'Tis the season for festive holiday programming on ABC

Celebrations kick off with special Thanksgiving episodes of scripted series

√ New musical specials ‘A Very Backstreet Holiday’ and ‘Finding Harmony’ debut Wednesday, Dec. 14

√ ABC News to air ‘Love Actually: 20 Years Later – A Diane Sawyer/ABC News Special’ and ‘The Year: 2022’

√ The Wonderful World of Disney brings nostalgia with ‘Mickey Saves Christmas,’ special airing of ‘Home Alone,’ broadcast debut of ‘Frozen II’

√ ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023’ rings in 2023 as Kickoff to Disney100 Years of Wonder 

√ Additional seasonal offerings include The Wonderful World of Disney: ‘Magical Holiday Celebration,’ ‘CMA Country Christmas,’ ‘The Great Christmas Light Fight’; more special holiday episodes of network’s scripted and game shows

ABC announced its holiday programming in anticipation of the most wonderful time of the year, which includes a lineup “filled with merriment, beloved classics and uplifting new specials.”

Two specials featuring some of the biggest names in music will bring melodies in December: “A Very Backstreet Christmas” celebrates the holidays with The Backstreet Boys, and “Finding Harmony” is an uplifting story featuring EGOT winner John Legend and David Brown, founder of the Columbus-based Harmony Project in Ohio.

Disney will kick off its 100th anniversary celebration during “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023.”

More highlights include Disney’s new stop-motion holiday special, “Mickey Saves Christmas”; the return of “CMA Country Christmas” from Nashville; holiday-themed episodes of ABC’s favorite comedies and game shows; and Wonderful World of Disney movies that families can enjoy, including a special airing of “Home Alone” on Christmas Eve. ABC News is also set to air “Love Actually: 20 Years Later – A Diane Sawyer/ABC News Special” and “The Year: 2022.” A magical new season of “The Great Christmas Light Fight” also returns, along with news of a season 11 pickup for 2023.

Additional movies, musicals and specials round out the holiday season on ABC. Airdates are as follows (all times listed are Eastern/Pacific).

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 16

8-8:30 p.m. “The Conners” (Thanksgiving episode)

8:30-9 p.m. “The Goldbergs” (Thanksgiving episode)

9:31-10 p.m. “Home Economics” (Thanksgiving episode)

TUESDAY, NOV. 22

10-11 p.m. “The Rookie: Feds” (Thanksgiving episode)

SUNDAY, NOV. 27

7-7:30 p.m. “Mickey Saves Christmas” (new)

7:30-8 p.m. “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure”

8-10 p.m. The Wonderful World of Disney: “Magical Holiday Celebration” (new)

MONDAY, NOV. 28

8-10 p.m. “The Great Christmas Light Fight” (season premiere)

TUESDAY, NOV. 29

8-9 p.m. “Love Actually: 20 Years Later - A Diane Sawyer/ABC News Special” (new)

THURSDAY, DEC. 1

8-9 p.m. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”

9-10:01 p.m. “CMA Country Christmas” (new)

MONDAY, DEC. 5

8-10 p.m. “The Great Christmas Light Fight” (new)

TUESDAY, DEC. 6

8-9 p.m. “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” (holiday episode)

9-10 p.m. “Press Your Luck” (holiday episode)

10-11 p.m. “The $100,000 Pyramid” (holiday episode)

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7

8-8:30 p.m. “The Conners” (holiday episode)

8:30-9 p.m. “The Goldbergs” (holiday episode)

9-9:31 p.m. “Abbott Elementary” (holiday episode)

9:31-10 p.m. “Home Economics” (holiday episode)

THURSDAY, DEC. 8

8-10:01 p.m. The Wonderful World of Disney: “Frozen II” (broadcast premiere)

MONDAY, DEC. 12

8-10 p.m. “The Great Christmas Light Fight” (season finale)

TUESDAY, DEC. 13

8-8:30 p.m. “Mickey Saves Christmas”

8:30-9 p.m. “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure”

9-9:30 p.m. “Disney Prep & Landing”

9:30-10 p.m. “Disney Prep & Landing 2: Naughty Vs. Nice”

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 14

8-9 p.m. “A Very Backstreet Holiday” (new)

10-11 p.m. “Finding Harmony” (new)

TUESDAY, DEC. 20

8-9 p.m. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”

9-9:30 p.m. “Toy Story That Time Forgot”

9:30-10 p.m. “Shrek the Halls”

SATURDAY, DEC. 24

8-10 p.m. The Wonderful World of Disney: “Home Alone”

SUNDAY, DEC. 25

10 a.m-noon. ET/7-9 a.m. PT “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” (new)

MONDAY, DEC. 26

9-11 p.m. “The Year: 2022” (new)

SATURDAY, DEC. 31

8-10 p.m. “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023” (new)

10-10:30 p.m. Local Programming

10:30 p.m.-2:13 a.m. “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023” (new)