Scooby-Doo, Where Are You Now? It premiered at the end of October but a special encore presentation will kick off the official Christmas schedule on the network.

The special finds Scooby-Doo and the gang revisiting the set of their old show at Warner Bros. Studios to reminisce when they discover that there is a mystery afoot that very night. Some special guest stars help the gang uncover the truth on set, including Young Sheldon's Iain Armitage, Queer Eye's Jerry Beck and Karamo Brown and "Weird Al" Yankovic.

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'The Waltons' Homecoming'

The next new title of the season is The Waltons' Homecoming, which is the story of a young man's experience of Christmas in the Depression Era of 1933. Teenage John Boy (Logan Shroyer) goes out looking for his father (Ben Lawson) in a brutal snowstorm of Christmas Eve, along with his mother (Bellamy Young). It fits in nicely with the story set out in The Waltons, and is one of the most anticipated new Christmas movies of the year.

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'Beebo Saves Christmas'

The CW is breaking all boundaries by giving the fuzzy toy-turned-hero Beebo his own Christmas special this year. After his recent appearance on DC's Legends of Tomorrow, the little blue icon voiced by Chris Kattan will set out to save the holidays this year as well. Other stars include Ernie Hudson as Santa Claus, Kimiko Glenn as Tweebo, Yvette Nicole Brown as Turbo and Keith Ferguson as Fleabo.

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'Christmas Around the World'

Dean Cain and Laura McKenzie host the new special Christmas Around the World, which showcases different Christmas traditions in different cultures — both contemporary and historical. It will touch on the traditional meals, rituals and stories that make the holiday great, while also exposing viewers to some holiday performances they might otherwise have missed.

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The 89th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade

Finally, for those still dying for any live events they can get their hands on after two years of quarantine, The CW will broadcast The 89th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade on Friday, Dec. 17. Cain and McKenzie are co-hosts of this event as well, along with Erik Estrada, Montel Williams and special co-host Elizabeth Stanton.

The CW's full holiday schedule is listed above, including re-runs in case you miss one of the programs on its premiere date. You can also stream the network with The CW app on Roku, Apple TV, FireTV and other streaming devices.

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