Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 12/02/20

FOX Nation, FOX News Media’s on demand subscription-based streaming service, has unveiled a lineup of festive programming to be released throughout the holiday season. The list is in addition to Christmas in the Rockies, the platform’s first-ever holiday-themed original scripted production which debuted over Thanksgiving weekend and which I wrote about last week.

Christmas in the Rockies is produced by Brain Power Studio in association with INSP Films and FOX Nation.

FOX Nation has also acquired the rights to multiple Christmas-themed movies, including Christmas on the Range and Christmas on the Coast.

Streaming now, Christmas on the Range follows rancher Kendall Riley (Erin Cahill) in her battle against ambitious neighbors plotting to take over her family’s property. However, everything changes when Clint McCree (Nicholas Gonzalez), a veterinarian who also happens to be her neighbor’s son, arrives to help one of her cows struggling to give birth. In spite of the odds, a romance blossoms between Kendall and Clint, until one of his father’s henchmen scatter Kendall’s herd, leaving her to wonder if his interest is genuine or a part of his family’s scheme to steal her land. The modern-day western plays out as a tribute to small towns, big dreams and the power of love.

Premiering December 9^th, Christmas on the Coast introduces viewers to cynical New York novelist Dru Cassadine (Julie Ann Emery) who returns to her picturesque Southern hometown in search of ideas for her next bestseller. As the town prepares for the Christmas holiday, Dru struggles with her past when she’s introduced to handsome local widower Brysen Flynn (Burgess Jenkins) and his spunky teenage daughter Peyton (Cait Pool). As her connections with Brysen and Peyton grow, Dru’s tough exterior begins to melt away, leading to an unexpected twist.

Additional holiday programming dropping on FOX Nation during the month of December includes:

Today 12/2: Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas, the classic 1977 Christmas television special starring the late legendary crooner and his family.  The show features special guests Twiggy, Ron Moody, Scottish actor/impressionist Stanley Baxter, The Trinity Boys Choir and, most memorably, David Bowie whose Little Drummer Boy (Peace on Earth) duet with Cosby has become a sought-after holiday favorite.

Thursday 12/3: A History of the (Ugly) Christmas Sweater co-hosted by PARK’D’s Abby Hornacek (FOX Nation’s PARK’D) and Tom Shillue (FOX Nation’s The Quiz Show). The tongue-in-cheek special recounts the 40-year history of the party garment that has become a fun, if gaudy, celebration of the season.

Sunday 12/6: FOX Nation All American Christmas  FOX Nation with host Pete Hegseth and other Fox News personalities counting down to the lighting of The All American Tree lighting at Fox Square.

Monday 12/7: A Craze Called Christmas, a three-part series featuring Christmas enthusiasts from around the country as they prepare for their favorite day of the year.  The second and third episodes will be available on Monday 12/7 and Monday 12/21.

Thursday 12/10: Beyond the Light: The Hanukkah Story asks meaningful questions about the mysterious origin story of the light-filled Jewish holiday.

Friday 12/11: Alveda King’s House joins the famed preacher and civil rights activist at her house as she prepares her favorite dishes for her close from her cookbook GG’s Home for the Holidays. (BTW, in case you’re wondering, GG stands for Gorgeous Grandma.)

Monday 12/14: The True St. Nicholas has former Secretary of Education and New York Times best-selling author Bill Bennett exploring the life and legacy of St. Nicholas, the bishop who has since evolved into the rosy-cheeked, jolly figure of Santa Claus we know and love today.

Wednesday 12/16: 7 Days in the Holy Land follows Reverend Franklin Graham and his daughter Cissie as they explore the Holy Land.

Thursday 12/17: Christmas Together with Raymond Arroyo finds the journalist sitting down with José Feliciano who shares his story of writing the hit holiday song Feliz Navidad.

Thursday 12/17: The History of the Christmas Tree finds Abby Hornacek (FOX Nation’s PARK’D) exploring the history behind the tradition of choosing and decorating a tree.

Friday 12/18: The Cost of Christmas offers three encouraging stories celebrating the true meaning of the holiday. Franklin Graham hosts.

Monday 12/21: White House Christmas has FOX Nation personality Kacie McDonnell taking us on a journey through decades of White House Christmas traditions and décor.

Tuesday 12/22: Return to the Holy Land features Franklin Graham and his family with more reflections from the land of The Bible.

Tuesday 12/22: Yes, There is Santa Claus! recalls the true story of how, over a century ago, a young girl asked her local newspaper a simple question…Is there a Santa Claus? The response she got from a grizzled war correspondent has touched the hearts of millions, kept the spirit of Christmas alive, and is still talked about to this day.

FOX Nation is available on iOS and Android devices as well as Apple TV, Web, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, Xbox One and Comcast Xfinity & Cox Contour platforms.

IMHO: The expanding programming vision of FOX Nation is good news not just for viewers seeking news and entertainment options that align with their values (or, at the very least, don’t smugly mock them) but for content creators who can’t get past the distribution gatekeepers with original concepts that don’t stay within increasingly narrow PC lines. In short, FOX Nation could play an important role in canceling cancel culture. More on that Friday.

Encourage one another and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11