Here are the 10 best Christmas movies and TV shows to watch in 2022 — and every year

Best-of lists are notoriously fluid.

For instance, every time I think of my best-movies-of-the-decade list, I want to change the order around. You think of a line of dialog or a scene that elevates No. 6 to No. 3, or the other way around. Never fails.

One list that rarely changes, however, is best holiday movies and TV shows. Every year the temptation is to go with something new, something different. And every year, the list stays more or less the same. It's not as if Snoopy one year doesn't win the decorating contest, or Ralphie gets a squirt gun under the tree.

Contributing to this is the evident difficulty of anyone coming up with a new classic. Hey, we're all open to the possibility. It's just that it never seems to happen, at least not lately.

So, armed with that knowledge, here are my picks for the best holiday —TV shows and movies to watch in 2022. It probably looks a lot like last year's, with some tweaks, and may well look like next year's. Which is fine. Good is good, and above all, ho ho ho.

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10. 'Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol'

Magoo (voice of Jim Backus) brings "A Christmas Carol" to Broadway, at least in cartoon, with delightful results. Great songs (though the bit with Gerald McBoing-Boing as Tiny Tim singing about razzleberry dressing goes on a bit), and a familiar story told in a different (and kind of weird) way. Nothing wrong with that.

How to watch: Available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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9. 'Scrooge'

There are, of course, many versions of "A Christmas Carol." But the 1951 version, with Alastair Sim as Scrooge, is generally considered the finest. (Though some Twitter and Facebook discussion reveals strong feelings for "Scrooged," with Bill Murray.) Sim's portrayal is powerful enough that, even if you haven't seen his depiction, it's so influential that, no matter which version you've seen, you might as well have.

How to watch: Available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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8. 'Hooves of Fire'

More commonly known simply as Robbie the Reindeer (which includes the sequels, as well). There's a British version and an American version, but the story is the same: Robbie, the son of Rudolph, has to win his way onto Santa's sleigh team in the Reindeer Games. Often hilarious, with Blitzen scheming and Vixen flirting, naturally, with Robbie all the while.

How to watch: Buy on Amazon Prime.

7. 'Olive the Other Reindeer'

For some reason this didn't take off like it should have. The story of a dog, Olive (voice of Drew Barrymore, adorable), who thinks she's actually a reindeer ("all of the other reindeer," ha-ha) and travels to the North Pole to help Santa when he's a reindeer short, is offbeat, funny and sweet in the best possible way (which is to say, not cloying). Bonus points for Michael Stipe, playing an evil reindeer, singing "We're Not So Bad," which was better at the time (1999) than anything his band, R.E.M., had put out in some time.

How to watch: Currently not available for streaming.

6. 'It's a Wonderful Life'

Yeah, you can say it's a cloying exercise in emotional manipulation, but seriously, can you get through the thing without crying? Jimmy Stewart is great, especially when he's bitter. It's probably true that too many people have seen Frank Capra's gem too many times, but familiarity should not breed contempt, at least not in this case. Clarence (Henry Travers), the would-be angel trying to get his wings, is sometimes a bit much, but the bulk of this story is gritty — and, alas, in these troubled times, timely all over again. (A friend, by the by, has long suggested that he would rather live in Potterville than Bedford Falls. Bah, humbug, to mix stories.)

How to watch: Stream on Prime Video.

5. 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'

We speak here of the 1966 TV special, not the 2000 movie. But of course you probably knew that already. Take a story by Dr. Seuss, have animation genius Chuck Jones adapt it and hire Boris Karloff to narrate it and you have the ingredients for a genuine classic. I was always a little fuzzy on the math — the Grinch's heart was two sizes too small, but eventually grows three sizes. So that puts him at even? Or he's one up? I dunno, keeping score isn't the important thing. The Grinch's Scrooge-like conversion is. And Max, the would-be reindeer dog, is one of the all-time great holiday characters, even though he never says a word.

How to watch: Streaming on Peacock.

4. 'Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer'

I once spoke with my friend Tim Goodman, a former TV critic, about "Rudolph" and we were laughing about how mean-spirited the ostensible good guys — in particular, Santa — are. And what's up with the Island of Misfit Toys? Brutal. Shunned for being different? Maybe it was supposed to be some sort of comment on acceptance. Doesn't really play that way, though. Still, it all works out in the end, with Rudolph saving the day, and the biggest problem, aside from the snowstorm, being a toothache. And eventually differences are celebrated, not mocked. Takes a while, though.

How to watch: Buy on Prime Video.

3. 'Arthur's Perfect Christmas'

Maybe it's a kid thing. But from the start, when Arthur, the PBS aardvark, turns Pachelbel's Canon into a Christmas wish-list, up until his bratty sister D.W. finally comes to terms with not getting what she wanted for Christmas at the end, but something she actually likes more, it's a great ride. The rare politically correct show — it works in Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and more — that doesn't feel forced.

How to watch: Stream on PBS Kids, rent on Apple TV+.

2. 'A Christmas Story'

Everybody remembers the go-to line: "You'll shoot your eye out." And why not? It's great. So are all the funny bits (many provided by the great Darren McGavin). But the real beauty in the late Bob Clark's film — he was best known for "Porky's" and its sequel when this came out, in 1983 — is found in the details. The old-time store-front Christmas displays, the big-bulb lights that make a tree glow like nothing else can, the tamping down of a tree to see how many needles fall. The last scene, when Ralphie's parents look at the tree in the dark, snow dumping down outside the window, is about as Christmasy as it gets.

How to watch: Stream on HBO Max. Plus there is the Christmas Eve TBS/TNT marathon.

1. 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'

Never gets old, even on, say, the 10,000th viewing (those with children know that if this is an exaggeration, it's only slight). The story — Linus, the unsung hero here, sets everyone straight on the true meaning of Christmas, and explains to Charlie Brown and the gang just why the ugly little tree turned out so great ("All it needed was a little love") — is fantastic. Throw in the Vince Guaraldi Trio soundtrack, the great dancing scenes, Snoopy and his decorations and so much more and you've got the best Christmas show, ever.

How to watch: Stream on Apple TV+.

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Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The 10 best Christmas TV shows and movies ever and how to watch