Cable and Streaming Services Showcase Black Christmas Movies Throughout December
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By R. Thomas Umstead
Black viewers looking to see themselves reflected in original Christmas films will have plenty to choose from in December as cable networks and streaming services such as OWN, BET+ and Lifetime offer several original holiday movies featuring predominantly Black casts and storylines.
“OWN has long been a pioneer in creating original holiday movies that resonate deeply with Black audiences, showcasing diverse talent at the forefront of our storytelling and bringing families together during this special time of year,” OWN President Tina Perry said.
Such movies also have appeal beyond Black viewers. Amazon Prime Video’s 2023 original movie Candy Cane Lane (https://www.amazon.com/Candy-Cane-Lane-Eddie-Murphy/dp/B0CGNN63MH) starring Eddie Murphy finished among the top 20 most-watched Christmas films airing in November and December of last year, besting such perennial classics as It’s A Wonderful Life, Die Hard and Scrooged across cable, broadcast and streaming services, according to a Samba TV viewership survey.
“The holiday season is about families and togetherness, and I feel like that’s an opportunity that’s been taken up by major networks for decades,” BET Plus’ BET Plus VP of content programming, strategy and original movies Marvin Neil said in a 2023 interview (https://www.nexttv.com/news/bet-plus-wraps-up-new-holiday-movies-leading-into-christmas). “The problem is major networks weren’t really showcasing the black holiday experience the way we felt we deserved, so we were very intentional about really targeting the holiday season as a moment to tell relatable stories for our viewers and for a broader audience.”
The movies also allow Black actors and producers to flex their creative juices within the festive genre. Gospel music icon Kirk Franklin, who produced Lifetime’s 2022 holiday film The Night Before Christmas, said in a 2022 interview (https://www.nexttv.com/news/kirk-franklin-bringing-gospel-music-to-lifetimes-holiday-movie-fare) that he wanted to create holiday films that feature the familiar storylines of romance, joy, love and spirit told through the music and themes inspired by urban culture.
“Sometimes holiday films don’t get a chance to showcase the origins of urban culture and urban celebration of the holidays but still be inclusive to everyone and anyone so that they are able to find their same spirit within narratives that are uniquely ours,” Franklin said. “It’s very important to be able to represent all communities when you talk about storytelling on the screen.”
Here are new Black holiday movies to watch for the rest of the holiday season.
Christmas Movies,
OWN,
BET+,
Lifetime,
Vivica A. Fox,
Jackee Harry,
China Anne McClain,
Romeo Miller,
Telma Hopkins,
Tia Mowry,
Terri Vaugn,
Vanessa Bell Calloway,
Essence Atkins,
Tina Perry,
Amazon Prime Video,
Samba TV,
Eddie Murphy,
Marvin Neil,
Kirk Franklin
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