25 Days of Christmas

The 25 Days of Christmas (also currently known as ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas, previously known as Fox Family's 25 Days of Christmas and The Family Channel's 25 Days of Christmas) is an annual programming block that has been shown on ABC Family and its predecessors since 1996. As the title implies, the special is shown every year from December 1 to December 25, and features classic holiday programming (such as Rankin/Bass' TV specials), as well as new television movies. ABC Family is owned (as of 2010) by through their Disney/ABC Cable Television divison.

Original specials

 * 1996 - Home and Family Christmas Special
 * 2001 - Donner
 * 2008 - A Miser Brothers' Christmas
 * 2009 - Gotta Catch Santa Claus, Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure

Original movies
Most years, at least one new TV film is produced for the channel. In 2007, three films were created for the channel, due to the popularity generated from the previous year. 

The Family Channel's 25 Days of Christmas
 * 1996 - Christmas Every Day
 * 1997 - The Christmas List

Fox Family's 25 Days of Christmas
 * 1998 - Like Father, Like Santa
 * 1999 - The Ghosts of Christmas Eve
 * 2000 - Special Delivery
 * 2001 - Donner; Three Days

ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas
 * 2002 - None.
 * 2003 - Celine Dion, One Year, One Heart; Picking Up & Dropping Off
 * 2004 - Red Boots for Christmas; Snow
 * 2005 - Christmas in Boston; Chasing Christmas
 * 2006 - Santa Baby; Christmas Do-Over
 * 2007 - Christmas Caper; Holiday in Handcuffs; Snowglobe
 * 2008 - Snow 2 Brain Freeze; Christmas in Wonderland*
 * 2009 - The Dog Who Saved Christmas; Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe.
 * 2010 - The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation; Christmas Cupid

* - This was released in Canada theatrically, but made an American television debut.

Christmas Movies
The following non-original (originally premiered theatrically, or direct to video, or on some other TV network or cable channel) Christmas movies are presently being featured during 25 Days of Christmas (including Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas):
 * A Carol Christmas
 * A Chance of Snow
 * The Christmas Box
 * The Christmas Secret
 * Christmas Town
 * The Christmas Wish
 * A Dennis the Menace Christmas
 * Eloise at Christmastime
 * A Holiday to Remember
 * Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
 * Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House
 * How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
 * I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
 * Jack Frost
 * Jingle All the Way
 * Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas
 * Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
 * Miracle on 34th Street
 * Naughty or Nice
 * The Nightmare Before Christmas
 * Once Upon a Christmas
 * The Polar Express
 * The Prince and Me 3: Holiday Honeymoon
 * Richie Rich's Christmas Wish
 * Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
 * Santa Buddies
 * The Santa Clause
 * The Santa Clause 2
 * The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
 * Santa, Jr.
 * Santa Who?
 * Sons of Mistletoe
 * Stealing Christmas
 * To Grandmother's House We Go
 * Twice Upon a Christmas
 * Unaccompanied Minors
 * Unlikely Angel
 * A Very Brady Christmas

Current
The following non-original (originally premiered on another TV network or cable channel, direct to video, or as a theatrical featurette) Christmas specials are presently being featured during 25 Days of Christmas (including Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas):


 * Cranberry Christmas
 * A Flintstone Christmas
 * Frosty's Winter Wonderland
 * The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold
 * The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
 * The Little Drummer Boy
 * The Little Drummer Boy, Book II
 * Mickey's Christmas Carol
 * Mickey's Christmas Special
 * Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
 * Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!
 * Pinocchio's Christmas
 * Prep & Landing
 * Romuald the Reindeer
 * Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
 * Rudolph's Shiny New Year
 * Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys
 * Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
 * The Story of the First Christmas Snow
 * 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
 * Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too
 * The Year Without a Santa Claus

Past

 * An All Dogs Christmas Carol
 * Frosty Returns (owned and created by CBS)
 * Frosty the Snowman (owned by Classic Media and licensed to CBS)
 * A Garfield Christmas Special
 * The Little Rascals Christmas Special
 * Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special
 * Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (owned by Classic Media and licensed to CBS)

Countdown to The 25 Days of Christmas
In 2007, due to popular ratings from the previous year, ABC Family launched the first official countdown to the programming block, which began on November 23, the day after Thanksgiving.

Although this was the first official early start, in recent years, holiday programming has begun during the last week of November, showing mostly older original films, some of which pertained to Christmas and some that did not. The 2008 countdown included the basic cable debuts of Disney's Aladdin, Garfield and the ABC Family debut of Hallmark Channel's A Carol Christmas. The 2009 event saw the basic cable premieres of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Disney's animated films Lilo and Stitch and Hercules, and the ABC Family original film The Dog Who Saved Christmas. In 2010, the event, which will begin November 21, will include the sequel film The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation.

Soundtrack

 * Main: Songs to Celebrate 25 Days of Christmas

In 2009, Walt Disney Records, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company, ABC Family's owner, released a compilation album titled Songs to Celebrate 25 Days of Christmas, featuring a compilation of music from their 2009 special premieres as well as previously released songs that were featured in programs with the exception of among others 's version of Frosty the Snowman from the 1969 TV special that has aired on.

Controversy
In recent years, many fans of the 25 Days of Christmas programming block have been upset with the inclusion of such movies as the Harry Potter films, the Pixar films, and other non-holiday films in the lineup. This has sparked many complaints to ABC Family, via email and their facebook page.