TV Brings the Multiplex Home With Wonder Woman 1984 and Pixar's Soul

COVID and the ongoing streaming wars have conspired to make this Christmas a real barnstormer for movies on the small screen, with two of the year's biggest movies landing on streaming today — Wonder Woman 1984 and Pixar's Soul.

Also today: Shonda Rhimes drops her long-awaited first series for Netflix, Call the Midwife presents its 2020 holiday special, a final shot of The Grinch, Frosty and Rudolph, plus football, basketball, and more. Here's what's new and noteworthy on TV this Christmas Day:

ORIGINAL MOVIE: Following a string of scuttled release dates, Wonder Woman 1984 lands on streaming day-and-date with its theatrical release today. Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal join a returning Gal Godot and Chris Pine in this highly-anticipated sequel to the 2017 blockbuster. Watch trailer. Streaming on HBO Max

ORIGINAL MOVIE: Pixar's latest offering is also headed to living rooms today. Soul follows Joe Gardner (voiced by by Jamie Foxx), a jazz-loving middle school band teacher who is transported to another realm, where he must find a way to get back to the life he knows. Watch trailer. Streaming on Disney+

SERIES PREMIERE: Shondaland's long-awaited first Netflix series Bridgerton also lands on streaming today. Described as Gossip Girl meets Downton Abbey, the new series follows the duplicitous adventures of a wealthy family during England's Regency era. Read our review. Streaming on Netflix

ORIGINAL MOVIE: When alien invaders capture Earth's superheroes, their kids must learn to work together to save their parents and the planet in We Can Be Heroes, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez as a stand-alone sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D. Featuring Priyanka Chopra, Pedro Pascal and Christian Slater. Watch trailer. Streaming on Netflix.

NFL FOOTBALL: Christmas Day brings the NFL's first Friday game in eleven years as the Minnesota Vikings face the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. 4:30 PM ET/1:30 PM PT on FOX

NBA BASKETBALL: Luka Doncic is set to defend LeBron James as the Dallas Mavericks play the Los Angeles Lakers live from L.A.'s Staples Center. 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT on ABC

HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Everyone at Nonnatus House is looking forward to traditional holiday celebrations, but nothing goes quite to plan in Call The Midwife's 2020 Holiday Special, as Sister Monica Joan is rushed to the hospital, and Trixie is incensed to receive a subscription to a Marriage Bureau as a Christmas gift. Watch trailer. 9:00 PM ET on PBS

ORIGINAL MOVIE: Acquired by Amazon earlier this year at Sundance, Sylvie's Love tells the story of a young woman (Tessa Thompson) who meets an aspiring saxophone player (Nnamdi Asomugha) while working at her father's record store in Harlem. Watch trailer. Streaming on Prime Video

HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Dr. Seuss's beloved holiday curmudgeon scowls down from high above Whoville in many forms every holiday season, but for many, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the original holiday special from 1966, is the one that can't be missed. 8:00 PM ET on NBC

HOLIDAY MOVIE: Ron Howard and Jim Carrey put their spin on How the Grinch Stole Christmas in this 2000 live action take on the Dr. Seuss favorite. 8:30 PM ET on NBC

HOLIDAY SPECIAL: It was 51 years ago that Frosty the Snowman first came to life in this holiday classic, all these years later he's still going strong. 4:30 PM ET on Freeform

HOLIDAY SPECIAL: First broadcast in 1964, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer follows the famous misfit and his friends as they search for their place in the world and wind up saving Christmas in the process. 5:00 PM ET on Freeform

HOLIDAY MOVIE: After making his family "disappear," young Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is Home Alone and forced to do battle with the Wet Bandits while holding down the homestead in this holiday favorite. 6:10 PM ET on Freeform

HOLIDAY MOVIE: Tim Allen signs on with Team Santa in The Santa Clause, but he fails to read the fine print before donning the classic red suit. 10:30 AM ET on Freeform

Mike Attebery is Senior Editor at Primetimer and the author of seven mystery thrillers. Follow him on Twitter at @mikeattebery.